Steadfast Takes a Beating...

...to weather that is.  As planned, Keith and I left Santa Cruz at 8:30 Saturday night.  We'd checked the weather and it seemed we weren't going to get a great weather window so instead we opted for timing - both of us were free from work and the kids could stay with family so off we went.  We needed to get to The Gate between 8am and noon in order to get the tides just right so we decided to make a run up the coast in one fell swoop.

When we checked the weather it was expected to be NW 10-15 and 7ft seas, as mentioned, not great but do-able...especially on Steadfast.  We left Santa Cruz with a light warm breeze, calm seas and a lovely sunset.  Keith decided to set the main sail to help steady the boat as we chugged up the coast.  The calm lasted for about an hour and then open ocean and big swell greeted us as dark settled in.  All of sudden we were climbing up faces of 12-14 ft seas and getting drenched with spray as Steadfast slammed down again.  Keith ducked below and started to add layers and foulies while I kept driving the boat north and then we swapped out so I could put on layers and my own foulies.  Keith then decided that the main sail didn't appear to be providing any benefit so tethered himself to the boat and did some skidding and sliding along the top deck to drop it again.  With the correct gear on and sail taken care of  we settled in for what we knew would be a long night. 

The feel of the boat launching off those waves and slamming the water...wow...bone jarring...with the only light coming from the moon it was a little nerve wracking.  Fortunately I had planned for the worst and taken a Bonine before we left otherwise I do believe I would have tossed my cookies!  Keith took the first shift and I was amazed that I was able to get a couple hours of sleep with all the slamming going on.  I took the second shift and was able to watch for the Pigeon Point lighthouse and the red marker off Ano Nuevo...no problem....except that I'm still getting sprayed with water on a regular basis and it's night and I'm getting colder...and colder...and colder.  Just when I think my hands are going to freeze off Keith wakes and relieves me.  Not sure I've ever been so grateful to peel off my wet foulies and crawl into my lovely warm bed.
 
Again I'm amazed that I'm able to fall asleep and like clockwork wake a few hours later after a particularly nasty roll and slam of the boat.  My last shift of the night was my least favorite.  Keith said I had to hold course between 300 and 315 and when I asked what I was looking for (ie lights, markers, buoys) he said there wasn't anything to look for between Half Moon Bay and the Golden Gate.  So there I was by myself in the cockpit, middle of the night, holding the boat on course with nothing to gauge beyond the compass in front of me.  Out of the corner of my eye I would see something flash and it would give me a start....it was the wind blowing the tops off the swell, the white reflecting in the moonlight.  I have to say that this was not my favorite part and I was very relieved when Keith spelled me just before dawn when I was once again turning into a human popsicle.

The next time I woke I could see the Golden Gate in the distance and we were going through the 'boiling water'.  That's the way the water looked to me...like a pot of boiling water.   All I know was I was thrilled to be at that point because it meant we were finished with the beating. Yipee!  Keith took a peek at the GPS and with the tide flooding into the San Francisco Bay we were cruising at 10.5 knots.  Sweet!  We made a beeline for Raccoon Straight and into San Pablo Bay to get to the Napa River.    The tide gave us a push all the way up the river, even in neutral the boat was going 4 knots.  We pulled into the Napa Valley Marina just about Noon wrapping up our 15 hour run up the California Coast.  We tied off and I headed straight for a piping hot shower and then off to bed for some much needed rest.

The next day we hauled Steadfast out and power washed her bottom before storing her on the hard for the winter months.  Keith was debating whether we needed to do a power wash at all because we had only been in the water for two months.  Turns out, everywhere I had put new bottom paint (i.e. from the water line down about 4ft) was perfect, not a spot of growth.  The bottom was totally covered in growth so I guess I will be picking up a can of the sloughing paint that obviously worked so well on the top and putting it on the bottom 4ft or so before we drop her in the water next Spring.

So now we are getting ourselves ready for the drive back to Colorado and reintegration to the real world.  Last year when we packed her up I felt it was time and I was prepared.  This time, I am wishing we had at least another month on her...the summer was too short and there is so much more adventuring I wish we could have done.

---