A NEW SAIL

June 5. Before we went to the harbor, we went to Konan Pro to buy some tanks and things to make oil changes easier. Changing oil on a rocking Aeolus is no easy task. Hiki-san, who has crossed th Pacific before has thought of everything so that it would be as easy as it can possibly be for Shinbo-san. This morning I learned how to use the iPhone/iPad application called Ariadne. This is a navigation application developed for the blind. One of its functions tells you which direction and how far a certain point is when you set the coordinates. WOW. But I'm a very 'low-tech' guy so I was having trouble with the app. We called an IT expert for the blind and got some support. Whenever I have trouble with using a software and I can't figure it out myself I call him. Step by step I followed the setting instructions he sent me in an email and it finally worked. Thank you Sakamoto-san. I am very grateful for you continuous support. A new sail from Quantum was put on the Aeolus. Sails start to stretch over time. It makes sense because the wind that hits it is powerful enough to move a heavy yacht. The sail is put through a lot. When a sail is stretched out it loses its effect. This new sail has been fitted and newly made for the Aeolus so we will be able to take on the challenges of the Pacific. All the staff were busy installing a backup camera, setting up the backup NavNet, and they all worked late into the night. Back in the boathouse they explained how to use the emergency equipment, marked all the medical supplies with Braille and prepared the food for our trip to Fukushima. I am in awe at all the support the volunteers have given us. Only 2 more days left to prepare. We have been blessed with good weather. I will upload something again tomorrow so see you then!

Originally posted by Hiro in Japanese on 6/06/2013
Translated by SWIS Project