July has been particularly active with a three-day weekend, a fruitful Bridge Meeting, a 24-hour Aomori & Hokodate race, the JRMA test. It has also been active on the blog-section of the TSPS webpage. In fact, Skuttlebutt has enjoyed the most active-month-on-record: FIVE posts!
Take a look at these below and offer a comment, observation or ‘atta boy!’ for encouragement. Also consider offering your own story: any Bridge Member should be able to help upload.
Many thanks for your support and participation: August 7 is the next Keelhaul at Pizzakaya! The weekend afterwards is another 3-day weekend!
As Commander, I decided it was important for me to join the other Scuttlebutters here as this is obviously the new nucleus of the club.
And this week I finally had something to talk about – repairing the hull of a vintage Sunfish sailboat. I think this 14 foot dinghy holds the record for sales of any kind of boat. That is certainly the case for me because I bought 3 of them.
This year has been one of the most eventful for me, setting up a trailer lakeside in Fukushima and bringing a shipping container full of Sunfish and windsurfers, wakeboards etc., from Michigan to Fukushima. It was a nail biter with money on the line and no plan B if the dray could not get the container onto the property. Well, that was all a success and I basked in it for the last couple of months but as I began to unpack my goodies it became apparent that a couple of the Sunfish were in pretty awful condition.
And I had no clue how to fix them up. I never worked in my life with rivets, fiberglass, FRP, putty. But I sure did yesterday. And how did that come about? Why, Jeff Canaday, of course. Many of you know him as a long time instructor at TSPS. He agreed to join me this week and we lifted a 2 ton version of a Sunfish out of the container and onto the operating table for some important, mostly cosmetic surgery.
Under the canopy of a 250 year old Keyaki tree we got to work sanding off 250 years worth of lichen – OK, maybe 4 or 5 years. This Sunfish hull was from a defunct boys camp and had one poorly repaired hole in the side, lots of dents in the bow and stern and spider cracks through the gelcoat in several spots. And the aluminum trim was coming off in spots because of missing rivets.
Jeff has experience working with fiberglass and FRP and he has the power tools for grinding and sanding and a bunch of secret weapons that he uses when working with FRP and putty. Those weapons are most importantly the paper cup and the popsicle stick.
Here I was back from the home center with a can of FRP large enough to start a Lego factory plus the putty, plus the catalyst. What did I learn about the catalyst? Dip the popsicle stick into it and let a few drops land on the putty. What would I have done? I would have poured about a cup full of catalyst into a bucket where the entire amount of putty would have been placed.
But I get ahead of myself. First thing was sanding off the lichen. It was like a pumice stone and we started with the grinder. In the back of my mind was the thought that with all this powder being produced, lichen powder and gelcoat powder, maybe I should put on a mask. But since this is no longer a COVID emergency I decided instead to inhale the powder and what I didn’t inhale I wiped on my Brooks Brothers navy blue polo shirt (was navy). Jeff was better dressed of course but also decided to inhale particulate for…OK, we are lazy. Lazy and coughing.
I listened to Jeff explain how temperature influenced the number of catalyst drops to add to the putty. It was a comfortable 28 degrees. This boat was getting sanded from about 11am and we broke for lunch at 13:00. After lunch, while Jeff stayed focused and sanded, I kind of let him do all the work until he gave me the grinder and had me going after the cracks in the gelcoat. I did not have a lot of confidence in grinding up the hull because I did not know how to fix the gashes I was creating.
But finally by about 3pm it was putty time and I learned how to mix the putty with the catalyst and then apply it to the gashes with the popsicle sticks. And not soon after I was pouring FRP into a paper cup, putting one centimeter worth.
And Jeff explained how we would cut the patch of fiberglass to fit the contour of the hole in the side and how the first patch would be small, followed by slightly larger and then the last one rounded to stay within the depth of the repair.
We first worked some of the FRP into the hole and then placed the fiberglass patches into FRP and we then used the special metal FRP squeegee to remove air bubbles and make the amount of FRP even. We did the 3 sizes and by now I was having so much fun I was wishing the boat had more holes. And since it was time to wait for everything to dry, we decided to call it a day.
For some fun I took out our Michicraft canoe and Jeff and I hopped in for an evening shoreline tour. The water is very clear and the sandy lake bottom was in sight always. There was no wind but the sun was out and a sunset was definitely going to happen. By the time we returned there was half an inch of water in the canoe (not an FRP repair unfortunately). After that I went for a swim. And because there was no wind the water on the surface of the lake for about 10 centimeters deep was warm but the water underneath was NOT WARM. Jeff stayed out of the water and built a fire for us to roast corn and hot dogs. My goodness that was a simple but satisfying dinner. The beers were cold and camp chairs comfy. Mosquitoes came by to share the sunset with us, which was a wonderful sunset. But then the mosquitoes all went to bed and we were there alone until 10pm listening to — a lot of storks mostly.
Next day: So for breakfast, what flavor granola did we eat? Jeff had the Rocky Mountain, I ate Tropicalish muesli. And then after checking our putty we decided to work on the rivets first. Jeff has a rivet gun and I provided the 1/8 inch rivets which I had earlier bought at the home center.
The Sunfish trim is aluminum and the trim holds the fiberglass deck to the hull. Importantly, the bottom of the trim does not have a hole for the rivet to pass through. The rivet stops inside the aluminum trim at the bottom but after passing through the hole in the deck and the hull. We were not sure whether Jeff’s rivet tool would need to pass through the aluminum as well but long story short (YOU WISH), the rivet worked just great without passing through the bottom of the trim.
And they looked great. And again, the riveting was so fun and satisfying, we went and looked for missing rivets on the other two Sunfish.
After the rivets, Jeff could not wait for the spots to harden further and just started shaping the repaired spots with this sander. And I kind of cleaned up and got ready for lunch. Which was leftover hot dogs.
And then we put away our project – next step will be a little more putty and then gelcoat. And there are some inspection ports on the way from Michigan. Once installed its my hope that the hull is just water logged and that I can dry it out and lighten it up—or that it has a stash of gold bars in it.
Author: A fluent Japanese speaker, Bill has worked in Japan since 1985. He is experienced in operating small watercraft and has done so since the age of 12. He is mostly power boat involved and is known to arrange wakeboarding trips with TSPS members. He completed USPS education courses in Seamanship, Piloting and Advanced Piloting as well as TSPS beginner sailing. Bill is the current TSPS Commander, as he was in 2017 and 2018, and Treasurer from 2019-2023.
Though most are familiar with the beer & pizza free-for-all Keelhaul falling on the first Wednesday of every month, few realize that the hard-working & dedicated Administrators of TSPS reserve the second Wednesday every month to meet for steering the organization. A lot goes on there.
Since this has been going on for years solidly with a quorum satisfied and business being conducted almost without fail every month, I thought Members might benefit from an update; if there is interest, this could become a monthly feature.
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The Bridge is made-up of 10 Committees, overseen by The Commander. Two Committees could do with additional Member support: Membership and On-the-Water Activities. Why don’t you volunteer?
TSPS ’24 Bridge: Commander William Van Alstine, Brandan MorrisExecutive Officer, Svetlana IlyushechkinaSocial Activities & Administrative Officer, Claude StrobbeEducational Officer, Jeff CanadayAssistant Educational Officer, Timothy LangleySecretary & Legal Officer, Maria Tenold Treasurer, (vacant) Membership Chair, Ashley SmartSquadron Webmaster & IT Head, (vacant) Boating Activities Chair.
Here is a condensed synopsis of the Meeting last week:
7:00 Commander Bill Van Alstine opens the Meeting: quorum acknowledged, Minutes from June are accepted, today’s Agenda re-confirmed.
7:02 Treasury Report by Maria Tenold: cash-flow is stable and in the black; insurance for boating activities is being changed to a new provider without interruption; discussion of Member-value and how to enhance it includes general recognition that Education needs to be broader with more on-the-water training, Skipper Training, celestial-navigation, Boat Handling, First Aid, Diesel Maintenance, and the like. There was also discussion on compensating Instructors for their efforts, which received wide agreement. Classes for passing-the-JRMA-tests virtually vs in-person was also discussed: Classes are geared to coincide with the JRMA tests offered seasonally, so increasing the number of students is a priority. To attract more students, TSPS needs to be more appealing to sailors, and Membership needs to include lots of opportunities to actually sail. Maximizing the use of the Hayama boats means increasing the number of available Skippers… which means TSPS needs to have a clear path from budding sailors going from accomplished sailor to Skipper.
7:32 Membership by Bill Van Alstine & Maria Tenold: current membership stands at 108 individuals. There appears to be some discrepancy on the Mailing List: registered, paid-up Members are not 100% accounted for. Maria is compiling the data and confirming accuracy for a full-report next month. There are lots of potential Members who want access to the lovely Hayama Marina sailboats: Alex D. is in charge of this and managing the WhatsApp Group “Hayama Sail & Crew Finder”. This is a tremendous resource for TSPS and should receive more attention. Finally, there seems to be a discrepancy of listed TSPS boat-owners … checking for accuracy.
7:46 Education Claude Strobbe is in the midst of preparing a current roster of students to take the August Class II JRMA licensing-test (8/10); expects ~100% pass-rate. The next Class will start in September with the test in October. Currently Zoom-call scheduled for July 29, in-person on August 4, JRMA test August 10. A discussion on uploading teaching materials for limited-access on the TSPS webpage. Claude also proposes more on-the-water training for those who pass the test and receive their Class II licenses: currently there is no ‘process’ so these individuals are left to fend for themselves. TSPS should do more to engage them and weave them into the sport. A good discussion followed about the USPS Boating Course and how essential it is for Skippers. It is roundly felt that every Skipper for the Hayama boats, and individuals taking-out the dinghy, must first pass this course. In fact, it is deemed so essential that probably the original basic course should be included in the Membership Fee and all required to take the course. In any event, it is already in-process that all Bridge Members pass the course. More on this in the next Meeting.
8:00 Cruising & On the Water Activities Maria is maintaining for the time-being her position as Chair to take over Treasury; Vlad is temporarily stepping-in but a dedicated individual is sought. Maria acknowledges the attraction of sailboat racing and recommends TSPS focus on developing these opportunities. Currently there are two yacht Owners who are actively engaged (Claude & Darren)… and a dozen or so Members for crewing. Some thought perhaps training and developing racers on the Hayama boats was a good option. Also a discussion on cruising, ie, organizing several boats to head-out together for distant destinations or jointly to overnight jaunts. Some incentives should be offered to Captains and slots for Members to join as crew. This used to be a big component of TSPS activities in the distant (way before Covid) past. A wide discussion over liabilities and accommodating the standards of USPS (where Instructors are purely on a volunteer-basis); also, paying-for Skippers might violate the insurance parameters we enjoy as an NPO. We are looking into this but essentially TSPS must develop other incentives rather than cash-payments, it now seems. Stand by for more on this.
8:13 Website and IT Report Ash Smart reports that Google Analytics has been successfully embedded into the website so we can, going forward, calibrate the impact of stories posted on Skuttlebutt, visits to the Calendar, independent searches for “sailing in Japan” for Bridge analysis.
8:15 Any Other Business Commander Bill proposes the Fall BBQ to be held at Lake Inawashiro on September 7; 3 hours from Tokyo. This will be a two-day event that offers wind-surfing, wakeboarding, canoes, sunfish dinghy, BBQ on Saturday night. Target is for 30+ people. Lodging is scarce (30-40 minute drive) so camping is a recommended option. TSPS not providing alcohol. Requires volunteers for Lifeguarding, cooks, set-up/break-down, ski-boat skippers (probably fee-free for volunteers). A discussion on timing due to racing on that weekend in Sagami Bay; also, proposed that this event fall on a three-day weekend instead. To be discussed and decided after polling the Membership. Also, given the August date, the August Bridge Meeting is proposed to be cancelled; the week-earlier Keelhaul, however, is solidly endorsed.
8:30 Closure of the Meeting Commander Willian Van Alstine closes the meeting with appreciation to the Bridge, and again reminds those who can to join the August 7th Keelhaul at Pizzakaya: Bridge host is Ash.
Sail Plan: Hota (Chiba Peninsula), Misaki (Miura Peninsula), Enoshima Island, Isshiki Beach (Hayama), back to home-port Hota.
Photos: Timothy Langley
After a hot beginning to July, surrounded by the reflective glass and heat retaining concrete of central Tokyo, it seemed appropriate to spend the long weekend on the water. I inquired among TSPS members, eventually successfully becoming indentured once again on the good ship Garuda as first mate under Captain Evan. The overall plan was to jointly sail alongside 26′ sailing vessel Santa, captained by Timothy Langley, over the three-day holiday weekend (Marine Day, July 15 th ). The excitement of such a journey was palpable as we prepared to leave port, knowing we would be navigating through the beautiful yet challenging waters of Tokyo Bay, through the tiny port of Misaki (at the tip of the Yokohama peninsula) and into the massive expanse of Sugaru Bay. The companionship of Santa provided a sense of camaraderie and mutual support, setting a positive tone for the three-day adventure ahead.
We departed on a Saturday from Hota, a small local fishing port
that somehow over the years allowed 4 or 5 sailing yachts to tie onto the quay there.
We set our sights on Misaki, the wind cutting directly across our port-bow. The journey was motivated by the promise of an evening indulging in mezcal and tacos at the renowned restaurant Mezcal Love.
As we crossed the shipping lane of Tokyo Bay, the anticipation of the destination added an extra thrill to the voyage. The idea of a night filled with culinary delights and vibrant conversation kept our spirits high despite the challenges we were likely to face at sea.
The weather conditions were gustier than we had anticipated; wind speeds hit a thrilling 18 knots per hour from the south. Garuda, however, demonstrated her pedigree as a racer cruiser, maintaining a consistent speed of 7.5 knots under these sporty conditions. The thrill of navigating through such robust winds was exhilarating (to mention nothing about dodging and weaving through no less than 4 massive tankers going out. Thus, Garuda showcased her true capabilities. In just three short hours, we arrived at Misaki, our journey marked by both the challenges of the sea and the prowess of our ship.
Upon docking, almost as delightful as the promise of Mexican spirits was the refreshing hose shower on the dock. After being exposed to the elements, the cool water was a welcome reprieve, rejuvenating us for the evening ahead.
The anticipation of the culinary experience at Mezcal Love kept our spirits high as we gave Garuda her own freshwater shower and prepared to indulge in the flavors of mezcal and tacos, a reward for the journey we had just undertaken.
Remi looking on longingly. Seems Evan reluctant to share with starving Second Mate….Okay, proof certain that Remi is not getting what he feels is his fair-share… but Captain Evan is thinking “hey, I’ll leave some for you maybe…”. Poor thirsty Second Mate.
Following the delicious mezcal, we continued our revelry on the boats. The night was filled with the magical sight of bioluminescence in the water, while a gentle pattering of rain disturbed the surface just enough to make it look like a starry night in the water. Enthralled by the beauty around us, we took a midnight swim, each stroke and kick in the water creating a burst of green incandescence.
After another refreshing freshwater shower on the dock to rinse off the salt, we exchanged stories of defying death on the high seas late into the night, the shared experiences and natural wonders creating an unforgettable atmosphere of camaraderie and adventure.
The next morning, we woke up and explored the town of Misaki, venturing to Jogasaki. Just as popular as Mescal Love is Misaki Donuts which pair deliciously with the coffee from the second floor of the Urarai Seafood market which focuses on selling produce from local farmers. In season are watermelons, cantaloupe and honeydew. Some of the sweetest fruits I have ever tasted.
Our next destination lay across Sagami Bay: Enoshima, the site of the 2020 sailing Olympics, where we planned to drop off some passengers at the marina before backtracking to Isshiki Beach. In contrast to the previous day, the weather was sunny with light winds, providing the perfect opportunity to practice with the spinnaker… a kind of kite-like sail. Until then, I had never done any foredeck work and had always watched from the cockpit as the spinnaker was prepared to be flown. This time, under the guidance of Captain Evan from the helm, I set the pole, ran the lines back to the cockpit, and prepared to raise this large, bulbous sail.
Unfortunately, I made an error and ran the sheet through the pole backward, causing the sail to not fully deploy, with some of it even falling into the water. Thankfully, the forgiving weather allowed us to re-rig it without much trouble, and soon enough, the spinnaker was flying beautifully (and importantly, drying out). What followed was a wonderful run, making good time to Enoshima. Lunch underway consisted of delicious curry-flavored cup noodles, which tasted all the better as we watched the beautiful Japanese coast sail past us.
After dropping off our passengers, we beat back into the wind to anchor just off Isshiki Beach, which has good sandy bottom into which we sank Garuda’s anchor.
Just over a year ago, I had visited this same beach with a group of friends. That day, I saw a yacht come and anchor off the beach, reminding me of my childhood when my family would sail to islands and anchor off pristine beaches, close enough to swim to land. It was then that my passion for sailing and determination to get back on the water were reignited.
I made it my goal to find a sailing community and eventually join a trip to Isshiki Beach to swim to shore. At the time, I thought that was a far-off goal and that it would take years and owning my own boat to make it a reality.
But thanks to TSPS and the friends I have been able to make, in less than a year, I found myself reliving my childhood, swimming to the beach to enjoy the rest of the day among friends.
As I swam to shore, I couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of fulfillment and gratitude. The journey had not only brought me back to a cherished place but also connected me with a community that shared my love for the sea. We spent the rest of the day on the beach, reminiscing about our adventures and looking forward to the ones yet to come.
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This post was written by Remi Wyszynski. It is about the July 13~15 three-day weekend that included the Japanese National Holiday ‘Marine Day’. Please post a comment or reaction so others might likewise embellish the TSPS blog “Skuttlebutt” with their stories, too!
The JMRA summer class for 2024 has just concluded. Meet the happy team!
As participants await the results, let’s deep-dive into the details of TSPS – Water Practice for the JMRA Class 2 Exam.
Preparing for the Japan Marine Recreation Association (JMRA) Class 2 Boat License exam through on-water practice sessions provides numerous benefits. Here are some of these advantages:
Hands-On Experience:
Essential Preparation: On-water practice offers exposure to real-world boating scenarios under various conditions.
Confidence Boost: Gaining proficiency in boat controls, maneuvers, and safety procedures enhances confidence for the practical exam.
Exam Relevance:
Practical Assessment: The JMRA Class 2 exam includes an underway component, and practicing in advance ensures readiness for this part.
Navigational Proficiency: On-water sessions improve skills in navigation, buoy identification, and coastal geography.
Instructor Guidance:
Professional Advice: Instructors provide hands-on guidance during practice, offering feedback and rectifying mistakes.
Exercise Repetition: Instructors ensure exercises are repeated as necessary for complete comprehension.
Emergency Preparedness:
Challenge Management: Practicing on the water equips you to handle unexpected events such as engine failure, abrupt weather shifts, or navigational mistakes.
Safety Training: You’ll learn vital emergency procedures, including man-overboard recovery and distress signaling.
Boat Familiarization:
Vessel Understanding: Get to know the specific characteristics, responsiveness, and limits of boats.
Docking Skills: Practice essential techniques for docking, anchoring, and mooring.
Interactions:
Practicing on the water offers an excellent opportunity to engage with other international boating enthusiasts and also mastering the knot-tying skills essential for the Class 2 JMRA exam.
NEW!!! TSPS also provides Refresh Water Practice Classes for those who have already obtained their license but wish to improve their on-water skills. For any inquiries, please reach out to Education TSPS at education@tspsjapan.org.
Moreover, the TSPS offers advanced boating skills classes suitable for both sail and power boats, including the boat handling class from the United States Power Squadrons. This class covers practical skills like real-world docking, collision avoidance, and navigation. A new session will be available this Fall.
Remember, the more time you invest in on-water practice, the more prepared you will be for boating activities!
Wishing you safe and successful boating and sailing!
References:
Class 1 & 2 Japan Boat License | Tokyo Sail and Power Squadron Guide to Examination for Boat’s Operator (JMRA) Credit for pictures: Jochen Damerau & Maria M. Tenold
The Hayama Marina Sailing and Crew Finder is a WhatsApp Group where sailors match-up with available sailing yachts and with competent Skippers. It is a very active group, with a healthy roster of Skippers and a bevy of 30’ Yamaha sailboats to rent-out in Hayama and Velassis Marinas.
The group was established by Claude Strobbe and actively administered by Former Commander Mike Snyder, Svetlana, & Dave Edwards.
Here is how it works:
WhatsApp Group: simply search for and ask-to-join the social media group; an Administrator will check and admit. Remember, limited to TSPS Members. Then, once in, post your inquiry or comment and see who follows-up. Sign-in early because the earlier traffic and chatter is invisible to you until you register, and even then, only going forward: you cannot view history.
Skippers: captains interested in training & coaching recently licensed TSPS Members, provide experience in handling the sails, taking the helm, tacking, tying knots, learning-the-ropes of sailing, can be “Skippers”. Skippers must be vetted by TSPS and authorized to rent-out yachts on behalf of TSPS. Currently, there are approximately 6 Skippers. They generally accept or decline inclusion.
Skippers-in-Training: once you have passed your Class II license, you can also register as a Skipper once you have completed the required courses and qualified according to TSPS standards. Please see the Comments Section for more details. There are currently 5 Skippers-in-training.
TSPS Sailors: finding opportunities to hone sailing skills is one of the most difficult challenges for a freshly-licensed sailor: this is why this Group first began. Skippers want to become better-Skippers, wannabe-Skippers want to qualify to take boats out on their own, green Sailors want to become competent and skillful in a pastime seeped in history and tradition. It takes a long time and is only gained by doing.
Yacht Availability: generally-speaking, TSPS Skippers have good access to sailing yachts. Hayama Marina has 6 identical 30’ Yamaha sailing yachts for rent on a daily-basis (no overnight). The cost is a reasonable ¥20,000/day, so split among 4 people, this is not expensive. On the other side of the Yokohama peninsula (facing Tokyo Bay) is the Velassis Marina where, similarly, TSPS Skippers can rent proper sailing yachts but, again, only on a day-to-day basis. Some Skippers have their own boats and avail themselves to crewing-opportunities. They are also on this WhatsApp group and respond when they like… costs & fees are determined by them: TSPS does not generate revenue from this.
The WhatsApp Group is designed to attract Skippers to make themselves available because Sailors are asking (via the Group) for deck time. It is all self-managed and maintained. If you schedule a day for sailing and don’t show-up, or show-up late, or forget your money, you could find that thereafter getting a Skipper to host you difficult. Skippers are TSPS volunteers.
If you are interested in getting-out on Sagami or Tokyo Bays, sign into this enthusiastic WhatsApp group.
TSPS Members sponsor various activities related to sailing or being out-on-the-water; this is one of them.
A WhatasApp Group, “Marine Diesel Maintenance & Repair Group” was established by former Commander Dave Edwards last month. It is picking-up steam.
If you seek competency to take care of mechanical issues that might pop-up, or are interested in finding out how the diesel-engine actually works on a boat, you should join this WhatsApp Group. Recommended for boat owners but also to hopeful Owners as well. Learn what to look-out for, and what sounds to attune your ears to, how to fix any issue that might arise. Very useful.
The first session (June 1, 2024), originally intended as a refresher-course, was a full-blown seminar on fuel repair and maintenance. Evan Burkowsky, Captain/Owner/Rebirther of a 33’ Peterson sailing yacht (45 years old), christened “Garuda”, held a 4 hour-seminar on his boat in Hayama Port … on the Chiba peninsula, between Kizarazu (Costco) and Tateyama (tip of the peninsula).
A follow-up seminar is planned so sign-into the Group to register your interest.
In the next session, we will be looking into the cooling system: wave ‘goodbye’ to overheating engines and ‘hello’ to cool cruising! Maximum ~10 individuals. Exclusive to TSPS Members.
Wind was blowing at 3 knots, from south/southwest. The sky was dark – at 7:30pm: a fan blowing on the back of my neck.
Commander Bill Van Alstine, Maria Tenold, Toshi Tanaki, Mike ScottTimothy Langley, Chris Eve, Jochen Damerau, Claude Strobbe, Commander Bill, Maksim Ziurim, Toshi Tanaka
But by 7:30pm we were almost 20 strong, with a couple of beers in us and pizza on the table at Pizzakaya in Roppongi.
Dom Steiner
23 people showed-up, including Eugene Mall, our very popular past commander from the early noughts.
Ash Smart, Maksim Ziurim, Cathy Medvigy, former Commander Eugene Mall
Eugene is famous for a beach BBQ he would host back then. He was also a member of the Foreign Correspondents Club and the club was able to hold our Change of Watch and other important events there.
There were several new faces at the Keelhaul, Cathy, Toshi, Jochen and Yuta.
Claude Strobbe, Maria Tenold, Svetlana Ilyushechkin, Maksim, Toshi
Toshi described the sailboat he had just purchased (at a pretty reasonable price).
Toshi Suzuki
The crowd was getting raucous with several conversations going at the same time. For instance, the chance of being arrested for taking a kayak up the Shibuya river and climbing out at Shibuya Station.
Claude Strobbe, Maria Tenold, Mike ScottMaya Matsuoka, Yuta Shimada, Jeff Canaday
But just as the group was reaching peak enjoyment, Tim Langley interrupted the whole thing and made sure that everyone in the restaurant knew that
1. He owns a Rolls Royce (no, he didn’t say that)
2. They have to pay for their own beer, except for Chris who had two great posts on Skuttlebutt.—that page on the website, see here
3. That the Commander would make a brief statement, emphasizing it be “brief”. And it was.
We had almost the entire Bridge at the Keelhaul and we were able to speak at length about some important stuff, like how to get Members on the water more often.
How successful was the Keelhaul? We finished close to 10:30pm, well beyond the call for last order.
For those of you that could not make it, don’t worry: we will be there again July 3, same place, same channel.
Trouble-shooting and maintaining a diesel engine on a sailboat is as important as tying the right kind of knot in a given situation.
Burkowsky’s 1979 33′ Peterson Garuda, Edward’s 1990 22′ Catalina Wingkeel Bluewind II and (right) Langley’s 1985 26′ Yamaha Santana.
A group of TSPS sailors gathered at the well-known sailing port of Hota on Chiba Peninsula to examine a diesel engine in a 45 year old yacht this weekend. Originally intended to be a refresher-course, it turned into a hands-on workshop examining and trouble-shooting the most likely terminal-troubles a sailor might confront while at sea… the most unfortunate time for these issues to arise. So yes: kinda life-or-death.
David Lechevalier and Julian Koe
Captain Evan Burkowsky, one of the most accomplished sailors within TSPS, held court with a collection of sailors, some captains in their own rights, to examine the fuel-system, electricals, and handy-hacks to address a sudden issue quickly. This was hands-on with participants getting their hands dirty and feeling for themselves the difficulties in access, the tools required, the sounds emitted that signal a problem arising or the echos of success after adjustments. All captains know that the boat talks to you, if you just know how to listen.
Julian Koe, Evan Burkowsky, Dave Edwards: Garuda’s engine bay
In typical TSPS fashion, the workshop went long and by the time we tidied-up, the fabulous Banya restaurant had closed, the bath was closed, and only nearby Odoya grocery saved the day.
Timothy Langley, Dave Edwards, Julian Koe, David Lechevalier: Odoya grocery store at closing… very slim-pickings
Everyone ended up munching their own selection of favorite foods, a veritable mishmash, shared beers and red-wine, and called it a night around 10:30.
Dave Edwards w/ his main courseSteve Klimek with his sausage, potato chips & popcornHealth-conscious Julian Koe proudly showing-off his balanced assortment of 25 itemsA sumptuous meal was had by all….David Lechevalier negotiating a pack of sliced-ham (eventually winning)Libations and hilarious stories shared: David E., Stephen K., Julian k., Evan B.
All retired to their own respective boats under a sky sprinkled with stars, the echos of paddy-frogs croaking, waves lightly lapping, and in the distance, the reverberating snore of some waterbuffalo.
A placid evening full of stars but few boats in-port
Sunrise in a morning ignited by riotous squawking of thousands of sea-hawks (at the Fisherman’s Association processing incoming catches) found the port full of activity. David Lechevalier, grinding fresh coffee from within Bluewind II, was popular on the floating dock. Captain Evan, readying his boat for departure, still providing advice on a vast range of questions that just never stopped: sailing is such a deep and broad pastime, requiring mastery of hundreds of skills. Having a sounding board with such deep experience is so very important and valuable. Having this kind of opportunity and the luxury of time is rare, in fact.
Julian Koe scrubbing the hull, Dave Edwards providing oversight & management, Evan Burkowsky hasn’t stopped talking since we started
With the Banya hotsprings 70 meters away opening 7:30am, everyone got freshened-up, some necessarily so after diving into the waters to scrape the bottom of the boat… another essential maintenance issue. It turns out that yes, Punk: between 5:00am and 7:30, you can get a lot done!
“You need to hydrate” the doctor said.
This first workshop was a great success. Follow-up plans to focus on cooling-systems, electricals and trouble-shooting is already in the works. If you are interested, please provide a Comment or voice your preferences at the upcoming Keelhaul.
Finally, in addition to a thank-you to Captain Evan for the instruction (and for the hospitality of his roomy 33’ Peterson sailing yacht), a hearty shout-out to John Kratochvil for originally initiating the Workshop-in-Hota idea in the first place. Thank you to the others who sailed from distant locations to have what turned-out to be a very insightful, instructive workshop, a slapped-together dinner, a lovely sunrise coffee, bookended with two exhilarating days of sailing to and back on Tokyo Bay.
What a great weekend! Let’s do it again.
Bluewind II departing for 4 hour sail back to home-port Yumenoshima, encountering a shark on the way!Garuda of restoration-fame.Timothy Langley broadcasting his weekly Sunday-morning briefing from the deck of Santana
I was so enthused by my first visit to Hota that I persuaded my Chief Navigator, Kaoru, to join me for a second visit. In order to keep the journey as short as possible to allay Kaoru’s concerns about getting seasick, I decided we would motor all the way. We set out from Yokohama Bayside at nine and set course for Kannnonsaki. Eothen is fitted with a 30hp Yanmar 3YM30 engine which is more than enough for a vessel of her size, but it does mean that she can cruise comfortably at a steady 5.5 knots, so the trip to Hota would only take around 3 hours.
Motoring out of Yokohama Bayside Marina
We had pleasant passage down Tokyo Bay in bright sunshine and calm seas. On the way we passed two cruise ships headed towards Tokyo, the three-masted clipper Stad Amsterdam and the Costa Serena. Both were too far away to photograph, pictures here from the internet:
Passing Kannonsaki lighthouse
Coming into Hota harbour I was a bit dismayed to see that all the berths were full, with some boats moored double-up. I wasn’t sure of the protocol for berthing alongside another boat. I could see Ishii-san’s yacht was still in the harbour, but he wasn’t on board. Would it be OK to moor alongside without permission? I decided to give him a call, and he said go ahead no problem. So with that I took Eothen alongside his boat and tied up at 12:30. The passage from YBM had taken 3.5 hours.
As I was securing Eothen, two very noisy power boats came into the harbour. They looked like offshore racing powerboats and their engines, even while idling, were absolutely deafening. Oh dear, I though, this wasn’t like the last time I was in Hota when it was idyllic. It almost felt like we were in a busy Golden Week highway service area! Luckily the two powerboats gave up trying to find a berth and went away, and tranquility returned to Hota.
I was eager to introduce my Chief Navigator to the delicious Sakaemaru restaurant, so we immediately went for lunch. When we got to the restaurant there was a long queue, but I had noticed there were also a lot of people waiting outside the Banya restaurant, so we decided to stick it out and wait. It was a very long wait, but worth it in the end as the food was again fantastic. We can recommend the aji namero – goes well with beer! After our late lunch we went to have a bath (which was also very crowded) and then back to the boat to relax. Soon it was evening and time to open a bottle of something special to celebrate Golden Week. We were treated to an absolutely gorgeous sunset and a stunning view of Mount Fuji. Wow, this is the life!
Sunset champagne
Beautiful end to the day
It doesn’t get much better than this!
It was forecast to get windy the next day, so in order to avoid discomfort for my Chief Navigator, we decided to have an early night and set off back to YBM early in the morning. It had been another very enjoyable visit to Hota and we look forward to going again one day.
Sunrise over the Boso Peninsular
About the author:
I have always loved the sea, boats and ships, even though I grew up in Warwick, about as far as you can get from the sea in England. As soon as I could, I joined Cunard as a deck officer cadet and gained my Second Mates ticket while sailing on the company’s cargo ships, tankers and the Queen Elizabeth 2. I started sailing dinghies in my teens while at nautical school. Fast forward to coming to live in Japan in 1990, I sailed dinghies and Hobbie Cats off Zushi beach for many years until I bought Eothen, a second-hand Cornish Crabber 24, at the end of 2021 and joined TSPS. Eothen is berthed at Yokohama Bayside Marina. Professionally, I run an exhibition organising company, and it is no secret that of all the exhibitions I do my favourites are Sea Japan and Bari-Ship which serve the maritime industry.
