Goodbye Niigata

Moving again after two days waiting for very strong south-westerly headwinds to ease.

I sailed out of Itiogawa port and the wind promptly died to nothing. Rather than wait for wind in the confused chop, I switched to paddle mode to claw my way beyond the Himekawa River estuary: the boundary between turquoise river water and the deep blue seawater a sweeping curve. Later, a tailwind arrived and stayed with me until a sunset landing at Ecchu-Miyazaki port. That is Niigata-ken (prefecture) cleared, and the first landing in Toyama-ken. 

This morning (now), waiting for wind before setting sail. People on the shoreline beach-combing for jade (famous on this coast). Shorebreak tumbling the pebbles. An Osprey has just flapped passed overhead, working hard, fish breakfast in talons. Time to suit up and put my shift in.