Ayala Cove 05 08 06
Darkness set in at Ayala Cove. Vivi and I were exhausted from hiking the island. We settled into
bed, looking forward to some rest. The
boat bucked and swayed at its moorings. I prayed for the distant ferries to stop churning up the seas. I looked at the clock and noticed the nearby barometer dropped another 2 points. Every minute we hoped for the foul
weather to end.
We heard the
flags snap. Gusts of
wind first came from the West and later, from the East. An icy sliver of
wind came in from the gap in my port window. I saw the currents swirling menacingly around the
boat. We settled into our berths, dozing fitfully. A pale shaft of moonlight sliced down between our narrow V berths. We were roused each time the boat sloshed and crunched through a new set of waves.
In the inky darkness, I could hear the splash of running
water coming from the
engine room. I sprang out of
bed, alarmed at the thought of the boat being holed and the
bilge pumps running on such a foul night. I grabbed the spot light and opened the door to the aft
deck. A fresh splash of cold wind rushed in the door, the stars shown icily above. I lit up the aft
deck and saw the
mooring lines taught at an odd angle. The
mooring ball was tipped over, straining to hold our vessel. The currents rushed past the boat, splashing against the side. I’ve never seen such a strong
current. A look below showed only our trusty
engine hunched in the well. I returned to my bunk and pulled the thin blankets over my shoulder.
The next morning, the sky was white with morning mist. Our neighboring boats were moving off into the haze. Our brains were dense, our eyes sticky with a lack of restful sleep. We hastily departed Ayala cove in
route to
San Francisco. We were looking forward to warmth, calm
water and terra firma.
Looking back, we enjoyed the hike around Angel Island. We took a different
route and saw a new side of the island. We had a magic moment when Vivi and I took the
Zodiac ashore and sat on a sunny beach, admiring the cove and the sight of our boat moored off shore. Knowing what I know now, I would have made this a day trip. Mid week, you will find that you are the only ones on the island, making it all the more special.
We’re going on ten days now. Memories of
work, home, families and our
dogs are fading away. The feeling of the never ending summer
vacation is upon us.