We Return to Yokohama

Kashima to Yokohama : 136 nautical miles

04:50 Departed from Kashima port

17:00 Arrived  to Yokohama

We stayed in a cheap inn, but  the inn was enough to stay comfortably.
We got up at 3:30 and went to the port to avoid any trouble with the moored ship.We departed at 4:50.

It was the best condition in this journey. But the fuel was almost empty.
I decided to fuel in Nabeshima port. Nabeshima port is located on the long sand beach. The depth of the sea around Nabeshima is very shallow. We had to pay attention.

While entering into Nabeshima port, Minor29DC's rudder or keel hit something slightly and muddy water came up. We almost were going to run aground.  Somebody was calling us to come to him. We turned the Minor29DC and went to him. 

He was a retired professional pilot of big ship.

He told us Tokyo bay is 70 nautical miles away from Nabesima port and it  might be dark before arriving to home port Yokohama Bay Side Marina. It is dangerous to cruise Tokyo bay in the night. We had to hurry up.

Shirahama

However, we could not go keeping upper 5 knots because of short cycle wave hit  the bow. 
But after entering Tokyo bay, the waves gone, we kept 15 knots.  

There were many ships and big yachts in Tokyo bay. The others passed Minor29 easily. Minor 29DC is slow on the bay.

Cape Kannon.

Yokohama Bay Side Marina

We've got Yokohama Bay Side Marina.
We succeeded. Everybody in the marina welcomed us. We appreciated for Okazaki Yacht and  many harbor office staff. We met the wonderful ocean, wonderful people, and wonderful boat Minor 29DC.

We need Radar!

Hisanohama to Kashima : 78 nautical miles

We departed from Hisanohama in the foggy morning. After one hour , I found a white lighthouse faintly on our way.

“What? Lighthouse?”,I said while checking GPS,

“Big Ship!!”, Mami shouted.

A lighthouse I recognized was not a lighthouse but a white scale line painted on the big tanker. I turned Lukia quickly. It was a critical moment. The fog was dangerous and we needed a radar.

Oarai Marina

We stopped at Oarai Marina to pick up Our crew, Toku . He joined us again.

The wind was force 4. We departed to Yokohama in the best condition.
However, there were choppy waves on the off shore of Kashima. The north  current, south current, and biggest river current met there. We gave up to get Yokohama today,  went to Kashima harbor.

We moored Lukia at the side of a fishing ship. The fisherman in the port helped us kindly.

Hawaian Center

We couldn’t depart because of rainy, windy and foggy. We took a sightseeing.

They were Octopath. They would go to Tokyo market.

We went to “Hawaiian Center” by taxi.

 
When we return to Hisanohama port, there was a single hand sailing sailor boat. We talked with him. He said Minor 29 was not a trawler. According him, a trawler boat does not cruise at over 15 knots.

“Yes, Grandbanks or Nordic tug is 10 knots.”, I said.

“It is good to have a coffee on the see while cruising.”, he said.

However many trawler boats have over 15 knots power recently. Of course Minor29DC can run more 30 knots, if you install her more power.
But it makes Minor29DC more noisy and you will pay more money.
I think cruising slowly is a typical cruising style of Minor29.

We fueled 195L.

Fog, Fog, Fog

Onagawa to Hisanohama : 91 nautical miles

05:30 Departed Onagawa Port

14:40 Hisanohama port

Onagawa port was under thick fog in the morning. The vague sun light passed through the fog lighted up the Minor29DC. It was very beautiful but it was bad condition for cruise.  Althogh I wanted to go to Tiba prefecture before dark, It seemed difficult.

When we were preparing departure, the captain of the ferry ship was coming in us and said, “You should better wait for a few hours. The fog will go away soon.” 
I thanked him, but I wanted to depart. 
“Ok, If you go, be careful.”, the captain said. I underestimated the fog...

The port was covered with thick fog, we couldn’t see. We went ahead dead slow. This photo was taken from outside of Onagawa port. “Evil would come here!”, Mami said. it was seriously thick fog. Kinkazan is very famous place for fog.

A Tanker make accident some times around here. The fog gradually became thicker and thicker. Our Minor29DC had no radar. At last, we could only see in the range of 20 meters circle. The waves were scary, fogs were also. The captain of ferry suggested this. I slow down our boat at the speed 8 knot and kept the direction constant to avoid crash.

Suddenly, a ship appeared in front of our boat from the fog. Fortunately the ship went through on our right side. I thought they knew us already by their radar. We needed a radar, too.

At the time 9:15, the fog was gone, the vision was recovered. It was really nervous two hours. You should better wait if fog covers your boat. In the thick fog you can’t go ahead with normal speed.  As a result , you can go fast. I didn’t use my head.
 

Sendai bay was fine and the cruise was very good. But the wind got stronger. We didn’t go with normal speed again. We entered to Hisanohama port at 14:40.

Hisanohama 

At port Hisanohama, our crew, Toku left us to work. We thanked him very much to join us.

We've Got the longest distance in this journey

Hachinohe to Onagwa : 152 nautical miles

05:55 Departed Port of Hachinohe

08:00 Taneichi port for Fuel 282L

11:40 Cape Todogasaki

12:40 Passed Kamaishi Harbor

14:30 Passed Kesennuma Harbor

17:00 Arrived to Onagawa Port, fuel 330L

We departed at 05:00 from Hachinohe harbor. We couldn't get fuel in such an early morning. We had to find a appropriate port to get fuel.

It was beautiful tranquil morning with fog. On the gate island of Hachinohe harbor, there is a small shrine.  Many Japanese believe that we connect with forefathers and they are living with us in the shrine. We prey for them when we go to the deadly work, and thank when we return to home. Fishing is one of the deadliest work. Many fishermen pray for the shrine wishing safety cruise. 

It was foggy day, but we had 5 miles view on the sea. It was not big problem.

At 8:00, we entered in  the Taneichi marine. But this marina was closed in spring season. So we got out from Taneichi Marina and entered into the fishing port. Several fisherman gathered to buy the fishes were very interested in our Minor29DC. The Minor29DC is a cute boat, and looks like fishing boat. I read an article describing her that  a Minor29's original design was fishing boat. I guess fisherman are familiar with her shape.

"I think she is a good one." one fisherman said.
"I think some young man in this village buy it."
"What is the maximum speed?"
"What is the average speed of it?"
"How much is the fuel comsumption?"
bra,bra,bra... We enjoyed the conversation with them.

They amused that we come from the Otaru port and we would go to Yokohama.

In Japan there are many conflict between pleasure boats and fishing boats. But the Minor29DC was welcomed at any fishing port. 

After refuel our boat, we departed the Taneichi port. We passed Cape Todogasaki at 11:40. Todogasaki means there were lots of sea lions on the cape. Indeed, we met sea lions more than ships.

Kamaishi bay at 12:40.

That is a natural harbor since ancient times. The depth of the Kamaishi quay is 63 meters. That is the deepest quay in the world. The Guinness approved it and recorded it in the book. 

The temperature around here was upper 15 degrees celsius. It was warmer than Hokkaido very much. I could sit down on the stern deck. The Minor29DC could go linearly at 17 knots speed like a train on the rails.

Cape Todogasaki.

This cape is the east end of the main island of Japan.

Onagawa port

In the afternoon, it was rainy, we couldn't keep high speed. After the time 17:00, I began to think it was better to get entering to the port, we entered into the Onagawa Port. We took the inn Yamadai next to the port.  

Yamadai Inn. This inn was a typical inn near the port.

We had delicious sea-urchin dinner. 
Sea-urchin alived every where in the sea around Onagawa port.


Fuel was 330L

Sayonara Hokkaido

Esashi Hachinohe:158 nautical Miles

05:45 departed from Esashi Marina

08:17 Cape Shirakami
09:30 Fukushima Port fuel 177L

10:15 Fukushima port departed

12:20 Oma

14:00 Siriya Cape

17:40 Hatinohe Harbor

18:10 Mooring

 I learned that I never use the Esashi Marina in off season.  The marina which locate in north Japan area close in off season. There are no pleasure boat in off season, The marina didn't  maintain the equipment very well. However, the fishing port is well maintained.  A winter season is a fishing season in north sea. You should better use a fishing port.

We departed from the Esashi Marina.
It was no wind day. But choppy waves increased  more as we got closer to the Tugaru channel. This photo is Matsumae lighthouse. It is famous channel as the one of the strongest currents in Japan. Even if it was calm day, it was difficult to maneuver the Lukia on Tugaru channel.

The Lukia banked at over 30 degrees and her propeller sticked out on the surface of the wave sometimes. If there was 40 knots wind like yesterday, Lukia might sink. 

We changed our plan and went to stop at the Matsumae Port. Beacause I found the Matsumae Port was difficult to approach. Because the high waves were surrounding there. But we needed to refuel our boat, we entered into the Fukushima Port next to the Matsumae. 

Cape Shirakami : the most southern place in Hokkaido

The Fukushima Port was very easy to enter. I could approach to the quay easily. Although the quay was higher than pontoon, it was easy to get on at the quay from Minor 29DC. We could stepped up from the hand rail or the roof to the quay. It is a one of the advantage of Minor 29DC.

The Fukushima port was the last port we entered in Hokkaido. We met a lot of kind men in Hokkaido. We love it. 

Honshu – Main Island of Japan

       
We went across the Tsugaru channel very smoothly. "Sayonara Hokkaido, Welcome Honshu."  The channel is famous for the strong current and wind, but It was flat today. We were lucky.


We returned to Honshu that is the main island of Japan. The surface of the sea looked like a mirror. In the spring season, the wind blow from west. The Pacific Ocean is eastern side of Japan, so the wind from west is interrupted by the Honsyu island. On the contrary, there are strong west wind on the west side of Hokkaido or Japanese sea in this season.

I kept the engine at 3200RPM. Our boat got 17 knots. It was very comfortable cruise. However long time cruising with such a continuous high speed revolution of diesel engine cause some troubles later. I did not know that at all.

Many big fishing net spread out near the shore. Although most of them were identified easily, I considered that we should better to pass around 1 to 3 miles off  shore.

We reached at the Hachinohe Harbor at 17:40. The Hachinohe Harbor is the biggest harbor in the Tohoku district.

Hachinohe Harbor