Sailing to Save the Dolphins

November 7, 2010

It was a sunny warm day last Thursday, a perfect day to go sailing except that it was calm, and we were concerned wind was going to be hard to find. We motored Dolphin Spirit out of Marina Bay and into Raccoon Strait. I helped skipper Michael Reppy raise the main. For an aspiring singlehanded sailor who considers having good upper body strength, I found raising the main an aerobic workout that seemed to take a really long time. We popped out of Raccoon and headed toward the Cityfront. We unfurled the jib and found wind - and went from motoring on glass to screaming towards San Francisco at 18 knots!

Dolphin Spirit is an all carbon 43-ft Tony Grainger trimaran with a 39-ft beam. Michael Reppy is an environmental activist attempting to break the record from San Francisco to Tokyo as a means to bring attention to the horrific slaughter of dolphins in Tajii, Japan. I met Michael six years ago at the Strictly Sail Pacific boat show. We started talking about sustainable fishing and folk music and have been friends ever since.

Michael Reppy on the bow of Dolphin Spirit. ©2010 Erik Simonson/www.pressure-drop.us

Photographer Erik Simonson met up with us in his RIB to take pictures. Michael had to fix something at the mast and handed me the helm! Suddenly I was driving Dolphin Spirit at 18 knots. I had to practice what I teach (I'm a yoga instructor) and put attention on my breath to calm down. I watched the sails, felt the wind and the boat beneath my feet. I felt her balance and fly. I felt my fear transform into exhilaration!

We made multiple tracks from Blackhaller under the Golden Gate Bridge and out about as far as Kirby Cove and back. Erik circled and circled taking pictures from every possible angle. A couple of times, my crewmate Bill and I had to duck down below so it would appear like Michael was singlehanding for the pictures.

It was a beautiful day for a photo shoot. ©2010 Erik Simonson/www.pressure-drop.us

I got to hang out on the pontoons and eventually I got to drive again from the port pontoon. The wind had calmed by this time. It was a lovely glide at around seven knots. Eventually, the wind went away altogether. We furled the jib and turned on the outboard, motorsailing toward Raccoon. Erik boarded Dolphin Spirit to interview Michael. After he left us we continued home to Marina Bay, through a mirrored Raccoon Strait colored by amber light.

- Julie Lucchesi

More of Erik's photos and his interview with Michael Reppy can be seen at www.pressure-drop.us