Coastguard hello and paddle solo voyage!

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.

Rather than fret about missing out, I focus on making progress by whatever route makes most sense. The elements then become the curators of the experience. If the winds are fair to cross, then I cross; and if they advise a longer route (or a few days waiting) then I'm fine with that too.

On this occasion, some of Hokkaido's coastline will go unseen.

So instead of sailing into Uchiura Bay I read about it. It has a short and interesting Wikipedia entry. Apparently, it also goes by the name of Volcano Bay, and it marks a junction between the colder seas of northern Hokkaido and the warmer waters of the rest of Japan, and the Ainu people believed is was home to a Kraken-like giant octopus creature.

During the crossing I saw plenty of sea life including many tuna, hundreds of dolphins (charging about, not interested in me) and two hammerhead sharks (I fought them off).

There was a pleasant breeze for the crossing, but that died away for the final miles past Cape Chikiu. I got too close, which gave a nice view, but meant I took a long time to pass the headland. I eventually paddled the final miles, but by then a concerned member of the public - sightseeing at the Cape - had already called the coastguard.

The 3-strong coastguard team greeted me at the very pretty port I paddled to. I was tired and with a headache, and my routine was thrown by the welcoming party. I assured them that all was well and when they left I tidied my things and went off to raid the nearest "konbini" (convenience store). Normally, I reach land under wind power and the paddle is stowed on the board. But this time I had paddled in, and in my discombobulation I had left the paddle on the ramp, and the tide was coming in...

Fast-forward to bedtime and I have arrived back at the board. It is dark, and in reflections in the water I see the tide is up high, and immediately I know my error. I know that the paddle has gently sailed with the breeze, that now blows offshore towards the mouth of the port. Problem. Possibly, big problem.

It is not the coastguard's fault. It is my routine that needs a tweak. But that is a concern for later. I grab my headtorch and scour the ramp; then scour from the dock. I borrow a wooden steering oar from a fishing boat and go paddling to search on the water. An hour later I have looped round the inner harbour twice, and also checked the outer harbour where it is pitch black, windier, and undulating with the spooky movement of the ocean swells. No paddle. I return to the ramp to consider options. I lob a stick into the water to see where it heads to. No paddle is a problem. The paddle is my way of getting back to shore when the wind fails. Which it does on an almost daily basis! Could the paddle find its way to the beach outside the port? Not likely with this night-time land breeze. This isn't just *any* paddle: the nose deflector has paddle storage and is designed around *this particular* paddle. Losing the paddle is a problem. I spot something in the water. Visually, it isn't suggestive of a paddle, but it is floating freely. I launch again to investigate. It is the stick I threw in earlier. It is heading towards a fishing boat in the far corner of the port. I have already checked there but decide to go again and get up closer this time. All around is black apart from where the headtorch pierces the water to illuminate the fish below. The sea rises and falls and hisses as it passes through the semi-permeable port wall. I duck under the mooring lines that feed into the ship's bow. There is a narrowing strip of water between ship and dock where I can see that weed has collected. There is also what appears to be a short stick, covered in weed. I get closer and realise that my sense of scale is off. It is a paddle. My paddle!

Perhaps a butterfly flapped its wings on the other side of the world (maybe in Clacton!) and a gust of wind - that otherwise would have sent the paddle on an open water voyage - instead guided it here. Another bit of luck. I'm riding luck well, so far!

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uchiura_Bay
• The shark fighting comment was a joke. A journeying windsurfer has nothing to fear from these graceful and much-maligned creatures.