The Quiet Ripple Defines The Pond

So the dreadful weather lets up and at last there is a nice day. In Okinawa you expect the weather to be wonderful all the time and we are left bewildered by poor conditions.

Luckily Emily is free to crew and off we go. This is essentially only my second sail since I went out with Nick a month ago.

The passage out of Ginowan Marina is not easy. Of course you could motor out and in but then why have a sailing boat? The wind is offshore so getting out is pretty easy. However, getting back in means tacking across a fairly narrow channel with reef on both sides.

So, we practice running out and the beating back in. Beating back to Okinawa in previous boats has been a long and tedious business, but the Norfolk Gypsy is very taught and points well into the wind. Hooray!

Emily is patient as we do not actually go anywhere but rather practice.

The weather is overcast at the start of the sail but soon the glorious turquoise takes over

Here is a short video.

Let’s hope that this is finally the start of sailing fun.

My best friend died suddenly on Sunday. I am desperately sad.

Sandy was the most entertaining man I have ever met. He lied about everything so convincingly that he created his own universe of hilarity into which you were sucked to join the fun.

He was a genius

For 30 years we had the best times. Each meeting was a opportunity to generate humour, whether linguistic or practical. In this we were always aided by his wonderful wife Zandra.

Thank you Sandy. I had been looking forward to spending a lot of time together at the chateau. https://thequietripple.com/2012/11/26/vie-de-chateau/

Not to be.

It hosed down last night. I get to the boat to find the grating floating around on over 2 feet of water.

I install the new Gulper. At the moment she only pumps out the bilges but Kiyuna san and I have dark plans to hook her up to the cockpit sump as well. Very hush hush.

There are 2 pumps on the boat, a hand pump that can pump water from the bilge and the cockpit well and mighty Gulper who blasts the stuff from the bilge automatically. Both break down within days of each other.

I am particularly upset by the demise of Gulper. She was such a happy pump but her gear wheels stripped and modern medicine has no cure.

The hand pump, I had less affection for. She had a floppy red diaphragm and did not work well. Finally the diaphragm ripped and she no longer worked at all. This left me pumpless in Gaza.

I have now found a boat parts shop or chandelry on the mainland who are wonderful. They speak English and it seems I can get everything I want there. https://www.yuukoumarine.jp/ Buy stuff from them. Knowing they are there has done wonders for my sense of security.

They send me a repair kit for the hand pump, this is a diaphragm and valves with associated screws and circlips. They were made in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. I hope Brexit treats you well Whale Pumps, your produce is the best. https://www.whalepumps.com/

I repair the hand pump today. The floppy red diaphragm was clearly an amateur, homemade job.

There is only one way to re-assemble a Whale Gusher hand pump and I get it wrong 3 times. It does not matter. I have all my time, it is not raining and I like this sort of activity.

It is now in place and works so much better than the previous pump.

So, next I turn to the cockpit seats draining holes. They do not drain and are clearly clogged. I blast high pressure water up the pipes and all kinds of grot is dislodged. They now drain.

I mount the tiller tamer. This device allows you to block the tiller hopefully allowing for self steering. I dread putting in a reef in bad weather with the tiller lashing around. This device should keep her heading into the wind whilst I wrestle with the mainsail.

Mounting the clam cleats necessitated bending my arms into yogic positions through small access ports.

As I am writing this post, 6:00pm Sunday, the doorbell rings and there is a hand delivered new Gulper!

Good day. Thank you Japan.

Whoa, this season has been rainy! I am dying to get out on the boat but opportunities have been few, as the weather has been awful. There have been a series of major thunderstorms, heavy rain and a lot of high wind. I do not remember it being like this in previous years. I suppose I was nicely tucked up inside the university and did not notice so much.

So, there has been very little boat stuff since I got back from the States. I think I will have to reconsider which months I spend In Okinawa. Maybe come back in June.

However the lack of boating has given me plenty of time for my other hobby – going to the dentist.

I have bone disease in the jaw which has loosened one of my crowns. Yuck!

Major work that costs almost nothing. I love the Japanese health service.

We also play music for the children at the OIST Child Development Centre.

Looks like it is going to rain all this week. Oh dear. I should mention that it is also 28 degrees.

Today was the second Graduation Ceremony at OIST. Such fun! This blog is archival so do not feel obliged to read it. I wish I had taken more photos.

The students spent 5 years with us. They got married, they had babies, they had failure, they had success, their experiments failed, they had doubt, they had vulnerability. But they did it! Congratulations to you all!

The event was called “Graduation Ceremony 2018.” I cannot remember why. I mean it is 2019.

I had a get together with old friends in San Francisco earlier this week and now a wonderful get together with old friends in Okinawa. I wish I had taken more photos.

Congratulations to all the Graduates!

I set off in the truck with two goals, visit Lassen Volcanic Park and fight my way along the Ponderosa Way, renowned 4 wheel drive trail. I achieve neither.

These places are in Northern California.

The weather turns bad with rain and snow as I get higher into the hills. I finally get to Lassen Volcanic State park to find that the parking lot is the only place that is not under 15 foot of snow.

I head down the mountain to find a campsite. California does not disappoint as I find the most beautiful place right on a river.

I pours with rain all night but there is a great feeling of snugness and comfort inside the camper. Next morning the fill the river with trout man comes by.

I set off for the Ponderosa Way. It is steep and very muddy but worst of all there are multiple possible tracks all of which could be the one I should be on. After a while I realize I am lost. It is chucking it down and I dread getting stuck in the mud high in the mountains, miles from anywhere. So I turn around and head back to a real road.

I spend the rest of the day researching camp sites as I now dream of coming back in better weather and spending a couple of weeks fishing for trout. The scenery is so beautiful and there is nobody here.

I end up in a site called Cherry Hills. Again I camp right by the river. Again it pours with rain.

Lassen National Forest is the place to go camping. I will be back with a fly rod.

The Web Conference is in San Francisco bringing together a lot of pioneers.

It is almost tear jerking to meet many people from the good old days.

That evening I am inducted as a Compagnon du Beaujolais. https://www.compagnons-du-beaujolais.com

Hilarious evening in fancy French restaurant.

I have to swear to promote Beaujolais and then drink a lot of the stuff from a silver tassie.

We all have a slap up dinner and drink far too much Beaujolais.

Wonderful singing. https://youtu.be/7mMlru-gGYk

This is initially a serious race that slowly degenerates into a procession of colorful folks prancing around having drink taken. It goes from the Ferry Building – Bay- to Ocean Beach – Breakers. The race passes right in front of our house and I spend a remarkable morning just watching from the steps.

Suddenly two motorbikes with flashing lights appear closely followed by the leading athletes who are burning it up!

Real athletes go through, followed bunches of serious runners wearing costume.

The pace slows and Bay to Breakers becomes a gleeful procession of inanity .

Great party! https://youtu.be/tIlpvQAsDPQ

A few details that have been overlooked due to the blazing light of the first sail.

The water pump in the galley had died after years of rubber withering heat and humility. It is a Whale pump, made in Northern Ireland. After much detective work I track one down to a boat shop on the mainland called Yuukomarine.

I send an email and get a reply in English from Colin. Hooray a boat chandler where they speak English. This will make my life much easier! It turns out that Colin knows Nick and Rika.

Anyway the new pump is hand delivered to my place at 9:30 on Sunday morning. No comment.

Harry gives me a small Indian made pressure cooker. I find this very exciting, as I dream of stews and stuff in exotic locations.

It is Tomomi’s birthday soon.