Posts

Teaching: ASA 101 -- Day 2 -- Lightning

-
GINOWAN, Japan: (Nov. 12, 2022) -- Day 2 of an ASA 101 Basic Keelboat Course with Sailing Okinawa. After the students took and all successfully passed the ASA 101 test, we headed out to do some downwind and MOB practices. Crew aboard the boat were students: Matt (an Aussie), Laurie and her 17-year-old son, Gideon. However, lightning lighted up the sky with Gideon on the helm as we headed toward Bouy 2 outside of Ginowan Marina which had us quickly turning around. This was the first time I've had to deal with lightning as an issue for the class.  So we headed back in and decided to wait two hours and meet at 1 p.m. to wait out the lightning. Right as students Laurie and Gideon walked up to Knotty Girl a bolt of lightning lit up the sky and cancelled their portion of the class.  So we setup a rescheduled date of Nov. 25 to finish off the course.  Matt -- who actually flew down from Tokyo -- stayed another hour and we launched Malietoa and did some downwind sailing and jibe ...
Post a Comment
Read more

TEACHING: ASA 101 - Day 1

-
Nov. 11, 2022 -- Spent this year's Veterans' Day teaching an American Sailing Association Basic Keelboat Course. Students: Laurie, Gideon and Matt.  Distance: 5.4nm. Average (SOG) 1.1 kts. Max SOG: 5.1 kts.  Sailing time: 3 hours. Spent time on docking the boat.  Wind forecast for the day was 13.7 kts with max average of 19.7 kts.  Day was sunnier than anticipated.  This was day 1 of an ASA 101 Basic Keelboat Course. 
Post a Comment
Read more

White Mold

-
Image
 June 8, 2022 —After 4 to 5 weeks of an extended rainy season, noticed white mold on the interior of Knotty Girl. Spent the day cleaning all the wood in the main salon.
Post a Comment
Read more

2022 — Trip to Zamami

-
Image
 June 15, 2022 — ABOARD KNOTTY GIRL — Left Ginowan Marina at 10:45 a.m. with Kevin Parrington. Sailed most of the day under 1 reef sail. Maximum winds were 20th and average speed was 3 Kts. Mostly overcast skies and sunny skies until we reached Kerama Straight.  Hit by a squall. Before we got hit by squall we furled in genoa and dropped main sail and motored up the channel until we arrived at the port at 1645. As we were coming in Zamami Port, Queen Zamami Ferry blew two horns as we pulled into the port. We hit pier a little hard with bow pulpit as I didn’t adequately inform Kevin on the docking procedures.  Had problems again with the knot meter. I was able to adjust it and it started to work. Trip length: 24 nautical miles.
Post a Comment
Read more

Sunset sail on Bon Ten

-
Image
Finally got a chance to sail on Bruce Hidaka-Gordon’s 30-foot Hunter July 4 out of Ginowan Marina. Bruce was already headed out and swung into the dock and picked me up in transit on his way to exit the marina.  Pretty cool maneuver as I was able to easily hop on.   
Post a Comment
Read more

Post “Typhoon” Work

-
Image
  GINOWAN MARINA — 7/3/2022 — Went to inspect the boat. No damage from the alleged typhoon. I took photos of a lot of the manuals in the boat so I can a better grasp of the equipment that is on the boat.  A few months back I had to change the lines that fill the fuel tank and vent the fuel tank. There was a diesel smell in the boat, the old lines were old and crispy and weren’t fitting properly which was causing a leak whenever the tank was filled. Noticed water in the locker and it was coming from the manual bilge pump. Looks like that is going to need to be replaced. So I will order that today. Also studying for ASA 104 — Bareboat Cruising. I will be taking the course in Hawaii in early July. The navigation part is killling me, but I need to do this. 
Post a Comment
Read more

Prepping lines

-
Image
7/1/2022 — At boat most of afternoon. Boat Maintenance — Ran engine for 20 minutes. — readjusted lines and created chafe guards.  Sailing skills — added matte finish tape to Southern Part of Okinawa map to make pencil marks easier to erase. Sailing Video — worked on Episode 13 — Home alone.
Post a Comment
Read more