FUEL Ready to GO!

May 26. I headed out to Osaka by Shinkansen. Once I arrived in Osaka, I headed straight for Hokko Yacht Harbor. A team of volunteers from Kaientai went on their first round of shopping and the food was all piled up in the boathouse. I touched each item and confirmed each one. We will take everything out of the boxes and put them in ziplock bags to save space. Even the cup for the cup noodles take up space so the contents will be put into plastic bags. Some of you may think, then why don't we just take the instant noodles that come in bags? Well, with those types of noodles we would first have to boil water, then put the noodles in and let it boil for another 3 minutes or so for it to be ready to eat which means we would be using up a lot of propane. With the ones that come in cups, we only have to use enough propane for the water to boil then we can turn it off. It may seem like only 3 minutes but do it often enough and that's a lot of propane. The volunteers will go for their 2nd round for shopping at the end of next week and once it's June, we will start loading the yacht. When I arrived at the Aeolus, there were eighteen 20 liter plastic tanks and eight 18 liter plastic tanks tied together. A total of 504 liters. The Aeolus holds 110 liters so that totals to 614 liters of fuel on board the Aeolus. I don't think there has been any other yacht the size of Aeolus taking this much fuel with them to cross the Pacific. We need it all to keep the satellite machines for our live broadcasts and the 24 hour camera for the documentary running. At 3 pm, we borrowed an area at the harbor and had a BBQ. We had delicious meats and draft beer made by a member of Kaientai and had a great time. I planned this BBQ in an attempt to express my gratitude to all the volunteers from Kaientai who have worked so hard to help me but since I was on the road this morning, I ended up having to ask the volunteers to help get everything ready. Thank you once again. I know that for the next 2 weeks until we set sail, we will need the help of the volunteers from Kaientai, probably more than I realize.  

Originally posted by Hiro in Japanese on 5/28/2013
Translated by SWIS Project 

WHAT I CAN DO and What I Can't

May 28. This morning, we turned on the VSAT and INMARSAT systems on and were on standby for a live broadcast testing from 10:30 this morning. The INMARSAT phone rang so I picked it up. It was Shinbo-san saying; "Hello? Shinbo here!" The phone works fine. Now we are ready for interviews over the phone. Next, we tested to see if we can send video and audio over the VSAT. We were able to send video but not audio. They said that it could be due to unstable transmission speeds. Once it reached 200kbps, we were able to send audio as well.  I hope we will be able to reach triple digit transmission speed when we are out there on the Pacific. After having cup noodles for lunch on the yacht, Shinbo-san got busy listening to Hiki-san explain alternative methods of communication in case we have trouble with satellite communication. The amount of information was tremendous and I was amazed with Shinbo-san's ability to absorbe all that information. And the fact that Hiki-san thoroughly understands all of it to the point he can teach someone is incredible. Anything related to the engine or anything electrical, I have no choice but to have Shinbo-san handle it. I felt bad as I listened to them talk. I reminded myself over and over again that my responsibility is to do what I can to the best of my abilities. The code that I live by is to not dwell on things I can't do and focus on what I can do and give it my all. After Shinbo-san left, around 3 pm, we wanted to test the new SailSound and tried to connect it to the on board LAN but we were having trouble. We fumbled around for a while trying to figure out what was wrong and when we turned on the VSAT we finally got connection. With the new version of SailSound, you can set how many times you want it to read out the information on the menu using a function already available in the iPad or iPhone. I always think it's great when I am enabled to start doing things I couldn't do before on my own.  We returned to the boathouse around 4 pm and discussed the food items to load onto the yacht with the leader of the shopping team Mackie until a little after 7 pm. Thank you all for your help again today. I will be heading out for a live broadcast of 'Koji Tele Chu!' tomorrow at Fukushima Chuo TV. If you live in Fukushima, I hope you watch it!

Message from Headquarters:
A VSAT system will be on board the Aeolus for live broadcast and uploading blogs from the PC for this voyage. This will be our primary communication system (There is a huge dome antenna on the stern. In case we run into problems with the VSAT, we have the INMARSAT phone as an audio backup during live broadcasts. This will be our secondary communication system. And we will have an iridium phone that will constantly be connected to the two of them. This is our third and last communication system. 

The systems are all there to support one another and thanks to the technology provided by Furuno Electrics and others that allows us to use all this technology without a hitch, our safety is ensured. We will be commencing the final countdown soon. Thank you for all your support until now and hope you will stay with us on our journey. 

To all of our supporters out there, we promise to upload videos and blogs every moment we can. We hope you look forward it. And of course, our broadcasts can be enjoyed in Hi-Vision.  Stay tuned to watch cutting edge technologies being used for the first time in the world!

P.S. It will be Shinbo-san that will actually operate them and believe me, it's not as complicated as you may imagine but in no way is it easy. Good luck Shinbo-san! LOL

Originally posted by Hiro in Japanese on 5/28/2013
Translated by SWIS Project 

IFDS Blind Sailing World & International Championships 2013

May 25. I visited Aburatsubo Boat Service in Miura City, Kanagawa Prefecture. It was very quiet around me so I heard the sound of craftsmen doing maintenance work inside the yacht that was raised from the water. There was a 38 ft yacht, that made me think it looked like it could be Aeolus's big sister   docked near the floating bridge. Last September, before Aeolus was moved to Osaka, we had some major work done on her here. That evening, I was invited to the opening ceremony for the IFDS Blind Sailing World & International Championships 2013 that was being held at the Seabornia Marina. I had a great time with some old sailing buddies. Competing blind sailing teams consist of four sailors on a boat, two of whom are blind according to IBSA classifications and two of whom are sighted to serve as guides.  The helmsman and crew (in charge of the main sail) are blind sailors. One of the sighted sailor can not physically touch any of the controls and must verbally inform the helmsman the location and the heading of the vessels around them. The blind sailors listen to the information and maneuver the yacht to avoid crashing into other vessels.  The other sighted sailor is in charge of the jib. Teamwork is vital to these four sailors. They must work together to steer the yacht to find a spot at the start line and avoid collisions when the multiple vessels sail close together when they go around the mark. Talk about an adrenalin rush. Non-stop, heart pounding, breathtaking sailing. I just remembered people talking about how funny the start of a yacht race is. It's quite different from a car race or a 100 m running race because the yachts don't suddenly start racing in the water as soon as you hear "GO!".  The race starts with the yachts sailing parallel to the start line about 5 minutes prior to when the race actually begins and as soon as you hear the sound of the pistol go off the yachts cross the start line as fast as they can. If you pick up speed because the wind got stronger or if the tide pushes you forward and you accidentally cross the start line before the race starts, you have to return to the start line and start all over. So one moment you may think you are first in line at the the start line and the next you are last. Yacht races can be very dramatic. Back in 2006, I was part of a Japanese team for the blind sailing championships that was held at the New York Yacht Club in Newport, Rhode Island. 3 team members from that championship were in the race today. A sailor I became friends with at the U.S. championships that I participate in every year was there too. More power to you all and I hope that everything you learned during practice will yield fantastic results. At the opening ceremony, I was introduced to Mr. Kojiro Shiraishi, a marine adventurer who has sailed around the globe 3 times and I was able to talk to him about my upcoming adventure. I also talked about Furuno Electric's NavNet Touch and how when connected to the iPad Mini, SailSound can convert the information to sound. Many of the blind expressed interest. I assume it's because there is no other system in the world that can convert this much information into sound. I am so proud and extremely grateful that I have been given the opportunity to use this system that was developed for me to cross the Pacific Ocean.      

Originally posted by Hiro in Japanese on 5/27/2013
Translated by SWIS Project 

APOLOGY and CORRECTION

                                

I'm sorry. Let me correct my mistake. In my blog in Japanese, I wrote the wrong character for the name of the legendary yachtsman, Kenichi Horie. I wrote '堀江健一’ when is should have been '堀江謙一’. I also made the same mistake on another piece I wrote. I deeply apologize for my error. 

I have a friend from my school days named Ken Horie and I have gotten so used to using his character for 'Ken' that I chose this character out of habit. I also have friends who have names that sound like sentences in Japanese that would translate into English as 'I'm climbing a stone wall' or 'A puddle of water'. OK, completely off course here.

The weather in Osaka is beautiful today. Why we are missing out on practicing in this beautiful whether is my question but we have our reasons for taking this day off. I also have to do a recording for our weather song on my Kansai local show 'Ce Matin' tomorrow so I have to practice playing the drums. I have been practicing since 8 am this morning and my right leg that I use for the bass drum is starting to cramp. The music score they handed to me me only a week ago is clearly something too demanding for an amateur to play so I'm about ready to give up. 

Two more weeks until we set sail for San Diego. I have a feeling there are more important things I should be doing right now...oh, well.

Originally posted by Jiro Shibo in Japanese on 5/26/2013
Translated by SWIS Project 

The GIFT Part 4

                                     

Last week, the architect Tadao Ando invited me to dinner. I had an opportunity to have a meal with the legendary sailor Kenichi Horie-san, who has been friends with Ando-san for half a century. He said to me; "Shinbo-san, the cup of coffee you have on board is a magical cure to clear your mind and soul for an instant." and handed by some instant coffee from Starbuck's. when I told Hira-san this story, Hiro-san said; "I was contemplating whether to get those or not." So we were very grateful for the gift. Thank you very much. 

On this note, I decided to read 'Alone on the Pacific' authored by Kenichi Horie again. As I read it over, I realized what an intense voyage it was. This book contained a list of the items he had on board and for example, the list of clothes was like this;  

Clothing

 (Pants) 5 pairs. All jeans.

 (Long Johns) 80 pairs. So he can just discard after each use.

 (Belts) 3. 2 extras in case 1 falls into the water. 

Etc., etc...there were at least 20 different items on the list. You'd think a belt would be one of the last things on his mind but it shows how much thought he put into creating his list. Unfortunately, all these items he stocked were drenched in seawater only a week after he set sail when the bottom of the boat filled with water. 

Even more surprising than that was the fact he calculated 0.5 liters of purified water a day so he only had a total of 68 liters of water on board. Back then, they didn't have bottled water so he poured tepid water into plastic bags and again within a week the bags were torn, the water spilled out and whatever he managed to save ended up getting moldy so he survived the rest of the trip with rainwater and beer. His story sounds more like stories of someone being stranded after a shipwreck. 

Compared to Horie-san's voyage, we are blessed. We plan to have 90 days supply of water where we should be able to use 2 liters per person a day. We also have man's greatest invention the plastic bottle on our side so we won't have to worry about the water going bad so as long as we make it to San Diego within the scheduled 2 months, and we may even have enough to wash our hair with shampoo right before we enter the port. 

 Horie-san said something very impressionable.

 "Crossing the Pacific is a feat that every man should accomplish at least once in their lifetime."

 You know, I get what he's saying but...

Originally posted by Jiro Shibo in Japanese on 5/24/2013
Translated by SWIS Project 

Shinbo-san is IRREPLACEABLE

May 22. Today I was interviewed by Braille Mainichi, a Braille weekly for the blind by Mainichi Newspaper. The interview who got on board with us was very sensitive to motion so although the winds and waves were gentle the interviewer got sick and we had to cut the interview short in the middle of sailing. I feel so bad for them. I imagine they can't say no to an assignment just because they get motion sickness. We had another guest on board. It was Wakihama-san, a female announcer from Yomiuri TV who is know by a select few as the person who Shinbo-san would pass the baton to should Shinbo-san not be able to make the voyage. Apparently, there was even a newspaper article with comments from Shinbo-san and her picture in it. Her hobby is scuba diving and just the other day, she went diving to celebrate using her 900th oxygen tank so her passion for scuba diving is admirable. Currently, she is also passionate about sailing dinghies and she sails at public yacht harbors. I hope everyone out there can find a public marina so that they can try sailing. I want to get rid of the biased opinion in Japan that sailing is an indulgence for the rich.

Originally posted by Hiro in Japanese on 5/23/2013
Translated by SWIS Project 

Ahoy! Female Announcer CLIMBS THE MAST!

May 20th. We had another interview with Ce Matin today. Danette Davis from Blind Sailing International (BSI) joined us on the Aeolus from the U.S. The plan for this episode was to have the female weather forecaster Saito-san climb up to the tip of the mast before we head out and have another female announcer Yoshida-san cook while we sail. As Saito-san climbed up the mast with her safety harness on, I could hear her yelling "I'm scared! I'm scared!" The mast on the Aeolus has a little stairway so it's easier to climb than most masts but I imagine it must have been very scary for her. She was up halfway when I heard her scream "NOOO! I can't do this! Don't make this do this!" We all yelled back up at her "Yukino-chan! You can do it! Don't give up!" and urged her to go on. She screamed all the way up and screamed all the way down but she did it. Apparently she's not afraid of heights but she said climbing up to the top of the mast was a completely different experience from standing on the roof of a tall building. We headed out of the port to do some sailing. The weather was lovely and the wind was very pleasant. The perfect day for sailing. As soon as we raised the sail, stopped the engine and started sailing, Saito-san started feeling a little seasick. What a horrible day it must have been for her. First, they make her climb up the mast and then she gets seasick. Yoshida-san went into the cabin and to cook and something smelled delicious. Yum...and it tasted as good as it smelled. Do you want to know what she made for us? Then watch Ce Matin on May 29th around 5:50 am. As for the people who live outside the Kansai broadcasting area, I will blog what it was on the 29th. Stay tuned!

Originally posted by Hiro in Japanese on 5/21/2013
Translated by SWIS Project  

A Visit to FURUNO ELECTRIC CO. LTD.

May 20th. We paid a courtesy visit to Furuno Electric Co. Ltd. this morning. Furuno Electric Co. Ltd. is one of the official sponsors for this blind sailing project. We have something similar to a car navigation system aboard the Aeolus called the NavNet Touch. Instead of road maps it displays nautical charts on the screen. It also displays important information such as the heading direction, speed, wind direction and wind speed at all times. We connect this to an iPad Mini via internal LAN which lets it read the information out to me. The application used on the iPad is called Sail Sound which was developed by a team at Osaka Electro-Communication University. NavNet Touch has other many other functions too. The most important function of them all is the radar information. As long as we have this, even when we can't physically see what's ahead for example due to thick fog or something, we can see the obstacles in the water like a ship or buoy on the radar which will allow us to avoid collisions. Shinbo-san said that he had a scary experience when he was sailing on his yacht which wasn't equipped with a radar where suddenly he wasn't able to see anything ahead and had to cautiously steer his yacht back to port. He said that experience made him fully realize the importance of a radar. This radar has an alarm built in and we can set the distance of how far the obstacle should be when the alarm goes off.  I plan to set it for 5 miles when it's my watch. Inside the Osaka Bay, there are so many tankers, cargo vessels and fishing boats that the alarm will probably be sounding non-stop so it won't help me but once we're out in the open Pacific, we may or may not see one vessel a day. Once the alarm goes off, we will use the international VHF radio to inform them which way the Aeolus is heading and we should be able to avoid a collision. If we don't get a response from them, then I will need Shinbo-san to watch the screen. I hope one of these days, the radar will also come with audio capabilities. I think this would be an important function not only for the blind but for people who can see as well. 6 executive directors including one of the founders of the company came to meet us. The founder, Furuno-san is from Kuchinose, Nagasaki told me he had been to my hometown of Uchibukashi quite often to sell fish finders which made me very happy and gave me an extra boost of energy. I promise to utilize the NavNet Touch to it's fullest potential for a safe voyage across the Pacific.

Originally posted by Hiro in Japanese on 5/20/2013
Translated by SWIS Project  

Aeolus FRESHENED UP!

May 19th. We reached Itami Airport from Fukushima at aroun 10:20 am, got into a taxi and headed straight for Hokko Yacht Harbor. When we got to Hokko, we found the members of Kaientai busily working on the Aeolus. I walked up to the Aeolus and found the bottom of the Aeolus repainted and there was a Blind Sailing logo on the starboard side of the bow. As I touched the logo, I felt my excitement for this challenge grow bigger inside me. Thanks to the members who came all the way down from Tokyo and Shizuoka and the members who took a day off from work on a Friday to work on the Aeolus, the maintence work was completed. After she got her make-up retouched, I think she looks at least 5 years younger. I was onboard the Aeolus when they put her back into the water after they completed all the maintenance work. I climbed up the ladder and boarded the Aeolus that was by the slope. I held on tightly to the side stays (the wire that supports the mast from the side) and waited. I could feel the Aeolus being carefully lowered into the water. I could feel the vibration from the berth then the next moment the Aeolus was afloat on the water. We tied the mooring ropes at our usual place by the floating pier. After that, they worked until after 6 pm to make the shelves for me to put my PC and iPad. They are doing everything they can to make my journey across the Pacific as effortless as possible. At the boathouse, they discussed which foods should be loaded into the bottom of the boat and how much food should be loaded. It was a day I truly felt how much progress our preparation efforts have made. To the members of Kaientai; Thank you very much.

Originally posted by Hiro in Japanese on 5/20/2013
Translated by SWIS Project  

How TOUCHING the Dinghies Destroyed by the Tsunami Made Me Feel.

May 18th. This morning, I met the people of Iwaki Kaisei High School yacht club and Iwaki Junior Yacht School. First of all, Saito-san, the teacher who is also the adviser for Kaisei High School gave me the opportunity to touch the dinghies (1 to 2 man yacht)  and boathouse that was destroyed by the tsunami. When I was still in San Diego, Saito-san sent pictures of the damages caused by the tsunami and I had someone describe the pictures to me so I thought I had a good idea of what the damage was like but when I actually touched the damages, I realized that it was far worse than I had imagined. There were yachts with 15 cm holes in the front and sides, there were yachts that were so damaged they no longer looked like yachts...I was really shocked. Many old member of the yacht club came and told me stories of what it was like at the time of the disaster. They had to start from removing sand that was piled up 30 cm high inside the boathouse, then they had to build a simple wall and then they start repairing the dighies. It took them over a year to finally be able to practice sailing again. But no matter how dire the situation, no one stopped coming because they couldn't sail anymore and they all continued to work to rebuild/restore everything. Their efforts paid off and now they are able to practice in the waters of Onahama again. For a while after the tsunami, the radiation level was too high so they had to go to Innawashiro Lake which is about an hour away to practice. Saito-san quietly expressed how grateful he is that they are now able to practice in the waters of Onahama as he remembered how horrible things were back then.  The Iwaki Sun Marina, where they used to practice has still not been repaired and is not scheduled to be repaired any time soon. They told me that they have been using a slope that is in the area where abalone fishing boats are anchored to bring the dinghies in and out of the water. Ohira-san who is a representative of the junior yacht school also told me stories about what it was like 2 years ago. Unfortunately, there was a sports festival at the local elementary school so not many people were there but I was able to talk to a junior high school student. He spoke passionately about how he wants to be in the National Athletic Meet and the Olympics in the future. It is very lucky to be able to start sailing from elementary school. I hope that there will be more junior yacht schools and that it would become more common for kids to sail at an early age. I am leading a drive on behalf of See What I Sea (SWIS www.seewhatisea.com) an organization of volunteers that is backing me up from San Diego to collect money to donate 420 dinghies. We plan to present them with a list of our donations when we leave Onahama Bay in Fukushima to head for San Diego. This is a plan I thought up when I first heard of the March 11th tsunami when I was in San Diego. I wanted the children who have come to fear the ocean because of the tsunami to remember how wonderful the ocean is throught sailing and I wanted to find a way to help them do that. We've received many donations from many people and we have been able to reach our goal to get 420 dinghies. I thank all of you who have donated for your generosity. I can't wait to see the kids sailing on the 420 dinghies. The junior yacht school members made me (Tonjiru-pork miso soup) and onigiri (rice balls) which were very tasty. It was important to me to reconfirm how much the students at Iwaki Kaisei High School and the junior yacht school are looking forward to the SWIS dinghy donations. Today was another wonderful day. Tomorrow I will return to Osaka.

Originally posted by Hiro in Japanese on 5/19/2013
Translated by SWIS Project  

A THOUGHT-PROVOKING Experience in Minami Soma City

May 17th. Today I left my apartment at 6 am with the director, Mr. Izaki to go to Fukushima. We reached Fukushima Airport at 9 am and met up with the camera and audio crew and headed for Kashima-ku in Minami Soma City, one of the worst tsunami stricken area on March 11, 2 years ago. My objective for this trip was to learn more about the damage caused by the tsunami and to listen to the stories of the people who have lost family members so I can really understand what everyone is going through. 2 hours after we landed in Fukushima Airport, we reached Minami Soma City. On our way there in Iidatemura we say about 20 people using scoops collecting dirt for decontamination. Perhaps it was a temporary place to keep the dirt but I saw a tall mound covered with a vinyl sheet in front of the town hall. Once we passed a certain street there were very few buildings in sight. The road seemed to mark the line between heaven and hell. The closer we get to the ocean the more you will see the destructive force of the tsunami. I got out of the car and touched warped guard rails, crumbling breakwaters and foundations of destroyed houses and thought deeply of victims of the disaster that occurred on March 11th. Where rows of houses once stood, there are nothing but weeds now. But even admist the tragic scenery, you can hear the birds chirping loudly and beautifully. Among the weeds you can see the dandelions blooming. Hearing the birds chirp and seeing the dandelions bloom in this devastating backdrop was very thought-provoking. Afterwards we went over to the temporary housing area to talk to M-san and O-san about the tsunami and how they are feeling now. I was moved, especially talking to M-san who has a daughter who is about the same age as my daughter. M-san lost her husband to the tsunami and is a mother of 3 girls, an 11 year old, 8 year old and a 4 year old. They haven't found her husbands's remains so she still does not want to believe or even think of him being gone. It was the same for O-san as well but after the tsunami, for about 3 months, they did not even realize how saddened they were. I felt their pain when they talked about the guilt they feel for not having been able to save their loved ones. When M-san's 4 year old daughter tries to talk about her father, her 2 older daughters change the subject so that M-san will not be sad. When I heard that, I had to choke back my tears. When we reached the international dateline in the Pacific, we plan to float letters written on biodegradable paper to the deceased victims of the tsunami in the water. O-san and M-san and their children all wrote letters. As I float the letters onto the water, my thoughts will be with them and I pray for their heavy burdens to be lifted. When we were done with the interviews, we were 2 hours behind schedule when we left Minami Soma at 8:30 pm. We had dinner on the way and checked into a hotel in Onahama at 11:30 pm. It was a very long day but it was meaningful one which made me feel grateful for the fact that I am alive. Thank you to all the peopel that helped me out today. I look forward to meeting the people from Iwaki Kaisei High School yacht club tomorrow.

Originally posted by Hiro in Japanese on 5/18/2013
Translated by SWIS Project  

TROUBLE with My Ear

May 14th. This morning as I was taking a shower I noticed there was something wrong with my left ear...I had difficulty hearing. At first I thought I got water in my ear so I tilted my head and tapped on my head to try to get the water out but the tapping sound just echoed inside my head. I cleaned my ear but still no change. I realized I've experience this before. If this was the first time this happened, I would have panicked for certain because being able to hear is very important for the blind. My ear canal curves deep inside my ear so it's difficult to clean out. I have to go to an ear, nose and throat doctor to get my ear cleaned so I decided to go to the ear, nose and throat after practice.
When I got to Hokko Yacht Harbor the weather was beautiful the wind was really nice. It reminded me of the weather in San Diego. Today, we had a reporter and cameraman from Yomiuri newspaper who does articles for a section in the paper called Pop Style on board with us. They could only stay for a certain amount of time so we returned to port in about 2 hours. The sailing felt great. But on the way back the cameraman got a little seasick so I think it was a little rough for him. In the afternoon, we tried to set up the sea anchor like we saw in the video. Sea anchors are something we use to protect the yacht when the weather gets as rough as a typhoon. Once the approximately 3 meter wide parachute opens up, the water resistance keeps the yacht in one direction. I just hope we never run into a situation where we will have to use the sea anchor. But mother nature is a formidable opponent so there is no telling what will happen. We are training to be prepared for worst case scenarios. As soon as practice was over I went to the ear, nose and throat doctor's and got my ear cleaned. They put something to loosen up the ear wax in my ear and after a while they removed the ear wax and I was able to hear as usual. I was so relieved. If I can't hear in one of my ears, it's difficult for me to determine the direction and distance I'm hearing the sound from. I end up moving slower. I'm glad the symptoms showed now, before we headed out to San Diego. I have to remember to be mindful of my physical state as I do my best at practice.

Originally posted byHiro in Japanese on 5/16/2013
Translated by SWIS Project     

The Merlion Part 3

Last weekend we went out for our 2nd overnight training. My week started out really busy so I apologize for not being able to blog until now. 

So this week, wherever I go, someone will ask me; "So, did you turn into a Merlion again?" Thank you for your concern. This time, I made it through without turning into one. Actually, there really wasn't much wind so it was a pretty steady ride for most of the time. I didn't get motion sickness because there was no wind; so it took forever to get from Hokko to Tomogashima which is located right outside the Osaka Bay...almost 12 hours to be exact. Not only did we not have any wind, we were going against the current. The tide table reads, right around the time we headed out was when the current changed making us go against the tide. So we were heading into trouble.
Despite it all, this overnight training helped us to realize something very important. We were able to make a list of things Hiro-san and I need to make decisions on. 
When we go out there on our own, it will be just the two of us taking turns steering the yacht. We hadn't decided how many hours on watch would be best for the both of us. When we talked to many experienced sailors, some say an hour is best and others say 6 hours so, we were getting different suggestions. And this time, we were finally able to decide what was best for us. 
Our decision: what works best for us is 2 hours. 

The basic sleep pattern of a human being is a cycle of REM sleep and non-REM sleep in about 1.5 hours. So switching out every 2 hours gives us plenty of rest plus enough time to pour ourselves some coffee. Hiro-san also agrees that a 2 hour shift seemed like the best choice. 
When we leave Fukushima, while we are still offshore Japan where there are many merchant and fishing ships, I will have to continue being on watch (to visually watch the waters) but as soon as we get out of the area and into waters where it would be safe using the alarm, we will go back to the 2 hour shifts as we head for San Diego. Regardless of whether it is day or night.
We've made progress by making a decision on one of the issues that had to be dealt with. We still have many more though...   

Originally posted by Jiro Shinbo in Japanese on 5/15/2013
Translated by SWIS Project                                                                                                          

The SECOND OVERNIGHT TRAINING Part 4

Around 12 pm on May 12, we safely reached Hokko. Thank you all for your support. The almost 20 hour overnight training was a wonderful learning experience because it gave us a chance to discover things we don't realize during the day. Shinbo-san and I decided do everything ourselves any without help and we will be the only ones on watch this time so we were able to get a good idea of what it's going to be like for us once we are out there. This helped tremendously to build up my confidence. Of course, Hiki-san and Yasuysa-san were out there with us but we asked for them to stand back unless it became absolutely necessary for them to step in. To be on watch with me means they have to relay what they see on the radar and what they physically see out there to me so unlike being on watch with Shinbo-san where that isn't necessary, it must have been a difficult task. I thank Yasuya-san who stayed up all night to stay on watch in the cockpit. I am truly grateful to the volunteers who help to keep us safe during our training sessions. The temperature dropped a bit before the sun came up so it was uncomfortably cold for a while. But a cold lonely night is always followed by a warm cheery morning. On our way back, for a brief period, the wind picked up speed so we raised our sails and cruised for a while. For our next overnight training we will head out to Fukushima. I will learn all I can learn in our remaining few overnight training sessions.

Originally posted by Hiro in Japanese on 5/12/2013
Translated by SWIS Project

This is Hiki WRITING ON THE BEHALF of Shinbo-san

Right now we are testing to see if we can upload the blog via V-Sat. The sky is full of stars. It seems like Shinbo-san saw a falling star. I heard someone yell "Look! It's a UFO!" but no one found that interesting. We have 30 miles to go until we reach Hokko.

Originally posted by N. Hiki in Japanese on 5/11/2013
Translated by SWIS Project

The SECOND OVERNIGHT TRAINING Part 3

It's a little after 2 am on May 12. I just finished my 2nd watch. There isn't enough wind so we are using both the sails and the engine to trudge on. It was around 1 am when we passed Kataseto as we saw Tomogashima to the starboard side. We headed starboard towards the Tomogashima Suido and now we are headed for Hokko.This area has a lot of vessels so we need to proceed with caution using the radar and paying close attention with our eyes.  I have Hiki-san and Yasuya-san to support me during my watch. I hope someone will develop a radar that can read out or use some other sensory method to give you the readings. I really want to get out to the open Pacific where there are no obstacles soon. I heard that out there chances are you will see one vessel in a day, maybe. We tried the simulation for a live broadcast data uploads to the satellite was too slow and we had some problems with the equipment so it didn't go very well. Hiki-san was on the phone for almost 5 hours to troubleshoot. Just like your PC, when it's working fine, everything is great. But once you run into some kind of trouble, it's frustrating. So after a day full of problems, we got to see a beautiful sunset so that was a treat. For dinner we had delicious zosui (rice in fish broth). I'm going to nap for about an hour before my next watch. Good night.

Originally posted by Hiro in Japanese on 5/12/2013
Translated by SWIS Project

The SECOND OVERNIGHT TRAINING Part 2

Right now it's a little past 5 pm. We left Hokko Yacht Harbor around 3:45 pm and powered our way towards Tomogashima. There is no wind. The drizzle in the morning changed to heavy rain in the afternoon and visibility was poor due to fog so we decided to have some meetings as we sat down for some hijiki (a type of seaweed) rice for lunch. The fog starting lifting a little after 3 pm so we started prepping to head out. The 5 members for this overnight training are me, Shinbo-san, Hiki-san, Yasuya-san from Kaientai and a director from Yomiuri TV, Fujita-san. I wonder if anyone will turn into the Merlion on this trip. There will be a rehearsal for a live broadcast from 5:30 pm. We are connecting the Inmarsat for audio and the V-sat for video right now. From 6 pm, Shinbo-san and I will alternate doing 2 hour watches for 12 hours. I plan to upload my blog when I'm not on watch tonight. Hope to see you all then!

Originally posted by Hiro in Japanese on 5/11/2013
Translated by SWIS Project

The SECOND OVERNIGHT TRAINING Part 1

May 11th. Today we will start our 2nd overnight training. It is a little after 9 am right now. We are waiting for Shinbo-san to join us after he is done with his live broadcast of a nationwide TV show called 'Wake Up'. It's still drizzling. The forecast said it will stop around noon but... Thankfully, the weather does seem to be much more pleasant than the last time we did the overnight training. That time there was pouring rain and the weather dropped to single digits and the waves were so big...it was disastrous. That horrible experience makes today's weather feel like a blessing. I will do my best! I will try to upload a message from the Aeolus later if I have a chance. Give us your blessings!

Originally posted by Hiro in Japanese on 5/11/2013
Translated by SWIS Project

GIVING A SPEECH at Kobe College

How are you all doing? Thank you for reading this blog again today.
May 10th. I went to give a speech at Kobe College, an all women's college. I was asked by someone from the U.S. Consulate to give the speech and I was happy to do so if the students can benefit from hearing about my adventure and my experiences while studying abroad. Recently, there has been a decline in Japanese people who go abroad to learn and experience things so the people from the Consulate are visiting schools to promote studying in the U.S. I always thought the U.S. had a more arrogant attitude towards the ones who want to study in the U.S. so imagine my surprise. I got to Nishinomiya at 10:30 am and headed for Starbucks. I always meet up with people at a Starbucks when I'm in the U.S. but we don't have one around Nishikujo Station so whenever I meet someone in Nishinomiya, I meet them at Starbucks. Here I proofread the article sent to me from a magazine. At 11:30 am, Sasaki-san came to meet me at Starbucks. Yoshikura-san from Furuno Electrics Co. Ltd., drove us to Kobe College. We had lunch and we started to prepare for the seminar sponsored by the International Logistics Center to be held from 1 pm. Following a promotional speech by a representative from the U.S. Consulate to motivate people to study in the U.S., I spoke about my passion to cross the Pacific and the things I learned while studying abroad. I was worried if they would be able to understand the things I talked about but I was relieved and happy when later I found myself surrounded by students who were interested to learn more about my adventure. I felt a little shy to be surrounded by so many female students. Today's experience made me hope that more students will take on the challenge of studying in the U.S. All you high school students and college students out there...don't limit yourself to Japan and learn more about what's out there for you in the world. Of course I love everything about Japan and being Japanese. And to all the people out there who have finished school and are out here working, be ambitious. I know many of you have heard stories of how frustrating it is to get a student visa and I'm sure many have given up for that reason. Don't let the horror stories stop you. I've heard that 99% of the time, your visa will be approved if you try. I will tell you the funny story I shared today when I was studying at San Francisco State University on another occasion.  

Originally posted by Hiro in Japanese on 5/10/2013
Translated by SWIS Project

The GIFT 3

Staring tomorrow night we will go on our 2nd overnight cruise. 

I pray that this time we will not be hit by another rare "Spring Storm" again but we are going out there for practice so a little bad weather would be good to learn from.

The last time we were out there in the rough waters in Osaka Bay, I realized that if we ever fell into the Pacific in the dead of the night we would be done for good. 

I'm not too concerned because I know that as long as we are ready with the jacklines (a flat rope that's strung from a ships bow to stern), safety lines and harnesses, we won't be tossed overboard. 

When I told my family this when I told them about this project when it first came up last year and last Christmas, my wife and daughter gave me the item shown in the picture above. I put the red pen besides it so you can tell how big it is. It is a strange looking item with a thing leather string attached to it. Can you guess what this is? 

Late last year, when my wife and and daughter when shopping at the mall, they found this in a cart that was full of items for Christmas. They found many handmade accessories there and the item you see in the picture was labeled "The Captain's Whistle". It's a whistle that was handmade by someone at a small boat equipment store in Kobe and when you blow on it it gives off a very loud, almost shrieking sound.

They gave it to me and said "Daddy, if you fall into the water, use this whistle. I know Hiro-san hear it and will be able to find you." 

Such a sweet gesture, it almost made me cry.

Don't worry. I will never let myself fall into the water. That is a promise I will make with all of you.

  

I was reading the comments from all of you and although I know that all you sailors out there know this, we are getting a lot of support from non-sailors as well so I felt I should clarify something. The basic rules of what to do and what not to do when you go overboard and hit the water. Never try to remove your clothing. Not even your shoes. The most important action you need to focus on when you hit the water is to breathe. Never take your clothes off to keep your body temperature from dropping. Even in the summer, once you are in the water your body temperature will start to drop. In the water, your clothes will be vital for you to maintain your body temperature. 

There's a story of someone who was swept away by the tsunami caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake  on a snowy day in March who was wearing a down jacket and denims which saved his life. The down jacket kept this person afloat like a life jacket. In most cases, trying to swim will only wear you out so do not try to swim and save your energy. If and when you fall into the water the best thing to do is to breathe, keep your clothes on, do not swim and wait to be rescued. Especially in salt water, the human body is surprisingly buoyant so as long as you don't start struggling, you will float enough to continue breathing. But obviously, not falling in is the best way to stay safe. LOL   

Originally posted by Jiro Shinbo in Japanese on 5/10/2013
Translated by SWIS Project

Aeolus Reaches TOP SPEED

May 7th. After we wrapped up the Ce Matin broadcast, we started our usual training from 9 am. It looks like we have strong winds of up to 10 m today. Most of the maintenance work on the Aeolus has been completed so our 'motto' or 'catchphrase' has been "Don't break it!" We are down to a month until we head out for San Diego so if the Aeolus gets seriously damaged, the project will be at risk. We had 3 people from Flash on board for interviews today. Since we had pretty heavy winds, we determined that an interview on board may be difficult so we decided to have the interview on land before we set sail. In about an hour, the wind seemed to calm down a bit so we headed out but the heavy winds were back once we were out there. Shinbo-san and I confirmed whether we both agreed on the 2nd reef and raised the sail. It went well. Then we raised the inner jib. The wind is strong so the the sail is tied down to the deck with 4 pieces of rope. We release the ropes and get back to the mast before the sail falls into the water and pull the halyard (the rope that raises the sail) quickly at which time I tell Shibo-san who is in the cockpit to quickly pull the rope that pulls the sail in. There's a lot of rope we need to tidy up an place under the mast because if we leave them out on the deck, we can trip over them. Then we return to the cockpit and we start preparing the rope for the headsail. The headsail has a furling (rolling the sail in or out) system so it's relatively easy to let the sail out. The Aeolus starts racing on 3 sails. When we are hit with a gust of wind, the Aeolus which is not easily affected by wind tilted a little. I worried about the 3 guests onboard who are holding on the railings in the stern. I worried if they were scared the Aeolus might tip over or that they might be getting seasick. In a matter of moments, the Aeolus was moving at the speed of over 7 knots (approximately 13 km). Hiki-san exclaimed "This is the first time it's gone so fast!" and ran to get the camera. Unfortunately, the wind speed dropped and we missed an opportune moment to take a picture. At high speeds, we can't just sit around to relish it. We have to pay attention to make sure it isn't putting a strain on the Aeolus and need to determine whether to widen the sail to reduce speed. We are not racing for top speed so the key is to not try too hard and be gentle to the Aeolus. As soon as we changed directions to return to the harbor, the wind started to pick up speed again. Today we got some steady strong winds so it was a great practice run. Being able to communicate well with Shinbo-san under these conditions and be able to turn the 3 sails to the portside and starboardside without a hitch helped to build my confidence. Once we returned to the harbor we had some spaghetti and had an interview with a magazine called 'Boat Fishing'. The interview centered around the equipment we are using to sail. Depending on the magazine and the interviewer, what we talk about is always different. I am very grateful I had a very productive day.

Originally posted by Hiro in Japanese on 5/9/2013
Translated by SWIS Project

LIVE on Ce Matin

May 7th. Today I was on live air for about 8 minutes on a Yomiuri TV broadcast of a popular TV show called Ce Matin which aired from 6:20 am. A taxi came to pick me up at 5:10 am and I headed to Yomiuri TV. I couldn't sleep well the night before, not because I was nervous but because I was worried I would oversleep. I woke up before my alarm went off at 4:30 am and got up to take a shower and get ready. Yoshida-san, a Yomiuri TV director who had come to San Diego to work out details about our voyage was in the taxi and we did some catching up on our ride over to the TV station. As soon as I got to Yomiuri TV station and got to the waiting room, Kawachi-san, the director of this show and the station head, Hara-san came to greet me and I was grateful to feel my nervousness fade once I was surrounded by familiar faces. At 5:30 am, we had a quick meeting where they showed my the videos they were going to air on the show and they gave me a list of questions from viewers via Twitter that they wanted me to answer during the broadcast. From 6:00 am, during the 10 minutes they were airing from Tokyo, we had rehearsals in the studio. I was able to draw a mental map at this time and I felt a little more at ease. The actual broadcast went by very quickly. It was a great experience for me. There were over 20 staff working efficiently inside the studio. They all play key roles as they race against time to make the broadcast work and I learned how their every effort matters. Same goes for my feat to cross the Pacific. Shinbo-san and I are in the limelight but behind the scenes, there are many staff and volunteers who are who are doing everything they can to make this project succeed. I am really grateful for everyone's efforts. So you ask, what was it like to be on a live broadcast? I was nervous! But just like at the press conference, I got help from a pro, Shinbo-san, so I somehow made it through. The videos they aired were not only of those where we are training but they also aired videos of me writing on the computer and cooking yakisoba. I would be honored if even only one if not many viewers were able to see the underlying potential they all have and how immeasurable it is. I thank all the people who are involved in making this project come true and I am truly grateful to all the viewers who watched this show that aired so early in the morning.

Originally posted by Hiro in Japanese on 5/9/2013
Translated by SWIS Project

Tomorrow WATCH ME on Ce Matin!

May 6th. This morning we untied the mooring on the Aeolus and left Tannowa Yacht Harbor at 7:15 am to return to Hokko Yacht Harbor. We said good-byes to the Vento Fiore that gave us such a wonderful time last night and headed out as we saw Kansai Airport to the right and steered starboard and headed for the area we did our overnight training. Today, the weather was very different from the last time we were here and it was so nice that we were comfortable in short sleeves. We practiced how to set the head sail on the pole over and over. Hiki-san considers the safest methods with consideration to the fact that I can't see and we go through the procedures as I share my opinions with him. Daily routines on board can get messy at times. For example, we have to figure out how to safely use the bathroom, it's more important than you may think. This cruising experience led me to draw my own conclusions. As we approached the harbor a racer boat quickly raced passed us. A racer boat is surprisingly lightweight and fast. But the Aeolus has something a racer boat doesn't. This goes for people as well. So stop envying others and be grateful for what you have, embrace it and enjoy life. We reached our destination around 1:15 pm. Tomorrow, I will be live on TV on a show called Ce Matin. People living in the Kansai region should be able to see it around 6:10 am on channel 10. I wonder is they are going to show the video where I'm chopping garlic and cutting pork and stir frying them to make yakisoba or if they are going to show me uploading a blog from my laptop. I'm really looking forward to it! I'm really worried if I will be able to answer their questions without any problems. I will blog about it after the show is over. If you watch the show, please share your thoughts. Thank you!

Originally posted by Hiro in Japanese on 5/6/2013
Translated by SWIS Project

MEETING the Fukunishi Family

May 5th. Today is Children's Day in Japan. Everyone living in Japan probably had a nice Golden Week (a week that has 4 public holidays 4/29, 5/3, 5/4, 5/5 is know as Golden Week in Japan). If you were one that had to work during Golden Week, sorry & please keep up the good work. The weather in Osaka has been beautiful during the 3 days since we reached Tannowa. At 8 am, the Ariel sailed out for Kainan City, Wakayama and Hiki-san and I were the only ones on the Aeolus so it felt a little lonely. There was a yacht in the Tannowa Yacht Harbor that was the same type of the Aeolus and the owner of that yacht, Kishida-san came to visit us on the Aeolus. Owners of the same type of yacht quickly become like family and talking about the maintenance of their yachts usually breaks the ice. I've been told that the yachts are like their own children for their owners. I guess it's like talking about your own children.

We were invited to the Melbourne-Osaka Race awards ceremony and celebratory party in the afternoon so we went to Tenmangu. At the awards ceremony, I was given the huge responsibility of handing the award winners their trophies, certificates and souvenirs which made me very nervous. They asked me to give a speech at the party so I expressed my respect for all the racers, regardless of what place they came in, who completed sailing the 5,500 miles which is the equivalent of the distance from Osaka to Fukushima to my final destination of San Diego. I slipped in a little joke saying "I, HIRO, will cross the Pacific to San Diego and be everyone's HERO so please give me your blessings.  Get it? Well, the Australian racers seemed to find it funny so I was glad. As soon as we got back to Tannowa Harbor, I found Fukunishi-san's motor cruiser had traded places with the Ariel. The cruiser's name is Vento Fiore. It means 'wind flower' in Italian. What a beautiful name. And their high school freshman daughter's name is Fuka and uses the kanji (characters) for wind and flower. This boat has a 100 horsepower engine and easily goes up to 10 knots (20km). It's a varnished wooden cruiser boat and you can see the love Fukunishi-san pours over it. When I got into the cabin I was surprised to see how large it seemed to be for a 32 footer. I was served some delicious kimchi hot pot and goya champuru (Okinawan-style stir fried bitter melon) and afterwards we watched Fuka-chan dance to traditional Okinawan music on the played on the sanshin (Okinawan banjo) and enjoyed the evening. Fuka-chan plays the piano too so I think she has a good ear. She practiced English with me and before long perfected her pronunciation. I thought it was very unusual for a high school student to be able to pick it up so quickly. Fuka-chan helps her mother with the chores and is quite the social butterfly so I really hope she will keep up with the good work in school and music. Fukunishi-san, I thank you very much for a wonderful time. I really look forward to seeing you again.

Originally posted by Hiro in Japanese on 5/6/2013
Translated by SWIS Project

THANK YOU for All Your Donations for the Charity

May 4th. The weather is great and the temperature is rising. But unfortunately, no wind. Maitenance work is still being done on the Aeolus like replacing the ceiling boards, replacing the hindges on the doors on the cupboards in the galley etc. I think it was around lunchtime, Fukuike-san from Creation K.K. in Tannowa brought a miniature Aeolus made of teak. It was beautifully varnished. Thank you very much. At 5 pm, the awards ceremony for the Around Kansai Airport Yacht Race began. Even though the wind was very slight, over 70 yachts came to enjoy the race. Here, the harbor master Takeda-san gave us a moment to talk about our feat to cross the Pacific and collect donations (www.seewhatisea.com)  for 420 dinghies to donate to Kaisei High School yacht club and junior yacht school in Iwaki City, Fukushima.  Thank you all who have donated. When we leave for Fukushima on June 8th, it would be nice if everyone sees us off as we leave Osaka Bay. After the ceremony, Shinbo-san showed me his yacht. It's slightly smaller than the Aeolus but it's 1/4 the weight and it goes really fast. Shinbo-san, please let me take it out once we get back from our voyage. It's name is Kaorin III, named after his wife. When I see how devoted he is to his wife, I feel I have to be a better man for my wife.

Originally posted by Hiro in Japanese on 5/5/2013
Translated by SWIS Project

Strange PAIN in My Right Foot

May 4th. I woke up this morning and was surprised to feel pain at the base of my 2nd toe in my right foot (so much detail...sorry) and I couldn't bend it because it hurt so much. It's not like I was so drunk last night that I couldn't remember what I did to myself the night before like when I was younger. There were times I would wake up in the morning and find myself scratched up in my reckless years.

At a yacht race, it's not unusual for some people to get other team members so drunk at the pre-race festivities that they would be too hungover the next day to do well in the race. I fell for that trick before.  I was sweet talked into having one drink after another and was so drunk I could't remember how I got back to my room. I woke up the next morning and felt some pain in my right knee and my team members told me that the night before I was so drunk that I fell and scratched my knee as I was trying to get home from the party. How humiliating. It has been a long time since I've blacked out from drinking too much. I'm too old for that stuff now.

I remember how much I enjoyed the festivities and how I got back to the Aeolus and enjoyed some delicious aged sochu and how I went to the bathroom before hitting my bed. I don't recall stubbing my foot or hitting it against anything. How odd... As I got up to go to the bathroom and shifted my weight onto my right foot I felt a sharp pain. I have to baby my right foot as I walk. At breakfast, Hiki-san told me that I was making a lot of racket in the middle of the night and that's when I realized that when I talk in my sleep, I usually toss and turn a lot too. So perhaps I kicked something in my sleep. I started to investigate. I went to the berth I sleep in and laid down in it. There's a very narrow space where you put your feet in. I must have been flapping my feet around in this tight space as I talked in my sleep and banged it on something. Hurting your foot like this isn't something that would happen at home. However, when you have very limited personal space something like this is quite possible. I learned something very important during this sleepover training. I hope my body has learned the valuable lesson too and will stop doing things that will hurt itself while I'm asleep. Shinbo-san, please don't panic if you suddenly hear me yelling out loudly in the middle of the night. LOL

Originally posted by Hiro in Japanese on 5/5/2013
Translated by SWIS Project

THANK YOU to the Participants of Around Kansai International Airport Yacht Race!

 Today, May 4th was the day the Around the Kansai International Airport Yacht Race sponsored by the Tannowa Yacht Club was held. Of course, once again, I did not participate. LOL My excuse is, it was because I have a live broadcast do on Saturday mornings so I have never been able to participate in this race that is held annually on a Saturday. There's not too many occasions where you can sail around the Kansai Airport so I imagine the participants must have had a lot fun. Congratulations to all who won awards. I heard that there wasn't much wind so it was a tough race.

 The harbor master of Tannowa Yacht Harbor, Takeda-san asked Hiro-san and me to speak during the award ceremony. We were grateful for everyone's participation in the fundraising for dinghies to donate to the high school yacht clubs who've lost their dinghies to the tsunami in the Great East Japan Earthquake. When we told them we will be leaving for San Diego on June 8th, many people said "We'll sail with you that day". If the weather is good, Yomiuri TV should be there capturing footage from up in the air from a helicopter so if the the Aeolus was surrounded by all 70 yachts that participated in the race, it would be a spectacular scene. I hope everyone can make it.
 As we started getting ready to leave, we smelled the delicious aroma of yakiniku in the air. There is a huge BBQ area at Tannowa Yacht Harbor. After we make it to San Diego and I return to Japan, I plan to have a huge yakiniku party here. You are all invited! I guess I'm getting a little ahead of myself. 
  Thank you for all your comments. Yatchin-san from Sekime, when you are rescuing someone who fell overboard, it's basic procedure to heave to upwind from the person we are trying to rescue. Of course, sometimes, we may have to approach from downwind to get there. LOL 

  
Originally posted by Jiro Shinbo in Japanese on 5/4/2013
Translated by SWIS Project

CRUISING to Tannowa

 

For 4 days from May 3rd, as part of our training which includes sleeping aboard the yacht, we will cruise 24 miles (45 km) south of Hokko Yacht Harbor to Tannowa Yacht Harbor. The weather was a little chilly but nice. We set sail with 3 people from Kaientai, Hiki-san and me, the 5 of us, on board. There was very little wind so we started the engine and headed for Kansai Airport. Once we reached the vicinity of Kansai Airport, we turned the yacht slightly port side and started heading in the direction of Tannowa. I heard that once you reach this area, the color of the water changes and it's beautiful. We advanced forward as we watched various types of planes fly over us to land in Kansai Airport. When I see airplanes, I think about all the people on board and how each and every one of them have their own stories to tell. I pray for light for the ones who are facing darkness in their lives. Right before we reached Tannowa, Kaientai member Takahara-san made his rendezvou with us. He came on a yacht that's smaller than the Aeolus called a Dana 24 named Ariel. His wife and his 2 junior high school kids were on board the Ariel. Yes, his whole family enjoys sailing. I would love to go sailing with my family in San Diego. I hope there will be many more families like the Takahara family in Japan. We reached Tannowa Yacht Harbor around 3 pm. It was only a matter of time before all the yachts that will be participating in Around Kansai International Airport Yacht Race started coming in. I heard over 70 yachts have entered the race. They invited us to the pre-race festivities and I had a chance to talk about my feat to cross the Pacific. We listened to the band play and watched a hula dance show as we enjoyed sushi, yakisoba and other dishes. We will leave here in the early morning of the 6th. Anyone reading this who is nearby, please come for a visit!

 

                            
Originally posted by Hiro in Japanese on 5/4/2013
Translated by SWIS Project