BASK FULL MOON PADDLE

2-19-2000

San Leandro Bay

Fred Cooper, Craig Steiger and I arrived at the put-in the big ramp next to El Torito and discovered that with the negative tide-0.9 feet this evening the water was 300 feet out!We changed the put-in to a dock near the San Leandro marina office. After launching, we paddled out--staying in the deep water channel to avoid the risk of running aground.

We met Nancy, Mark Burk, and Albert Wang on the water. We were treated to a beautiful sunset as it continued to pour rain aloft, some of which made it to the surface.

The sunset didn't last too long but we enjoyed it. The warm advection rain began to reach the surface.

Have you ever wondered what a plane coming at you at night looks like?

This is what a plane looks like right after it passes over your head for a landing. The long row of lights is the fuselage of the plane. Looks like Fred Cooper's going to catch on fire.

We watched this impressive show of planes landing for about an hour. As the jets land, the windshear creates an echo which reverberates back and forth across the water. One can also observe this newly created wind hitting the surface of the water.

We headed back for dinner. Each side of the deep water channel into the marina is marked by 2 telephone poles topped by flashing red lights. Good thing or it would have been trouble to get back. After dinner, Fred, Craig and I relaunched at 9:30 pm. We went to the little "low tide" island just south of the marina entrance and made hot chocolate. The moon tried to appear but the clouds were just too much. We called it a paddle at 11:30 pm.

Conditions

Tides corrected; minus 0.9 feet at 6:47 pm.

Air temp. 55-59 F degrees Water temp 55.8 F degrees

Wind Breezy to 10 knots SE at launch 5:30 pm to calm and glassy at 7 pm.

Warm front moving N precipation falling as virga and occasionally reaching the surface-Trace amount measured

Light chop at launch became flat after 7 pm.

Round trip mileage 1.5 nautical mile

Stormus kayakii
by Craig Steiger

I saw him one night
in his natural habitat

"Stormus kayakii"

Standing on a long rock spit
the ebb tide had exposed
in the San Leandro saltflats

wild hair blowing
in a stiff south breeze
discoursing under a rising moon

the upper level nuances
of the approaching rain

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