Change of plans

06 Oct Change of plans

We’re currently underway from Saipan, bound for Japan. Our initial plan had been to make landfall in Hiroshima, but as is often the case at sea, the weather had other ideas. After studying the forecasts, we made the decision to alter course for Miyazaki instead. The change carried a twofold benefit: it shortened our passage and spared us from transiting the Inland Sea of Japan during the night, a notoriously tricky area when visibility is low and in addition, all of the aqua-culture in navigable waters in Japan.

When we departed Saipan, we were threading a very narrow weather window, a slim corridor between a tropical system forming to our west and another tropical wave sweeping down from the northeast. It was a calculated move to move fast enough, stay in the gap, and reach a safe harbor before either system closed in.

Showing a small gap to hit the southeast side of Kyushu

But, as every mariner knows, weather is a fickle being. About a day and a half out, both our own analysis and the counsel of our esteemed weather router (Roger Badhum, Clouds) confirmed that the tropical disturbance was strengthening into a named storm. That narrow passage we had been relying on was rapidly disappearing.

The gap gone with the prediction that the TS will re curve eastward

Our options quickly dwindled to three, none of them pleasant:

1. Turn around and bash back into deteriorating conditions toward Saipan.
2. Head west toward the Philippines and risk being caught in the storm’s expanding reach.
3. Push ahead at best speed and gamble on beating the system to port.

Bad choices all around.

So, Don and I put our heads together and went back to the chart. Earlier in the day, Don had plotted an alternative route heading towards Chichijima (27°04′N, 142°12′E), a small but well-sheltered island northeast of our original track. We never intended to make landfall there, as it is not an official port of entry into Japan, but with the storm strengthening and our window closing, it became clear that this was our safest option. We have now altered course another 30 degrees east to give the tropical storm (Halong) time to move westward…. Hopefully!.

                                       Our alternate route for refuge!

In addition to all the excitement of dodging storms, we had a bit of late-night drama aboard Starr. At around 0115 during my watch, I noticed that the navigation system had suddenly stopped receiving a GPS signal. With the following cross seas pushing us off course, Starr began to steer off course quickly, and I had to wake Don so he could take the helm and steer manually (luckily with Starr’s Twin rudders this is a relatively easy going process because she tracks so well, even though the seas were substantial quartering seas.) We then started troubleshooting the issue together.

Our first step was to replace the ComNav power head, but that didn’t solve the problem. Thankfully, with Starlink online, we were able to reach out to Sam for assistance. He quickly recognized the issue and explained that the old fluxgate switch under the dash was no longer in use. With his help, we reconfigured the system and were able to bring things back online.

The root of the problem turned out to be our Furuno satellite compass, which had stopped receiving position data and was no longer outputting heading information to the autopilot. Fortunately, we’ll soon be heading to Nishinomiya, where Furuno manufactures all of their equipment, and we plan to check the system fully.

                                            The info our weather router sends to us, showing how severe the re-curve will be

With the forecast tightening and the storm intensifying, we pointed Starr’s bow north and held a steady hand on the throttle, setting course for Chichijima, an unplanned but necessary stop on our long voyage to Japan. It’s a timely reminder that at sea, flexibility is often the most valuable tool aboard.

We’ll share another update once we make landfall in Chichijima and get settled before continuing our journey north toward Japan.

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