San Francisco: The Layover That Wasn't

We said two or three days in San Francisco. We stayed two weeks.

The Bay has a way of doing that. There's always one more thing to fix, one more anchorage to try, one more reason the weather window isn't quite right. We worked through a punch list that had been building since the Strait: the windlass needed attention, the autopilot drive unit had developed a whine we didn't like, and the dinghy outboard chose San Francisco Bay to announce its retirement.

Between work sessions we played tourist. The farmers market at the Ferry Building on Saturday mornings. Anchor out in the Bay, wind in the rigging, container ships passing close enough to read their names. Sausalito by dinghy. The fog rolling over the hills at Twin Peaks every afternoon like clockwork.

By mid-September we were ready. The list was done, the crew was rested, and the southerly window was open.

Time in port: 13 days · Boat projects: 6 completed