Bitten, Burned and Bleary-Eyed

We are overdue a catch-up. Here goes...

As with my previous windsurf journeys, the Japan Journey website features a Contact Network where people can offer to support me when I reach them. Around Britain and Europe, there were many subscribers to the Contact Networks and I relied heavily on their support. The Japan Journey Contact Network - by way of contrast - has only attracted a few generous-hearted subscribers. The previous of these in a geographical sense was Rob, who is in Hokkaido!

My next contact, John, lives on Shikoku (and is the brother of my dear friend Brendan, from Donegal). John and I had exchanged messages a week ago, but my landing at Sukomo town was well south of his location at Iwajima. Despite this, he got in touch and drove over to rescue me from the scorching heat. John is well integrated in Japan and the community, and a fine linguist, so for me his insights and conversation were fascinating. He has also lived in Spain, and could offer Japanese or Spanish cuisine. We ate steak with "pimientos de padrón" and new potatoes, and every mouthful was sublime. A shower and a clothes wash were equally welcome and overdue.

The following morning I got a bus back to Sukomo. It was still roasting hot and windless but I was recovered enough to paddle 10 miles out to the end of the peninsula for a camp at the picturesque-on-paper Kashiwajima. In fact, the mosquitoes were really bad, and the fishing community were burning piles of noxious-smelling plastic, so it was a place I ended up happy to escape from the next morning.

Beyond Kashiwajima, I hooked into the Kuroshio Current for a 10 mile free ride. At most places the Kuroshio winds a twisty course well offshore, but here - about a kilometre from land - I was being carried along at nearly 3 knots. At the next headland the current shot seaward and I was back to paddle-sailing (sometimes paddling, sometimes sailing) to complete the day. A good total haul of about 30 nm got me to Shimonokae. This has a beautiful sandy beach, delightful camping, clean toilets with free showers, and a nearby konbini, with flowers in the toilets, and - it seems - a policy of employing people with disabilities. Everything about it suggests that it is a caring community. I slept well and happily there.

From Shimonokae I made slow zigzags to the next point, then paddled over a glassy sea, enjoying the views of corals and fish, and stalking the turtles who always made their exit before I could get close. Where the rocky and vertical coastline gave way to beaches, a slight onshore wind established itself and I could sail to Kuroshio: a long sandy surfing beach, though flat today. Yumiko had arrived slightly before me. She has finished her stint working at a "Ryokan" (guest house) and is back in support mode. This is her first time in Shikoku. I am happy that through supporting me she is exploring more of Japan.

Yumiko carries with her some spares: including a replacement sail which is ready in case needed; and a long john wetsuit, which enables my original (broken, now cut-down) drysuit to be retired. It will be too hot for the long-john most of the time, but it is a far more useful bit of safety gear than half a drysuit. There is also a burner to replace my Jetboil, which is so well-used that it now fails to make a seal, and it recently had a spectacular fire, which did seal its retirement.

The grey, humid and overcast conditions of rainy season are back. Next morning I sail a few hours to make 3 miles against the wind, then float about off a headland for a while, waiting for wind that is forecast but arrives so late as to be useless. By then I have paddled with the waves to Kashimagaura Bay. Despite the meagre distance achieved it is a useful hop to nearer the flow of wind that might come tomorrow. There are also good facilities, and turtles grazing on the rocks of the harbour wall (see picture). Yumiko cooked for us and I ate twice as much and twice as well as usual.

Yesterday, the wind blew vaguely parallel to the shore (where there was no wind) but was close enough inshore to enable me to hook into it and leap-frog a few peninsulas for a total of 35 nm, in about 7 hours, to reach Kochi City. I was happy with that, though very tired at the end. The heat and the biting insects are making sleep difficult, and after a long standing session my burnt and bitten legs had become swollen and uncomfortable. Hopefully this is just an adaption issue to summer conditions: more sunblock and some DEET repellent should help.

Today promised very little, and it made more sense to rest than struggle on paddling against a light headwind. Tomorrow will probably be windless too, but I don't like three nights in the same place so will likely opt to go afloat, to advance the cause by a port or two and keep the momentum going, but without over-working my fingers. My attitude now is focussed on getting the job done. Sometimes, simply being afloat pays dividends, so it is important to get out there and be ready for the half-chances. Wednesday has the suggestion of a headwind to sail by. 36 nm to the next corner. ¡Vamos!