Captain’s Blog: We made it to Japan!!!!

March 19-20

Hi All,

Yes……we have FETCHED JAPAN….whoa….we had to pinch ourselves a little to let it sink in….this little trawler that could!!!!!

Leg 2 of MMMAC is completed….Mystic Moon Malaysia to Alaska Cruise…..say MAC….I did ask for input to a better name…only one friend responded….Ethnicity to Eskimo tour…..hmmm, cute…..I passed:))))!!

We are at 26 12N latitude…..started at 6N…..1200 miles north so far…..and the temps are just right…..still had shorts and t-shirt on today washing the boat….80*F in cabin…..but a storm is coming tonight….winds turn North and maybe 1″ of rain…..high tomorrow 65*F….brrrrr:)))

The Admiral and I have a bit of a disagreement on how to describe the passage from Santiago Cove to Okinawa….my description:

The good, bad and ugly:

The Good: we had 35 hours of trawler like conditions at the beginning and through the Kushiro current with absolutely no issues….the Admiral agrees on this
The Bad: we had 48 hours of bad…..so how do I define bad:
– headseas….anything >3′ and Mystic is in motion
– John has to sit….think about that one:)))
– you must hold onto something to move around
– absolutely no fishing
– we can stay on course
The Ugly: we had 24 hours of ugly….very rough….as big as 10-12′ seas….we had to tack off course the entire time trying many different combinations of course and speed

The Admiral says the last 3 days were all ugly:))))

So how did it go with all the officialdom when you arrived in Japan….we had been warned it might take 2-3 hours….ugh!!!!

Well…..we docked at 10:15am and we finally got our passage beer at 6:15pm…..so about 8 hours of keeping my happy face on:)))) The marina guys had just got one line on when the Quarantine lady jumped on Mystic…like really jumped….the bow was hooked but not the stern and we kept getting blown off….TG we did not have a boat next to us….Kathy takes the lady inside and I finish docking…I tried to go on the dock to get it right but was told no can do….okie dokie!!!

Quarantine took maybe 10-15 min…..she never really inspected the boat….just took our temp and asked some medical questions and good to go. We only got a temporary status and must stay healthy until April 1….some of the diseases like Zika and Dengue have a 14 day incubation period!!

Then 6 nice, young, professional men and 1 woman came onboard…..Coast Guard and Customs…..we sort of split up and I got Coast Guard. Kathy is very well prepared….she has all the forms already completed…got the forms online before we left Philippines. CG wanted to see our route so showed them on Nobeltec. Then they looked at our log to confirm our last 10 ports….yes, really TEN. Customs took swabs of the 3 staterooms and the engine room…like TSA at the airports…looking for drugs and bomb/gun like materials. They have a machine in their van and of course we passed!!

So now the difficult part…..we want to change our status from foreign to domestic….if not, every port we enter we have to clear in/out with Customs….very time consuming. The head guy asked a bunch of questions but eventually said ok but we don’t have the right stamp so you must go to Naha….really, you can’t go back and get the stamp….no, too far away….ugh….but not true…stay tuned….

Immigration: hmmm….did not play ball and come to the boat….not sure why….they told Henry-San, the marina manager…he was not very happy but nothing we could do and he would not let us do anything until we had cleared Immigration.

It was now about 11:30am and Henry-San said come to the office at 1pm after lunch and we will get you checked in and off to Naha….okie dokie…..but wait, we still need to plug into shorepower. I get our USA cord out and check the shorepower plug….ODG…it is a USA style plug….haven’t seen one of those since 2013. So I plug in….nada, zip, zero….ugh!! I play around with it a bit but no go. Henry-San sees me and comes by and says the breaker tripped at the main panel….he shows me where this is just in case….we try again but no joy. He gets an electrician and we work on it until 1:30….ugh…..final solution…they plug us into a different shorepower pedestal across the dock which had not been turned on yet but they got it going. I’m not sure, but we maybe the fist boat in this slip and something has to be wired wrong on the pedestal.

In the meantime, Kathy has gone to the office to check us in….I get there just as she is finishing…Henry San wants us to leave soon for Naha….ok, how do we get there….by taxi….well, we have no yen….really, how come…well, we just got here….oh….well, you need to get some yen….yep, and finally after much looking at maps for an ATM, the office lady, Aiumi, decided to just take us to a bank….but on the way we talked her into a convenience store as we could get more yen. We did successfully and she called a cab, told the driver where to go and gave us a map and said “good luck”. It took about 30 min to drive 10-15 miles…$20….lots of traffic….we find Immigration and walk in…ODG a long que….but a lady looks up and asks are we from the yacht…yes…oh, I can help you….so passport stamped, finger print scanned and 30 minutes we are done….we ask, can you call us a taxi to take us to Customs…oh, I will give you the number…no good as we have no cell sim card yet because we are spending all darn day to check in….I didn’t say that as Kathy kicked me just in time:))))

Then a Chinese woman comes up and says in perfect English….she studied in Vermont….she can get us a taxi…I fortunately had the address for Customs and that made life so much better…..that was really, really nice of her…so another $13 and we are at Customs and “our” guys recognize us and we have a nice chat while they complete the form….then they called a cab and told them where to go…but WAIT….the head Customs guy comes out…so sorry, but on your medicine list you listed codeine (Vicodin)….K says yes….that is illegal (maybe USA should take notice)…we know….we have to come back to your boat and seal them up…ok, we had expected you to do that this am….so another 45 min, lots of traffic….$30…total is $63…so much for no fees to check in…..and we are back at the marina by 5:15pm!!!! Henry-San and Aiumi-San are waiting….the next day, Tuesday, is their day off but they waited to make sure we got back safely and to continue to check us in and answer some questions. First up was wifi….yes, and you can get it on your boat….but, I went to hook on and they do not broadcast their SSID….so Aiumi-San sets up both our phones and writes down all the info so we can get the laptops hooked on.

More Questions:
Fuel: Henry-San misunderstands me and thinks we want to be hauled out….after 5 minutes of me saying fuel and him explaining how they lift Mystic, the light comes on…ok, I have been up all day with no food….I finally say diesel fuel and his eyes go big….oh, yes, yes, we have….how much…about 3000 liters…~$3.35/gal….no problem…..then we talk price for the next 5 minutes….still a bit confused if we get duty free or we pay tax….which I think is about $100 on the 3000 liters…and we also think since we are now “domestic” we are not eligible….clarification for another day!!!
Slip fee: $35/day but you pay each day until midnight and then it rolls…..a nifty trick to get an extra day…like if you stay for 1 night, you pay for 2 days…I pointed this out and he just smiled…Okinawa law…what can you do…I smiled and bowed back….and Kathy kicked me again to keep me smiling….of course, I’m thinking if that includes water and electricity we have a bargain:)))

Then more questions about grocery stores, restaurants et al. We are bit disappointed with the marina’s location….as a marina it is great…brand new…we can’t seem to get an answer how long it has been open…maybe a year but it is still not completed….but the location is somewhat isolated and there are no cruisers here…in fact we don’t see anyone on the 20-30 boats here….slips for 100…pretty empty:((((

But there is a big shopping center w/in walking distance which they said ok restaurants but a huge supermarket…ok, then that should do it!!!

Icemaker: well, after 14 years it is broke….Kathy is making ice the old fashion way with trays….and not happy….therefore me too:))) I ask Henry-San if there is a refrigerant mechanic available….I thought at first he said one is coming tonight…hopes up, but not the case. He does call one….a discussion for about 10 minutes….I think we have a gas leak as the compressor comes on, gets hot but the box is not cold. I give the phone back to Henry-San….a bunch of head nodding then hangs up. Well, very difficult to repair in the 7-10 days you will be here…he needs 2-4 weeks….bummer…can he just come out and hook on the instruments and confirm no gas??? Well….he is thinking now….oh….he might come by in the next 2-3 days….he is very busy…okie dokey…

And that was the day….we get back to Mystic and pop the passage beers….time 6:15pm…..still no lunch….but wait…here comes the Customs guys….they seal the meds and are off…..we ask what if we need them….just call us….okie dokie

We are in Japan….it finally hits us….out comes the Don Julio Aneyo…..and the celebration begins!!!

Cheeseburgers on the grill with some good wine…yummers!!!

Then it is the sleep of the dead…..internet session this am…..I spend 3 hours completely washing Mystic….no one available to hire at the marina….wow….was she salty…..even the FB wheel!!!!

This afternoon Kathy researched Cell Sim cards…..it is very difficult to get one here as a foreigner….normally you can get one at the airport but all those are in Japanese. Several people/blogs had advised us to get a 90 day 100G Sukura card for ~$275….yikes, expensive but it is English friendly and will work most of the time in all of Japan….that is what our friends on sv Spruce did as well….so, that is what we are going to do…..you order the Sim card and it arrives in 3 days!!

That’s it…..tomorrow we will go explore the restaurants, grocery store and other places!!!

One bit of sad news is our rendezvous with Andy and Sue on sv Spruce is delayed….they are on the west side of Okinawa at the Ginowan marina….on the guest dock with no power or water….couldn’t work for Mystic….they left today to start the 1500nm run in 50-60 days to Kushiro so we will have to catch them in a few weeks….they left due to the storm tonight….if they didn’t leave today they probably could not leave for 3-4 days….darn that Mr Weather again!!! We did talk with them 2x on What’s App and compared passages, check in et al…..so good to hear their voices!!!

The Plan: We will be working on it over the next few days. It’s still winter 300-500 miles north….Nagasaki which is ~400 miles north high today is 40*F…..ODG:((((( It’s about 1600nm to Kushiro, our jumping off port for Russia and we have ~60 days to get there…..so, a balance between staying south until winter is over but yet making adequate progress…..stay tuned!!!

Final Stats:

Position: 26 012N 127 46E
Traveled: 724nm from Santiago Cove Philippines
Leg 2: Subic Bay to Yonabaru Okinawa: 956nm
Speed: Averaged 7.3kts SOG for passage
Fishing: Nope
Sail: down
Fuel burn: 1.35nmpg for passage; not too bad!!

Hope all is well!

John
Mystic Moon
Okinawa Japan
REST MYSTIC REST!!!!

Fisherman in Santiago Cove setting net in front of Mystic the night before we left. I tried to communicate we were leaving but he did not understand. Thankfully, sometime in the night he retrieved his net!!

Trawler weather along Luzon coast

Wind farm at Cape Bojeador…..farthest point north on Luzon……we are now entering the notorious Luzon Strait

Still trawler like weather the next morning….sweet as!!

Perfect!!

Then it all went crazy….this is an Asian sport fisher. Came up along side for a look see. The picture does not accurately show the rough conditions…..

Okinawa

Kathy with breakfast…LOL….we had 10 dead flying fish onboard!!

Japan….oh what a welcome sight!

Any ideas what it means…..supposedly directions from the marina to Naha customs….ok, if they say so!!

Our Vicodin all sealed up

Not many boats and no cruisers:(((

New but pretty empty Yonabaru marina