Day 6, 26th Jun 2018, Pos 36 – 23N, 149 – 25E Daily Run 145 nm. Weather, Breezy and Sunny.
Weather forecasting is proving to be impossible, Yesterdays predicted flat calms turned into decent winds on the port beam, and have stayed that way for the last 20 hours or so. I think we are under the influence of a high pressure system now, hence the stability, sunny skies, and quite calm sea. We have only been ambling along at 5 knots, but today that picked up to 6 and then the current appeared again at 3 knots giving us a healthy daily run of 145 nm On the good news front, the batteries coped easily running the auto helm through the night. I switched it to a less aggressive setting which might have helped a bit. I also made 20 litres of water yesterday while it was nice and calm, we currently make the water into 10 ltr Jugs and then decant them into the tank, that we we have better quality control, also I haven’t finished the plumbing yet to eliminate the jugs. On the bad news front, at some point in the night during Kathy’s watch the auto helm lost the plot and decided to take us in 360 deg circles, I power cycled it several times, as this sometimes helps, but that made no difference, then while I was pondering, it just started working again. Kathy was happy to assume we were all ok now, I’m wise enough to electronics to know that this a problem that will return soon enough. However I also know it’s most likely going to be due to a bad connection or a dry joint somewhere, something I can probably find and fix. The other bad news is that today when I tried to make more fresh water, the machine failed to produce any. Again, I know this machine inside out and I’m pretty sure this is down to an air lock or restriction in water flow somewhere, nothing too serious, but we don’t really need it as we carry plenty of water, I will get onto this job later.It was reluctant to start yesterday, but when I bypassed the raw water filter and turned the pressure bypass switch on, then reversed the process it was fine. We had a fantastic sunset, moonset and sunrise last night and this morning. The sea is lovely and clear here and yesterday I spotted a huge plume of water shoot out of the sea only 50-100 metres away from me, this was a classic disney style whale water spout, sadly I didn’t see the whale. I expect we will see them soon.
I sent emails to a few family and friends but got no reply over the last few days, this may be because I had the wrong address in the reply to field, could you please reply again using the myiridium.net email account I have.
The engine has been off now for the last two days, and with our average speed higher than I expected, I think our 6 week voyage may only end up lasting 5 weeks. We dread turning up in America and having to throw away food we didn’t get to eat, like some of the nicer cheeses, saying that, I’m off to try some Edam I got in the Philippines.
Paul Collister
Category: Uncategorized
Day 5, (12:00 25th June 2018), Pos 35 – 52N, 146 – 40E Daily Run 176 nm. Weather, Calm and Sunny
Day 5, (12:00 25th June 2018), Pos 35 – 52N, 146 – 40E Daily Run 176 nm. Weather, Calm and Sunny.
Yesterday was meant to be very calm all day according to the forecast, however within a few hours of posting the blog we had strong winds from astern, The sea was a bit more stable and we took off like a rocket, we were doing 7 knots over water at a minimum, and we had a good 3 knots of current, by 18:00 the waves were big and the wind was in the high twenties, so we were belting along, averaging about 9 knots over ground, often registering 12 knots on the GPS as we were pushed by the waves. Kathy thought it was a bit too much, but I was happy as when I rechecked the forecast, it had it right now, and the weather was going to peak that evening. Also with the waves and wind being strong, but steady on the starboard quarter, the motion of the boat was quite gentle and reasonably predictable. Of course there’s always one massive wave that comes out of nowhere and sends something flying inside the cabin that you didn’t expect. I have now packed the wooden spear away in the quarter berth were it won’t be bothering Kathy again. It actually started to die down around midnight, but the big waves continued until the morning. Im glad it was dark last night, as when I could make out the waves they were big! Now we have a calm (ish) sea, and a gentle 6 knot breeze, we are making about 4 knots over ground (SOG). At the 12 hour mark, we had done 110 miles, setting us up for our first 200 mile day, but the light winds of this morning stopped that happening, instead we managed about 176nm
Casualties of the night:
1. Wind vane self steering system, the wind vane course control chain was stiff, I didn’t realise this and when I tried to turn it the chain snapped. I thought I had a spare, but don’t. I have managed to fabricate a link using the middle of a SS rivet and bending it to the right shape, however it’s not great and I think there is something else amiss with the system that caused it to jam. On the plus side, it’s only the course control, the system will steer itself, just maybe not to where we want to go. We do have the the electric autopilot, but that uses a lot of electric, and I don’t know if it will work in a heavy sea at night when we only have batteries. For now we will run with a mix of the two. 2. Genoa sheet. We had to gybe in the night and in the pitch black I didn’t see that the genoa sheet on starboard was rubbing on the lifeline, this has rather scuffed it, no big deal, but I need to be more careful in the dark to check everything.
All in all another test of the boat and it did reasonably well. Right now I have my clothes hanging out to try in the first decent sunshine we have had since leaving. Something has started generating noise that is making HF reception difficult, we found a decent signal from BBC World service last night on their East Asia service and ascertained that England still had a chance to get through to the next round, but we are yet to hear the result. We sit here with our little union jack flags on sticks eagerly anticipating the results (not really).
Paul Collister
Day 4, (12:00 24th June 2018), Pos 35 – 20N, 143 – 16E Daily Run 126 NM. Weather, Calm but grey.
Day 4, (12:00 24th June 2018), Pos 35 – 20N, 143 – 16E Daily Run 126 NM. Weather, Calm but grey.
Yesterday saw a tropical depression develop out of nowhere, and become a low pressure of 1004mb, with winds of up to 35 knots travelling at 35 knots towards us. First it was heading North, then East, then East North East. Trying to avoid it was pointless. We had about 24 hours notice via the weather reports, but the predicted track changed so much I think it would have been down to luck if we had missed it. So yesterday morning I spent checking everything was lashed down well, and preparing for the gale. The winds built through the afternoon, until we had 20 knots on the starboard beam, we were now racing along under a small amount of staysail (maybe 50%) and nothing else. Then the wind veered and dropped to next to nothing, and the sea calmed. I hoped for a minute that that might be it, but looking at the latest forecasts, I could see the centre of the low was very close to us and we could expect a bashing from it again shortly (now 1002mb from 1012 a few hours earlier). soon enough the wind picked up, then quickly switched to the port quarter, then onto the port beam. Now the waves picked up and we were being tossed around a fair bit. Too much to do anything really. I brought the sail in as it was constantly flapping around with the boats violent lurches from leaning right over to port, then to starboard, all the time heaving up and down. The rain was quite heavy now as well, so we battened down the hatches , as they say, fired up the engine and retired below. Kathy had already managed to serve up some wholesome pasta with a tomato sauce, before things got too bad. We have got reasonably good at stowing now, so little escaped inside. There were no ships around out here, some 50 miles offshore, so a quick glance at the AIS and radar every 30 minutes provided some assurance. I did spot a big shark during this, I wondered if he knew something I didn’t? Later in the evening when we were really getting thrown around I smelt diesel fumes. my fear was that we had a leak in one of the jerry cans strapped to the side of the deck. We have 8 in total, giving us a reserve supply of 80 litres. It was too rough and the half moon did little to light up the night, so I decided to ignore it for a bit, but the smell got worse so I donned my wet weather gear, and with the help of two safety lines, I worked my way forward to the cans which are opposite the mast on each side. Sure enough the lashings had come undone and 4 cans were lying on their side, one of them nearly empty. I guessed right away it was the one with the faulty air cap, I had fixed temporarily. At this point I found out just how slippy wellies can be on a deck covered in diesel, why had it decided not to rain during this incident! Anyway, I shouted to Kathy to get the deck lights on and power up the wash down pump, and to pass me the washing up liquid. I then re-secured the cans, squirted soap everywhere and scrubbed the decks. My sincerest apologies to all the sea life who thought the water tasted a bit off last night. It won’t happen again. By 4 AM this morning the waves had reduced enough that we both got some sleep, and now they continue to diminish. My forecast tells me we have a deficit of wind planned for a few days, I wouldn’t mind a break from the wind or waves, but feel a bit like a sitting duck here with gale force winds able to come out of nowhere and still very much in the typhoon belt. Hence we are still burning up fuel trying to get as far east as possible. It’s interesting how back home in the NW of England, we see all the weather systems arrive, mostly across the Atlantic as fully formed lows and highs, whereas here and further south is where the weather is made, and then delivered, in this case, over to the west coast of America and Canada. It was reassuring to get through that last blow without any real issues, the waves were big and the wind was in the low 30’s so things can be a lot worse, but we handled that quite well. I’m less bothered about what we might meet on passage now. The worst of it is the waves right now, they are hitting us from the port beam, the starboard beam, astern and sometimes a few big random waves will whack us, making the motion of the boat a real pain. … 2hours later… As I’m posting this, the sea has calmed greatly and we are flying the Genoa and making 5-7 knots Easterly without the engine. All is good again.
Paul Collister
Day 3., Pos 34 – 52N, 140 – 51E. Daily Run 163NM. Weather, dreary.
Day 3., Pos 34 – 52N, 140 – 51E. Daily Run 163NM. Weather, dreary.
I’m pretty sure we found the Kuroshio current last night, our speed shot up by 3 knots for a long time. Sadly I drifted too far north last night but we are back in it again getting a 2 knot lift, making our speed 6 knot+ most of the time. The wind has gone again, but we had some fine sailing yesterday and into the evening/early morning. We made a daily run of 163NM which is great, but we had the engine helping for 15 hours, we will have to stop using that in a few days with just enough left for our arrival and the odd emergency.
Japan is behind us now, although not far enough as far as the weather goes. Out of nowhere a low has developed behind us and is deepening and heading our way. We can expect a gale with winds in the 30-35 knot range and waves up to 4 metres. My watch started at 4AM today, sunrise was just after that, and I started preparing the boat. I went around the deck making sure everything was tied down well and couldn’t chafe, chafe being the number one problem on a passage like this. I also rigged up a rope / stay leading forward from the spinnaker pole, and one leading aft so I can keep it in position. I will be leaving the pole out all the time on this passage as it’s too much of a flap to hoist it up the mast and get it down. I also gybed the pole in anticipation of the expected blow.
I transferred 60 litres of fuel from cans on the deck to the tank, this being how much we have used in the last few days leaving Kushimoto. It’s better to have the 60kg (approx) deep in the tanks below rather than on deck, from a stability point of view. Earlier a huge downpour passed over us and brought a little headwind, but not enough to do much with. I am keeping north of the path of the depression and hoping to pick up a bit of wind from it, but it will either miss me or run me down, we shall see. Everything else is going well, the boat is working 100% as planned, all systems seem good, and we won’t see land again now until we get across the pond. We might not even see anymore ships. There is one crossing our bow now, but at 4 miles away he is hidden in the mist/fog. Kathy had fun on the midnight watch as many ships where just drifting around, making 2 knots in the current while waiting to enter the Tokyo bay area I suspect. The AIS shows them pointing one way but heading another, which is confusing.
I haven’t quite got used to the fact that the passage has started, but now Japan has disappeared out of site, and won’t return, I think it’s very much a wysiwyg situation now, just sea and sky for many weeks. I think there should have been a big sign in the ocean somewhere that said
Welcome to the North Pacific Services available in 4300 miles Conditions “OK to Rubbish” Have a nice trip
Kathy thinks she will do a weekly blog. We will move the clocks forward tomorrow, so that the sun rises and sets at a more reasonable time. Now we have the power to set whatever time we like on board. I’m not sure how this works with the international dateline, some strange logic in my head says things will only be ok if we cross it at midnight! Normally we would change the clock by an hour for every 15 degrees of longitude we travel, but Japan is on such an odd timezone, that won’t work.
Paul Collister.
Day 2 , pos 33-51N, 137-57E, daily run 118 NM
Day 2 , pos 33-51N, 137-57E, daily run 118 NM
We left Kushimoto in calm grey weather, but had a nice send off by the local tourist office lady who brought a journalist from the Kushimoto local newspaper. After the interview we were presented with a bag of presents, so sweet. We motored away for a few hours until the wind picked up from astern and we rolled out the Yankee sail, in no time at all we were making 7-9 knots with a 25 knot tailwind, plus the waves started to build, reaching 3-4 metres at times, I hoped this wasn’t an omen, because it was quite intimidating. Kathy sill managed to produce a lovely diner of hot soup and a fresh warm crusty baguette. We pounded through the night but by sunrise 4am, the sea had calmed, by 9 it was very calm and we were motoring again. There’s a lot of shipping here as we are passing close to the main Tokyo route and the main great circle path from Asia to the west coast of America. The sea was calm enough for me to drop the Yankee sail and replace it with an old Genoa I had repaired in Thailand in preparation for this passage, the logic is that I don’t want to ruin a nice new performance sail on a downwind passage where basically any old rag, if big enough would do the job. As it turns out, swapping headsails on deck in a Rolly sea is not something I’m going to be making a habit of. It was so difficult, I almost went over the side at one point. Poor old Ellen macaurther who was doing this three times a day on here solo round the world voyage, and much bigger sails too. Enough for now, will try to update every day after my 12:00 log entries.
Paul Collister
We are off today
We have checked the forecast, and everything is good for a departure today.
We just need a quick run to the shops to buy a stack of fresh food then we cast off our lines and head for the USA.
Yesterday was fun, it turned out we had to go to Wakayama City to clear out, they were very helpful, but it was still a 3 hour trip to their office by train, and yesterday the tail of the typhoon passed over bringing massive amounts of rain, Kathy was soaked through, as was her now defunct laptop. We were dismayed to see all the trains back delayed by 1 to 2 hours, but pleased when ours turned up just 15 mins late, however it wasn’t ours, it was one from a few hours earlier, also delayed. I asked and was told by a passenger it went to Kushimoto, but it only went half way, so we were left in a station 100 miles from the boat in torrential rain with all trains cancelled. Eventually Japan Rail (JR) provided a bus that got us back around 21:30 so it was a long day, just to get a stamp on a bit of paper. Still it was less painful than checking in.
We plan to leave before 12:00 in order to get far enough offshore to have passed the main shipping lanes and be clear of the fishing nets, we will be heading east to seek out the Kurisho current, this is like the gulf stream, unfortunately, it has taken a u turn just here, but by going east I hope to connect with it soon, it will sweep us up to the NE and across towards the Aleutians for a week or so. The forecasts are excellent now, we might be becalmed a little in a few days time, but I don’t trust the forecast that far ahead, but the general theme of the highs and low pressure is working out well for us.
So I am off now to get 100 eggs, I wonder how many I will break in the bicycle basket, answer on a postcard to, bedraggled and hungry, somewhere near Seattle, USA.
PS I will try to get into the routine of a small post each day on the sat phone, but our position should be available from the link above or here
Paul Collister
Setouchi Rally (part 2)
It was free time sailing until Thursday 24th and after a conversation with the wife of the farmer the other night I was keen to visit Sanagi, an island famous for its cats (she also told me about a rabbit island but I thought Paul might baulk at that). It was only a short journey so we left at 11 30. Unfortunately, once underway the pungent aroma of sulphur wafted over from the quarter berth and we had to empty it out again to disconnect another battery. We arrived at Sanagi mid-afternoon and tied to a wall, watched by one solitary cat. A man came over shortly after and told us we could tie to the jetty where the ferry comes in. This was a much better position and I couldn’t wait to get ashore. I had spotted more cats approaching the jetty as we sorted our lines as if word had got out strangers were in town. Cats outnumber people here, and it was no surprise to find the town deserted. There were plenty of houses (several of which were shuttered up) and well-tended gardens but we met few people on our walk. It was a charming ghost town, as if most of the residents had decided to leave en masse one day. The ferry brings visitors over at regular intervals and they bring food for the cats, who also get cared for by the island’s few remaining residents.
We spent three days there and loved it. It was a peaceful and tranquil haven with hardly any traffic or other noise pollution. We got used to the coming and going of the ferry, and the captain always greeted us if we were around as he docked. Some of the islanders came to meet ferry passengers who were bringing provisions and loaded them into vans. The one small shop we saw was closed the whole time we were there, so it could be that the island has a ‘season’ when the shuttered houses are opened to be used as holiday accommodation. When the last ferry of the day had left, taking the day trippers back, it felt good to know it was just us, the islanders and the cats who remained to spend the night there.
The cats were healthy (apart from a few who sported battle scars) and pretty much had the run of the place. They were friendly and let us stroke them (I fell for a handsome ginger one but Paul said no to my request to bring it on board ;)). Most trotted out from gardens, temples or side streets when they heard us approaching and were vocal in their acknowledgment of us. We hadn’t thought to bring any food for them but Paul left some of the fish he’d had for dinner out on the jetty for them one evening. Naturally I took lots of pictures and they’ve been posted on Facebook as well as on Paul’s blog so I won’t overload this one, but here are just a few more of our time on Sanagi and the day trip we took on the ferry to Tadotsu in the rain.
We bid farewell to Sanagi on May 24th for an early departure to the next rally port of Bella Vista. There was an anxious time during the journey when the autohelm stopped working. As with many things, you only realise what a boon it is when it’s no longer an option. Hand steering is very tiring for hours at a time and my heart sank at the prospect. Thankfully Paul managed to effect a temporary repair after an hour of trying various solutions (he always does, determined as he is not to let anything beat him). We arrived at Bella Vista at lunchtime, helped in by KC and a few others. It’s a fairly industrial environment but the sea station was nice enough. The welcome dinner that evening was a more formal affair than the previous gatherings. Tables were laid for a sit down meal and a jazz band was playing.
The food kept coming; dish after fishy and meaty dish of it. The wine kept coming too, though and I had slightly more than my own and Paul’s share that evening. Not enough to join Paul for the end of evening speech though. Paul even joined in with a group performance of Rod Stewart’s ‘Sailing’ at the evening’s finale (no video footage unfortunately).
I’m sure I wasn’t the only one with a slightly sore head the next day for the morning trip to a Zen temple. It was a beautiful day for it – like one of the best summer days when it’s not too oppressively hot, just clear, warm and bright. Once again we gathered to get the bus for 9 45 precisely for the short journey to Shinshoji Temple. We were driven through a mountainous, picturesque landscape that reminded me of Alpine villages, especially with the profusion of pretty Japanese houses that looked so much like chalets. A robed Buddhist priest greeted us at the main gate when we got off the bus. He introduced himself as a German who had been living in Japan for 17 years, and went on to tell us he would be showing us around, would give us a short introductory course on the practise and principles of Zah Zen meditation and would preside over a tea ceremony experience. He led us into the campus and we were confronted with the sight of the most beautiful gardens I have ever seen. They looked just like the ones depicted in the Chinese willow pattern design, with bridges over a river, pagodas, gorgeous trees and colourful flowers.
The meditation pavilion took some getting into. First we had to take our shoes off and put some clogs on, which once on should not touch the grass. We formed an orderly line and as instructed, when we reached the door, put our hands together near our chests, bowed once before entering the room – left foot first – and then bowed again once inside. Once we were all sitting on the futons, the priest told us about the history and meaning of Zen meditation before we had a go at it. The rules and requirements for it to work came thick and fast: back straight, legs crossed, arms folded, count breaths, focus eyes on one spot, empty the mind, and so on. I can’t empty my mind, or sit still for very long either so I knew this wouldn’t be for me. Paul says it’s because I give up too easily but I feel that time sitting like that for hours on end is time wasted. The priest told us he had to go through pain barriers for his limbs to get used to the inertia of up to 17 hours in one position, and I thought ‘why would you do that!’ He also explained that there is an option for you to signal if you feel you are losing focus and a priest will beat you over the shoulders to ‘bring you back into line’. We all fell silent for our 5 minute session and I felt the urge to giggle within a minute – along with the urge to fidget. Clearly, being told to be silent and still ignites the need to make noise and move in me. The priest moved around us correcting our postures, and striking those who opted for the stick-beating part.
In all fairness, he was a lovely guy who answered lots of questions we put to him, and I found myself envying the ‘high’ he obviously got from the whole way of life he was devoted to. It was time for lunch after that and inside that venue, I had the first experience of sitting on the floor dining that Japanese restaurants are known for. Given the Buddhist setting I was pleased to see that the meal wasn’t completely meat and fish-based. Masa, the owner of yacht ‘Bunny’, sat with us and explained what was what. We were treated to ‘tofu miso soup’ and a variety of other traditional dishes including some that I could, for once, sample with the help of Masa’s explanations. His English was good, and his voice was as deep and rich as Morgan Freeman’s.
We were split into two groups after this (Japanese and English-speaking). One group would go to the tea ceremony venue, and the other to the light show at the art pavilion and then we would swap.
Our German priest escorted us to the building for the tea ceremony and once inside we sat against the wall while he explained the history of the ritual. Apparently it’s not about the tea (which is just as well because its taste is quite bitter). The emphasis lies in the protocol, ritual and calming atmosphere associated with the preparation. Certainly, the graceful movements of the two young men dressed in flowing black robes who set about serving us conveyed an air of ceremony. They brought us a cake, bowing to each of us as they placed the plate in front of us. The sweetness of the cake is to combat the bitterness of the tea – which was served next with more bowing and whispered greetings. It was all very interesting but I don’t think any one of us finished our drink, and a fair few cakes had only one bite out of them.
The light show we saw after that is best described as an ambient 20 minutes in a pitch dark room sitting before an infinity pool while lights ‘drop’ onto it. I have to admit it was relaxing, especially with the Brian Eno-like sounds and the huge Art Pavilion it took place in was impressive. It’s described as a ship-shaped building clad in traditional wooden shingles which appears to float over the landscape. The pic below gives a general idea (I was unable to edit it into an upright position on my mobile ?)
The Setouchi Rally
The welcome briefing for the Setouchi Rally was at 3pm, so we explored our new surroundings on the bikes after lunch. Yuge is a pretty, sedate and quiet coastal town so very similar in appearance to rural seaside villages in Britain it was uncanny. The major difference is the lack of people and traffic, which made for great cycling. The beach we came upon was deserted and we sat soaking up the sun for a while and took a few pictures.
The first task for the participants had been told to us in advance via email. We were all to introduce ourselves in both English and Japanese. Knowing that we wouldn’t be able to memorise the Japanese part, I had written out a crib sheet for us to read out, and we had practised voicing the unfamiliar words for a few days beforehand. The briefing was at a venue just across the road from the sea station. From the 8 boats who were taking part, there were about 25 people; a mix of Australian, Japanese, Canadian and British. After a brief introduction and overview of the rally from KC, the organiser, the introductions began. We were first up, which was just as well, not least because I didn’t have long to be nervous about it all and bottle out. I read my one sentence introduction in Japanese, said the same in English and sat down to polite applause. Paul did the same but elaborated about the boat and our plans in English. After that, I felt put to shame by how much other people said in both languages. If we were being marked for performance there would have been a definite ‘more effort required’ admonishment. However, they all seemed like a friendly bunch, especially when we went back for the welcome party at 6pm where food and drink had been laid on for us all. This would be the first of many parties where I couldn’t eat much of what was on offer. That isn’t a complaint, and it was always an impressive array if you like meat and fish. I knew it would be the case so I always ate before or after the events, and naturally never refused alcohol 😉 Other people find it more of a problem, and ‘worry’ about why I’m not eating, which in turn leads to a discussion about vegetarianism and so on and so on that I really could do without. We have, however, found a good phrase that usually brings a smile and a change of subject: ‘I’m veggie so Paul has my share of the food – he is teetotal so I have his share of the drink’.
On Saturday May 12th the first events took place. We all gathered at the venue and were introduced to the students we’d be taking out on our boats. From the local college, they were friendly and excited about the trip. We had three young ladies allocated to us, to Paul’s great delight (the much-posted picture shows it). It was a good morning, actually. The girls loved being out on the water and showed lots of interest in the workings of the boat. It was perfect weather for being out motoring around the bay. They loved going under the bridge, especially when they spotted their teacher on it, directly above us taking pictures.
After a short break we set off for the second event: a barbecue in a park. The students would be cooking lunch for the rally people alongside a beach a short walk away from the sea station. Luckily it was a warm, sunny day and they were able to cook and serve the food to us on the outside tables that had been set up. I was touched by their thoughtfulness when they found out I didn’t eat sausages and burgers and fish; they prepared some vegetables for me that they cooked on a separate grill. Plenty of beer, wine and soft drinks were provided too. We sat with a group of Australians who had joined a Japanese motor cruiser for the duration of the rally.
The Australian ladies explained the next event to me during the course of the lunch. Japan is famous for its onsens, and most guide books and sites recommend it as a ‘must do’ experience. The little I knew about them I’d interpreted as a hot spring/spa/Turkish bath type of thing. I had misgivings even then because hot, steamy environments make me claustrophobic but I was determined to at least try. After the detailed description conveyed to me at lunch I almost bottled out and went back to the boat. I tend to avoid anything with long, convoluted instructions and rules. The dos and don’ts for an onsen are staggering. Here’s a general idea of the most important factors – taken from guide books and sites explaining the procedure:
It’s known as ‘naked socialising’; bathing with strangers is supposed to break down barriers. However, when a foreigner visits for the first time he or she is presented with a minefield of potential faux-pas and embarrassment unless the rules are adhered to. Shoes must be removed after paying at reception. In the baths that are segregated the entrances are draped with curtains bearing the gender in Japanese characters (wait for a local if unsure which curtain to enter). Place shoes in a locker, then take all your clothes off and place in a separate locker or basket. Make your way to the washing area. This takes the form of either a shower or sinks with chairs where you can sit and pour jugs of hot water over yourself. Here you must scrub every inch of your body and rinse well because entering the shared baths bearing traces of soap or dirt is considered extremely offensive. Submerge yourself in the springs au naturel; swimwear is a no-no for the authentic experience. Sit and relax in the baths of various temperatures and afterwards repeat the scrubbing thoroughly before exiting (health and safety).
Yikes to most of that, I thought.
However, it was a long and boozy lunch so I had sufficient Dutch courage to fortify me as we walked to the health spa. I should have heeded my misgivings. I won’t disparage the procedure because it’s obviously popular and supposedly relaxing but it just wasn’t for me. I lasted less than five minutes in there before the heat and steam drove me out to the cool of the waiting area where I sat admiring the view and reading while I waited for Paul. At least I can say I gave it a try.
A bike ride was on the agenda for the following morning but it was called off due to the heavy rain. At the briefing, KC told us that the second onsen would, however, go ahead later that day. Paul surprised me by saying he would pass on it. I had already decided to sit it out but had expected him to go along. He explained that one plunge hot bath over a weekend was enough – we had plenty of hot water on board for a shower. The students were around all weekend and after they returned from the onsen, they gave out the famous Japanese lunch boxes to everyone, along with beer, tee shirts and badges.
The next part of the rally would resume the following Saturday in the town of Nio, so we were free to do as we pleased until then. One of the first things Paul got on with was fixing the boat’s heater. It took him a whole afternoon but he did it, and it warmed the boat up wonderfully on the chilliest evening we’d had so far.
Most of the other rally boats had left Port Yuge by Monday. We decided to stay on for a few days. One afternoon we went for a long bike ride around the whole island. We had to push the bikes up the steepest parts but the views were fantastic; all the rain and cloud from the previous day had disappeared to leave clear blue skies. The roads, streets and beaches we passed were largely deserted. There are no bars, cafes or convenience stores in the town and just one restaurant. Two supermarkets serve the island, and they were never crowded. All those factors, after the weekend burst of activity from the rally made the town seem even quieter. Nice for a short stay but a bit too quiet for me.
The town of Haru lies opposite the span of water separating it from Yuge. Paul had visited it in Ken and Belinda’s dinghy from Catamaran Free Spirit to see what the chandlery had to offer, and suggested we take a bike ride there across the bridges. The views from the bridges were worth the strain on the legs from the steep parts, as was the exhilarating descent downhill. We had to get the ferry for the very short ride across the water; I think it lasted less than two minutes but they just go back and forth all day so it’s a very efficient and regular service. Haru was another charming ‘Northern Scottish’ coastal town. A little livelier than Yuge, it even had a couple of cafes and shops that were open.
By Thursday 17th May we were the only boat from the rally left at Yuge, and found ourselves among several Japanese yachts now using the sea station. One captain got chatting with Paul about respective plans and proved to be an enormous help. He recommended a yacht club for our post-rally journey that was one of the highlights of our Japan stay, and also gifted us a bottle of Saki. The kindness of people continues to touch us the longer we are here. The boat’s stainless steel had a good cleaning over the next couple of days; an ongoing task made easier, or at least more pleasurable for me by listening to books while doing it.
The next port of call on the rally was Nio, and we were up early on Saturday 19th May for the journey there. It took five hours, the only slightly stressful part being the crossing of a busy shipping lane. We’re getting used to those now though. We were the first to arrive at the marina and watched the other yachts arrive gradually during the course of the afternoon. The staff at Nio deemed it appropriate to play Kool and the Gang’s ‘Celebration’ on a loop for an over an hour, presumably as a welcome to us. I could quite happily have sabotaged the music system after 15 minutes of it, however. The 5 30 briefing took place on the storey above the marina office. I had my first taste of Saki there, courtesy of the bus driver who would be driving us to the following day’s picnic venue. He had a huge bottle of it and was going around filling glasses. One sip was enough for me to know I would never touch the stuff again. Luckily there was plenty of wine, and Paul was happy to have my share of the food.
Later at the party, we were befriended by a lovely Japanese artist and her student daughter and chatted to them most of the evening, along with a Japanese carpenter and his wife who have a boat in the marina. The entertainment took the form of various dances with an Hawaiian theme, which were wonderfully performed using the undulating arm movements so popular in Asian dance. Paul did the speech on behalf of Sister Midnight. These speeches would be a regular event at the end of each party, along with the ‘final clap’ which signified the end of the celebrations. There would be an announcement, a countdown, and then we all clapped our hands together to create a loud noise 😉
That night we ended up with six Japanese guests on the boat. They were the carpenter and his wife, an organic farmer, an engineer and some friends of the farmer. One of them brought his home grown cooked broad beans which were delicious as a snack. We managed to converse with each other for two hours using their impressive English, Paul’s laptop, mobile phone photos, maps and facial expressions.
Sunday May 20th was the picnic excursion to Mount Shiude. Boarding the bus had the feel of a school outing, or a coach trip where you are all ushered onto the bus at the appointed time, and once seated a head count is taken. As its name suggests, Mount Shiude sits 300 metres above sea level so the bus climbed its way around steep winding roads, with stunning views across the bay during the half hour drive. We were bound for Shiue’s summit, which required a 20 minute walk up from the car park and thankfully wasn’t too strenuous, even in the heat. The lookout point, when we reached it gave us a spectacular view of numerous islands dotting the sea on one side and an island-less sea on the other. Lunchbox picnics were handed out after we’d had our fill of looking and photo-taking, and we all dispersed to eat (I’d brought my own lunch) before walking back down for the bus back at 12 45.
Back at the boat we found a bag of organic produce (pictured) had been left in the cockpit as a thank you from the farmer we’d chatted with the night before; another kind gesture and one which we were sorry to have missed receiving in person.
As it was such a nice day we went for a bike ride late afternoon and photographed more shrines, statues and the usual beautifully cultivated trees. Next on our agenda in a break from rally events, was an island said to be inhabited mostly by cats!
Kathy
Detained by the Police!
When I was a kid, my parents always said if you have a problem when out and about, ask a bobby, that’s a policeman for those outside of the UK, or not born mid last century! This might have been partly because my dad was a bobby for most of his working life, and any bobby I asked for help, was likely to know him, and might even know me from the police Christmas parties, or the various police cricket / sport activities I was dragged along to as a kid. However I would not offer such advice to anyone in Japan.
Why? well our plans are evolving, and right now the typhoon season has brought strong winds that has affected our departure date and location, rather than heading towards Tokyo and checking out of Japan there, or in Coshi, East of Tokyo on the coast, we may well leave from here, Kushimoto. We have everything we need for the passage now and the supermarkets are great, so we can stock up on fresh products without any issue. However Kushimoto lacks an Immigration and Customs office, so I need to find the nearest one, get a train there and get our passports stamped with an exit visa and get customs clearance so we can check into the USA. So how to find out where the office is, the Internet was no use, everything led me back to a number in Osaka I should phone, but I was reluctant to try this as they probably won’t speak English, and we don’t have a phone, so it would have to be on Skype. I asked at the tourist office, where the lady spoke great english, but she could only guess that the next big city might have one. So I thought the police might know, they have a big office here and must have relations with immigration so they should have some idea.
So I popped into the local station, telling Kathy I would be back in a few minutes so we could head off on our bikes and explore the promontory which is the most southern point on Honshu Island, more on that later. The police in the station spoke no English, so we were off to a bad start, after a lot of gesturing I thought I had got my point over, but they didn’t seem to have any ideas, I tried to leave but they asked me to stay, I had shown them my passport, and explained I needed a stamp, fairly easy to do on the gesture front, fairly easy to misunderstand as well, it seemed, as another officer, there were now 6 on the case arrived and took my passport, he seemed to be quite excited about this, and all 6 were on their mobile phones. I pronounced that I had to leave and not to worry, but they wouldn’t let me go. After an hour of them calling people, I was handed a mobile phone and spoke to a translator they had enlisted. He needed me to answer questions, how had I arrived in the country, was I alone, where was my wife, how much money had I brought into the country etc etc. I was a bit pissed off by now and asked why he needed to know, but the phone was taken off me and I was told to wait; another 30 minutes of watching them all phone people, more questions about my status as a traveller, then somebody shouted July, July , No June. At this point most of the police disappeared, leaving this younger detective to call the translator, who explained to me that in fact I hadn’t overstayed and everything would be ok as long as I applied for an extension before the end of July, another month away!
It appears they had misread my visa as expiring in June, not July and had me down as a criminal for overstaying my visa, given the state of crime here, I might have been the biggest criminal they had encountered in some time, and this would surely make the 6 o’clock news! Once it became apparent they couldn’t read a visa stamp properly, and to be fair June/July are western words, but to be fair to me, it was a Japanese immigration office stamp, so they should be able to work with the police to get a system that works, they all looked a bit embarrassed and most of them snuck away, leaving the young detective to ask me to wait a bit longer. I wasn’t really in a good mood at this point, it felt like I had been there for hours, but knowing how hot they are on manners, I waited a bit longer, only to be rewarded with the number for the Osaka branch, which I already had, and a request to call them on Monday when they were open!
I returned to Kathy, with one of my better excuses for being late!
So tomorrow I will phone Osaka, and I expect we will be told to visit the office in Wakayama City, a couple of hours on the train, but probably a nice day out.
Weather Fax (WEFAX)
Just a bit of info on Weather fax, forecasting and typhoons.
Right now we are ready to leave, with good winds from the right direction, we should reach the Juan de Fuca strait in the USA within six weeks, but we could be out there for longer if we don’t get the wind. At this time of the year we have two main concerns, one is leaving Japan, as typhoons (the Asian name for Hurricanes) arrive frequently, this is perhaps the worst area in the world for typhoons, and combined with strong ocean currents from the Kuro-shio current, we have to time our departure so we can get a few hundred miles offshore, and as far East and North as possible to escape the typhoon area and get into the favourable currents. The other concern then is to get the right course for the wind. In the North Pacific, much as in the North Atlantic, the weather consists of a series of low pressure systems travelling from West to East. These are sandwiched between high pressure systems on the artic and equatorial sides. The trick is to ride along the bottom of the lows around about 35-40deg N, then halfway across, head NE to our destination. Wander towards the centre of the low, and the wind may be too strong, wander into the highs and the wind disappears. If you end up at the top of a low you will have strong headwinds and an uncomfortable ride. Things are running a little late this year and the lows and highs aren’t where we want them to be, but the typhoons are around, we have had two since the end of the rally. Once we leave we won’t have internet, just a very basic email connection via our sat-phone. We can download weather forecasts and try to steer based on that, but we also have weather fax, which we can get over the HF SSB Radio.
I have included some pictures below that we receive. 
The above pic is annotated by me to show our location.
Below is the path of the Typhoon that is now downgraded and passing us
Here you can see the typhoon has become a normal low, still with strong winds
The technology , or rather the protocol is analogue based using tones, much like early modems did, and has been around for many decades, but it’s amazing how good the quality is as you can see from the rather cute testcard they have..
These are free to receive and I use a program called FLDigi on the MacBook to decode the audio signal int pictures.
Right now it looks like the current typhoon has been degraded to a gale, and it has now taken on the standard form of a low pressure system with a cold and warm front, we will wait for it to pass us by on Monday/Tuesday, and jump onto its tailwinds as it heads ENE and follow it away from Japan. So Wednesday 20th is the current ETD.
Here are some pictures of us leaving the Ichimonji Yacht club we just received from them.
So until we get our clearance from Immigration and customs, we wait here hoping the weather behaves as predicted. I took the emergency tiller I made to a local workshop in the docks here and they welded it up for me, they did a lovely job, and wouldn’t accept any payment for it, but they seemed to appreciate my very low bow in return. On the bowing front, I noticed people bow to each other when on the phone, seems a bit superfluous to me, but must be similar to how I would nod in agreement to someone I was talking to on the phone. Interesting all the same. I have painted the tiller to stop it rusting and fitted a wooden extension to get the full length out of it. I was disappointed, but not really surprised that when I painted a completely smooth surface of new steel, a smoother surface you could not wish for, I ended up with lumps and ridges, brush hairs sticking out and bits of metal unpainted. Painting continues to be a challenge for me.
Paul Collister
A quick update from Kushimoto
Just a quick update. We are now at the start of the typhoon (hurricane) season here in the western Pacific. Weather forecasting is excellent, so we are not too worried, we waited in Osaka for a typhoon to pass by, many hundreds of miles offshore, then hitched a ride on its tail, down to Kushimoto where we are now waiting in a harbour, which is also a typhoon shelter, very safe. The typhoon that passed allowed us to sail here with following waves and a wind behind us of over 20 knots all the way, which is fine when it’s behind you, but the big ships we passed going into it where crashing into the sea, making waves splash 100 ft or more into the air from their bow. We have been waiting for a low pressure system to pass otherwise we have to deal with 30 knot headwinds, this should have passed by Monday and we would be setting off then, but today typhoon Gaemi was named, down by Taiwan and is heading our way! The forecast says it is becoming an extratropical low, which isn’t something I fully understand (yet), but I do know one of them was involved in ‘The Perfect Storm’, one of my favourite storm books. So we sit here and wait, Kushimoto is a sleepy fishing town, but has great shops and claims to have the smallest museum in Japan. We only have Kathy’s expensive 3G phone internet , so we can’t use it much, hence I send this report via our Satphone, without pictorial illuminations.
Paul Collister