The CLOCK METHOD

May 2nd. This day, we were blessed with a variety of winds. After discussing our future schedule with Shinbo-san at the harbor, we set sail around 10 o'clock. The wind was still strong from yesterday and it was about 8 m. We determined a two point reef was best and raised the sail. The Aeolus started sailing away. Shinbo-san said "Hiro-san, at 12:00 are the Rokko Mountains and at 10:00 you can see the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge." Yes. It is easier for the blind to understand direction when you use the hands on a clock. Ordinarily, the direction the blind person is facing would be their 12:00. 90 degrees to the right is 3:00 and 90 degrees to the left is 9:00. For example, you can use this when you are trying to explain a variety of food on a round plate. If you are sitting right in front of them, just be careful you don't confuse their 3:00 and 9:00 with yours. When we are on a yacht, the bow is our 12:00. As soon as we changed the direction of the yacht, Shinbo-san said; "There is a landfill at your 12:00 that's shaped like a half of a blade and we are headed for the tip of that blade." I know it's what he does but his command of vocabulary is amazing. As a blind person, to be able to sail with someone who can explain what he sees as well as he can makes the voyage even more enjoyable. Please give it a try. Try to explain a familiar scenery with expressions that make it even more imaginable. The wind was blowing NE but it changed to NW and then North and at one point we had no wind at all. Shibo-san went to the deck to raise the gennaker which is a sail we use when there isn't much wind so I took the helm. As we were doing this, the wind started picking up speed and got up to over 10 m. We immediately reefed the sail, practiced for a while and returned to the harbor. I have been praciticing under heavy winds since I got to Japan so I am no longer afraid of sailing in strong winds. It's about a month until we set sail and leave Hokko Harbor in Osaka. Please continue to support us!

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

MAST TUNING

        

Thank you for reading my blog. The wind has been strong lately. Even this morning, when I got to the harbor the wind was howling. Hidaka-san from Aburatsubo Boat Service came all the way to the harbor for mast tuning. Hidaka-san did major maintenance work on the Aeolus last September. Hiki-san has known Hidaka-san since the Earth Marathon and he has the utmost respect for him and has requested for him to do the final mast tuning before we head out to sea. Contrary to my concerns about doing this in such strong winds, as soon as Hidaka-san got to the Aeolus, he climbed up the mast and started measuring. Hiki-san and Hidaka-san talked about how to improve performance so Shinbo-san and I can cross the Pacific as comfortably as possible and they decided to tilt the mast slightly to the back. The work started including the almighty maintenance man, Takahara-san from Kaientai. They removed the wedges and silicone that holds the mast on the deck and loosened the forestay (the wire that support the mast from the front) and added tension on the backstay (the wire that supports the mast from behind) and after they tipped the mast towards the back, they drove the wedges back in on the deck and filled it with silicone. I was amazed at the professionalism of their detailed work, their care and their efficiency. Hidaka-san, thank you for coming all this way and for your fabulous work. The wind got stronger in the evening. I can still hear the howling. I'm worried how this will effect tomorrow's practice with Shinbo-san.  

Originally posted by Hiro in Japanese on 5/1/2013
Translated by SWIS Project

My Mother's 80th BIRTHDAY

Monday, we were blessed with beautiful weather from the morning. I met up with Hiki-san at Nishikujo Station and when we checked the bus schedule for Hokko Yacht Harbor at the bus stop we found out we had to wait for 30 minutes. We realized we haven't gone running in a while so we decided to walk to the next bus stop. We walked briskly. Everything seemed different from what it seems when I pass by in a car or bus. Touching and smelling the flowers along the road, hearing the energetic voices of kids playing baseball, and before we knew we made it to the harbor in 1 hour and 10 minutes. It was a good work out. We headed for the Aeolus as we talked about how we deserve an extra glass of beer today.

Hokko Yacht Harbor seems busy lately. That's because a racing boat that participated in a race from Melbourne, Australia to Osaka is there. There are 2 lightweight, fast looking boats that participated in the race parked on both sides of the Aeolus. In the afternoon, we went sailing with Ogasawara-san from LA. Ogasawara-san is the owner of the Misumaru which is the same type of yacht as the Aeolus. I was able to practice on the Misumaru for 2 months in January and February and it has given me a great advantage. I am very grateful to all the people who are helping to make this project possible. We had some good wind and was able to practice reefing. When reefing, you rig the cringle by hooking it onto the mast and we used a shorter rope that feels different so I don't confuse the 1st cringle and the 2nd cringle.

After practice, Ogasawara-san's and I went to a Yakitori restaurant with our families to enjoy our time together over a delicious meal. It was my mother's 80th birthday so it was a special day for both my mother and I. My mother was very happy and said "This was the most wonderful birthday ever" I hope that she will stay healthy and have a long life.

To all of you out there reading this, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Originally posted by Hiro in Japanese on 4/30/2013
Translated by SWIS Project

Not TRY SO HARD

 It's been a month since our training aboard the Aeolus started. It has been full of surprises and amazing learning experiences.

 What surprised me the most was learning about the difference between dinghies and cruisers. My history with yachts, though I can't boast about the quality of it, is close to 40 years. The majority of my experience has been on a dinghy(a small yacht with no living quarters). Even after I started riding cruisers, I would tow a sailing canoe called an Aquamuse to ride round the anchorage. People who enjoy dinghies want to go as fast as they possibly can so when there is gust of wind, they would shift their weight to offset the tipping to gain speed. If not done right, the canoe would capsize or they will fall into the water. It happens all the time. So when I take a first-timer out on the dinghy I purposely make them fall into the water with their clothes on so that in the event a gust of wind makes them go overboard, they won't panic. What you need to remember when this happens is to make sure you don't go under the boat, get tangled in the ropes, don't try to swim, stay calm and let yourself float up and breathe. As long as you remember these steps, you will not drown. Obviously, a life jacket is a must. I carry 2 serrated edge knives (you can't cut ropes if the edges aren't serrated), one for backup, just in case my arms or legs get tangled in the ropes.     

　However, what I learned once I started sailing on the Aeolus is; "In heavy winds, you want a flat entry so you want to reef (reduce your sail area) your sails before the wind starts to pick up speed to relieve stress on the boat." It makes sense. Racing boats may do things a differently but our goal is to make it safely to our destination so whether the Aeolus goes 0.1 knots faster or not is irrelevant. If we damage the boat just to go a little faster will only put an end to our voyage. So, in the last month I have been trained to keep in mind that what's important for us to complete our voyage safely is to steer the boat 'gently' and 'not try so hard' 

  However, there's one thing we haven't trained for yet on the 'Safety comes first' Aeolus. That is how to rescue someone who's gone overboard. 

  For when I take my boat out, in the beginning of every season I throw a plastic tank overboard and rescue it pretending I am rescuing a man in the water. When I got the cruiser, my 3 kids were still in kindergarten and early elementary school so I made sure we were prepared for the worst case scenario. I thought I had practiced enough for sail boat emergency stops but I lost my confidence when I got on the Aeolus. The difference in size of my boat and the Aeolus is only about 60 cm but the Aeolus behaves very differently. I can steer my boat just like a dinghy but the Aeolus is a sailing ship. It steers completely differently. To be honest, with my skills right now, I'm not sure if I can make an emergency stop and approach someone in the water gently from upwind with the Aeolus. I hate to say this but if Hiro-san falls into the water in heavy weather and that happens before my very eyes, I'm no sure I will be able to rescue him. And if I fall in, it would probably be impossible for Hiro-san who can't see what's going on to rescue me. So one thing is very clear. Falling into the water is not an option on this voyage. No matter how calm the sea may be, we will have our lifelines attached at all times and we will be responsible for our own safety. I don't think we will do any rescue training on the Aeolus because we know if we fall in, there will be nothing we can do.    

  As I was writing this I remembered something. This is a story in Kenichi Horie's book 'All Alone in the Pacific'. Mr. Horie didn't wear a life jacket when he was crossing the Pacific. His reason for that was; "If I fell in when I'm out there alone, there's no one to save me and wearing a life jacket will only prolong my suffering." Compared to his experience, our voyage is as easy as the two of us riding a bicycle to the convenience store to shop but one thing is the same and that is if we fall overboard there's nothing anyone can do so I will keep bear that in mind, put safety first and 'not try so hard' when sailing. And of course, I will put on a life jacket with a harness. 

  I'd like to thank everyone for all your comments. I watched the video recommended by soomstar about how to sail in rough weather. Aeolus also has the same parachute anchor that was shown in the video. I just hope we never have to use it. What surprised me the most was seeing the same type of boat as the Aeolus sailing 'full sail' in rough waters. I was just amazed at witnessing the full potential of the Aeolus. What a powerful boat, I want to see what it does when I take it to the limit...no, no, I have to stop thinking like that. Safety first. It's hard to 'not try so hard'...don't you think?

Originally posted by Jiro Shinbo in Japanese on 4/27/2013
Translated by SWIS Project

A Life Full of ADVENTURE & EXCITEMENT

                                       

Kobayashi-san of Quantum Sail is helping us with our new sails and this morning he came to measure the sizes of the head sail (the one in front) and main sail (the biggest sail) to make new ones. I was really curious to learn how they measure them so I watched carefully. In the world of high technology, one would think they have awesome tools where you measure with a laser beam or something which sends the information for digital analysis but to my surprise the procedure was relatively simple. They showed me that although the methods are simple, when a professional does it, they can get very detailed data. Kobayashi-san efficiently measured everything and got the information he needed. He then takes all the data and uses the computer to design a 2D, 3D graphic image of the sails.

While this was going on, a couple of people from the Japan Coast Guard which we visited a few days ago came to see the Aeolus because they were at the Hokko Yacht Harbor to promote sea navigation safety. Their boat was a light aluminum boat and it looked like it could go really fast. I wouldn't want to be aboard that boat because I had to be rescued but I would love to go on it to see how fast it goes. In the afternoon, I spoke with some people who research and develop products like glasses with built-in cameras, bone conduction earphones and systems with built-in microphones. Another moment of realization that technological advancement far exceeds anything I've ever imagined. It made me want to start thinking of a new revolutionary challenge. I know, a voyage across the Pacific is a big enough challenge but I want to dream and I want to chase my dreams so please bear with me. It's a great feeling when you've done something you could't do before. Let's live the life that is full of adventure and excitement!

Originally posted by Hiro in Japanese on 4/27/2013
Translated by SWIS Project

HAIRCUT

There were many cultural differences I experienced when I initially moved to San Diego. One of them was an experience at a barber. Back then, I found a sign for a barber near my house so I walked in to get my hair cut. I was really surprised when the barber pulled out a electrical hair clipper as soon as I was seated and just started cutting away. He didn't ask how I wanted to have my hair done or if it wasn't too tight around my neck when he put the cape on. I was really surprised! In about 10 minutes I heard "That's it. Thank you."...my cue to leave. I remember I just sat there feeling a little confused because I was used to the hour-long detailed service in Japan. When he told me that it was $10, it all made sense. For someone who was used to paying around $35, it was a bargain and I understood why it only took 10 minutes. In San Diego there are many hair salons that cater to the affluent of San Diego or the Japanese customers which offer extensive services for a higher price. Terra Hair Design located in the affluent part of San Diego known as La Jolla is owned by a Japanese hairstylist. Terra Hair Design is a sponsor for SWIS (See What I Sea) and I have had my hair cut there before. Here, haircut+tip is around $100 which may seem a bit pricey but you will experience quality service like nowhere else.

I looked for a place to get a haircut near Nishikujyo Station. If I could see, I would probably notice several barbers and hair salons in the area when I'm walking around but I only have a mental map of the places I have gotten directions to before. So, there were no barbers on my mental map. I heard that there is an iPhone and iPad app that's great for the blind but I'm not that IT savvy so I always use Google Search. I got a list of 5 places near Nishikujyo Station. I called one that was nearest the station to get directions and then started walking relying on my mental map. As soon as I reached the general location, I asked someone to tell me where it is. It was right in front of me. I got a haircut and a shave and feel refreshed!

Originally posted by Hiro in Japanese on 4/26/2013
Translated by SWIS Project

Memories of ABALONE LIVER

Me: "Father, I can't eat this. It's too bitter."
Father: "I don't care. It's good for your eyes so hold your nose and eat it!"
This was a conversation I remember having with my father when I started to lose my sight when I was in junior high school. My parents heard somewhere that abalone liver was good for the eyes so they so they asked a fisherman they knew and got a massive amount of abalone to feed me. We weren't wealthy so I imagine it must have put a huge dent in the family budget. Despite that, back then for me, I thought abalone was too tough and bland tasting and the liver was just too bitter. I remember how I had to swallow it with water as I choked on it to try to keep it down and how much of a struggle the whole experience was. I recall how I thought squid, so tender and sweet, tasted so much better. Ironically, since I started drinking, I've acquired a taste for abalone and now I love the unique consistency and really appreciate the bitter flavor of the liver. All I can say is that it is really ironic. As an adult, now I can't have abalone even though I love it. First of all, it's so expensive. Since I left my hometown of Kumamoto and moved to Tokyo and eventually to San Diego, during this 25 years, I can probably count how many times I had abalone on one hand. I heard that there was an izakaya (a Japanese dining pub) near Nishikujo Station that offers fresh seafood for a reasonable price so I went there last night. It was right near Daikoku Station. I found abalone on the menu and it was an unbelievable 580 yen so I had to order it. The abalone was fresh and I thought about my parents and how they watched over me as I gradually lost my sight as I enjoyed each piece of abalone and the bittersweet flavor the liver. As I savored the bitterness of the liver I spoke to my father who passed away 7 years ago; "Father, I may not be able to see but you need not worry. I am a happy man."


Originally posted by Hiro in Japanese on 4/26/2013
Translated by SWIS Project