Le festival de la voile

The Festival of Sail

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A San Francisco Fire Boat leads the Festival of Sail under the Golden Gate Bridge on a fogless but hazy 23 juillet 2008. Following the fire boat is the Coast Guard training ship Eagle. Click to enlarge..

From a perch at China Beach in The City I had a prime spot for viewing the entrance of the Tall Ships into San Francisco Bay under the Golden Gate. My photos are hampered a bit by the haze on the Bay and by the fact that I don't have an adequate telephoto lens. If you click on the images to enlarge them, the view improves....

Before the parade, the Eagle and some of the smaller ships loiter near the restored World War II Liberty Ship Jeremiah O'Brien.

As parade time nears, the crew on the Eagle begin unfurling the sails.

As Eagle's sails are furled, she begins catching the wind and heading toward the bridge. Note the helicopter overhead.

Some of the other ships in the parade begin turning toward the bridge. O'Brien waits her turn in the background.

A tanker, moving faster than any of the sailing ships, cuts in line...O'Brien passes under the Bridge. You could buy a ticket to ride in the parade on O'Brien. The mock gun battle between some of the sailing ships has begun on the other side of the Bridge. I could hear the boom of the cannon as I snapped this shot.

Last in line was the APL (American President Line) Singapore. Obviously this ship was scheduled to call, she berths at the Port of Oakland, but I'm not sure why she was included in a parade of historic sailing vessels. Singapore is listed in the roster of parade participants. Be that as it may, it was great fun to watch all these ships head under the Bridge!

Participating Vessels and Parade Order

SAN FRANCISCO FIRE BOATUSCGC EAGLE
CALIFORNIANHMCS ORIOLE
ROBERT C. SEAMANS
ALMA
SEAWARD
KAISEI
NINA
GASLIGHTM/M Formation:
Gold Star, Sea Quest & SantanaUSCGS HALIBUT
BOUNTY
LYNX
NEHEMIAHBird Boat Formation: 
Curlew, Mavis, Skylark, Oriole, Robin, Polly & Widgeon

BRIGADOON
POLARIS
PEGASUSM/V CALIFORNIA HORNBLOWERM/V EMPRESS HORNBLOWER
BAY LADY SS JEREMIAH O'BRIEN
APL SINGAPORE

Nôtre premier anniversaire

Our first anniversary

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"Louis" and the future Mme. la Vache were introduced by a mutual acquaintance not long after "Louis's" return to California from France - on his birthday actually! "Louis," having been divorced for 28 years really, no longer considered marriage to be an option. Then he met Mme. la Vache!

Mme. la Vache was born and raised in China and had lived in Japan for about 15 years. She had worked as a photographer and journalist for a Tokyo newspaper. She published a novel, written in Mandarin, that became a best-seller in China.

She is a smart, funny, wonderful woman and "Louis" thanks God that she has come into his life. "Louis" says that she is the best thing that ever happened to him!

Today is the first anniversary of "Louis" and Mme. la Vache's civil wedding. Following their civil wedding, "Louis" and Mme. la Vacherepeated their vows in a church ceremony on le 4 novembre. ("Louis" says, 'I'm glad she has a sense of humor, otherwise she'd kill me for calling her 'Mrs. Cow!' - and who would blame her?! He fears he'll wind up looking like THIS!. He can get away with it largely only because she doesn't want her name on the blogosphere.)