Member Evan Burkosky, 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 Burkosky 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 Burkosky.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 Burkosky 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…
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 ZoomMeeting 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.
(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.
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
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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
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: 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 Three: 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 Four: 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 Five: 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 Six: 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 Seven: 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 Eight: 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 Nine: 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)!
Wishing you a great holiday season and year ahead of boating. We really appreciate your enthusiasm and look forward to seeing you at our activities, both social and educational.
This weekend’s TSPS Pool and Beach BBQ held at Acao Beach, just 15 minutes by taxi from Atami Station, was well-attended by almost 30 TSPS members, family, and friends.
After arriving in the afternoon, folks changed into their pool and party outfits and began to enjoy a friendly game of frisbee in the pool, drinks on the pool deck, and general conversation in the cool ocean breeze that came across the bay. As you can see in the photos below, the view from the pool was stunning, and there was easy access to the beach just down a small set of stairs. The party really kicked off once the plates of BBQ arrived, the grilling started, and everyone refilled their drink cups! Delicious wagyu, pork, and seasoned sausage sizzled on the grill, along with mounds of fresh king trumpet mushrooms （エリンギ）, carrots, green peppers, and other vegetables.
As evening started to set in, some folks grabbed a change of clothes for a trip to the local onsen, while Bill and others got a campfire going for everyone to enjoy. Many tales of sailing and powerboating were shared…while the details of other stories seemed to grow more heroic and daring as more cool refreshments were imbibed! After the fire died down, all retired to their tents and “glamping tents” for some much needed rest.
Folks that decided to stay were in for an incredible sunrise around 4:30am the next morning followed by more swimming and beach activities.
A return to Acao Beach is definitely on the TSPS calendar for next year! Thanks again Sveta for organizing such an incredible experience.
TSPS inaugural ladies sail training day took place yesterday, lead by Sveta. This was a trial run to ensure an all ladies beginner crew could manage the rope pulling and commanding so often left to the men. (The ladies don’t usually highlight this deviousness but you are all now in the know)! Sveta’s additional crew were 4 beginners and 1 experienced sailor. Predicted conditions were ideal and sailing until after 1400h proved magnificent, with lots of trust building through individual helming practice, a few drills, great breeze, controlled keeling and a firm decision that ‘ladies at the helm’ is the way to go!
At 1430h someone commented on the apocalyptic sky approaching from Enoshima. Another double checked weather apps but predicted conditions were unchanged. The two did not tally!
Seconds later thunder rolled and the sparkling day turned very dark. The wind immediately went from a lulling 10 knots to a constant 25-30 knots, with hail, thunder, lightening, manic black waves and zero visibility. 2 crew raced to remove the jib as a third started the engine and commandeered the main sail down. A swirling wind added to complexities for a while.
Two thirds of the crew were beginners, meaning instructions had to be concise and constantly monitored; most crucially that locking a cleat didn’t mean releasing it; that someone falling beneath a lowering boom (talking and unhurt) did not require as critical attention as getting the sail fully down; that flapping sheets did not need pulling and that donning waterproofs was low on the action list for immediate survival. Absolute teamwork ensured success.
With sails down, visibility was still zero and direction was tough to control, even under motor.
This outstanding crew proved highly dynamic and showed that calm decisions and directions can accomplish rough and unpredicted situations, even with beginners, as long as they trust the person in charge.
Thunder was still pounding as the boat approached port. Within the hour, the day returned to its earlier demeanor and all doubted their recent experience. A final flash of lightningput to bed any doubts that the storm had been imagined. Adrenalin was sky high by the end of the day and these ladies bonded for life.
Happy to report – no injuries, no loss of confidence, no boat damage but someone saw rods flying through the sky at one point and wondered what they were? Oh! That would be the four (yes, all four) battens flying to the heavens in their glorious bid farewell. A minor tip from this adventure…. The Yamaha 30 battens are not designed to stay in flapping sails. They need to design a safety mechanism such as a folded or angled pocket, velcro or a piece of string. Anyone who is sensitive to having ever lost a Hayama batten – it’s a design fault!
These 4 beginner sailors come highly recommended as quick learners, practical people and great company. Hoping they don’t expect too much further excitement on their next sail!
Go Team Sveta!
(Sveta, Aoise, Juliana, Elvira, Jenine and Tracey)
The vote was cast with no other nominations and was unanimously passed with a “Yea” from the TSPS members present, in addition to the 26 “Yea” votes and 2 “Nay” votes received by email (50 total “Yea” votes and 2 “Nay” votes).
Rick Pawell invited the newly elected officers to take the Oath of Office which duly followed, then turned over the meeting to the New Commander David Edwards.
Following a virtual “Toast to the New Bridge” the Change of Watch closed at 20.00 hours.
