Thursday, August 30, 2012

Droef and Diffcult

Droef is dutch for sad.
Difficult it is to write this post.


Moeders.
28/10/1923~10/8/2012
(picture was taken by Fujino san when Pa and Ma came to visit us in Japan, Feb 1996)








Marijke, Jacqueline, Marleen, Jaap, 
Loek, Sjaak, Hessel and Tom.
Byebye Moeders and Oma.
We'll keep the many happy memories.


Beside the sad part,
we were happy to see the family. 
Some of our cousins we hadn't seen for > 40 years.

Friday, August 10, 2012

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Go-Go-Go......Go North

The weather charts all looked OK for a Go-Go-Go!
After paying the bills, fueling the tanks, filling the fridges and saying Goodby we left Ginowan Marina Wednesday at 10 AM.
We: Mr Konami, Mr Tobaru and Yours.



Last shot of Ginowan Channel Red Marker that leads us out 
and waves us a safe trip.
That First Day we made it to Iheya Island, just to the NW of Okinawa Island. The wind had increased and moved a little too much to the North and so we had nasty waves on the nose, resulting in slow and an uncomfy Go-ing. 
Time for a stop.


                     Here we are leaving Iheya Island at 5 AM.
After a soundful (squeaking fenders and snoring crew) but refreshing sleep (it was a few degree cooler than in Ginowan  !!)...the wind had turned back to the SE. 


Not much to report about the second day 
or it must be this double rainbow......,



  .....  or  Amami Ohshima's Most SW Point at sunset,
(A location i would not mind having a small cottage......One Day....)


  .... or this Sunset View from that point..

We arrived at Daikuma Port @ Amami at 10 PM 
(same place as were Fu Kyo had stayed a few weeks before).
That same night !! we managed to make it to Iseya: 
Fu Kyo's favorite restaurant in Naze.
(tell you one day WHY).
Again we got a Great Welcome and were fed and "watered" plentyful.
Next day was Early Up and Shopping for the Boys. 
Also got the fuel truck along side for an other 150 liter of diesel, good enough for the rest of the trip to Fukuoka.
Big surprise when Mrs. Ise came to Fu Kyo and took us for lunch and loaded us with more food and fruit.
Thank you so Much!!



Friday 3 PM, leaving Amami Ohshima for ...
Somewhere North.


Sea and wind conditions were perfect so 
the Going was Good
and the Crew Happy.
Here Mr Tobaru on watch.


And...an other Amazing Sunset.


By Saturday Morning we had Yaku Shima abeam to the East  and these islands to the West...


Mango and Passion Fruit.
Mrs. Ise had made sure we wouldn't suffer from scurvy.



Breakfast, No Complains from the crew...


At the most southern tip of Kyushu
it's a High Way for Big Boats 
Coming  from ...
Going to...
And traveling very fast..
So a good look out & timing is needed when crossing the "road".




While those Biggies themselves have to look out for these Smoking Islands..


Feasting Blue Footed Boobies...
Sorry to disturb you.
(this driftwood probably comes all the way from the Philippine Island thanks to the Kuro Shio, the strong current that flows from that part of the world, up North along the shores of Japan. And the same current that helps us moving along at a solid 7~8 knots, all the time).


Oh, just some lunch Out At Sea.
Ikura domburi  & Rooibos chilled tea;-)
It was Tuff Out There.


Oops, an other Biggy to look out for.


Cruising along the West coast of Kyushu with the Kohshiki Islands dancing in the Sunset.


Boring You?


Sunday 5 AM, we are entering Nagasaki Port.

The plan was to stay here for a few days...
but the harbor master told us the Pond was Full.
(some sort of harbor festival was going on that weekend 
and thus the marina was booked out).
After a quick breakfast, a freshwater hose down...
we were on our way again.
It was an other 80 miles to Fukuoka, the condition were still perfect so once again
Go-Go-Go.
That night at 8 PM Fu Kyo arrived happily in Marinoa Marina.
End of a 3 month trip.
(ha, that first week after being back in Fukuoka, there were 3 T-bags playing around Okinawa Waters. Haven't we not been lucky).

What's next?
Well remember the Onan Hick-up.
Fu Kyo will be on the hard-stand for at least a month (or 2) until the Engine Boys have fixed that thingy.

By then it will be autumn. Any more cruising this year?

Salute

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Last days at Ginowan.


Okay, I am, and now,
Where is that beach??
This piece of art is done on the sea-wall.
I used to run here 3 or 4 times a week...Sadly this stretch of Okinawa also gave me the idea that this part of the island should be called:
Gominawa.


Near Ginowan Marina is a convention center with a 15 floor hotel.
Had to take this pix.


One of the last days of our stay in Okinawa, 
of course i had to take Patto San and Kairen for 1 more
Frozen Yogurt Ice-cream Run.



That's Fu Kyo from above.


Masthead view of the south part of Ginowan Marina.
Home to at least 7 Lagoon Catamarans...they are popular.


That's the Exit-Gate.
Fukuoka here we come.

Salute

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Oh-No ONAN & Oh-Lala LAGOON

Don't we all get some Trouble by times?
Well, Fu Kyo scored 3 in a row in 1 week.

The pix here below shows the heart of the 
on board AC power system.
It's a 9.5 Kw diesel that can make plenty of watts needed for the 4 air-con systems.


Too bad,  in Her Only 500 Hours Life, 
i had to replace the raw-water impeller already too often.
Total score now: 4 times.
Last week it as Bingo Again: Trouble # 1


See here some "evidence".
Faulty pump? Or faulty plumbing?
(1 impeller here in japan goes for 9000 yen!).


A few days later.
Trouble # 2

 The genny had been running non-stop & trouble free for almost 48 hours. 
When we went for a meal ashore the system got some rest...
And got restarted 3 hours later.
Time for sleepies with 2 aircons going...

At midnight we woke up with the boat filled with nasty smoke..
Tell you, that was No Fun!
Took a few hours to figure out Where, What and maybe Why. 
And to get over the shock.
Luckily there were no flames, just overheated electric wires and thus melting plastics.



Only the next day i discovered the emergency 
Fire Extinguisher Port.
Shame on Who.. 
( me too, i should have seen that error before!!)
The port was nicely all covered up by a boat-factory installed  air-hose!






The top part of the control section shows some very hot evidence.

To cool-down from the Onan troubles i had Patto San hoist me to the top of the mast for rigging checks.


This is the top part of the jib furler.
The big round donut just sits on top of the black plastic ring right at the end of the aluminium furling profile.


Lifting the donut...
Ouch, an other Oops.
Trouble # 3.
Inside the top part of this tube should be a special made plastic bush to keep the for-stay in the center and to avoid the aluminium<>for-stay contact.
Had it fallen out?
Or...?
The SS circle-clip is also dislocated.

Hmmm, repairs for Fukuoka.
...here we come.

Salute