Author Archives: spikekalashnikov

Excuse my French. After 3 months of repair, adjustment, poor weather, I finally get the boat out on the water. It is a truly glorious day, bright sunshine, not too hot but shorts and Tshirt all the same. The engine … Continue reading →

Another beautiful ikebana piece by Tomomi san. She arrives with branches from kiwi fruit trees or is it bushes? My miniscule experience with ikebana has shown me that structural engineering has a lot to do with it. How to get … Continue reading →

The Okinawan sun plays havoc with wood. The tiller and the top of the rudder – rudder post? – have suffered badly. I should have taken some “before ” photos to show the dried up state and the devastation of … Continue reading →

April 1 is an important day in Japan. It marks the start of the new financial year So what, you cry! Well I am too lazy to go into it but for instance I could not get into the marina … Continue reading →

Every year I make a pilgrimage to the Iris fields of Kijoka. Acres of Irises growing wild. I have never been there in sunshine. The weather is always cloudy, misty and brooding. This suits the place fine. I think there … Continue reading →

My last post ended with the installation of the second oil line. Hooray the engine should now be bullet proof. I fill the motor with new oil and run her in gear for an hour or so to generally wake … Continue reading →

I have so much to worry about. I mean, is the solar panel working? Will the Fish Restaurant stay open? Are my oil line problems over? It is almost too much to bear! I have a solar panel on the … Continue reading →

When I press the start button nothing happens apart from a click from the vicinity of the starter motor. I originally thought that the battery was flat but, once recharged, all that happened was the same click. This depresses me. … Continue reading →

The weather is perfect. My engine does not work. I can not go sailing. Boo. I can, nevertheless, sit on the side of the pontoon with my feet dangling in the water and apply more teak oil to all the … Continue reading →

The title has nothing to do with what I am going to recount other than some bits were awful and other bits were wonderful. The engine will not start. It is clear that the battery is flat. Why? God knows. … Continue reading →