Boat Visits – no spash this year

Hi guys!

We have been busy this fall and decided to skip splashing water on svHajime this season. We did visit her a couple times and caught up with dry storage rent payments worked on her some little bit and came back to USA.

Guaymas had a wind event in July and Jim went down to cut the solar panels off the boat, things were a bit twisted and bent up.

October we went to Japan for sight seeing and food tasting tour. We just kinda layed out a route and rode the trains… It has been 20 years since out third date in Tokyo at the old World Masters event in 2003. A goog a reason as any! The Japan photo posts on the blog back in october 2023…

Feb 09 through 25 2024 was boat work in the work yard at Marina Guaymas:

http://www.marinaguaymas.com/

Jim got pneumonia in MX so we cut the trip short. The new lymphoma drug wipes out white blood cells so like 30% of folks on the drug get infections of some kind, so no suprizes, the antibiotics we got in MX knocked it down prety quickly so we did get some work done…

Stuff we DID get done:

1. Washed down deck before opening boat
2. Hung the new 200 foot of 5/16 BBB 316 SS chain and 200 foot of new 5/8 nylon rode.
3. Put new BBB gypsey on Lewmar windlass
4. Removed stainless tube supports for the old 3 x140 watt solar panels. They were bent/broken from wind damage
5. Installed new support structure for new single solar panel 1 x 350 watt while installing panel, found frayed data cable to the RADAR and made new cable and installed same.
6. Sanded and sealed the cork cockpit sole
7. Replaced the forward Lewmar opening hatch with same part number Lewmar opening hatch 30×30 inch
8. Test sanded bottom and cut into the crack along the forward end of the keel hull joint to get idea for fix materials required for next time
9. Sanded and varnished cabin door from forward berth
10. Fixed bildge hatch in sole in front of head with new hatch support wood and new SS fasteners
11. Re-sewed bimini and dodger canvas with “forever thread”
12. Fired up Starlink on 12v DC and 120v AC to prove operable, all is working well!
13. Hung new SS forward upper lifelines and removed and brought home lowers to measure for ordering replacements from sailing services in FL
14. Brought home sample and new stanchion for bending replacements we had made in MX last year we need to bend stanchion tube to a 5 degree angle on the bottom 3 inches.
15. Measured winch for jib halyard for replacement next round
16. Re rigged line in the whisker pole and shortened it by a couple feet

Stuff we DID NOT get done:

1. re-upholster all the cushions in the boat; aft qtr – 5 pieces, salon – 4 pieces, forward V-berth – 3 pieces
2. Sand and paint bottom
3. Clean and wax boat deck
4. Replace dorade base wood boards 2@ 1/2″ x 9.25″ x 12″ and 2@ 1/2″x9.25″x20″
5. Go see the Copper Canyon

I guess FIN for a while again!

2023 Japan 3 weeks – The Short Version

https://photos.app.goo.gl/WpBD6Yr5xYUBEgQc7

Here are SOME of the same photos as in link above:

Japan Trip 1014 to the END

We fly/flew to the USA 10/18. SO final Blog for a bit (unless one of you two says something).

Link to photos (again hope to clean the photos up one day): https://photos.app.goo.gl/HYNeJsKfwk4f96reA

Neat link to a 3D map of Tokyo (and surrounding) zoom in pan tilt this one! Click on a moving train and get real time info!: https://minitokyo3d.com/

Jess” words:

Some thoughts from the train/bus/train trip from Tsuruoka to Yamagata:  I felt, enclosed as we were in still-green forests which clothe the mountains from head to heel, and advance to the train line, and crawl over anything untended, that the whole of the forest was one living organism.  And I tried to feel how that forest felt about humans, their roads, their cities, their quarries:  what I finally figured out was that the humans were part of the organism, not interlopers on a virgin forest or fighting nature tooth and nail, but more a part of the whole.  Up until then I had thought that Japanese became excellent gardeners in self-defense, to fend off the inroads of the green, but I began to believe that their elaborate tree-trimmings and trained, formal gardens were more of a whimsical dance with the green as their partner, as they are part and party of the spirit of the land.  Kami make a lot more sense in that view.

So, after a day of rest, we came to Yamagata and took a light stroll around the foundations of yes, another castle.  We have been greeted by school children sheparded by their teachers, we have been hailed by young men coming out of the park from practicing badminton, who wanted to practice their English.  It’s interesting to be recognized as strangers and greeted as welcome visitors. 

In Tsuruoka, where we went for a day’s tour of the museum that was hosting a sword exhibit as well as local boats, handcrafts, and a whole farmhouse packed up and moved to the museum. . .wonderful stuff.  If you were a Japanese farmer and needed something, you made it, from woven mats to plows and everything in between. 

After the museum we went and found food, at a lunch place solely inhabited by the owner/also the cook.  We struggled with the usual communication issues, and then another patron came in, a woman who teaches Japanese to, currently, Malaysian students.  They don’t want to learn Japanese, in part because of the multiple writing systems, when they already have both English and the English alphabet. . .I feel the pain on both ends of the equation.  She was a friend of the owner, who, it turns out, also publishes an annual booster book for the region, and whose daughter is a judo coach.  WE passed on a much admired Denver Judo patch.

The Japanese are a frugal people:  among the foods we have been fed have been burdock root, and most interestingly (from this cook’s perspective) what’s left of the soybean after it has been cooked and squeezed for soy milk to turn into tofu. None of it was bad.  Most of it was interesting in taste, texture, and aroma. 

Back to Yamagata, our current locale:  Another small Japanese hotel room, compared to our sprawl in an eight tatami room in the marvelous Tamokan guest house in Haguro Machi.  We came here for the express purpose of visiting Yamadera, home of a monastery on top of, yes, another thousand or so stone steps.  These stone steps were wide and made of a rough volcanic stone as opposed to the last set of slippery steps.  The ascent is wonderful, through cedars and other trees, up stone cliffs, with be-aproned statues of gods and buddhas all through the climb, and a spectacular view at one end of the top, and a spectacular monastery and temple at the other end.  There was also one of the ubiquitous drinks vending machines up there.  I have no idea how they keep it stocked.

Tomorrow we are proceeding halfway (or less) to Kyoto, just to keep from doing it all in one day.  Then we’ll spend our last two days in Kyoto before going for the next long flight back to the states.

More when next I get to the computer.

Jim’s comments:

FIN FIN FIN tired FIN

Japan Trip 10/09 to 10/13

Link to photos from 10/09 to 10/13. Not sure where we were when, ha! Lots of special places…

Link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/PoJgCM5L3zLUb7QdA

Jess’ words:

Japanese roulette: the act of selecting a rice ball from the convenience store cold shelf.  The packaging is a plain wrapper, clearly labeled with whatever is gracing your rice.  Unfortunately, you haven’t studied enough Japanese to know whether your rice ball is pickled salted plum or tuna.  Hence, the roulette.

The slipper game:  you are in a large room with many shoji (sliding, paper covered doors.) Which shoji conceals your slippers?

I love our current inn, a hostel in broad definition, filled with tatami rooms which can be opened or closed or expanded or contracted.  There’s a brook babbling outside.  The village is silent, except for some chickens and a very rare car.  We are fed royal dinners and breakfasts, many plated wonders of strange and wonderful vegetables and fish and dumplings.  One observation:  it seems every meal must have a slime component, be it okra or the interesting potato starch and sesame paste sweet of last night’s dinner.  Having given explicit instructions removing natto from the menu options, we’re content to try everything else.  Our cook seems pleased and interested that we eat everything on our plates.

We came here to see Haguro San, the unifying shrine of the three sacred mountains here.  Although the season has not yet shifted, mount Gassan has no reasonable access at this time, and mount Yudono is also inaccessible to the careless.  To get to the temple one climbs 2446 (or possibly 2447) steps.  In any event, they were solid stone, slippery with the rains and the wet leaves.

Jim’s stuff:

After the 2446 or 2447 steps, (BOTH UP AND DOWN by the way) We went back to our 100 year old guest house “Tamonkan” and had a fabulous Japanese dinner followed nee next morning by a great Japanese breakfast followed by a bus ride back to Tsuruoka for a museum tour and lunch. Fridat the 13th we caught a Train, bus, train transfer to Yamagata where we are currently looking looking for dinner!

FINFINFIN

Okay, another three days in Japan. Oct 6 to 8. The trip is half over…

We made an itinerary for the trip before starting, it has helped us keep things a little organized:

Link to (UNEDITED) photos Oct 06 to Oct 08, Onomichi to Kanazawa.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/FfMPoCENGvsXJHtt5

Jess notes:

10/06 – Speaking of collapse. . .I did ride across the islands.  Bridge to bridge to bridge to the final leg of a ferry.  It was a lovely trip, and I’m glad I stopped for an overnight, but it was difficult to get up and face my little city bike again.  The sore wore off after the first give klicks or so and I had a fine sunrise on the road.  The path is marked by a blue line.  Good.  Sometimes the path goes both ways around an island.  Bad.  Suddenly your path has you heading back the way you came and you’ve lost your bridge.  Very bad.  But I recovered.  Jim met me at the ferry and has watched me put away two meals so far.  I think I was running on a calorie deficient.  He tells me out hotel has excellent Thai food.  I’m looking forward to dinner.

10/08 – Our hotel in Onomichi after the bike ride across the bridges was wonderful.  It was also straight up the hill, on the order of 250-300 meters up.  I faced the stairs up the same way I had faced the last island, with gritty determination.  Of course, on that last Island I saw a brontosaurus and merely said to myself, “oh, a brontosaurus,” before, after pedaling a few more meters, it occurred to me that one did not actually see a brontosaurus every day.  So I stopped and took a picture.  I don’t think I managed any pictures on the way up those steps, but the one out our window was gorgeous.  Also, the way to avoid the steps is to go up on the rope way (funicular) which runs you over a local shrine and a spectacularly powerful camphor tree.

The restaurant at the hotel fed us serious Thai hot food:  The owner was a Thai boxer, and when he retired, he trained more boxers who got their wind running up and down the hill.  Breakfast, however, was a Japanese breakfast of rice and egg and pickles and salad and a few more oddments, including miso soup.  I was finally caught up on the calorie deficient.

From Onomichi we proceeded to take a train to Kanazawa, along with what feels like half the country:  Did I mention this weekend is a national holiday, National sports day?  Everyone is traveling.  We have a lovely room here at Guesthouse Namaste, with a widely traveled owner who likes to sit and chat in his living room.  We went to the gardens, which were lovely, at least what we could see of them between other tourists.  They were notable for the number of trees which needed prosthetics to hold up their spreading branches, which I found odd and irregular.  There were numerous youngsters out in full formal Japanese dress, including a couple who had opted for traditional shoes and were mincing along carefully.  We visited the samurai house, which included a congratulatory letter from an overlord for the recipient delivering a high-ranking enemy’s head.  It made me wonder which one of them felt it was more all in a day’s work. 

There was a castle, of course, and a historic apothecary dating from early in the shogunate.  There were two restaurants which required one to order using a cell phone to scan and order. . .those were wrestling matches, and I’m not sure who won, but we’ve had splendid sushi and tempura today, as well as some actually spicy dumplings.

Tomorrow we are off to Niigata, which we are informed has the best sake.  I shall have to investigate, and Jim will no doubt have to roll me home in a wheelbarrow.  After that we are off to Dewa Zansan, three holy (Shinto, mostly) mountains for more hiking and stair climbing adventures.   We shall  try to keep you updated.

Jim’s comments:

While Jess was RIDING bike 90 kilometers across 7 islands from Imabari to Onomichi,

I was RIDING a train from Matsuyama to Yokohama then back to Onomichi! Man was it a long RIDE!

Here is a rough map of Japan showing trip general locations: (starts and ends in Osaka)

Fin – all over again!

Third Japan post

Hi all, just adding photos to the album. I straightened out the photos into 3 day sets, here are the links:

0927 to 0929 https://photos.app.goo.gl/S3HCA5JkWAkTMNi7A

0930 to 1002 https://photos.app.goo.gl/FTwv9E6DZqoU7i8C9

1003 to 1005 https://photos.app.goo.gl/M13bBJpC2fRmgf4dA

Here are Jess’ notes through 10/03.

Strange foods: the green gelatinous balls on sticks described as “grass.” Not too bad with the molasses sauce they came with.  Called “Dango.”

So, yesterday was a travel day.  We hopped a ferry from Wakayama and it’s castle view hotel to Tokushima, famed for a dance.  Now we are off to learn how to make proper udon and visit the shrine for sailors.

Udon school was cool, and it was the first time I danced with Jim without him trying to throw me.  One part of making udon is to tread on it (in a tough plastic bag) two or three times.  The instructor, for his room full of mixed nationalities, gave us a sound track comprised of “another one bites the dust,” “gagnan style,” and “YMCA.”. One person in a group was assigned helper and tambourine player.  I have photographic evidence of Jim with a tambourine.  It was great fun.  Then we toured the sake museum.  Then we collected our bags, hiked to our ryokan, and collapsed for a bit.  The onsen revived us, but we get to hike to the mariners shrine tomorrow, then no doubt onsen again, then off to Matsuyama, where Jim has thankfully booked us a railway hotel. (turns out not so close as we thought!)

Jim’s addendum:

We woke at 6 in Kotohira and hiked up the 100,000 steps to the shrines and views above Kotohira. Then down the hill to the train station and a couple hours to Matsuyama where it seems there are another 100,000 stair steps up to the castle and gardens for a tour! 10/05 is the day for Jessica to tromp off to Imabari to rent a bike and arrange separate transport for her luggage so she can ride said bike to Onomichi. She left the hotel way before sunrise.

I was fortunate to meet Seiho Kawasaki (a judo friend from days in southern Michigan, Southside Dojo) for breakfast. We caught up on family and friends info, it has been 20 years since our last meeting (in Tokyo – 2003). The day proceeded then with a train for me to Okayama then on to Onomichi where there seem to be another 100,000 stair step climb to the Onomichi View Seizan Hotel!

GREAT VIEW!

FIN fin fin – no more steps for day or two?

Sorry to bug you, but one of you ask for this!

I’ve added to photo album up through 10/01. If you scroll down the latest photos are at the bottom.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/GdfN7zujzqxjVohr5

So far things are going well and to SHCEDULE (Jim’s schedule, of course). KIX to Osaka, Osaka to Nara, Nara to Kakayama. Seeing the sights, well some of them, enjoying the food, and getting to ride on trains, lots of trains!

Here are Jess’ notes on trip so far:

[9/29, 6:29 AM] Jess Lockfeld Carmer: Vicarious living #1:  we were about 100 feet off the runway when the pilot decided that the other plane was really going to be in our way.  We had to go around and do it again.  We then successfully navigated customs, the train, found our hotel with my pack getting heavier with every step, and followed recommendations from hotel staff to a tiny hole in the wall with delightful octopus balls and a sort of shrimp and veggies pancake.  Osaka bicyclists are multiple and fearless.  No graffiti.  We have now slept and woken and are almost ready for more exploration.

[9/30, 12:34 PM] Jess Lockfeld Carmer: We got to Nara yesterday, explored a shopping street, made it to our hostel, and having purchased random ramen packet, went out to be assaulted by the deer.  They know you have deer crackers and will not leave you alone until you no longer have deer crackers.  We also stopped en route to visit a cable car Jim wanted to see.  It leads to an amusement park, so was overrun by children in identical outfits, who were mustered together by the yellow, green, or purple hats.  They learn to love uniforms early.  This morning we visited the daibutsu, who has been around since 709 or so, although the shrine around him (which is stupendous) has burned down now and then.  Then we went in search of breakfast, more of a lunch by the time we got it.  The goal today is to stay awake past 8:00 pm.

[10/01, 8:34 AM] Jess Lockfeld Carmer: Still haven’t stayed up past 8. . .we had rain yesterday, starting in the early hours, with a thunderstorm which delivered water in drenching sheets.  Our hostel gave us umbrellas when I asked, in a carefully constructed sentence, where to buy them.  One highlight of the day was a craft fair at Nara train station, where there were beautiful parquet wood pieces, silk bags that put mine to shame, and hand made paper products.  I think Jim got pictures.  Then it was off to Wakayama, a transfer which we nearly missed, and a wander through the castle.  Jim booked us a swank hotel here that was a bit mysterious.  You have to find the correct elevator to get to the front desk.  We had a gorgeous view of the castle at dawn, which I found breathtaking.  Now we head for Tokushima and the wilds of shikoku.

Today, 10/02, it’s a ferry to Tokushima see the castles, climb the shrines, etc. etc. etc. Then west to Kotohira for noodle class and more shrine climbing before moving farther west to Matsuyama for the black castle, gardens and famous onsens.

Fin again, more in a few days

2023 Japan

I promised one of you updates on our 3 week trip to Japan.

Update:

Things are going nicely, everyone is very helpful with the language challenges! We have some words and phrases and a handy talking translator. Have not lost cell data on our Google Fi plan yet, but are still in the Osaka metro area. Or so it seems. We landed at Kansai International near Osaka 9/28 local and spent a night in in Osaka in the Namba district. We took a train to Nara the next day 9/29 and today is first of two days in Nara. Sunday we are off to Wakayama for an evening the next day is an afternoon ferry to Takashima on Shikoku island.

More later…

Here is a link to our Google Photos Trip Album:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/GdfN7zujzqxjVohr5

Fin fin fin fin…

You two missed us? Some boat stuff and the rest

Hi guys, been a little bit since the last post. I can update some things.

We got back to Denver mid April and seem to keep busy. Got to go to Judo Senior Nationals in May, a trip in June to see family in Michigan and Indiana, month of May brought Bob and Betsy to Denver for French food, a new grandson here in Denver in July, Myrtle Beach SC for Judo Veterans in August followed immediately by a bout of covid for both of us, a quick trip to MX to fix some dangling solar panels and then Jess demanded an air conditioner for the apartment in September, new pergola and some painting, and some new foam for the crash pads, Dan Dan visited from Ohio (warrantee repair on the inverter-battery set we helped with), and here we are…

All up to date? Thanks for bugging me you two!

PHOTOS:

USA Judo Senior Nationals in Spokane WA – Denver Judo won team points total! Woohoo!

June to see family in Michigan and Indiana, Whitney in the spotlight with his mom.

Daughters Amanda and grand daughter May with cousin.

All four grand children’s when daughter Amanda and Steven cane to visit:

Bob and Betsy visiting from IN

My son Andrew and bride Jeana have their second born in Denver in July,

Myrtle Beach SC for Judo Veterans in August

A bout of covid for both of us on returning from the Veterans tournament in Myrtle Beach. Who knows, maybe we took it to SC. The antiviral PAXLOVID really knocked the symptoms down in the first couple days of taking.

a quick trip to MX to fix some dangling solar panels

Jess demanded an air conditioner for the apartment in September and here we are… Some friends know that we live above the Denver Judo Club dojo. The building is two stories front half (club entry down stairs and our apartment up) and one high ceiling story rear (dojo). So we have a companionway stair from the apt. onto the roof for our back yard. Just like a boat? Anyway we put in a mini split heat pump with a drop ceiling cassette. The work was relatively painless.

Replaced the old pergola and got to add 10 gallons of paint to the building, the new $33,000 roof is doing nicely. Did finish the north wall (the one with the green storage container).

Crash pad foam replacement – new crash pads around $700 plus S/H and foam was $160 delivered plus some cutting and stuffing work.

Dan Dan (sorry no new photos)

FIN all over again!

Up – Up and Away

Hi ho you two! Since Jess had a slip disk issue we all decided it was a poor idea to have her on boat for the trip north to Guaymas. So we called for help and Jess’ brother Tim responded. Our savior, Tim Lockfeld, motored/sailed with me up to Guaymas from Puerto Vallarta approximately 665 statute miles. Truly above and beyond the call. Thanks Tim!

Jess flew to Denver from PV on 06 Apr and Tim and I left that day for Chakala – Matanchen Bay – Mazatlan – Heroica Guaymas. We arrived in Guaymas on the Friday the 14th of April. Spent Sat. and Sun. doing laundry and packing what we could on boat while anchored near the Fonatur Marina in Guaymas.

We hauled out at 9:00 AM on Monday the 17th Apr at Marina Guaymas: http://www.marinaguaymas.com/, and after a day’s hard work on the boat cleaning/closing Tim caught an overnight bus to Phoenix that evening and then he took a flight from Phoenix home to San Francisco the next morning.

The trip was 665.5 statute miles ( about 580 Nm )

I worked closing boat until around 5 PM when the haul out yard closes for the night and got a hotel room in San Carlos. Had the fabulous “tortia soup” for supper at Jax Snax: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=411538514107684&set=pb.100057546154961.-2207520000.&type=3

and slept soundly. Got up and went back to the boat yard to finish closing the boat and doing the stay on boat laundry items. Finished around 2 PM on the 18th April and started the drive back to Denver. I stayed in Nogales AZ on the 18th and then drove from Nogales to Denver arriving in Denver around 8 PM on 19 Apr 2023.

Closing the boat photos:

Techie time:

Not much techie time stuff this round. I did throw together a DC 12v cigarette lighter plug-in for the Starlink so I would not loose data on the drive up to the USA from Guaymas Sonora. I was hoping to have Fi.Google folks restore my international data service once I hit the boarder and they did, although, turns out I needed a wifi connection to the phone to re-establish data service so the Starlink supplied the link!

I had the dish in the front window and the components all taped together sitting on the passenger seat when I crossed the boarder and had to explain that it was not dangerous to the USA boarder guard.

After getting home and finishing cutting the back off the Starlink V2 dish and installing it in the Star-mount systems: https://star-mountsystems.com/products/low-profile-flat-mount-for-rectangle-starlink-dishy, flat mount setup I had an issue with the Tycon POE injector: https://www.tyconsystems.com/poe-inj-1000-wt . It took a while to figure out that the power injector was the problem and glad I had a spare. It works again.

I did get a notice from Starlink a couple days ago via email that said I had used the dish in the “ocean” and need to opt into a paid for data program to make sure it works in he future. It is a little confusing so I’m not sure how this works yet.

FIN FIN FIN