Author Archives: spikekalashnikov

So, now I come to rigging the sails. The boat came with many lengths of rope, many blocks, many shackles and from these I have to reconstruct the set up of the sails. It is a complex job. To raise … Continue reading →

I am now at the stage of screwing on lots of bits and pieces to make the boat both pretty and sailable. It is very rewarding after months of sanding. A moment away from the boatyard. I live in village … Continue reading →

It is raining very hard. After my weekly early morning root canal fun, I rush down to see if the boat is OK. I had  rigged the tarpaulin so I was not too worried but as it is also very … Continue reading →

Just beside my apartment there is a family-run Do-It-Yourself store. It is run by an old couple and I think their daughter. I have got to know them because I pop in a lot to buy odd screws, bolts, rope … Continue reading →

I have reached that glorious stage whereby, after months of washing, sanding, wood treatment, sanding, varnishing, sanding, undercoat, sanding, compound, sanding, painting, sanding, anti-slip paint; I can now start to put everything together. The weather is very windy, rainy and … Continue reading →

I spend the first part of the morning in my second home – the Dentist. Yep more root canal stuff. I ask Mohawk Mori sensei how many visits he thinks this will take. ” Neil san, this will take months.” … Continue reading →

I knew that it would rain like crazy the night after we had re-trailered the boat. I am fed up with the boat filling up with water, so I rigged a big tarpaulin. During the night, it rains in a … Continue reading →

The Kitagama kiln is I think the biggest in Okinawa. It is awe inspiring or awesome. if you prefer. https://quietripple.wordpress.com/2017/11/28/winter-in-okinawa/ Exquisite ceramics produced by craftsmen using the same techniques as their ancestors. Yes, quite, jolly good , ho hum:  what really … Continue reading →

There was a total elipse of the moon in the Okinawan skies between 4:00 am and 5:00 am on Saturday morning. I watched it from my balcony. Amazing, although no real hint of redness.  

Earlier in this story I mentioned a Mike Tyson comment that everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.  My first punch in the mouth has been the center plate. First it was jammed, then there was … Continue reading →