KYUSHU -> SHIKOKU Crossing

The Kyushu mainland was shrouded in fog when I emerged from my tent this morning, but the islands and my peninsula - pushing out into the Bungo Strait - were enjoying a sunrise with broken cloud and good visibility. This enabled an early getaway and I was sailing by 6 AM. The mountains of Kyushu had now faded from the horizon but would soon reappear.

Tide and wind were both flowing north. This kept the water flat as I crossed what had been a ferocious tidal race two days earlier. The wind was also an ideal force 4. An easy start to the crossing. For a while I planed in the footstraps, but a course check showed that I was going further north than ideal. I could still do a good speed with the daggerboard down, so changed to close-hauled sailing and pointed around 105º.

The going was uneventful until the shipping lanes, which were quite busy. The wind also went light at this point. It isn't fun doing only 2 or 3 knots when dodging ships, but thankfully the lull was short-lived. I sailed high and slow to keep my distance from two vessels, and when the traffic had passed, had a better angle to cross the lanes. I could now see the islands and outcrops of Shikoku, so could navigate by sight rather than bearing.

A solid breeze then got me across the strait, but these inhospitable peninsulas are good only for shipwrecks, and my target was another 10 miles "inland". I passed too close - within a mile - of a peninsula where the air was almost still; then limped away from it and back into wind. Mid strait there had been head-high waves; closer to land the waves were smaller but the rebound is so messy, and the wind so unreliable.

A few quick miles planing in the straps helped me reach more protected water. I passed between some fish farms; then cruised in past some baby hammerhead sharks that were darting about in pursuit of their prey.

Total distance 32 nm (≈59 km), which I think makes this the longest crossing of the journey. A shorter crossing had been available, but by keeping south I also jumped two or three peninsulas on Shikoku that would have been tough to get round when coastal sailing.

Well pleased with my effort, as the picture shows!

(The afternoon had strong wind, as forecast, which is why I sailed as early as possible today. It would have got very wild out there in the middle.)