Category Archives: News

TSPS Battle Ribbon Graces USPS 100th Anniversary Flag

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One of the many activities planned to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the USPS in 2014 is for each district- in our case District 13- to collect “battle ribbons” from each district squadron. These ribbons, in colors chosen by the squadron, will accompany the 100th anniversary USPS flag every time it’s brought out for district events. The Tokyo Sail & Power Squadron battle ribbon is in simple red and white in tribute to the colors of Hinomaru, the Japanese flag. Along with the district number and squadron location or name, the ribbons bear the year of the founding of the squadron embroidered across the bottom.

We may not be able to attend many District 13 events because of the distances involved, but at least we are there now in name alongside the 14 other squadrons of the district.
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One Hundred Percent Increase in Facebook “Likes” in 12 Months

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Facebook "Likes" Hit 100

It’s not a big number, but over the past year those of us who visit the TSPS Facebook page saw the number of “likes” slowly creeping higher. We started 2012 with 50, got to 85 in October, and today we hit 100. If those numbers were plotted on a curve, the direction is upward, and accelerating. While we certainly don’t have the kind of popularity The Onion or the Rolling Stones enjoy, we’ll take it.

Thanks to everyone who clicked on the “like” button in 2012.

(Apologies for the previous egregious math error.)

Perhaps one of the biggest concerns for sailboat owners is the thunderstorm. Lightning can strike a mast and do serious damage not only to the mast, but because it follows the path of least resistance, lightning also has the potential to shoot down wire shrouds and blow out or incapacitate all the electrical gear aboard. In the worst case, lightning can blast a hole in the hull below the water line, sending the vessel down into the depths.

In the picture above, the top of the mast has been scorched black, and we can only imagine what happened to the electrical system and gear aboard. There are preventative measures that can be taken to reduce the risk of the lightning strike, such as attaching a metal brush-like device to the top of the mast to dissipate the attractiveness of the mast itself and establish a kind of protective cloak over the boat. Another work-around is to run cables, often automobile booster cables, from the shrouds overboard into the water, thus providing a path for the lightning to travel on away from the boat. There are no guarantees, however. Lightning is a fickle beast and despite these work-arounds, the risk of damage from lightning is always present.

Report: 2012 TSPS Bonenkai

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The annual TSPS Bonenkai was held this past Thursday night at the newly-opened Sapana restaurant in Akasaka Mitsuke. Over forty TSPS members, family members, and friends attended. It was a very enjoyable evening that got underway with a wonderfully informative presentation from David Devlin. David recently completed a sail from Shimoda to Cairns, Australia. He talked in detail about the pleasures and the hardships of the voyage, which he completed by sailing from Rabaul, PNG to Cairns solo. We’d like to thank David for his time and efforts in delivering the presentation. His blog can be found here.

We followed the presentation with food, which by all accounts was surprisingly good. Many had expected the Nepalese restaurant to serve up standard subcontinental food, but all were pleasantly surprised that the menu was pan-Asian, with excellent Thai, Singaporean, and Indonesian food included. I think we can give Sapana restaurant our seal of approval and recommend it to anyone looking for good Asian food. Wine and beer was plentiful and consumed with gusto.

At about 8:30, the Commander called for everyone’s attention and asked Per Knudsen to step forward to give the Sayonara to 2012 Toast. Rumiko Fraser and the Commander delivered  large bottles of Moet Chandon Imperial Brut champagne to each of the tables. Glasses were then filled and Per made his toast, thanking everyone for helping TSPS have a successful year in 2012. We’d like to thank PJ Domenjoz from LVMH for supplying the champagne.

Sapana management allowed us to continue the Bonenkai till around 10:00PM, when the remaining few members drifted over to another place for a nijikai.

On behalf of TSPS, we’d like to thank the friendly staff of Sapana for the excellent food and drink, and a hearty thank you to everyone who attended. Judging from the photo above, it seems we all had a very enjoyable time.

Warren Fraser
Commander, TSPS

 

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Distant Dreamer: Hota to Habu, 2009

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Skipper Mike Snyder and crew Warren Fraser and Francois Leglise sailed Distant Dreamer from Hota, Chiba to Habu port on Oshima island on a very pleasant day in the summer of 2009. This was the second leg of a ten-day cruise that took the crew to up and down the West coast of Izu peninsula. The return trip saw Distant Dreamer wait out a typhoon in Shimoda port for two nights before returning first to Misaki, then on to Yokohama with a brief stop at Velasis Marina to pick up TSPS member Tom Proctor for the four-hour run up Tokyo Bay.

Earthquake Visualization Maps

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We’re a boating organization based in Japan. Almost all of our members were here when the earthquake of March 11th, 2011 struck and so developments surrounding the earthquake and tsunami are of great importance to us. Here are two videos, back to back, that provide information on the fallout of the quake. The first one is a visualization of the locations and strengths of the 19,349 earthquakes Japan experienced in 2011. The second visualization shows the extent to which the mass of refuse washed out to sea by the receding tsunami is expected to move eastward before finally ending up in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Report: The TSPS/Hayama Marina Sail and Barbecue, 10/20/12

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In late September, 2012, TSPS members were invited by Hayama Marina members to a day on the water and an afternoon around a barbecue. On October 20th, over twenty-five TSPS members made the trip south to Hayama and were joined by another fifteen people from Hayama Marina, led by Kobayashi-san, the chief organizer of the event. Four sailboats took members out on the water, departing the docks a little after 1000h under clear skies and little wind. Lunch was at anchor in a small bay easily within shouting distance of the Emperor’s summer home. The water there was boiling with schools of small fish, and much larger bora were leaping all around. It was quite the sight. After lunch, the boats sailed around a bit before returning to the marina at a little after 1400h. By 1500h, the barbecue was in full stride. A number of members who could not make the sailing portion of the day came down for the barbecue, and under the clearest of skies the forty-or-so of us began to feast on typical barbecue fare– vegetables, chicken, pork, sausage, yakisoba, and enjoy cold beer and wines. As the sun began to set, festivities culminated in thank-you speeches from the skippers of the boats and TSPS Commander Warren Fraser. The pianist who had played during the barbecue began to invite people up for a round of karaoke and on that note, the event came to a close.

TSPS would  again like to thank the members of Hayama Marina for welcoming us aboard their boats for a beautiful day on the water and a delicious barbecue in the boatyard. We’d also like to thank all the TSPS members who made it to Hayama. We are already looking forward to next year’s Hayama event.

Photos from the event are available here.

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TSPS Donates To The Save Minamisoma Project

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On the evening of September 27th in Roppongi, Tokyo, the Save Minamisoma Project held a fundraiser and the Tokyo Sail and Power Squadron was on hand to make a donation to help fund their worthwhile efforts to supply food to Minamisoma in Fukushima. Representing TSPS was Commander Warren Fraser and TSPS member Wolfgang Bierer who together in front of a packed room presented a check for ¥200,000 to Project chairperson August Hergesheimer. By the end of the evening the project raised over ¥466,000.

In thanks prior to the fundraiser, we received the following email:

Dear Commander Fraser:

I cannot find the words to justly thank you and your organization for the generous donation of Y200,000.  These much-needed funds will allow us to continue our deliveries of fresh vegetables & bottled water to residents still living in temporary housing in the city of Minamisoma, Fukushima-ken.  As you may well know, this city was affected by the triple disaster of earthquake, tsunami, and ongoing radioactive contamination.  Unfortunately, their return to their original neighbourhoods and a more normal life seems out of the question for yet some time.  Hence, we must continue our support for this community.

… thank you again for providing a shining example on how each of us can continue to show our compassion and support for the affected people of Tohoku.

With much respect,
August Hergesheimer

August explained later in the evening that our contribution was substantial and very helpful. It would provide funds, he said, to cover the cost of fuel for trucks making the journey to Minamisoma and purchase enough food to feed over 3,000 people. In discussing expenses, he was very clear that 100% of  the money raised was spent directly on supplying aid and that since they are a purely volunteer organization, not one yen was spent on non-food and non-delivery expenses.

This is our second tsunami relief donation. In February we donated to Toho Vocational Highschool in Kesennuma, Iwate. We have donated almost ¥500,000 this year and as Commander, I would like to say thank you to all the members of TSPS and the USPS who contributed to our fund and hope that in some small way our contributions have and will continue to make a difference in the lives of the people so strongly affected by the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear power reactor failures in Tohoku.

A special thanks to Wolfgang Bierer for helping us find this worthwhile cause to support with our donation.

Warren Fraser
Commander, TSPS

TSPS Silverweek Cruise And Photos

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The crews of Akdenizli, Bifrost, Diva, Mary-Jane, Sophie, and Voyager set out this past weekend for a three-day cruise to Atami and Hayama. Voyager departed Yokohama for Misaki Friday to position the boat for a short sail to Atami. All but Akdenizli made the crossing to Atami on Saturday. Those who made the journey across Sagami Bay enjoyed a wonderful dinner at a local restaurant near the marina. Akdenizli sailed into Misaki from Yokohama on Saturday bound for Hayama on Sunday, but unfortunately experienced engine troubles enroute and went no further.

The plans for Sunday were for Bifrost and Voyager to sail to Hayama and be joined there by Akdenizli, for Diva and Mary-Jane to return to their home port at Velasis, and for Sophie to sail to Oshima. Voyager’s skipper, however, didn’t like the forecast for Monday and instead sailed to Velasis, thus leaving only Bifrost to sail the TSPS ensign into Hayama port. Sophie, encountering light winds to Oshima instead returned to Shimoda. Meanwhile, Akdenizli, bound for Yokohama and laboring along with a lame engine, encountered strong northerly headwinds and so diverted to the east to Chiba to wait for a more favorable southerly wind, which she promptly got for an enjoyable sail back to Bayside Marina.

Monday saw strong winds, large swells and wind waves from the south. Bifrost rounded Jyogashima enroute to her home port at Velasis in the afternoon. Voyager remains in Velasis awaiting its six-year inspection and re-certification and will return to Yokohama next week.

We’d like to thank TSPS Cruising Coordinator Per Knudsen for organizing the cruise, and also thank the skippers who made their boats available for the cruise, and all the crew that signed up for the trip.

Photos from the trip:

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