Japan

MORE FRIENDS IN JAPAN: A Visit to Kyoto with our “Personal Guides”, Keuke and Teiko Maruyama4-6 November 2010We were introduced to Keisuke and Teiko Maruyama and their two daughters, Natsuki and Azusa, in Hawaii by our friend and Japan sensei Jack Peters. Kei is a professor at Doishisha Women’s College in Kyoto and the Maruyama family was living in Hawaii while Kei did research at the University of Hawaii.     Jack Peters     The Maruyama family on Starr in...

08 November, 2010 /

Part II - SEPTEMBER-NOVEMBER 2010 FRIENDS IN JAPAN – IT’S ALL ABOUT THE PEOPLE You have to stay in one place long enough to become friends. We returned to Starr on 1 September, and have had guests from Hawaii (Kat & James Petron) in September, and from San Francisco (Shari Walker and Steve Leonard) in October. For each of these visits we have taken Starr cruising in the Seto Nakai (to Shodoshima, Takamatsu and Onomichi)...

01 November, 2010 /

Saturday, 30 October 2010 – 0800 Yesterday we added more lines in anticipation of Chaba arriving on Friday night and Saturday. Starr weighs 100 tons and the dock we are tied to is a Bellingham Marine float, with cleats bolted through a 3x10” wooden rub rail. These cleats can be torn off of from the rub rail, so it is important to spread the load to as many different points as possible. Our winter lines...

30 October, 2010 /

Typhoon Chaba will arrive on Friday and Saturday, 29-30 October. This is Typhoon #16 in our part of the world. Typhoons don’t get a name unless they grow into big storms and this one is on its way to visit us. Every morning Don and I get up and check our computers for emails and then go to three websites that track tropical storms and cyclones (typhoons) in our part of the world. PassageWeather...

28 October, 2010 /

More Barnacles on the Bottom . . . September 24, 2010 We just returned from a 250nm run thru the Setto Nakai, from Ashiya to Onomichi and back to Ashiya. James and Kat Petron went back to Hawaii last night and I thought I would tidy up the engine room. I checked the sea strainers, and would you believe it, the main engine strainer basket was full again…this is the third time since doing...

24 September, 2010 /

Sharry's Note: We first met Kat and James Petron when we arrived at Waikiki Yacht Club on our voyage to Japan. Kat was the Port Captain for WYC and James is a 1600 ton tug captain for K Sea Towing, moving fuel barges around Hawaii. Kat runs a business managing and renting vacation properties in Honolulu. If you are interested in renting a place for a day or for a month contact her at:Hawaii Vacation...

23 September, 2010 /

The “Tool of the Year Award” has been contested! AND Barnacles on the Bottom 15 September 2010 The Tool of the year award has been contested! The Yanmar Diesel Emergency Fire and Bilge Pump has lodged an appeal. AKA: DPL48-2PT, Sold by Diesel America West, www.dawest.com (These pumps are on most Foss and Crowley tugs for emergency use) WE ARE REQUESTING YOUR INPUT TO SETTLE THIS APPEAL.    Yanmar Emergency Fire/Bilge Pump Home ...

15 September, 2010 /

September 9, 2110 Engine Room Helper of the Year Award goes to----------- The Jabsco Mini Puppy!!! Yeah!!    The Mini Puppy I don’t know what I would do without my little Jabsco Mini Puppy pump. That little pump has done more dirty jobs just this year than you can shake a stick at. Some of its accomplishments include: Transferring 100 gallons of used lube oil from the E.R. waste tank to 50 gallon drums...

09 September, 2010 /

September 2, 2110 NEW ON STARRVOYAGE BLOG and Don and Sharry are back in Ashiya NEW ON STARRVOYAGE BLOG: DON NOW HAS HIS OWN BLOG – see the tab “DON’S LOG” on the Home Page to read about issues regarding Vessel Operations and other subjects that interest him. Who knows he may actually update his log now and then (when he’s not fixing things or improving things or just doing general maintenance on Starr).  ...

02 September, 2010 /

June 24, 2010 Bellport Marina Ashiya, Japan 34 42' 35"N, 135 19' 05"E Dear Friends, We left Bellport Ashiya on April 30, and traveled with the GSSR Group through the Seto Nakai (Inland Sea) to Nagasaki. We left our GSSR friends in Nagasaki and cruised to Hirado, Imari, Yobuko, Haggi and on June 14 began our trip back to Ashiya. We arrived at Bellport Ashiya, our Home Port in Japan, on June 24. On...

25 June, 2010 /