~ SOLO CRUISING THE SACRAMENTO DELTA (part 5) ~ Foggy, seabird seclusion

The conclusion to 9 days,and 77,810 boat lengths. [57] Day 8 saw us getting underway before sunrise. [58] After having been so utterly wiped out the yesterday, I expected to take a short trip to Treasure Island and rest up for the majority of the day. [59] But the ebb tide was so strong that I arrived near Angel Island at only 9 AM, and feeling pretty good I decided to take a shot at laying The Gate and sailing down the coast all the way to HMB. [60] a not insubstantial objective for little Jonah and I. [61] After again fighting tide that turned and the inevitable headwinds, we crept out under the GGB, turned to port and headed down the coast. [62] A great sense of relief descended, as the open ocean is much less mentally taxing. No tidal currents, no cargo ships, no close quarters with land or "aids to navigation". [63] And now, a short 4-hour sail mostly downwind along the coast to anchor in HMB, that haven from the harrowing, that foggy, seabird seclusion, that millpond of a sailors rest. [] Day 9; another day, and more decisions. The gasoline was getting low, there might be enough to get home, there might not. [] I could wait for the gas station to open and get a late start, but a late start means a late finish for such a long leg as HMB to SC. On checking the weather I decided to risk it... there should be enough wind at the end of the day that I could sail all the way into harbor if necessary. [] After two fried eggs on bread, we weighed, and headed out into fog as thick as i have ever seen it. even the fishing boats were going slow today. [] part way down the coast, Jonah seemed to be dragging her keel. Not going as fast i pondered the phenom know as the "California current". Could it be that this was the reason for the slower speed? [] Well I spun her right around 180 degrees and sure enough she went at least 1 knot faster! Oh, yes the California Current runs up the coast I thought (wrong!). Huh, that could impact fuel consumption! [] Thankfully, the wind got up from "abaft the beam" and we motorsailed all the way to SC at a good rate of knots and with gasoline to spare. [] I pulled the good little ship from the water and she's at home in the driveway, in better condition than when she departed.