Japan Cruising Notes by sy Dagon, 2013

 

 

There is a Cruising Note update by
NZ sailing yacht Dagon.

 

The base for this reports (sy Neos) was posted here before,
Tom and Fran added their experience and views to it.
Sy Dagon sailed around the Japanese (and Korean) Islands
 in 2012 and 2013.

Click   HERE    to see the report.

Tom and Fran, thanx a zillion sushi's!!


If somehow you can't access the link and if you like to get a copy, send me an email.

boatingjapan (at)  gmail.com

salute

 

 

 

New Blog reports by visiting yachts Japan, 2013

There are new (2013) reports to read about cruising Japan.

sy Second Jump:   http://secondjump.wordpress.com/

sy Calliste:  http://funvinyldecals.wordpress.com/

and the following from sy Fifth Season:

We are the last gaijin in Tannowa yacht harbor,  but have many visits from Japanese friends so don't feel alone. We are looking forward to exploring Kyoto next week.

We have enjoyed the inland sea, using Bosun Bird's excellent information to choose ports. We've felt very welcome everywhere we've stopped and have met many helpful people.

 

The Setouchi Rally was a wonderful experience! It was well-planned and organized.

We received a booklet at the beginning with schedule of events, information and drawing of entrances, and slip diagrams with our position marked. And there was guidance on vhf as we arrived  and assistance with dock lines.

There were several parties given in honor of the rally participants. We had receptions, dinners and entertainment sponsored by local merchants and yacht clubs.

We went on tours of temples and a sake factory. We stayed at a beautiful Japanese inn where we had an amazing traditional dinner and breakfast. Sugoi! One tour which included a soy sauce factory had to be skipped due to an approaching typhoon, which in the end passed far enough away to hardly be noticed.

The food was delicious and varied, the drink  flowed freely and the friendship of the Japanese participants was the best part of the rally.

There were 10 Japanese boats and we were one of the two foreign boats. There were 16 guests from US, England, New Zealand and Australia who stayed on the Japanese boats, switching partway through the rally so more friendships could be formed.

 

It was the first rally David and I had participated in, and we sore picked a winner.

Next year they hope to have mostly foreign yachts with Japanese guests and we would highly recommend to anyone who is interested.

Regarding using email to conatct Japan Coast Guard

Looking at the search results, a few of you are searching for email addresses to contact the officials at

Japan Coast Guard, Customs and/or Immigration.

Oops, bad news.

Japan uses modern systems.....but the people that operate those.....well, they are not-so.

Other words...as soon as they see an email from a stranger on their screen that is in English.....the reaction is:

"didn't see that one"

So to make contact, the best is by FAX and

ask them to reply by email...

From then on, you'll get a personal reply and  your are "in bizz".

Our own experience is:

Just phone (and fax) them! ( we used Skype from the PI).

By phone ask them if they received the fax!

There is always somebody in the office who speaks enough English..

True joke:

When we sailed from the PI to Ishigaki we made contact with the JCG, as above. The email reply from them after admitting all the paperwork was:

All okay, you can come to Japan....everything is okay...

Ohhh, just hold-on, you come from the Netherlands...

Marijuana is "okay" in Holland...

BUT don't bring drugs to Japan...

(pfff, like every Dutch is loaded to the gunnels....) 

Huis Ten Bosch Bad News.

In the past, now i'm talking about maybe 5-15 years ago,

 after sailing to Japan, a visit and stay in HuisTen Bosch Marina

was almost a must!

It was cheap, fun and and a very safe place in all seasons.

So many good Blog stories can be read about HtB

 ( see eg Illywacker, Shaddow of Lorelei, Alishan).

But since a few years, the tide has changed.

Maybe because of bad experience with foreign boats,

maybe because of the Total New Management...

now the situation is:

Foreign boats are NOT WELCOME at all.

I just talked to the Marina Manager to arrange a berth 

for an foreign boat and he tells me..

No Visitors Pontoon available..

(he meaned something else of course).

I bet.... if a Japanese boat shows up.....

So, give Huis ten Bosch a Big Miss!

It's a pitty as it is still the best place in all seasons 

 and there are berths available!