Author Archives: spikekalashnikov

After the festivities, of which more later, I set off on Sunday to San Francisco. First leg is Okinawa to Narita. It is an unusual flight as the passengers are a mix of young US military and Nobel prizewinners returning … Continue reading →

Asked yesterday what I did not like about Japan, I had to think hard. I could only come up with: ATMs close at 6:00pm Post Offices and Banks closed at the weekend Way, way too much packaging, especially plastic bags. … Continue reading →

This is what my friend Kiyuna san told me this morning. How true. We were going through the parts list for the overhaul of the engine. He is a lot of fun and seems determined not to waste money by … Continue reading →

So, I have to print a document but do not have a printer. I do not want to buy a printer because I am very poor and you only use them once in a month of Sundays. Naoko tells me … Continue reading →

I lunch with Jonathan and Renee, who are here for the Graduation Ceremony. Next I go for a ramble down by the sea in front of where I live. It is a truly wonderful day, bright sunny and not too … Continue reading →

I have to spend the day at the university. There are matters unsettled that I have to contribute to. Yay, the lake in front of the university has attracted duck that I have never seen before in Okinawa. I love … Continue reading →

The boat has a big slab of steel called the rudder plate. This can be lowered to give the rudder more depth, thus more purchase. It also acts as a mini center plate. At times, too complex to go into … Continue reading →

Beautiful day at the end of cherry blossom time. Okinawan cherry trees are a different variety from the classic cherry trees of Tokyo.   The Okinawan trees are named Kawazuzakura and the first to bloom in Japan, exploding in late … Continue reading →

Frankly most of the work I have been doing has been cosmetic – cleaning, sanding, treating, painting, varnishing. The big boy things, for example, the skegg and the engine have been handled by people who know what they are doing. … Continue reading →

I rush down to the boatyard to listen to the diagnosis from Dr Kiyuna on my sick little engine. A few minutes later Dr Kiyuna makes a dramatic entrance stage left on his Harley. He is more than reassuring. He … Continue reading →