Category Archives: Education Activities

‘Boating In Japan’ Seminar Set for Feb. 16

News, Education Activities

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TSPS Boating In Japan Seminar

Getting out on the water in Japan can be an ominous task given stringent government regulations, licensing requirements, and the cost of ownership, among other discouraging factors.

TSPS is holding an open seminar which seeks to cut through these difficulties and inform participants of the breadth of options available for perspective boaters.

Seminar Topics:

1. Regulatory requirements

Skipper licensing, offshore/nearshore certification, boat maintenance, outboard engines

2.  Power or sailboat?

What are the benefits and issues of each in Japan

3. Buying a vessel in Japan

4. Importing a vessel into Japan

5. Consortium ownership.

Banding together with others to share vessel costs and maintenance

6. Choosing a marina

7. Vessel rentals

Available rental services, and rental requirements. A representative from Yamaha will also present their rental offerings

8. Boating Education Opportunities

Seminar Details:

Date: February 16, 2017

Time: 6:30 – 9:00PM

Place: Foreign Correspondent’s Club of Japan (FCCJ)

Fee: ¥3500 per person. Includes buffet dinner and drinks

The seminar is open to anyone with an interest in getting out on the water.

To register, go to TSPSJapan.org/events/seminar or email bvatokyo@icloud.com

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Report: On-The-Water Electronic Instruments Class

Education Activities
Multifunction cockpit monitor
Multifunction cockpit monitor

On November 9,  TSPS held its first ever practical On-The-Water Nautical Electronic Instruments class. Students and TSPS members attending were Linda Semlitz & husband Ed Gilbert plus Anne Bille, wife of TSPS Cruise Coordinator Per Knudsen, who conducted the class on board Anne and Per’s yacht Bifrost.

The participants all being experienced sailors, the class was a discussion of the latest technology and the strengths and weaknesses of each system. The class went over the instruments dockside, then sailed and practiced for a couple of hours and took a delicious lunch break underway.

Instruments covered in the program included GPS, chartplotter, AIS, radar, VHF/DCS radio, depth finder, wind meter, auto-helm, plus selected iPhone/iPad apps. The systems on Bifrost are manufactured by Raymarine and Icom and are all fully integrated except stand-alone back-up GPS and VHF systems.

For the next on-the water class we are considering emergency systems, equipment, and procedures for a potential April, 2014 class.

A big thanks to Linda, Ed, and Anne for their participation in the class.

– Per Knudsen
TSPS Cruise Coordinator

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Chart table VHF, AIS, and radar monitors
Chart table VHF, AIS, and radar monitors

 

Electrical panel
Electrical panel

 

Gimballed radar on the backstay
Gimballed radar on the backstay

 

Student Ed
Student Ed

 

Students Linda, Anne, with Instructor Per
Students Linda, Anne, with Instructor Per

 

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Friends Don’t Let Friends Drift Away

Education Activities, ,

TSPS members Per Knudsen and Anne Bille were concluding a week-long cruise to the Izu Islands and readying their boat Bifrost to dock at their homeport of Velasis when they encountered an unusual sight:

Sleeping man adrift on a floating mattress in the Uraga Strait
Sleeping man adrift on a floating mattress in the Uraga Strait

Apparently, a young man had a bit too much to drink and had fallen asleep on his floating mattress. According to Per, the guy had drifted more than 500 meters from shore and the prevailing current was pushing him out to sea. Fortunately or unfortunately, no amount of screaming at the young man by the crew of Bifrost roused him from his slumber, so Per called Velasis Marina for help. Bifrost continued to circle him until a Velasis inflatable arrived on the scene and woke up the young man and took him back to dry land.

It’s doubtful the young lad would have reached open water as the Uraga area is quite busy with sailing and small fishing vessels. However, this episode does raise concerns, and as a boating safety organization, TSPS should weigh in with some safety tips.

#1. “Friends don’t let friends drift away.”
Take responsibility for others. At the beach, always be thinking about your safety and that of your friends and family, but if at some point you find yourself absent one friend and one floating mattress, assume the worst and call an emergency hotline.

#2. “Don’t drink and float.”
Obviously. The gentle sway of the sea, a fresh ocean breeze, and one cocktail too many will undoubtedly lull you to sleep. For the high percentage of people who ignore such advice, don’t board a mattress alone- go with a friend. Have fun, converse. Failing that, or a friend, make sure you are either tethered via very long line to a strong tree or that you are in fact in a swimming pool or lake and not on a body of water that covers some 32% of the earth’s surface.

In all seriousness, a high number of people die on the beaches of Japan every summer. Often the cause is alcohol-related or simply ignorance of the environment- unknown depths, currents, rip tides, the effect of too much sun, etc…. Safety should always be of the highest priority when at or on the sea.

Boat License Renewal in Tokyo

Education Activities

Renew your boat operator’s license in the centre of Tokyo!

(As of May 2020 – please check the JEIS website below before going to the JEIS Kojimachi Office in case there have been any changes or updates. The website is only in Japanese.)

There is a basement office and classroom in Chiyoda-ku, a few paces from Kojimachi Station, where you can renew your boat operator’s license. It’s run by the JEIS (Japan Educational Institute for Seamen):

https://jeis-kanto.or.jp/update/

To renew your license, (1) check the JEIS Kojimachi Office renewal/re-issuance class schedule in advance here (in Japanese), (2) click the correct time/date and fill out the web application or mail it in (in Japanese), and (3) arrive at the Kojimachi Office (see below) by 11:30-12:00 on the appointed date (about 30-60 minutes prior to 12:30 when the office opens its doors – note that office hours may vary depending on the appointed date). Please note that the application must be submitted in advance and the submission deadline is at least 5 days in advance.

Take your (1) old license, (2) two recent (taken within the last six months) photos 45 x 35 mm, (3) glasses, contacts, or hearing aids if you wear them, and (4) your hanko (personal seal) if you have one. (They have a photo booth in the hallway if you need it – 700 yen as of May 2020.) Fill in the required forms carefully, pay the fee (8,300 yen as of October 2021), have your eyesight, hearing, etc. checked, and then wait for the lecture and video (~45-60 mins). Done! The entire process will last from about 12:30-13:30 (1 hour) depending on the date. You don’t get your new license on the day, but it will be sent to you a few days later.

  • Please note that the renewal process will be different for folks that have had their license expire or need to make changes to any information displayed on the license itself (name, address, etc.):
    • If your license has expired, you will need to attend an extra lecture (~25 mins) and video (~25 mins), then complete a sheet of ten multiple-choice questions as a kind of comprehension check, but it is set up so that almost everyone passes. Note that you can renew your license in the year before it expires. The fee for expired licenses is higher – 17,200 yen as of October 2021. The total time required to complete the process of renewing an expired license is about 2.5 hours (12:30-15:00 depending on the date).
    • If you need to make changes to any information displayed on your license, be sure to bring a recent Certificate of Residence (Juminhyo – 住民票) displaying your nationality. The recent Certificate of Residence should be obtained at your local ward office in advance. Check with the JEIS Kojimachi Office staff in advance about any additional forms that they may require depending on your individual situation.

Address: Kojimachi 4-5, Kaiji Center Bldg B1
Phone:  (03) 3263-0301

〒102-0083東京都千代田区麹町4丁目5番地海事センタービル
TEL 03-3263-0301

Directions: Exit Kojimachi station at Exit 2; turn left and walk 50 feet to the first street on the left; walk down that street 50 feet and on the right is a sign with blue Roman letters JEIS; there is an arrow pointing down to B1. You are there.

License Renewal Details (in Japanese): https://jeis-kanto.or.jp/update/

TSPS Sail Class Goes Dinghy Sailing

News, Events, Education Activities, , , , ,

TSPS member Jose Puppim de Oliveira invited current TSPS Sail Class members to the Marine Box 100 Open House Day in Zushi on May 13 from 10:00 to 15:00. Two members of the sail class, Janice Rimmell and Graham Bell, took up the offer along with instructor Randy Erskine. We arrived in Zushi and met up on the beach and were duly joined there by Jose. A short time later we were joined by David Rasmussen and friends.

It was an open-house day, so the club was looking for members. We took ‘The Grand Tour’ and a got a full explanation about membership, fees, etc. We then sailed in a Sea Lark at midday, but could only use the boat for one hour as there were quite a few people wanting to sail. This was Janice’s first time in a boat and I think she grinned from ear to ear all day. Prior to going sailing we had lunch, smoked chicken burgers, on the roof of the club. Also available were curry and other assorted snacks along with hot and cold drinks.

After sailing the Sea Lark, Jose offered us the use of his Laser, an offer we readily accepted. Randy took Janice out for her first experience in a boat nearly big enough for two and with a very low boom. We were joined by Jose’s nine-year-old son Fernando for his first sailing experience. This was a lesson in how to get wet without trying. We returned to the beach where Graham and Jose then went out for a sail. The day finished up with washing all the equipment down and stowing the boat, sails and mast away. After sailing had finished the cold beer machine was a welcoming sight. The weather was perfect for an introduction to sailing, sunny with blue skies and a nice breeze. Marine Box 100 is very good, with changing rooms, good showers and toilet facilities. The club was very happy to lend us two buoyancy aids. Normally there is no food available, but there are plenty of restaurants nearby.

A big thank you to Jose for the invitation.

Randy Erskine