My Looong Sail.
N 27° 05.936 E 142° 12.018
Tobi and Shigeo not only like cooking they also like fishing. So, on Thursday, Shigeo bought a simple fishing rod and Tobi has lures for squids they try to catch squids. So far on Thursday early evening Tobi was not successful. However they have a few days more.
I would like to eat some “ikanato” (fresh, raw squid, mixed with fermented soybeans) with a bowl of warm rice…
How long do I have to wait?
N 27° 05.930
E 142° 12.014
All day long yesterday we had winds between about 18-25 KN with gusts going sometimes up to above 30 KN.
The only problem I experienced was the wind direction. The wind did not turn NE but blew always through a V-shaped cut out in the ridge E of us. However, the fenders did a good job. With the tide we had to adjust 3 fenders a bit.
Last I went out 3 times to check the situation. Once I adjusted one fender. For the rest all was OK.
This morning the wind is going down but gusts are still strong. The typhoon will keep moving towards NE, will take more and more dry air, so weaken more and more until it disappears in history.
With Tobi and Shigeo on board there are now 2 chefs on board. Conversations are filled with recipes, ingredients, and how to do what.
As Tobi is interested in learning Japanese cooking and Shigeo knows this very well and likes to pass on his knowledge, it is a good combination. We had a second Japanese dinner. Last night it was an excellent “sukiyaki”. I’m feeling more and more back home.
It appears to me that arriving first in Chichi-Jima before reaching Yokohama / Tokyo is good. I’m used to the relaxed life of the Southern Pacific Islands and here on Chichi-Jima all is well organized like in Japan but I ‘m still away from the hurly-burly of the megapolis of Tokyo.
On Thursday, on my way home, I passed a place where I was wondering what it is and decided to go and have a look.
I ended up to be in a drinking parlor, where I had “passion fruit sour”, a refreshing Japanese drink with only a little bit of alcohol.
It turned out that the owner is a lady from Osaka. She moved to Chichi-Jima to live a more relaxed life than the one possible in Osaka. So we talked about also a about Osaka. Then a friend of her with a few month old child came in a well and the conversation changed a bit. It was nice to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere for a little while.
I’m curious how I will feel in the hectic pace of Tokyo.
N 27° 05.926
E 142° 12.018
Since the very early morning the wind is lower than forecasted.
The main reason is the wind protection from the remnants of the caldera surrounding the harbor area’s 3 sides. But it’s also in the typhoon forcast reasoning indicated that on streaming dry air weakens the typhoon.
A comparison of the forecasted trajectory of the Sinkalu over since the 13. Apr shows that it remains stable, meaning it’s not coming closer.
Now, between 0900 and 1100 the wind is forcasted as fastest. MaRe’s wind indicator shows now winds of 20-24 KN with gusts up to just above 30 KN.
N 27° 05.932
E 142° 12.016
It is 0430 and I did my second check outside. The first one I did at 0130.
The lines we used are working fine, fenders as well. Especially the fenders I attached to the wall of the pier seem to work as intended. Good at least so far.
Currently only gusts reach around 20 KN. According to the forecast we should have already around 25 KN of wind. This could have several reasons:
– Sinkalu is late, moving slower then forcasted
– It stays further away
– It weakened
At 0700 I’ll do my next forcast analysis.
N 27° 05.932
E 142° 12.016
From the South is a typhoon approaching, which is supposed to turn NE just south of the Ogasawara Islands. But we still will get strong winds in the harbor.
My previously considered escape route towards Yokohama is blocked by a pretty strong low system moving SW, creating 5-7 m waves. Not navigatable.
After analyzing 4 weather models and the typhoon forcast of the JTWC (Joint Typhoon Warning Center) yesterday morning I can asume that the typhoon turns really NE sufficiently south of Ogasawara.
From now on I’ll do this analysis daily until the 18th.
Still, I have to expect 30-40 KN of wind in the harbor. No fun. So I’ll prepare the boat for these strong winds today.
Keep fingers crossed.
N 27° 05.929
E 142° 12.013
At 1520 we were docked at the visitor pier in Futami harbor.
Someone triggered a lady who speaks English and she brought her son along who helped us with the lines at land. Typical Japan.
Shortly after all official lined up at the dock and came one after the other on board to do their duties. Very helpful with answers of what needs to be filled in. Typical friendly Japanese guys.
For immigration we needed to go to their office, which was open for us even on Sunday. Now we are fully cleared in and got already documents for our departure.
I am feeling at home, and for Tobi it’s a cultural shock after all what we experienced on the many islands of the South Pacific.
Tobi fixes a quick dinner and then each of us goes to bed…
Tomorrow is another day.
N 25° 55.062
E 142° 41.089
Shortly after 0400, when I started my 2nd watch duty, the wind went down into the 2 Bft range.
The sails start to just hang down. By 0630 I added an engine.
When Tobi came up at 0800, we set the gennaker. Better then engine. But wind got weaker and weaker.
Short calculation showed we need an averaged SOG of 3.4 KN to make it until noon tomorrow into Chichi-Jima.
No choice but we need an engine and set it at 3.5 KN STW with a current of about
0.3-0.4 we got a good SOG with some safety margine for the arrival.
Thereafter, I sat in cockpit and watched the smooth blue ocean. A gentle swell of about a meter but only around 50 m wavelength. Smooth. Peaceful. Just relaxing. No comparison to the rough sea of 5, sometimes 6 Bftwe had days ago. Then, we had a swell of around 3 m but a longer wavelength. Wind waves were about 2 m. Rough. Bumpy. However we were fast!
Very fast. The top day distance was 201 NM accompanied by a few just below the 200 NM. MaRe flew over the sea and watching her wake was fascinating.
Then we had days with 3 and 4 Bft. Still a good progress. Until this very early morning.
Now we are back sailing. At least we are sailing through a very smooth blue ocean. With the current speed we would make a day distance of around 90 NM. Less than half of what me made before.
But, no rocking, no bumping into the back of a wave, no wave slamming on the hulls, no noise, just the peaceful, smooth blue ocean. Addictive!
N 25° 31.170
E 142° 50.657
And this is f…ing cold here. A few days ago we still had day and night temperatures between 28 and 32 degC
Also with the extremly show wind speed we make progress towards Chichi-Jima.
ETA is currently tomorrow morning. Let’s see!
Japanese authorisaties sent us good information about the pier where we should dock including information about a coral reef just bevor the entry of the harbor.
N 22° 34.306
E 144° 24.818
It’s a nice and sunny morning. The sea is has low swell and wind waves are rather small. However, they slam again and again against the inner side of the hulls. That sound woke my up from my after duty nap and I enjoy the sunny morning.
Being already 22 deg N of the equator, the wind in my face feels definitely cooler now. Fresh and refreshing. Gone are the days when just sitting in the cockpit let the sweat run down on my skin. How will it be when I’m on Honshu, Japan’s main island?
MaRe sailed through the night without her pyjama, the night standard dress with reef 2 in the main sail. Instead she wore her day dress of yesterday, reef 1. You can say that I, as her daddy didn’t make her changing the clothes and I’m the bad guy.
But sometimes I have to spoil her when its safe to do so. She begged me to let her run a bit faster in the 3 Bft winds we are having and she promised to behave well and will not cry when I tell her that we change her into her pyjama when I think it’s necessary.
As the weather forecast is, since start, surprisingly the same in all models, and we are out of the latitudes with frequent squalls, I allowed her to sail through the night with reef 1. She thanked me in turn with about 25 % more speed.
It’s always nice to see her happily running through the seas.
Now it’s less than 300 NM to Chichi-Jima our first destination in Japan.
N 20° 47.101
E 145° 28.307
Four days ago I was sitting in the cockpit watching the white horses galloping over the blue ocean. I tried to describe my impression but failed. I could not describe what I like to watch so much. This frustrated me. I couldn’t write anymore.
Last night I got the feeling that the next day I’ll be able to write again.
I’m sitting again in the cockpit watching the blue ocean. No white horses today because the wind is down to 3 Bft; recently we had 6 Bft.
A gentle swell of less then 2 m height and a around 100 m wavelength makes sailing very comfortable. MaRe swings a bit when the swell reach her.
Due to the low wind speed we changed the main sail from reef 2 to reef 1. MaRe said “Thanks! I love the increase in propulsion”. Indeed she loves it and runs about 25 % faster. “Thanks, MaRe, I appreciate your speed increase”.
While I’m writing i also watch a white booby circling around MaRe once in a while. I love this sea birds, which are accompanying MaRe always when she is far away from land. Recently we had a booby as an over night guest sitting on the bow pulpit.They can sit there and sleep when MaRe really rocks.
I also admire their flight. They skim over the water surface at a height of about 30-50 cm, fly through wave valleys, and use most likely an aerodynamic effect giving more upward force to fly with less energy.
They are simply my favorite sea birds.
We had for a few days mahi-mahi on various ways. This morning ate marinated sliced mahi-mahi on bread. Excellent! Marinating fish is curing process which keeps the fish longer fresh.
Today, Tobi changed the lure because he wants to catch a tuna. Yesterday, he had for a few minutes a pretty big marlin on the hook. Getting such a fish on board is a challenge. So it was maybe not too bad that the marlin got off of the hook. What will happen in the late afternoon when fishes get hungry?