Ahoy There!

On Sunday (July 29th) Melissa and I woke up early - 7:00am - picked up our pre-packed bags, applied a coat of sunscreen and headed off to our local train station. In Umeda (the northern most tip of Osaka's downtown core) we switched train lines and met up with our property manager; Patrick. Pat, his wife Masatoshi, his friend Nick, Melissa and I were on our way to Nishinomiya to be part of a sailing expedition. We would meet Patrick's friend Hiroshi-san and his friends at the Harbor. The sky was a little overcast, but that early in the morning it is hard to tell what the day will bring. We were optimistic. We arrived at the harbor by taxi, which we had hailed once we left the train station in Nishinomiya (This city is located just east of Kobe and about a 35 minute train ride west of Osaka). At the club we had some time to look around, use the facilities and parouse the marine store. In the atrium of the club, there was a shallow basin filled with water and a small sailing craft tied in the center. As you can see in the photos it is quite sm students the points of sail all. Melissa thinks that maybe it is used to teachand sailing theory. I personally think it is some kind of concept boat on display. Regardless, it looks really cool - self contained, solar powered, compact, mechanically simple, and probably quite easy (and forgiving) to control. I only question the merit of it's safety features if it capsizes (or maybe it is designed to right itself if it does). After a while we went outside on the terrace and soon were met by Hiroshi-san and his two crew members... they were never introduced to us, although we did shake hands before heading down the docs to Hiroshi's boat. He owns a 35ft. sailboat named "Andante". Annually he enjoys a pleasure cruise to a nearby fish market, on which Patrick is a regular guest. We climbed aboard, stowed our bags below (reapplied sun screen), and we were off. Hiroshi took us out of the harbor on engine power and once safely beyond the breakers, he handed me the tiller and asked me to "keep her pointing into the wind". I winked "keep her in irons, aye aye sir" (Thanks mom for the sailing lessons!!). Patrick had been boasting about Melissa's and my sailing experience, and Hiroshi-san was wasting no time putting us to the test. The 2 crew members moved to the bow and began to unfrill the jib while Hiroshi loosened the cleats which held the main sail in place. With the jib fluttering, the crew members moved to help their captain with the main sail and soon we were ready to cruise under wind power. Nick was given the task of killing the engine, and I was instructed to "bear off, and hold a course for that boat in the distance". The outskirts of the marina were littered with large cargo ships. Apparently there were in some sort of holding pattern waiting for their turn to enter the channels into the various Osaka shipping harbors. With me still at the helm, we sailed past them and on to our destination. I suspect it was in our honor, and was instead much to our amusement, that Hiroshi-san had selected a Canadian artist to serenade us on our voyage. We sailed all day to the music of Celene Dion. After a few hours of banter, beautiful weather, a sweet breeze, and a few frosty beers, we arrived at a channel leading in to the port where we would find the fish market. On our approach, Hiroshi took over the helm and I sat back and enjoyed the view. We were not afforded any dock space when we pulled into the little harbor, so Hiroshi, without a second thought, pulled up next to, what looked like a sight seeing ferry boat, and his crew hopped off the bow and lashed us to the rails of the ferry. We all climbed down onto it's deck and found a plank on the opposite side to disembark. We followed the dock up into a tiny market area and were greeted by billowing smoke and the smell of crisping and burning sea food. When we entered the tent we saw rows of tables all outfitted with a small round BBQ in the center, around which were huddled groups of men women and children, grilling the fresh fruits of the sea they had just purchased. On the outside perimeter of the market-tents were vending booths, most selling seafood, but others were also selling beer, fruits and vegetables, and still others selling things like dishes, cooking utensils, and related items. Hiroshi's crew went about ordering food and pints of beer for us all. A women, familiar to Hiroshi-san, came over and spoke with him for a short while, before leaving again. She returned periodically, but never brought food, or drink... It turns out she had kept a large table and space available for him in anticipation of his arrival. She also wanted to know if everything was to his liking. He has apparently been visiting this market for a long time and his patronage is surely appreciated. After our meal, and some drinks and light conversation, we were back to the boat with our bellies full of tasty treats. Patrick was given a crash course on sailing, and he took us halfway home. Celene belted out her favorite Christmas carols, and we sailed at a medium pace... andante. We were told about a man made island that will be built (the moorings already in place and stretch at least a km in two directions at a 90 degree angle). Here, industrial garbage will be sunk in barrels and eventually concrete and stone will be built up. This will serve as a dump site for more garbage in the future but may eventually be filled over and used for something else. We were greeted by patrol boats as we passed the site. They make sure nobody sails inside the perimeter. I took the helm again and we sailed leasurly the rest of the way home. Back at the Harbor, we said our goodbyes and thanked Hiroshi for his generosity and hospitality. He excused himself to "do maintenance on the boat" and did not accompany us to the club house. As our taxi arrived at the front gate, the skies opened up and out came a moderate, even pleasant shower... as if to say "see how nice I am to wait for your cruise to end". We went home on the train, feeling very drained and satisfied with our outing. That was our first sailing experience in Japan. We may go again in August weather permitting. Sounds like fun to me.

Below are the pictures of our crew:

-Our Captain - Hiroshi-san (at the top of the page)
-Patrick
-Masatoshi
-Nick
-First mate
-Second mate
-Guest Skipper and cabin girl: Mike and Melissa