After our rough arrival in Komatsushima we left with very little wind and calm water. Could this possibly be the same ocean as two days ago. It seemed not!
We motor sailed towards Naruto, more motoring than sailing, and for the first time in recent memory had both the main and Genoa out to full capacity.
We had to time Naruto so that we either had the ebb tide or as it started flowing in the direction we were going but before it got too strong. In certain conditions giant whirlpools can form up to 20m in diameter due to the huge amounts of water moving between the inland sea and the Pacific Ocean. A contributing factor is also the geography of the strait as it narrows. The whirlpools are a sightseeing spectacle and tour boats take people to observe and there are websites you can refer to for best viewing times. We wanted the opposite!
As we made our approach someone official contacted us on the radio to provide conditions of the crossing. I am not sure if this is routine or because we were a small vessel and while it was unexpected it was nice to know someone is watching.
Although we could not have asked for more perfect conditions, the water was extremely turbulent and you could feel the boat being buffeted about. Ebb tide is very short and we had a 2kn current helping carry us through. We topped 11kn as we sped under the bridge.
The Coast Guard at Komatsushima had provided us with a handout about the strait and it said if in doubt about the conditions of the crossing “be courageous” and turn back. Good advice!
And so we were spat out into the Seto Naikai, known simply as the inland sea. With absolutely no wind the water was as calm as a mill pond and the air was very hazy, at times we couldn’t see the land. We had spotted a US yacht on AIS that appeared to be heading in the same direction as ourselves, so looked forward to meeting up.
Sure enough the US yacht Plainsong entered the harbour at Shodo Island with us following close behind. The pier where you tie up to is the ferry dock as well, though we never saw a ferry in our short stay. There was ample room for us to come in on the same side as Plainsong.
Francis is an Englishman who is the editor of The Pacific Crossing Guide and is spending a few months sailing in Japan. We will definitely buy the book once the new edition comes out for our return trip home. Francis and I went in to pay the lady in a nearby cafe for our stay. I have to step up and take over Dean’s normal duties since he is sniffing and sneezing with a head cold.
It was a bit of a funny visit. The whole time she was talking away in Japanese kind of under her breath and not really to us. Francis asked me if I spoke Japanese and I said no, so we shrugged and let her keep going. The cost is calculated on the length of your boat. Francis went first and gave the length of his boat, 11m, and she’s tapping away on the calculator, talking the whole time, then wrote down the charges for both his and our boat. After we made it clear, no we are paying separately she wrote two receipts. I never gave her the length of our boat but I was charged slightly more so she must have made a guess.
I had a little walk around, it was a neat town. It would have been nice to spend longer here but we have to get to Hiroshima as I fly out in a few days.
A beautiful Grey Crane was fishing off our dock.
He did not appreciate being watched at all as I stalked him from a distance but after I got a few shots of him I left him alone. I wish I hadn’t because I missed him catching his fish. With a final look of mistrust in my direction, or perhaps just disgust for intruding on his solitude, he gracefully took off for his roost for the night.
Run to Paradise 