Last weekend, Dominic and I enjoyed one of the fringe benefits of marina life—friends with boats! We spent a killer day on the Bay with Greg and Sujata, our neighbors aboard Taniwha. Taniwha is a sleek, fast, easy to handle Saga 43 and she sailed swiftly from Alameda out past the Golden Gate and back in about three and half hours. We had winds up to 22 knots and hit speeds up to 6.8 knots! Exciting stuff!

Sujata, Greg, and their adorable sailor dog, Banjo, made for exceptional company. They did a trip similar to what Dominic and I are planning, and are currently gearing up for their second round of cruising. Their adventure had some dreamy highlights (extra year in Mexico! house-sitting a resort in Fiji! ). They also had a cautionary tail or two, and suggestions of what not to worry about, the likes of which make our voyage preparation experience much more doable.

So what were my favorite things? Getting to see Dominic relax and enjoy sailing without the rigors of captain-hood and boat ownership,

while I do crazy stuff like steer with no hands,

and Banjo, who napped in the sunshine, gripped with fervor, and clearly preferred a port tack to starboard.

The conditions were comfortable throughout the day. Having spent the days from the previous week sanding in the sun, I welcomed the fog we had in the morning; it made Alcatraz appropriately ominous, and the Golden Gate Bridge demurely foreboding, and gave way to some spectacular clouds as it lifted.

We were lucky enough to have another historic boat sighting: above is the s/v Alma, a schooner rigged scow maintained by the San Francisco Maritime Museum. A scow is a rectangular(ish) boat; they were commonly used to freight cargo. Alma was built in the 1890s and moved hay and lumber between San Francisco and Sacramento. Wonder what it takes to get a ride-along these days...

…another adventure inspired aboard Taniwha!

Aboard Taniwha