Okay, so this is not sailing, per se, but it was some pretty interesting boating on a fishing vessel…

So over the weekend I went on a whale watching trip with Tania, Pamela, Kirk and Jessie. Jessie was a last-minute add on, since she and her friend Audrey came up to SF for the weekend and stayed with us on Friday night. I was a bit nervous about getting seasick, so I made sure to eat a somewhat healthy dinner the night before. I also took a Bonine (seasickness prevention tablet) that morning. Jessie and I got up at 6am and left the house about 6:45am. The boat, Salty Lady left the dock at Clipper Harbor in Sausalito at 8am. There were at least 30 people on board, if not more. A guy named David was our naturalist and guide.

I suppose in hindsight, taking a trip out on the open ocean in October may not have been the best choice, at least for comfort. Since I have been on the water in the rain before, I knew it would be cold and it would be wet, so I brought rain pants and a foul weather jacket. Yes, it was cold and wet, but I still enjoyed being out there. Especially once I was sure that I was not going to get seasick.

The Farallone Islands are about 25 miles offshore, so it took about two hours to get out there. Most of the folks onboard (members of our group included) really didn’t have proper gear for the conditions. I faired okay, but found that a better pair of rain pants, a warmer jacket, and more layers would have made things better. Even though the swells were pretty mild, folks started to get sick. I wasn’t sure if I woud, but once other people started throwing up, and I did not, I figured I was probably okay.

The Farallones are literally big rocks sticking out of the ocean. They’re the last vestige of North America, as the continental shelf extends just past, then drops off into the depths. We didn’t see any whales, but there were tons of sea lions, pelicans and other water- and air-based creatures. After we circled the main islands, I headed inside for a nap. I woke up as we were circling the far northern islands, which are more remote, smaller and more desolate. I napped again as we spent more than two hours steaming back. We came in from the North, down the “Bolinas Channel” toward the Golden Gate.

I had thought we would be out until about 2pm, but it was 4pm when we pulled up to the dock. As folks shuffled off the boat, it was obvious many of them regretted the day’s adventure. Especially the couple of guys who had remained seasick for the entire 8 hours. I was surprised when Tania told me she had hated every moment of it. I thought it was a good day, despite the rainy weather. Jessie said she thought it was cool too, though she was tired of the cold.