Category Archives: News

Destinations over Golden Week 2024

News

By Timothy Langley, April 23, 2024 (as of 0830, 4/23) (check-back for updates!)

Building our community: these 6 yachts are headed out over Golden Week; plenty of opportunity to see each other out on the waves or in ports-of-call.

Provide your sailplan for inclusion.

  • Captain Darren Halliday. 34.5’ Hanse: Halcyon.
  • Crew: solo, Naomi, Kiwi joining in Niijima
  • Sat. 27: Yumenoshima —> Misaki
  • Sun. 28: Misaki —>  Yokohama Bayside (race-day)
  • Mon. 29: Yokohama Bayside
  • Tues. 30:   Yokohama —> Hota
  • Wed 1: Hota
  • Thurs 2:       Hota —> Ito
  • Fri. 3:            Ito —> Shimoda
  • Sat. 4:        Shimoda —> Niijima
  • Sun. 5:            Niijima
  • Mon. 6:            Niijima  —> Yumenoshima
  • Captain Evan Burkowsky. 33’ Peterson: Garuda.
  • Crew: Timothy Langley, Freddie Snoxall
  • Friday 26:  Katsuyama  —> Hota
  • Saturday 27: Hota
  • Sunday 28:      Hota —> Mikurajima (~24 hours)
  • Monday 29:      Mikurajima/Miyakejima (5 hours)
  • Tuesday 30:       Miyakejima 
  • Wednesday 1:    Miyakejima (foul weather, hunker down in-port) 
  • Thursday 2:         Miyakejima  —> Kozushima (4 hours)
  • Friday 3:                Kozushima
  • Saturday 4:             Kozushima  —> Niijima (6 hours)
  • Sunday 5:                 Niijima —> Oshima (7 hours)
  • Monday 6:                Oshima  —> Home-port Hota (8 hours)
  • Sea trials to & from Misaki last Saturday/Sunday (4/20~21) revealed several needed fixes and allowed things to break which would have broken anyway (just when we didn’t need them to!). All addressed now: refrigerator also now working, depth-finder connected, foresail furling-line replaced.

UPDATE: here is the actual sail plan as recorded on our on-board navigation device. On the right is the departure route, all the way out to Mikurajima (~70 nm from the tip of the Chiba peninsula), then hop-scotched back to home port Hota. The entire trip covered 268 nm over 7 days.

  • Captain Claude Strobbe 33′ Kawamoto-made / New Japan Yacht design ANAIS
  • Crew: Max , Nikolay , Victor , Remi , Ogi
  • Sunday 28:      Misaki  —> Yokohama Bayside (race-day)
  • Monday 29:      Yokohama Bayside Marina  —> Hota
  • Tuesday 30:        Hota
  • Wednesday 1:      Hota —> Misaki
  • Thursday 2:          Misaki —> Ito
  • Friday 3:                Ito —> Misaki
  • Saturday 4:            Misaki —> Yumenoshima Marina

  • Captain Chris Eve 24′ Cornish Crabber EOTHEN
  • Crew: Kaoru
  • Saturday 27: Yokohama Bayside —> Hota
  • Sunday 28:     Hota  —> Yokohama Bayside
  • Captain Robin Mah
  • 26’ NJY Libeccio Figaro.
  • Crew: Alan, Andrew.
  • Wednesday 1: Yumenoshima    —> Misaki
  • Tuesday 2: Misaki   —> Ito
  • Wednesday 3: Ito    —> Misaki
  • Thursday 4: Misaki    —> Yumenoshima
  • Captain Mike Snyder
  • 42’ Distant Dreamer
  • Crew: Jeff, Eric
  • Saturday 27: Marinpia   —> Kaminoseki (Murotsu Harbor)
  • Sunday 28: Kaminoseki    —> Nuwajima
  • Monday 29: Nuwajima   —> Nakajima
  • Tuesday 30: Nakajima   —> Horie Matsuyama
  • Wednesday 1: Horie Matsuyama   —> Marinpia Misasi Marina

Update: Here are a few pics from our cruise in the western Setonaikai. We covered about 135 nm over 6 days. We didn’t to get to Shimo-Kamigari Island as per the sail plan due to rain and light winds, but went to Nakajima Island and then Matsuyama from Nuwa-jima. The trip was: Marinpia Musashi Marina – Kaminoseki to Nuwa-jima to Nakajima to Horie Matsuyama back to Kaminoseki to Marinpia Musashi Marina. Crew consisted of Jeff Canaday and Eric Due. The longest day of sustained sailing was on a broad reach from Matsuyama back to Kaminoseki along the southern coast of Yashiro Island. Sorry, no pics of actual sailing. 

135nm over 6 days of sailing!
Murotsu Port with Hatonokoyu onsen and restaurant in foreground on the way back to Marinpia.
Nifty little transportation cart for sending oranges down the hill from the orchards above.
They are all over Nuwa-jima. 
Japan Defense Forces warship off of Nuwajima.

At the floating dock in Nakajima. Nakajima is much larger than Nuwa-jima and we found a nice yakiniku restaurant there.

At the dock in Murotsu Harbor Kaminoseki.

Starting out from Marinpia Musashi Marina in the rain and mist. 

On the way to Nakajima from Nuwa-jima. 


On the way to Nuwa-jima along the northern coast of Yashiro-jima. Sunny with no wind, so the sail isn’t even up. 

Or even if you aren’t quite sure, Captains, or you are spending your time working on maintenance, please just post a Comment to let us all know?

Many thanks.

A rigged sailing-invitation: replacing fore & backstays

News

By Remi Wyszynski April 16, 2024

Spell-check, word-selection, syntax, punctuation, extra-barbs aimed at Evan:

By Timothy Langley April 17, 2024

Beware anyone saying, “hey, you want to go sailing this weekend?”  I spent Sunday helping a couple guys switch-out some rigging… a great experience but, jeeze, what taskmasters!  Anyway, it was a wonderfully different kind of day and, in fact, we did actually get out onto Tokyo Bay for a sail in the end.  But I think I paid my way. Here is my story:

Intrepid author, Remi Wysznski

To get to my appointed destination out on the Chiba coast required four separate train-changes interspersed with a highway bus ride. Destination is a backwater called Kyonan, a collection of tiny fishing ports next to a famous Hota Harbor (I had never heard of before!).

It is here where Captain Evan’s vintage 33’ Peterson is berthed; my first time out there. It is indeed a beautiful, rugged, rural area. 

Recently renovated deep-blue 33′ Peterson “Garuda”; 45 years old but doesn’t look it!

To arrive at 10 a.m., though, required a grueling three-hour odyssey. Arriving in the sticks of southern Chiba, there wasn’t even a coffee ready to welcome groggy-me but, instead and amazingly, a glitzy old chauffeured Rolls-Royce materialized in the junky parking lot to pick me up! What a surprise, but just the first sign of the zany kind of day I was in for.

Five minutes later, “Oh, hi Remi,” said Captain Evan, already on the quay and eyeing my jogging shoes: it looked like he had been drinking all night. I immediately regretted not getting those discounted Docksiders at the boat show last month. Massive sea hawks circle ominously overhead.

Captain Evan Burkowsky, Captain Tony Hardy, me.

“We are getting ready to launch so your timing is perfect! All we have to do,” Captain Evan said off-handedly as if shooing away a pesky mosquito, “is replace the fore and back stays, including the rollerfurler… and of course in the process make sure the mast doesn’t fall down.”  The last part of his sentence made my throat tighten involuntarily. I thought, “okay… this is ‘sailing’… right?!?”  Little did I know that, yes, sailing with Captain Evan is sort of like that.

“See… it just goes in here!”

Then, with great authority, Evan jerked me back from this revery: “Hey, pay attention! … all you have to do is just slide this pin into that hole,” pointing at some contraption on the pavement, “easy-peasy.”  I turn to look at Tony, suddenly feeling something cold and heavy being surreptitiously slid into my palm. I look down to see I am now clasping a wrench. My mind flashed to a scene of some old jungle-prison movie with Dustin Hoffman.

To get started, we needed to hoist Evan (in a bosun’s chair) so that he could complete the arduous task of detaching the old, and then attaching a brand new, shiny wiring to the top of mast, then re-attach the wiring to the bow of Garuda: 48 feet of 7 mm stainless-steel marine wire, I learned.

With Evan dangling 40 feet up, and once his part of that cakewalk of a job was finished, the truly difficult part of aligning the bottom of the forestay was left to those of us on deck: Timothy and me, with oversight valiantly provided by master-craftsman, Tony, of course relaxing in the shade.

After hours of struggling away in the blistering 22-degree heat with nary a breeze while Evan enjoyed the refreshing zephyrs at the top of the mast and yelling down at us, we were frustrated in completing the task at-hand: it was just very difficult, in tight quarters, with equipment that did not want to cooperate.

Down came Evan, mumbling underbreath like some Scotsman, “if you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself.” So, still-hung-over Evan took over the chore, dropped a tool into the water, and had to go in to retrieve it. This was developing into a truly lovely sailing day, I thought quietly to myself. Admittedly, some glee was gained by now seeing Evan in the water. But it was shortlived.

Eventually, through unfortunately undocumented in photos (the search took 20 minutes), the dropped-parts were retrieved and the forestay properly installed: but no ‘victory’ yet.

I forgot to mention that The Captain had earlier announced (with great magnanimity) that beers would be distributed after both forestay and backstay were secured. Now reminding us that the backstay remained, and teasingly mentioning the waiting beers again… well this conjured an image of that scene on the prison-rooftop in “Shawshank Redemption”. I eyed Evan with suspicion. And thirst.

Back up went Evan, Timothy and me laboriously cranking the winch to get him up 40 feet again. This time we were able to, “get the pin in the hole, easy peasy” ever so fearful of enticing the The Dangling Captain to come down again. Finally, with all stays installed and tightened, the two-beer-reward consumed, we pushed off the moorings in elation for a quick sail (also undocumented). While not far enough out to quite challenge the tankers crisscrossing the narrow channel, Evan gave a great lesson on how to set-up and manage a preventer line and how to heave-to. It was great fun and a beautiful day. Finally.

Sailing a very responsive Garuda in open waters confirmed that the mast would not fall on top of me. As we returned to port. I learned that the reason everything looked so ramshackled on shore (from a much better vantage-point on the water) was because a rare tornado-packed typhoon hit dead-on 5 years ago and the hamlet was still recovering. But in any event, after tidying-up the boat and securing the moorings, we headed to the famous bathhouse in the Hota harbor. An event (again, thankfully) undocumented.

At the end of the day Timothy graciously gave me a ride back into civilization in what may have been the most comfortable car with the best sound system I have ever had the pleasure to experience. But he did try to charge me a taxi fare.

Anyway, sailing opportunities are not always evident in Tokyo nor elsewhere in Japan. I mean, for foreigners, things are limited in any event. The point is you have to chase them down. Joining TSPS helped me greatly and allowed me to meet some new, significant people and somehow finagle a day of sailing… okay, a half-day. But it opened doors and vistas I could not envision the day before I made this trek. And re-rigging a sailing yacht: THAT was pretty awesome, too! I learned a lot. Now I have to get some proper deckshoes.

Thank you for reading.

———————————-

TSPS Members who provide sailing-related or TSPS-related stories for Skuttlebutt publication drink for free at the nearest Keelhaul. Posters of relevant, engaging Comments receive slaps on backs and “atta-boy!” recognition at the Keelhaul. Please consider submitting a description of your experience for others to enjoy or add a pithy Comment. Submit stories to any Bridge Member for uploading.

April Keelhaul at Pizzakaya~

News

by Timothy Langley, April 5, 2024

As usual, TSPS’s monthly was held on the first Wednesday of the month (April 3).

And even though the Super Keelhaul was a mere 11 days ago, no Keelhaul-exhaustion from the hail & hearty 15 who showed-up: four Bridge Members (Gary, Svetlana, Brendan, Timothy), one new Member (Toshikiko Tanaka), one guest via Remi Wyszynski of-shallow-water-fame (Tomo), the rest Members. Most stayed until kicked-out.

Our next Keelhaul, and for the foreseeable future this year, monthly Keelhaul will be at Pizzakaya. If we can generate 30 people to show-up regularly, we get Pizzakaya exclusively for TSPS! This will allow us to let our hair down, sing songs, pillory the laggard, hoist-up on petards the smarmy, reward to truly gregarious, and wear funny hats with resplendent swag. Please log Keelhaul into your calendar and let’s establish a home-base!

Comments and songs-of-appreciation welcomed!

Pizza doesn’t tell the whole story here when we gather monthly: ~8 pies were sacrificed to the ghods.
Craft-beer connoisseur and Bridge Officer Brendan Morris going on-and-on about the richness and boldness of his selection of a powerful stout… just drink it fer crissakes!
Just to stay healthy, Pizzakaya also offers a tremendous avocado salad and, surprisingly, a nice carrot cake! Both were consumed and only a little was flung across the table.
Everything goes better with Tabasco… (went deftly into the lawyer’s briefcase later).
Derek runs a tight ship at Pizzakaya… welcomed us on short-notice and didn’t call the police like usual. Svetlana getting ready to slap rugby-playing Dominique (again).
You can tell that Bridge Officer Brendan already imbibed the 14.5% stout here. The menu is chalked on the wall… we went through the whole list, it seems (but I can’t quite remember). Brennan chugging as usual.
Newest Member Toshiyuki Tanaka joining for his first-ever Keelhaul. Welcome, Toshi!
Timothy (Bridge Secretary & Legal Officer), Brennan, Svetlana (Bridge Officer) and Dominique.
Usually chatty Maya apparently tight-lipped at hearing someone’s off-color remark; must have been potty-mouth Svetlana!
Shallow-water-sailor Remi brought a gregarious Tomoo Machiba for a taste of TSPS wildness. Tomoo fit right it (took three pints, though).
Many people feel this same irresistible urge to similarly address Governor Gary Thomas, though common decorum usually takes over. Here, Steve Bettink follows-through with aplomb, generating great appreciation from the gathered throng.
Governor Gary catching his breath while Steve sets his sights elsewhere. Hard to keep a good man down (after 4 pints).

March Keelhaul 2024

News

The March Keelhaul was another vibrant success! 15 people showed-up at the delectable DevilCraft in Jiyugaoka: 5 Bridge Members, 5 first-timers, 5 additional die-hards.

DevilCraft in Jiyugaoka 3/06/24 Wednesday

A fabulous selection of Craft Beers, always something new… I had two Mo Sun (#2), 5.7% IPA…
Vlad, Gennady, Maria, Michelle, Ash (giving us the finger… ummm thumb)…
A look of shock: someone stole Gennady’s topping before serving him.

Jeff, John, Claude: discussing the finer matching of guacamole with IPA vs Stouts…
Max, guy shooting the peace-sign, Vlad, Gennady still crying about his pizza….

Vlad and Gennady… trying to share the table fairly…. “you stay on your side, I on mine…”

Max, working on his third IPA… the fact that he has tons of napkins around him makes everyone nervous.

Accomplished sailor Remi, negotiating with his pizza (and winning!). Grew-up sailing the Bahamas and places where you can see the bottom.

Fully recovered, now, Gennady obviously working on his 5th pint.

Vlad instructing Gennady how to properly hold a pint… but still getting it wrong.

Vlad, Gennady, Marie… rumor has it that Marie will be taking over the On-the-Water Executive Position from Vlad… she looks absolutely elated.
Max so excited about Remi’s topping that he is sending a photo of it to his Mom.

Wow: Devil Craft deep-dish pizza is a marvel. Thank you Commander Bill for springing for the first three!

John looking in his dictionary to convey a thought to Jeff (who is just off camera); Claude praying John selects the right word THIS time! .. and Remi contemplating: refill beer or grab another pizza (before they disappear again!)…?

Privateer Langley wondering who threw-up on his plate (but not really caring about it toooo much). Because Tabasco.

John flashing his finger painting and attempting to drum-up some beer money to pay for tonight. Following in Hunter Biden’s footsteps, I hear.

Claude studying the beer menu (he has had 6 different pints so far) (he’s been at it for 15 minutes though); Jeff grimacing as John happily digs his heal into Jeff’s big toe.

Proof there is a God.
John, hawking his wares… Remi unconvinced.

After several failed attempts, Remi gets his due… hot sauce at the ready!

I tried this one, too. It was an Amber Ale but too smoky for my tastes. Others loved it and rubbed it on their faces. I went back to “Mo Sun!”

Well before the beers arrived. Bill attempting to look “approachable” but scaring the beejesus out of small children.
.
Dominique, Jeff, Claude. Claude (you can see) is starving. Pizza not yet arrived.

Commander Bill, Captain Claude, John and Remi. Waiting waiting waiting… John obviously contemplating strangling Remi… as most of us did too.
Here’s that guy again, arriving empty-handed. Again.
Marie and Did-you-say-pizza-Michelle.

Remi, Max and two-fisted beer-waitress!

Education Officers Jeff and Claude discussing how to train Members, teach them to sail… without killing them. It is a long discussion. Not sure if they resolved anything.

Though the core of TSPS …

…is helping people qualify for the Japanese boat licensing tests (the schedule of Tests and classes are now posted on the TSPS website) in English (and doing this successfully for 40+ years(!), there are regular social components and skills-upgrading opportunities, too. Similarly, there are opportunities to get out on the water, crew on someone’s boat, join in overnight sailing ventures, purchasing a yacht or rescuing/restoring something of timeless worth (a couple of those projects on-going and wildly bragged about over beers).

Please join the April Keelhaul at the Pizzakaya in Roppongi https://pizzakaya.com/ from 7:00.

In other news:

Annual Change-of-Watch

March 13 at 7:00 Our annual shareholder meeting.

Yokohama International Boat Show.

The 21st ~ 24th of March. Four days at the Yokohama Pacifico and on-the-water-display of new boats & yachts at Bayside Marina (https://www.boatshow.jp/jibs/2024/).  Members have free passes

TSPS Booth Volunteering.

For the 3rd consecutive year, TSPS will host a booth at this fabulous event. Last year’s was incredibly successful: one of the most vibrant booths in the entire Event Hall! Please register your availability to contribute a slot-of-time one of the days https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdG3uJXNQiHpiAYC_eD_GzLHbJkPHRIhP_OXeuYVmQn1wAQZg/viewform.

Super Keelhaul.

Last year was a blow-out with almost 50 attendees! This event is held on March 23, the Saturday evening after the Boat Show closes doors at 6:00. Either rendezvous at the Booth or at Wolfgang Puck’s… but you MUST register and pay in advance: please see https://tspsjapan.org/super-keelhaul-2024/

This is the collection of participants to the Super Keelhaul in 2023 at Wolfgang Puck’s! (… minus, of course, the 5 or 6 still sprawled under the counter after one-too-many)

Full restoration of vintage 33′ Peterson sailing yacht!!

News, Events

by Timothy Langley on March 26th, 2024

Brag-brag-brag…

Member Evan Burkowsky, an acknowledged sailor not just within TSPS but throughout the sailing region far & wide, has owned and gradually brought-up-to-snuff several sailboats in the last 10 years: Watari, a handbuilt dinghy, Santana, etc. But like all sailors, Captain Evan always longed for something larger (though capable of single-handing)… something with pedigree. He succeeded by finding an abandoned 33 feet Peterson of 45 year vintage last year. It needed a lot of work.

Here is what he did over a period of 9 months, a testament to anyone who is interested in expanding their scope and exploring more of Japan (or themselves) than is evident to the casual observer. Plus, it is a pretty interesting story:

8.26 This is 45 year old Garuda, a Peterson design built-in-Japan, in original condition, as found in September ’23… after 5 years of laying unloved and deteriorating.
3.24 Garuda in home-port a stones-throw away from Hota. This is the photo-journey of how ole’ Garuda got from derelict to a fast-moving proper ocean-going yacht.

The restoration process:

The bow after many hours of working on deck to remove the accumulated dirt and grit and prepare for marine paint.. Here, the deck is not quite ready and needs hand sanding through the several previously laid layers.
40 feet up, Evan photographing Langley who has suddenly lost interest in lowering him back down: 33′ Peterson 45 years old. Note: dirt, filth and gloom.
1.20 A’danglin’ Evan… he was up there for almost 2 hours. Note: Evan’s dirt, filth and gloom.

Interior

9.2 Rat-warren-looking interior of V-berth when acquired.
Main cabin floorboards, a bit spongy when acquired.
Week 4, remove floorboards, repaint bilge, cake-on cushioning material (to silence squeaking), rebuild floorboards.
10.14 Unending job or repairing, sanding, cutting-out rot, replacing with good wood.
11.18 Rip out all the teak planking encapsulating the ceiling, remove all wiring: repaint and re-wire with marine-compliant wiring.

12.16 Waterproof, epoxied and handbuilt new foorboards. Base for the mast also completely rebuilt.
A brief respite after working 15 weekends non-stop. Behind the staircase leading up to the deck, the engine compartment. Chart table to the left.
2.17 Not just the interior but the engine compartment and the storage lockers also needed full re-build. Here, the flooring was laid by handcut plywood, then treated for durability and waterproofing. To the side, entry into engine… panels similarly treated but layered with fireproofing 1/8 inch thick foam, and on top of that 3/4 inch soundproofing. Jeech!
Cutting-to-measure… wood-paneled flooring…
Tedious work in close-quarters requiring precision and skill which not everyone possesses!
Partially done…
Fully complete… took about 5 hours…
3.20 Now, warmth and tranquility. Luxuriousness…. but now on to the next project!

Exterior: deck and helm

7.20 Grime, soot, mold… several years of just sitting and waiting for some rescue. The sticker says “12 person capacity”.
Climbing into the cockpit locker allows access to the engine compartment and more. A favorite workspace for about 6 weeks running.
8.20 The helm, or cockpit as it originally appeared 15 weeks ago. Note the teak-strips to keep your feet out of constant water… they of course needed to be removed completely…
The helm tidied-up a bit, scrubbed as much as physical labor can possibly manage over two weekends. Doesn’t seem to have made a dent.
3.9 Starboard side with huge winches and french-cleats. Scrubbed and sanded.
More scrubbing and sanding, prep for painting. Requires 3 coats marine-paint: paint upon clean-surface (hahahaha, right!), wait to dry, paint on dry surface again, wait; apply final coat, wait.
3.10 First Mate Freddie Snoxall of Niijima fame, slaving laboriously in-between naps and lunches. That is a LOT of hard work… stubborn stains and grime.
3.10 Captain Evan Burkowsky besides Garuda. Two weeks later, with sails re-attached and lines replaced, off to Kisarazu Marina for hull treatment then to home-port ~3/25/24. Congratulations, Captain! Welcome back, Garuda!
1.20 When you need a hole when there was none. But you’d still like to have one….
Masking tape on all brightwork or metal… thousands of these everywhere: buckles, clasps, hooks, hinges, buttons… endless.
2.24 Scrubbed and sanded bow, ready for painting. That is a windlass, a crank for lifting-up the anchor. I think it works… will find out next weekend!
First coat applied… need to do it all within shortest amount of time. Dirt, soot and debris seems to just fall from the sky!
Cabin hatch just above V-berth… newly installed, of course.
Lots and lots of masking…. the steeering-wheel or rudder is called the helm.
And more winches (the mechanical kind, not the female kind); Winches are otherwise known as blocks (the mechanical kind, not the male kind).
I kind of don’t envy the job or tearing off all the masking tape but when we do, wow the boat will appear completely different than before! Already kind of does!
Lots of French-cleats… lots and lots of masking-tape. I have bad dreams still of masking tape… And then there’s the removal…
3.9 What an unbelievable improvement of the cockpit and helm. This isn’t lipstick-on-a-pig!

Engine

“Oh hell why not? Might as well just yank out the old engine and put in a larger and more powerful one I just found laying around!” once said Evan Burkowsky.
12.16 A vacant engine bay. Discovered in the process: the crank was cracked and misaligned… so replaced the whole mechanism from the propeller-to-driveshaft in one fell-swoop (without sinking the boat). Oh, right: the new engine did not quite “fit” so had to chew-down on the bedding a couple centimeters. Fun!
12.27 The ties that bind us. Notice the entire engine bay has been striped, so new walls, fireproofing and sound-proofing needs to be measured, cut, and adhered.
1.20 New engine: quieter, more powerful, tons more dependable… shinny, too! New engine bay to boot!

The hull

3/22 Hoisted out of the bay, thick layer of growth all under the waterline… that’s what 5 years of inattention will give you!
Gunk: in places almost an inch thick… the red color is the last paint applied.. which is designed to keep the barnacles and growth from proliferating: generally needs to be redone every two or three years.
This monster we use to force-off the layer of growth. After the hull dries, then scrape everything again. Wash-off again. After drying, sand to a flat layer, look for damages to the hull (found / repaired several, using various techniques Evan has perfected since working on fishing boats as a kid). Wash-off again, paint with two coats when dry. Whew.
We were fed, from time-to-time… never enough, never of enough substance. But at least Tabasco.
3.23 Like ghost busters. This work is filthy and arduous. The pressure hose works great but blasts gunk everywhere including all over the slaves.
Piles and piles, mounds of accummulated junk.
3.23 Removing the propeller to replace the cutlass, reinstall, prepare everything for years of use without worry.
3.9 Several victims were involved in this months-long process…. almost a year! …but at least the rudder is now looking ready for coats of epoxy and strengthening treatment before the final two coats of black hull paint.
Removing years of oxidation and grime… a nice result with plenty of elbow grease.
Keel needed some serious repair, then sanding to a fine finish.
A couple of bubbles from hull osmosis-damage: identified, cut-out, refilled with fiberglass and then sanded, painted, then the final two coats of black underwater paint.
3.22 Shiny above, fully prepared below: ready for the undercoats.

Sails

1.25 Not terribly out-of-shape or damaged… just dirty and unused. Need professional cleaning and minor restitching. All the lines and halyards, of course, to be replaced. Woo-hoo!
2.18. Two weeks later, back from the sail-cleaning shop. Nice job! Notice that this is the foresail, much bigger than the mainsail!

Architect

3.24 Captain Burkowsky finally at the helm, traversing Tokyo Bay to snuggle in, for Garuda the first time, into home port Katsuyama… the end of (well, not quite… STILL needs to replace that 45 year-old, used-to-be-bright-red, cutesy pink life-preserver) a long journey.
.
Bimini and dodger added, ready for anything!

Please post your comment or observations if this tickled any of your fancy…

The Change-of-Watch, 2024 Yokohama Boat Show, and THE Super Keelhaul!

News

by Timothy Langley on March 8th, 2024

Ahoy Members and Friends-of-TSPS. Our annual shareholder meeting, The Change-of-Watch, is approaching. There are other events this month, too, so here is where to go & how to get involved, get-in-free, join in the Super Keelhaul… all in one place!

Annual Change-of-Watch

March 13 at 7:00 Our annual shareholder meeting. There are lots of things to decide. 36 Members so far ‘attending’ for quorum purposes. To pass resolutions, 66.6% approval from at-least 50% of the membership is required. Total Membership is ~98 people, Quorum is 49 people, Approval is 33 Members. Please join to voice-vote or, if you cannot make it, assign your voting-proxy to the TSPS Secretary. Contact me directly if you want the Agenda or whatever. Dial-in for the 3/13 7:00 pm on Wednesday March 13 is:  Click Here to Zoom Meeting ID: 871 3318 4489 Passcode: 563984.

Yokohama International Boat Show.

The 21st ~ 24th of March. Four days at the Yokohama Pacifico and on-the-water-display of new boats & yachts at Bayside Marina (https://www.boatshow.jp/jibs/2024/).  Members have free passes but…

… the Pacifico venue is huge. To get-in for FREE!, you must first Register with Secretary@tspsjapan.org your intention with date and time-of-day (roughly is okay). Then, upon arrival, you will be escorted in by one of the Booth Members who will be at the main entry every 20 minutes or so.

Call if you need assistance:

Duty Schedule at the Booth:

  • March 20 (Wed) set-up day
    • William Van Alstine
    • Bruce Reinhart, Claude Strobbe
  • meet up 10:00 @Yokohama Pacifico
  • March 21 (Thu)
    • 10:30 – 14:00  Svetlana Ilyushechkina
    • Yves Simon
    • 13:30 – 17:00 Matt Schwarz, Chris Pitts
    • meet up 10:30 @Yokohama Pacifico (11:30 start)
  • Chris takes the passes when leaves
  • March 22 (Fri)
    • 10:00 – 14:00  Yoko (Airi), Chris Pitts
    • 13:30 – 17:00 
    • Brendan Morris
    • Yves Simon
  • meet up 10:00 @Yokohama Pacifico (10:30 start)
  • March 23 (Sat) SUPER KEELHAUL DAY!
    • 9:30 – 14:00  Bernard Languillier, John Kratochvil, Timothy Langley
    • 13:30 – 17:00  Christopher Eve, Bruce Reinhart
    • Victor Tomescu
  • meet up 9:30 @Yokohama Pacifico (10:00 start)
  • Bruce takes passes when leaves
  • March 24 (Sun) + dismantle
    • 9:30 – 15:00 Vlad Legeza, Bruce Reinhart
    • 14:30 – 19:00 William Van Alstine, Victor Tomescu, Claude Strobbe
  • meet up 9:30 @Yokohama Pacifico (10:00 start)

Booth Location:

TSPS Booth Volunteering.

For the 3rd consecutive year, TSPS will host a booth at this fabulous event. Last year’s was incredibly successful: one of the most vibrant booths in the entire Event Hall! Please register your availability to contribute a slot-of-time one of the days https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdG3uJXNQiHpiAYC_eD_GzLHbJkPHRIhP_OXeuYVmQn1wAQZg/viewform.

Swag.

The Bridge authorized replenishment of not only:

(1.) TSPS logo hats and

(2.) blue polo shirts, but also

(3.) commissioned 50 long-sleeve white tee-shirts with “Get Keelhauled” logo. These will go fast!

Sales only at the TSPS booth & Super Keelhaul: volunteers get at discount. Cash only. Captain Bruce Reinhart in-charge-of sales.

Super Keelhaul.

Last year was a blow-out with almost 50 attendees! This event is held on March 23, the Saturday evening after the Boat Show closes doors at 6:00. Either rendezvous at the Booth or at Wolfgang Puck’s… but you MUST register and pay in advance: please see https://tspsjapan.org/super-keelhaul-2024/

This is the collection of participants to the Super Keelhaul in 2023 at Wolfgang Puck’s! (… minus, of course, the 5 or 6 still sprawled under the counter after one-too-many)

Though the core of TSPS …

…is helping people qualify for the Japanese boat licensing tests (the schedule of Tests and classes are now posted on the TSPS website) in English (and doing this successfully for 40+ years(!), there are regular social components and skills-upgrading opportunities, too. Similarly, there are opportunities to get out on the water, crew on someone’s boat, join in overnight sailing ventures, purchasing a yacht or rescuing/restoring something of timeless worth (a couple of those projects on-going and wildly bragged about over beers).

Please join the April Keelhaul at the Pizzakaya in Roppongi https://pizzakaya.com/ from 7:00 o’clock (but earlier is better!). The First Wednesday of Every Month, i.e, April 3rd.

October BBQ 2023 at Yumenoshima Marina

News, Events

The summer heat is not going away anytime soon, so let`s have some refreshment with beer and a stunning view at our annual traditional BBQ at Yumenoshima! 

Nag about the heat, boast about your summer trips in Caribbean and European seas, find new friends and crew members for your autumn/winter sailing season.

Here where you can find us!

Place: Yumenoshima Marina & Grill (https://www.marinaandgrill.com/)
Date : Saturday October 7
Time: from 13:00 till 16:00
Food : bbq set
Drink: free beer, wine, cocktails, soft drinks 
Entertainment: live band

Payment deadline: Sep 30 (Sat) 12pm
Payment: Online credit-card payments exclusively: no in-cash or day-of payments.

PAY HERE↓
 

Yumenoshima Marina BBQ 2023 Oct 7

TSPS Members:
 Adults (12 years and older):  ¥6,000
Child (12 and younger):  　 ¥free

NON-TSPS Members:
Adults (12 years and older):　¥8,000
Child (12 and younger):　　 ¥4,000

Any questions: contact Svetlana at svetlana.ilyushechkina@gmail.com or Claude at claude.strobbe@gmail.com

Golden Week 2023 Sail Report

News

by Timothy Langley, May 15, 2023 Tokyo (revised on June 6th)

Overview:

Vessel: Yamaha ‘26C sailing yacht (1983) Santana.

Crew: Timothy Langley & Evan Burkosky.

Journey: traverse Region One (Santana’s registered area) over 7~8 days. Ultimately, sailed 7 days, traversed 270 nautical miles, hit islands Oshima, Niijima, Miyakejima; returned to touch Shimoda (Shizuoka Prefecture), then home-port sprint to Awa-Katsuyama. One nighttime sailing leg of 16 hours (Port Ako Miyakejima to Shimoda).

Details:

Leg One: 4/29 Saturday, depart 4:30 am from Home Port Awa-Katsuyama (Chiba Peninsula) for Habu Harbor, Oshima Island. Head-on wind required extreme tack into Sagami Bay for ~5 hours, tack back, then hug the shadow of Oshima Island to shelter somewhat from tremendous building winds and seas. Mainsail set throughout at 3rd reefed position. Storm approaching from the south, hitting in several hours.  14 hour sail.

Leg Two: 4/29 Saturday, depart 4:30 am from Home Port Awa-Katsuyama (Chiba Peninsula) for Habu Harbor, Oshima Island. Head-on wind required extreme tack into Sagami Bay for ~5 hours, tack back, then hug the shadow of Oshima Island to shelter somewhat from tremendous building winds and seas. Mainsail set throughout at 3rd reefed position. Storm approaching from the south, hitting in several hours.  14 hour sail.

Leg Three: 5/01 Monday depart Habu Harbor at 4:00 am for Niijima Island. Very brisk crossing and almost entirely over/through the Kuroshio current; very choppy & confused waters, lots of leaping tuna. 9 hour sail. Sail almost exclusively on Spinnaker, consistently maintaining 6 knots/hour! Trouble: when bagging spinnaker from the bow, sheet inadvertently fell into the water (unnoticed) and got immediately caught-up in prop; Captain Evan’s dive under the boat to untangle quickly achieved success… no damage but close-call.

Leg Four: 5/02 Monday arrive Niijima Port at 1:40 pm. Tie-up, walk to sea-water hot springs “Yunohama Ryoten Onsen”. Drive around island care of new friend (JET Teacher assigned to Niijima Education System) Freddie Snoxall. Forced-feast at Chinese restaurant. Early next-day departure.

Leg Five: 5/03 Tuesday depart Niijima Port at 4:00 am heading for Miyakejima Island. 21 nautical miles, with new crew member Freddie. Very swift crossing over rough waters but made excellent time, arriving after only 6 hour sail.

Leg Six: 5/03 Tuesday arrive in Ako Port on the south-western side of Miyakejima at 10:00 am. Walk to nearby “Furosato-no-yu onsen”; a hearty lunch at Kairaku Hotel; puffed on pcigars on the massive breakwater; walk around unsuccessfully searching for dinner (town completely rolls-up at 7:00 o’clock); brief visit to Snackbar Azabu for drinks. Next day scooter riding through winding roads, lava fields, the highest accessible points on the island (much of the island is a no-go due to volcanic activity), etc.. Lunch at yucky, almost unbearable, Chinese shack.

Leg Seven: 5/05 Wednesday depart 5:30 pm for night sail (while the sun is still up): destination Yaizu City in Shizuoka Prefecture, Oi River (the western boundary of Santana’s registered sailing area). Trouble: once in open water, bowlight shorted-out (still in daylight but nightfall approaching). Captain Evan springing again into action with trouble-shooting, finding spares within Santana, repaired in the dark while underway in rough seas. Pretty tense as seas rough; head downwind at slow clip (see sailing diagram, below), Evan dangling on the Bowspirit to reattach the entire housing, with success finally. 16 hour sail (only slightly due to the bowlight issue). Navigating by the stars and treated to constant meteor shower!

Leg Eight: 5/06 Thursday arrive Iritahama Beach in Shimoda at 9:30 am, due to unfavorable winds forbidding the full Suruga Bay traverse; 16 hour overnight sail. Brief 3 hour anchor off the beach, then 1.5 hour sail into Shimoda Cove, Admiral Perry Visitor’s Pier arriving 12:30 noon. Overnight layover: lunch in-town; glorious bath at Thousand-People Kayaya Ryokan Onsen at Rentaiji Station; bbq ribs dinner; hit Tosaya Soul Bar on the warf until 1:00 o’clock.

Leg Nine: 5/04 Friday depart Shimoda Cove 4:30 am for Home Port Katsuyama (expected to be ~14 hour sail in rough seas in following 25+kt winds). Only sail 40% of jib-sail, no main-sail throughout. Turns-out to be the best day of sailing in strong winds for first 2/3rds, then extremely strong winds in last 1/3 but arriving earlier than expected at 4:30… a 12 hour sail! Averaging 6 knots the entire day on the sliver of a foresail!

Leg Ten: 5/05 Friday, hit Home Port Katsuyama on the Chiba Peninsula at 4:30 pm after a 12 hour sail.

Interior of Santana, prepared for journey (Leg 1).
Captain Burkosky and 1st Mate Langley strapped-in (Leg 1).
Evan in full rain gear, safety harness, before
departing (Leg 1).
Hunkered-down in Habu Harbor, driving rain while
stuck in-port (Leg 2).
Circular Habu Port (a collapsed caldera that opens to the sea) (Leg 2).
Sometimes treated with scrumptious food (Leg 2).
Tied-up in Niijima Port (Leg 3).
Tied-up in the extremely well-protected Miyakejima Port, the
best on the Izu Islands (Leg 4).
Exploring the volcanic island of Miyakejima (Leg 4).
Chillin’ while attending to the many issues that naturally come-up while
underway: sail repair, re-organizing quarters, drying things out. Note
the rope-ladder for when the tide drops and we need to clamber onto the quay (Leg 4).
Magical Miyakejima with other Izu islands in the distance (Leg 4).
Still very active volcano in the center of the island: no-go zone
encircling the center, smoke-spewing caldera (Leg 4).
Spinnaker repair while in-port (Leg 4).
Must-do bowlight repair while underway, heading into
night-sail, rough seas (Leg 5).
Always strapped-in while on-deck. Evan Burkosky (Leg 5).
Centennial outcropping off Miyakejima.
Strapped-in (Leg 5).
Shimoda’s Iritahama Beach, where we anchored briefly
after overnight sail of 16 hours (Leg 5).
Santana tied-up at visitor’s berth in Admiral Perry
Cove, Shimoda (Leg 5).
Well-appreciated dinner & hydration after long
soak in nearby onsen (Leg 5).
Fortitude for next day’s 4:00 a.m. jaunt across both Sagami
and Tokyo Bays, Soul Bar Tosaya… until 1:00 am (i.e., three-hour shut-eye)(Leg 5).
Brisk sail under a sliver of a foresail, heading home after 7 days of
 sailing; 25~30 kh winds at our backs: hitting 6 knots for 12 hours (Leg 6)!
Home Port Awa-Katsuyama on Chiba Peninsula! Whew (Leg 6)!
 
—–end—–