On Sunday, Dominic and I had two of our favorite people on board Helios, our good friends Bob and Vanessa. Also known as Dr. V and Han Solo (a nickname earned on the ski slopes!), these two came perfectly prepared for the day with Giants gear, Punkin Ale, and delicious Mt. Tam cheese. They also brought excellent conditions: 70 degrees, 15 knot winds, and fog that moved across the Golden Gate, as V put it, like frosting.

We left Alameda around 11:30 am, raising the main after we passed under the Bay Bridge. We spent the early part of the sail relaxing and getting caught up, enjoying the harbor dolphin as we passed along the city front.

As we began the return trip, Bob and I had the chance to work the lines while Dominic tacked and jibed. We were testing some recent additions to the boat. As I've been wrapping up the varnishing project, we removed the genoa track and all of the stanchions. We completed three hours of remounting work on Saturday, and shedding parts overboard while underway would have been beyond embarrassing.

Also on our to-do list was to get a good shot of Helios while underway. We need an image for business cards to easily share our contact information while away. Don't hesitate to let me know if you have a favorite! Top? Middle? Bottom?

And one last pic for those of you following the bridge deconstruction as closely as we are:

Sailing with Bob and V!