The weather not cooperating? It was downright spiteful.  But 15 June was the day of the TSPS Spring Rendezvous and barbecue and like the USPS – the postal ones – our members braved the sleet and snow, sorry, the driving rain part to arrive at Yumenoshima Marina where the members of Sailability Tokyo, our very good friends waited with their dinghies. The wind was there, rain falling at a forty five degree angle, and from 1pm on, members began to show up and avail themselves of the opportunity to sail.  

Non-sailing members and guests began to arrive early as well and those not sailing had the opportunity to introduce one another at the ground floor lobby of the marina, where the generous seating provided a place to relax and make new friends. The BBQ itself began at 3pm and TSPS had a turnout of 52 members and guests.  Participants were seated inside the restaurant while volunteers selected themselves to man the three large grills that were already fired up and ready for the heaping trays of meat and vegetables that were brought out to cook. The food and drink were great, but the conversation and camaraderie were even better.

Of special note, Lowell Sheppard announced the imminent purchase of Wahine from fellow TSPS member Marcus Von Engel, and his open recruitment for crew. At the end of the event, those not ready to go home were invited aboard Dream Weaver, by Doug Smith who crossed the Pacific from San Diego to Japan with blind sailor Hiro Iwamoto. You will never see a more immaculate boat than Dream Weaver.

A special thanks to our member Jiro Fujiwara for arranging the dinghies from Salability Tokyo and to Rick Pawell. Rick had double duty, working as a volunteer for the dinghy sailing with Sailability Tokyo and as the arranger for the BBQ, which you can guess is a lot of work.  

It was a great turnout and a great time, with less than great weather. Thanks to all for participating and making it a success.

Bill Van Alstine, contributor

On Saturday, Nov. 10, at Yumenoshima Marina, TSPS held a BBQ from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with dinghies from Sailability Tokyo for kids to get some time on the water. Thirty or more adults and seven kids were on hand for the fun. The weather was perfect and a great time was had by all. We hope to have more family friendly events in the future!

TSPS was once again honored to be able to participate in the Sailors for the Sea・Sunset Regatta & Party, a joint event with Hayama Marina Yacht Club this year. We were invited by the fine sailors of the HMYC to come aboard their boats and witness great crew coordination and fine sailing techniques in two races in 25-28 knot winds. It was truly a great experience. A visitor from Hawaii Yacht Club said he had never gone more than 20 knots on a racing vessel before–testament to the high quality of the sailboats here.

After the boating, there was pizza and cold cuts in the Captains’ Quarters, followed by a fine feast in the boatyard. Barbecue fires were lit and lots of beef, scallops, corn, onions and assorted veggies were cooked up, along with liberal quantities of liquid sustenance. Then, to the surprise of all, there were amazing performances of Japanese dance and belly dancing. Truly a dazzling spectacle under the twilight skies.

TSPS heartily thanks Commander Hirai and Chief Fun Organizer Maruo, and all the people at HMYC who worked so hard to make this event happen. Truly a special bunch of people.

We look forward to more joint events with HMYC and hope that we can reciprocate in some way in the future.

Lots of photos here.

On Thursday, March 15th, the Change of Watch was held at Le Petite Tonneau in Toranomon. A brief overview of what the squadron did in 2017 was given to the members who attended. Then, Bill Van Alstine, continuing as commander, was sworn in by Dick Schultz in his snazzy pink Nantucket canvas jacket. After that, the plans for the coming year were announced. Finally, food and drink and conversation were enjoyed by all until the raffle and prizes to end the evening at about 10.

The TSPS Bridge for 2018 hopes to continue and extend the progress made in 2017 in providing more opportunities for members to get out on the water. While it is still being decided whether to continue the Day on the Water activity at Velasis Marina, Hayama Marina Yacht Club has offered sailboat rental and sail training opportunities at rates given their members. More information about this, as well as the cruises and classes we have lined up, will be forthcoming.

See every on the water this year!

The 2018 Change of Watch, or CoW, is an annual TSPS event in which the Bridge reports to membership on the squadron’s financial status, education plans, membership activities, and events planned for 2018.  Those present will then cast a vote for an incoming Bridge for 2018. Attending this event is a great opportunity to get up to speed on the squadron’s 2018 objectives, participate in the selection of Bridge officers, meet other members of our organisation, and of course indulge in a wonderful dinner and have a few refreshments.

Hope to see you there!

Agenda:

Doors: 7:00PM
2017-2018 Presentation: 7:15PM
Buffet Dinner: 7:30PM
New Bridge: 8:15PM
Wrap-up and End: 10:00PM

Date: Thursday, March 15, 2018

Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Place: Le Petit Tonneau Toranomon

Deadline for Signing Up: Midnight Saturday, March 10, 2018

Fees:

Members and Partners– ¥6,000
Guests/Non-members– ¥8,000

Please note: TSPS will be charged for the seats reserved for the evening. Therefore, we will request no-shows and those cancelling after March 10 to pay the event fee in full. 

Sign up here:

2018 TSPS CoW Signup Page

Le Petit Tonneau

1F SHOSEN MITSUI Bldg.
2-1-1　Toranomon
Minato-Ku, Tokyo
105-0001
Tel: +81-3-5545-4640

Email: toranomon@petitonneau.com

Getting there:

Again, looking forward to seeing you there.

We are holding a barbecue on Saturday, October 28, 2017 at Velasis Marina.

Our barbecues are always a lot of fun with good food and drink and conversation.

Our barbecue will be in the heart of the Velasis Marina in Uraga, right up close to our favorite form of transportation, boats! This is a golden opportunity for like-minded boat people to get to know each other and TSPS, and as always you are most welcome to invite friends or colleagues interested in boating. So go ahead and mark the barbecue on your to-do list, because this is always the highlight of the Kanto social calendar. (We are barbecuing under a giant awning, so there will be nothing to dampen the great times at the party.) Also, we will try to book the Tartan sailboat and can hopefully offer people short cruises around Uraga.

Here are the details:

Date: Saturday, October 28
Time: 2 pm – 5 pm
Place: Velasis Marina, Uraga, Kanagawa Pref.
Fee: ¥4,000 for members, ¥5,000 for guests, children 1/2 price.
Payment: At the door
Sign up deadline: Midnight, Wednesday, October 25

Feel free to arrive early if you wish to enjoy the historical port of Uraga, the marina, the boats, and the sun. We open up the coolers at around 2 pm with an assortment of soft drinks, cold beer, and white and red wines. The menu will include but is not limited to quality beef steaks, sausages, seafood, salad, fruit and vegetables.

So that we can be sure to prepare sufficient food, please book your place(s) on the website no later than Wednesday, October 25. (sign-up link two lines down)

Skippers: If you plan to sail in, please provide Mike Snyder with the name and size of your vessel so he can reserve a guest berth for you. Please include crew details.

Make your booking here

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Where is Velasis and how do I get there?

http://www.velasis.com/access/index.html has a downloadable pdf for access to the marina from train station or by road.

For people who are non-drinkers or have designated drivers, the easiest route to Velasis is to take the Yoko-Yoko motorway and get off at Uraga. Turn right after the exit and then follow the map or your navigation system.

For the rest of us, the easiest and quickest route is to take the Keihin Kyuko toward Misakiguchi to Kurihama, then take a taxi (¥1,200-¥1500) or bus #19 from there. Alternatively, take the Keihin Kyuko to Horinouchi, then transfer to the local train to Uraga. From there take a taxi (minimum fare) to Velasis or the hourly bus no. 19. It stops almost in front of Velasis, or alternatively enjoy the twenty-minute walk from Uraga station.

For train schedules from your point of departure to either Kurihama or Uraga, go to: http://www.jorudan.co.jp/english/norikae/e-norikeyin.html

Looking forward to seeing you all in Velasis!
Warren Fraser

TSPS Commander Bill Van Alstine submitted this report on a volunteer event held on August 4-5 and sponsored in part by Tokyo Sail and Power Squadron. Bill shares the background as to how the event came about, the goings on at Lake Yamanaka, and the results of the efforts of everyone involved. 

I’ve been involved with the Tokyo foster care home, Akenohoshi Gakuen, since 2005 when the volunteer committee of my former employer, Dresdner Kleinwort Japan, began providing support for the facility.  The home has capacity for twenty kids of junior and high school age.  Typically, facilities for preschool and elementary kids get the lion’s share of interest and support from the volunteer community and so Akenohoshi Gakuen had been largely ignored when we began in 2005.

My experience with the kids at Akenohoshi Gakuen was always good, whether we had a BBQ, visited a theme park, or went to see a movie.  After I got my JMRA boat license several years ago through TSPS  I’d wanted to put together some kind of boating event for the kids—but getting twenty kids to a boat was difficult and the staff of the home told me that it was all or none.  It was a hurdle that was difficult to overcome, and this year I could do it.

The staff of AG took my one-day plan to visit Lake Yamanaka near Mt Fuji and turned it into a tw0-day overnight event at a lodge to which foster facilities have access at very reasonable rates. The riskiest part of the plan was to do the event on a Friday and Saturday, which would require volunteers to take a day off. Luckily, TSPS members and my previous volunteer network answered the call to join. 

This event required that volunteers cover costs not just for themselves but also the costs of food for students and staff, and the boat.  So on top of the vacation day and time that had to be devoted, volunteers were required to pay ¥12,000 — and I was extremely lucky to have Jeremy Sanderson with his daughter and former commander Richard Schultz sign on.

On Day 1, Richard was assigned to drive the boat Friday from 11am to 5:30pm, with only a cold cheeseburger delivered to him at 2pm for sustenance—a long tough assignment that required continuous focus while towing. 

The twenty kids were assigned to teams of five to go out on the water for ninety minutes each.  The three landlocked teams remained on the grounds of the lodge and played soccer, frisbee, and ate their meals.  The evening consisted of a big barbecue, campfire with roasted marshmallows, watermelon — the works!   The burgers,  other food and snacks, and Saturday breakfast was all the result of work done by the volunteers.

In total we had eleven volunteers contributing to making the two-day event great fun for the kids.  Very importantly, the Tokyo Sail and Power Squadron donated almost ¥38,000 to cover the cost of the Yamaha wake boat.  This very generous gift from TSPS made a huge difference in what we were able to accomplish and the experience we were able to provide.

On Day 2 at 0500 Saturday morning, Jeremy and I cooked 100 slices of bacon and made french toast for all. The early start was to make sure we could get back on the water from 0730 for another three hours of screaming excitement with the wakeboard boat. At around noon, we wrapped up the event with a group photo and each volunteer was presented with a card of thanks that the kids had prepared for us. 

The reaction from the kids over the weekend made it so worthwhile.. They loved the design of the boat and the rides on it, they enjoyed freely jumping into the lake, and I think they were very happy that for the two days, the boat was theirs to use for their own pleasure. And for many, there was the sweet success of standing on the wakeboard and flying across the waves. Seasoned TSPS members understand how rare boating opportunities are and so it is no stretch to imagine the impact this summer event had on a group of kids that wouldn’t normally have a lot to talk to classmates about when they get back to school in the fall.  This time, thanks to TSPS will be able to describe the excitement of standing on a wakeboard and flying over the waves on an inflatable, perhaps something none of their classmates has ever experienced. 

I came home two kilos lighter from my adventure, and later when describing the event to a friend, I realised that none of the previous outings to theme parks, movies, barbecues had come close to the impact this event had on the kids. I would personally like to thank TSPS and members Jeremy and Richard for their contribution to this wonderful event, something I’m sure will be a very happy and lifelong memory for the kids of Akenohoshi Gakuen.

Last year we celebrated the 60th anniversary of TSPS at a wonderful event held at Velasis Marina. We submitted photos and a brief description about the event to the USPS magazine, The Ensign, and are excited to see they published a half page story on the event. A photo of TSPS member Minoru Saito is featured prominently in the story, as he is famous in boating circles abroad, and a past winner of USPS’ most prestigious award. Also featured is a group shot taken at the end of the event.

If you are a member, then you’ve undoubtedly seen the article in the magazine, which is sent quarterly to every member. If not, here it is…

Photo credits: Minoru Saito– Ernie Olsen. Group– Warren Fraser. Sharing a Meal… – Roderick Jaynes

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