January's False Start

Dear Subscriber

I enjoy sharing my journey, but regret encouraging people to spend more of their time on social media platforms. For this reason, I have tweaked the Windsurf Round Japan website so that it can now send updates straight to your email inbox. Subscribers to this newsletter can stay informed while keeping clear of the algorithms.

With less social media attentional hijacking, there's more time for the stuff that really matters, like having a cup of tea with the neighbours, going sailing, reading a book, gardening, phoning a friend you haven't spoken with for a long time... The list of "better things to do than be on social media" is long...

I started this mailing list during the Windsurf Round Britain journey, and collected a few more subscribers when I went round Europe, but in all these years I have only managed to send the odd email. Expect a few more from now on, and please forward to your friends who might also want to subscribe.

Welcome to the (2025 version) "first edition".

- All the best, Jono

Here's the recent log entry...

January's False Start

Submitted by jono on 04 Feb 2025.

The exploratory mission in January allowed for 3 days of sailing. Days 1 had very light and unreliable wind. Day 2 a meagre headwind. Day 3 there was more breeze and a few good miles early, but then a thunderstorm with heavy headwinds and a building sea. My hands were too wet and cold to operate the phone (in it's wet case), which meant I had to pull-in when I reached a decent size port in order to make some navigational checks... and there I stayed because to continue was most uninviting. Day 4 maybe had potential, but the wind was slow to arrive so we binned it and went to cook eggs at a hot spring instead.

50 kilometres for 3 days sailing is barely worth it in terms of distance won, but it was nice to get back on the water and a good test run for next time. Nights were spent in the tent, and were wet. It certainly isn't weather for sleeping under the sail just yet.

As previously noted, we saw many dolphins, and there were lots of little birds at sea that were shy of having their pictures taken. Easier subjects below:

 

 

No shortage of snow, but at sea level it had mostly thawed. This picture from further north (near Oma, Aomori) First sail of 2025 The sun came out briefly (an exception to the rule of it being wet, cold and overcast) The water is beatifully clear... Though the beaches are not always spotless Paddling out in search of breeze. In winter, gentle winds out at sea are unable to displace the cold air of the land Day 3 started more promisingly I sailed past these steaming stacks during the thunderstorm. Later we went back for an onsen where I took the picture And the next day we boiled eggs for breakfast in the hot spring water The ducks took shelter, and we headed back towards Tokyo