UPDATE of 11/18: Velocity made it to Cape Verde in good time using wing-on-wing with a a small gennaker as a second headsail.

It worked well when the wind was up 12-18knots but we slowed down at the end when the wind fell to 8-10 knots. In the lighter conditions, a gennaker or code zero would have been better but then the wind would have to be put on one side or the other, making us gybe often to maintain the rhumb line.

On our set-up gybing was more complicated but we didn’t need to do it often. We have all this to think about for the next leg to Grenada starting Nov. 22. 

Parasails were used by a number of boats; some did very well with them… others not so well. One had their $11,000 parasail end up under the boat and probably ruined. They can be hard to handle.  (by Mike Snyder)

TSPS member Tom Proctor on his good-ship Velocity (’40 Hallberg-Rassy), participating in the 2024 Atlantic Rally for Cruisers.

This race-of-sorts is from Las Palmas, Canary Islands, to Mindelo in Cabo Verde (ARC+) and then on to Grenada in the Caribbean. It is quite a journey.

Joining him are two other TSPS members, Vincent Bonhomme and Past Commander Mike Snyder. The rally started on Nov. 10 (eight days ago!). 

Tom has been preparing his boat for this trans-Atlantic passage and already logged many nautical miles just getting his boat from Sweden to the Canaries by way of Norway, Scotland, Ireland, Spain and Portugal. Mike Snyder joined him from Ireland and Vincent caught-up with them in the Canaries for the crossing. Wow.

It promises to be a dead downwind sail all the way with lots of wing-on-wing and asymmetrical spinnaker, which Tom has much experience with. The distances sailed will be 865 nm to Cabo Verde, then leaving Mindelo on Nov. 22 it will be 2167 nm to Grenada. Hoping to arrive there Dec. 8-10. 

To follow their progress as well as that of all the other participating sailboats, on a computer go to https://www.worldcruising.com/arc_plus/eventfleetviewer.aspx  . On a smart phone use the YB Tracker app and look for “Atlantic Rally for Cruisers 2024.” Download and save the data for the ARC+ so whenever you open the app, the rally’s progress will be immediately available. Be sure not to download the ARC event (the ARC is another trans-Atlantic rally with no stop in Cabo Verde due to set out later this month).

More updates as this journey progresses….

On Saturday, TSPS hosted a fabulous barbeque at the Yumenoshima Marina; about 35 people showed-up.

The day started with a Bridge Meeting in a corner of the restaurant while the tables were being set-up and folks were gathering.

This was an “Open Meeting” where everyone was invited to attend. It was well-received and maybe something to consider doing regularly. People enjoyed glimpsing into how the organization is actually managed and how-things-get-done.

From 1:00 the grills were ignited and the beer-taps opened.

As you can see from the photos, the weather was perfect and the atmosphere just festive and glorious!

Much appreciation to Bridge Member Claude Strobbe for initiating and setting this up for the Club… plus, it happened to be his birthday, too! So maybe a bit of double-dipping to have a party with all his sailing mates! A terrific idea.

After the Marina turned off the taps, the remaining throng lumbered over to see the reality of the rumor that a Swan ’44 had entered into the bevy of boats belonging to TSPS Members.

Bridge Secretary Timothy Langley hosted 20+ people to visit his newly acquired, fifty-year-old forty-four foot Swan sailing yacht: it was something of a coming-out for this yacht, since it was the first time for visitors!

Halfway through the revelry, the electricity went-out, leaving the entire cabin in darkness. Unfazed, the hearty-crew still continued until all the liquor, beer, and kaki-no-tani were consumed: it was a perfect ending to a really remarkable day.

Next up: Bonenkai on December 4… instead of December’s regularly-scheduled Keelhaul. This event will be an Awards Banquet with Andy Lawson coming back for a repeat performance as MC, so it should be something not to miss. Rumor has it that the competition for the Blue Bucket Award is heated…

For details, costs, deadlines for reserving, etc., please see https://tspsjapan.org/get-ready-for-our-annual-end-of-the-year-celebration/

by Timothy Langley

as of December 14, 2024

SOLD: the very first person who came to view Santana purchased her on-the-spot. She will now be moved to Yokohama Bayside.

Goodbye lovely Santana: you taught me so much and spent such a great time with me. I am grateful and thankful for being a part of your life these last 4+ years. I will never forget you.

I must part with my beloved 26′ Santana (1983): I need her berth to park my new (older, larger) boat. Though I hate to do it, ¥550,000 yen: all ready to go. Please see Chukotei: http://chukotei.jp/cgi/?mode=ship&n=21575&page=2&cat=y&cl=23-27&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0dJU4wUp6bd-ql3RqsYpmd06yaMuD1MABrb8x2Uj02wqNgrDlH1BnzRmc_aem_S6rNZhkRCi2gIfJUsY53lw

Santana will teach you sailing, as she did me. And maybe, like me, she will prepare you to move-on to a larger vessel (because she did such a good job!). Anyway, I simply need her berth. She is in Hota; free berth until end of January.

She is a great single-handed sailing yacht; she sleeps 4, riding capacity for 8; comfortable for 3~4 on extended off-island journeys; equipped with enclosed head, galley with fresh water & gas stove; sails and rigging in fine condition; tiller steering. Well-maintained throughout.

Since finding her five years ago, I have sailed and refurbished her; I became passably competent as a solo sailor as a result. Now as a consequence, I am able to move-up to a more substantial sailing yacht (a fifty-year old Finnish-built 44′ Swan; sleeps 8, capacity for 12). That’s quite a jump!

Here are some photos:

Golden Week 2023 Sail Report

If you are interested, please let me know timothy.langleytokyo@gmail.com

by Claude Strobbe & Timothy Langley

All the photos are from last year’s bacchanalian BBQ….

Every year, TSPS organizes a fabulous outdoor BBQ, courtesy of Marina-member Claude Strobbe. This year TSPS will again host a BBQ on the deck overlooking the 300+ yachts docked in Tokyo’s own downtown marina!

The BBQ starts at 1:00 o’clock on November 9th, always a gloriously-sunny Saturday. Last year, 50 people attended, 12 guests and some new Members, too!

All-you-can-eat assorted meats and veggies, free-flowing beer & wine. Bring the kids, friends, colleagues, girlfriends…. loiter around gazing at the yachts and visit the collection of Member’s vessels tied to the Visitor Dock (for easy access!) afterwards!

Photo from las year: This year’s BBQ will substitute for the monthly Keelhaul (normally the first Wednesday of every month!). So: no Keelhaul in Roppongi’s fabulous Pizzakaya in November… (but we will invite honorary-Member Derek to join us, hopefully towing some of his many girlfriends!).

While the TSPS Bridge Meeting is every second-Wednesday of every month, THIS YEAR we will hold an Open Bridge Meeting just before the BBQ! So please show-up early and join-in the broader discussion, meet the management-team and overhear how our boating and sailing issues are addressed; weigh-in, too, then quaff some draft beers with everyone afterwards?

Bridge Meeting: 11:00 in the restaurant; BBQ: 1:00 o’clock until ~3:00 o’clock on the outside 2nd Floor deck; Afterwards, visit Member’s yachts which are tied-up on the quay and continue into the evening.

Important Details

• Registration: Payments via Stripe only
• Members ¥7,000 yen – pay to: Tokyo Sail & Power Incorporated Association (stripe.com)
• Guests & Non Members ¥8,500 yen – pay to: Tokyo Sail & Power Incorporated Association (stripe.com)
• Kids under 12–> free, Kids age 12 to 18 – half price
  Kids members: Tokyo Sail & Power Incorporated Association (stripe.com)
  Kids Non members: Tokyo Sail & Power Incorporated Association (stripe.com)
• Reservations must be secured by Thursday, November 6.
• Saturday November 9th 
• Time: 11:00 – 12:30 is Bridge Meeting; then BBQ from 1:00 until 15:00 or thereabouts
• At Yumenoshima Marina 
• Including : Food and Drinks 
• Fee Members: ¥7,000
• Fee non- Members: ¥8,500
• Closest Station: Shin-Kiba (12 minute walk)
• Shuttle bus available Station to Marina
• Parking: available free (ticket stamp at the BBQ )
• Wifi: available free
• In charge: Sir Claude of Strobbe (090-9139-1000)

The October Keelhaul was another great success at Pizzakaya: 34 people showed-up.

Among the group were two former Bridge Commanders (Eugin Mall and Eric Due), 4 guests and 3 new Members! This is our 8th consecutive Keelhaul where we exceeded 25 people, and our 3rd consecutive with 30 or more! The Keelhaul is increasingly becoming a solid, highly looked-forward-to monthly event.

The Bridge Meeting followed a week later as is usual: Keelhaul 1st Wednesday, Bridge Meeting 2nd Wednesday). Several important matters were decided including:

…. BBQ in Yumenoshima Marina on November 9 (Saturday) from 1:00 o’clock;

…. Open invitation to November Bridge Meeting (before Yumenoshima BBQ from 11:30)… all welcome to observe & join-in;

…. the Bonenkai on December 4 from 6:30 at The Tokyo Bay Intercontinental Hotel;

…. cancelling the Yokohama Boat Show TSPS booth (but NOT the SuperKeelhaul!); and

… getting rid of the dinghy;

…. no Keelhaul in November (replaced by 11/09 BBQ) nor in December (replaced by 12/04 Bonenkai). 

Details on each to follow separately.

SKUTTLEBUTT: please see the newly uploaded report from Commander Bill Van Alstine on Lake Inawashiro Weekend Event (click on this hyperlink to go directly to the Post).

In any event, here are some

Photos from the Keelhaul:

Remember: NO KEELHAUL in November… instead a BBQ that weekend in Yumenoshima Marina on 11/09, Saturday.

By William Van Alstine

September 25, 2024

TSPS’S BBQ at Lake Inawashiro Sept 14-15 included Sunfish sailboats, wakeboard boats, an evening BBQ and a morning of French toast… many members brought their own camping equipment, paddle boards, picnic items to share.  Two days on this beautiful lake was fabulous!

All in all, 19 Members and families showed up to have a pretty good time. This was the second time for TSPS to attempt this lakeside ordeal, with a chance for everyone to try something new, to enjoy a truly spectacular place, and get to know each other a lot better. 

The organization could have benefitted from the wake-boats NOT being a 30 minute drive from the other side of the lake, out of sight of the rest of the group, the wind NOT being so iffy at the beach, a little less rain on Sunday, and someone’s better ability to get the windsurfers and canoes to the beach.  But the event actually went swimmingly well, given the logistics and the last-minute weather.

In fact, sponsoring a BBQ that far from Tokyo (a four hour+ drive) requires more than a couple of boats and a fabulous steak BBQ to be attractive! And, in fact, this involved a lot of fellow Members’ help and contributions to get off the ground. Brendan, Alex D., Jeff Canaday, Gary Thomas, Maria, Svetlana and lots of others deserve at least a mention for carrying so much: thank you, guys.

On the day of the event, its a beautiful morning.  By noon, people are filtering in to the marina, far away from our actual camp, so some Members take a few boats and get out on the water while another group forms a caravan to drive through the forest where the event is being held. Tons of incidents and drama in between.

At the BBQ folks are just starting to party.  People on the Sunfish, on paddle boards, swimming, the fire is started in the grill.  Brendan shakes my hand with a smile.

In the morning, I wake-up to see Frank ready to depart in the Sunfish, the sun just rising over the nearby mountain ridge.   I get a fire going to make French toast and Marina joins in.  Its a blast.  We choose teams to sail the boats back to my cottage with Alex in charge. 

Suggestively, the wind is dying and clouds are coming in.  There is a table covered with breakfast food still and suddenly, rain starts. It increases in strength as people rush the sails and rigging into the container before they get too wet, attempt to break camp, load things getting increasingly drenched back into their cars; just a tiny bit of pandemonium.

One of the team drives back from the marina (after delivering the boats) but by now the water is cascading from the sky.  I see fleeting glimpses of the team scattered here-and-there as they scurry to finish loading.  We wave our goodbyes hurriedly as I observe a table of leftover food and drinks – a lot of bread on the table under plastic, but no way to rescue them; packs of ham and chicken filling with water.  And I am of course soaked. 

Nevertheless, the event was largely successful and I think everyone had a good time. We should definitely make this an annual event but maybe devote a little more organization into it. The volunteers who helped this year were fabulous, and TSPS owes you a huge debt of gratitude!

So please add your own observations and Comment in the section below, and let everyone know how YOUR experience was?

———-

Bill is an avid boater and reasonably tolerable Commander of Tokyo Sail and Power Squadron for the last two years.  He has held several positions on the Bridge including as Treasurer and also as Secretary.  If he is not making granola at his shop in Tokyo then he is probably on, in or close to the water.  #wakeboard, sunfish dinghy, windsurfing, canoe, sailing, swim

By Timothy Langley

September 2, 2024

Bridge Member Ashly Smart embedded Analytics into our webpage a few months ago. It has taken a while to gather the data but this is what we have learned so far:

Skuttlebutt Posts listed by popularity, below (hyperlinked to the actual Post, so please “click!”). The following list is from #1 to #40.

More than 12,000 hits over the last 3 months!

Congratulations to Svetlana on her Number One Ranking Post!

• Kamchatka by sea: sailing through Russia’s hidden gem♡ 
• Bridge Report for July 
• July Keelhaul Report 
• Full restoration of vintage 33′ Peterson sailing yacht!! 
• New Bridge for 2014 
• Preparing for the Japan Marine Recreation Association (JMRA) Class 2 Boat License exam through on-water practice sessions 
• Skuttlebutt is on fire! 
• Repairing a Sunfish 
• Drop-of-a-hat: find a yacht to sail on, any weekend 
• TSPS Member Yoshikazu Aoki Passes Away at Sea 
• How to maintain & trouble-shoot a yacht’s Diesel Engine 
• ’23 Fall BBQ at Yumenoshima Marina 
• Destinations over Golden Week 2024 
• TSPS Member Robert Radcliffe Passes Away 
• Friends Don’t Let Friends Drift Away 
• Three Day Sailing Weekend 
• Long-time Member and TSPS Treasurer Tony Whitman Leaving Japan 
• Over Obon, We Sailed to the Izu Islands 
• Boat License Renewal in Tokyo 
• January Keelhaul, next-up: February! 
• January Keelhaul, next-up: February! 
• Captain Evan’s excellent GW adventure 
• The Taming of the Spinnaker 
• Sailing brings you many First-in-life experiences! 
• A rigged sailing-invitation: replacing fore & backstays 
• June Keelhaul Report  Hota – So good I went twice! 
• Golden Week Sailing 2024 
• Diesel Engine Maintenance Workshop, Hota 
• Sailing 101 Class Finally Gets To Sail 
• Report: 2013 Spring Rendezvous & Cruise 
• Boat Handling Course  – 2024 March 19 ~ 2024 April 23 
• WOMEN AT THE HELM 
• 2020 TSPS Bridge Sworn In Via Zoom 
• Intermediate Sailing Course Underway 
• October BBQ 2023 at Yumenoshima Marina 
• Whitewater Rafting Big Success, Bungee Bonus 
• Keelhaul: monthly gathering of salty dogs 
• At Anchor: Looking for Cherry Blossoms 
• Golden Week 2023 Sail Report 

Ranking of Webpage Landing Pages:

• Home Page: TSPS 
• Contact Us 
• Boating In Japan 
• Class 1 & 2 Japan Boat License 
• Skuttlebutt 
• Kamchatka by sea: sailing through Russia’s hidden gem♡ 
• JMRA Signup 
• Education Events 
• Courses 
• Login 

By Timothy Langley

September 2, 2024

The Bridge was initially unsure, given the weather, the holidays, many out-of-country, etc., to host the August Keelhaul. Bridge Member Ash Smart took the bull by the horns with”damn the torpedos!” and so we announced as-usual: the first Wednesday. And what a party it was!

To the delight & surprise of all, this Keelhaul turned-out to be a total blow-out: it exceeded the number of people who attended in years past: more than 32 Members, Friends-of-TSPS and lurkers joined us! And this was in spite of the tremendous rain and wind that followed everyone into the Pizzakaya venue, and basically flooded everyone when we left!

But anyhow, a great time was had by all. Here is a photo-montage of the event.

Please join us on the first Wednesday of September, too, at Pizzakaya for a return engagement!