Log

Before I sail today, a quick few paragraphs about Cape Erimo and Erimomisaki (Erimo village?). I am taking Hokkaido as a polygon to be tackled a face at a time. For a while, progress on the face leading to Cape Erimo seemed slow going, but then I conceptualised the task in mountaineering terms. Each day sailed I nudged forward to a basecamp at increased altitude. A day with relatively favourable winds but a most uncomfortable swell contributed a 34 nm run, which got me in range (if not in sight, because visibility has been poor) of the pinnacle.

Yesterday, I made a 30 km crossing of an indent of Hokkaido I now know is called Uchiura Bay. Shortcuts are a mixed blessing: they are an economical way to bring the goal of a circumnavigation nearer, but they bypass the reason for the journey, which is the journey itself and all that might be experienced. Of course, this is just life. Our every action, every whim we cater for, has an opportunity cost.

Here is an effort to share some recent pictures. Finding the time and place to curate and comment isn't always simple. But I grabbed a charge at the convenience store (until chased off by a grumpy employee, which sometimes happens) and began writing this at the fishing cooperative building. The fishing community I find to be very accepting and increasingly nice! Perhaps that is because I have now settled in, and there is an expression of that in how I carry myself and communicate. Also, the journey is now sufficiently notable that I am a source of curiosity/interest/humour!

Using the outline of the coast as my guide (and with disregard for the actual prefecture names and boundaries) another section is complete! For me this last chunk has been the "Norway section". It is heavily inletted and deliciously wild.

An update to the blog is well overdue, so here goes with an attempt to fill in the bigger gaps in a rough and ready way!

A lot to report on in the last few days. It was only a week ago that I arrived in Japan and dragged a 3.8-metre-long windsurf board through Tokyo Narita customs. Getting the board to Japan had been a problem to arrange, but on the day it had gone like clockwork. Carriage of the board was a special favour. Consequently, at her request, both the friend who arranged the heist and the airline she works for will remain anonymous. Nonetheless, a thousand thanks are due.

One week before I go to Japan, and the first time out for my Loftsails Switchblade HD 8.5m (collected from Unifiber a few days ago).

Good vibes from the expedition sail. Nice depth and pull in the light breeze, though clearly hungry for proper wind! I think we'll get along well!

Thanks to Kevin Jay for the drone piloting.

This winter I have been busy in the workshop* sanding, cutting, gluing, and screwing! My raw materials were the board, a huge block of EVA foam and a sheet of extruded carbon fibre. The result, I am hopeful, is a capable expedition board that retains the performance and agreeable ergonomics of the original design.

It is often said that it is an achievement in and of itself simply getting to the start line of an expedition. First there is an idea without commitment. That can be played around with. On the off-chance that something might happen there might be some "preparation". I purchased a suitable sleeping bag ("new with tags", a bargain!) and snapped up a bivvy-bag to too. That's right, focus on the easy stuff first!