A "day of rest" as Saito readies for Sydney departure

Position:
033 50 S, 151 13 E (Rozelle Super-yacht Marina)

Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 16.7%

In Sydney for repairs since arriving Nov. 17. Departure planned in 2 days.

Heading: 0
Boat speed: 0.0 kt (7-day average: 4.2 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 0 nm
Distance made good: 4,163 nm (7,710 km)
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 20,967 nm

Yokohama ETA:  172 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)

Tasmania (WP #2 / 730 nm) ETA: 7.2 days [after Sydney stopover]

Weather: Clear
Barometer: 995 hPa
Waves:
Wind (from):
Current (from):
Engine:
Generator:
Sails
Main:
Staysail:
Genoa:

Today's Report

We will resume the log on Sunday, Nov. 24 as Saito-san departs Sydney following 5 days of repairs, with Saturday (tomorrow) declared "a day of rest."

For the repairs, the vessel remained in Rozelle Super-yacht Marina, which was found to be both conveniently located and relatively inexpensive (one-quarter of Japan's day rates) despite its ominously pricey name.

Added Comment

The repairs were organized by former Sydney resident Russell Salmon, who flew in from Auckland for the week to assist Saito-san on a volunteer basis. Russell is himself a single-hander who left his yacht in an Auckland boatyard where it is undergoing its own repairs.

The main items of attention were:

• Restoring operation of the aux generator, which had a fuel line air blockage and starter problems; spares [solenoid and fuel pump diaphragm] were added
• Finding and sealing deck leaks
• Fixing electrical outages
• Repairing the anchor well hatch
• Adding to and restoring operation to the bilge pumps, including a new portable pump with a smaller hose diameter to allow total water removal from areas that are not reached by the stationary pumps. A stern pump was also added.
• The Inmarsat comms system was restored, after the service rep traced the problem to a faulty DC-DC step-up converter (from the boat's 12V to 24V). A spare converter was added.
• Overhauling the steering system to include restoring the larger BM pump that had been swapped out in Japan for an undersized Type 2 Raymarine pump. The new hydraulic system now is set up for redundancy, so if the primary BM pump goes out, the secondary Raymarine Type 3 pump can be engaged by turning a valve, bleeding the line of air, and continuing in less than 15 minutes. New rod ends and a tiller position sensing rod were added. A spare Type 3 pump was added as a reserve unit for good measure [thus 3 units are now on board].
• A rigging check found everything in good shape.

***
Saito-san is relieved to be finished and is looking forward to the departure. From the shore side, the Saito 8 Safety Committee will be forever grateful for the support of Russell Salmon and the professional assistance of Shigeo Saito, who did this work for a living in Sydney boat yards before retiring several years ago. The repairs were monitored on a daily basis from Tokyo by Michael Seymour and me. James Hayashi arranged the Inmarsat repair.

From this point, the voyage will continue as non-stop from Sydney to Yokohama, with the next waypoint being a near-proximity pass of Hobart, Tasmania, in about 7 days.

***
IMPORTANT:
We are hoping to arrange several "official" observers for his departure, so if you live in Sydney and can see Minoru off on Sunday (about 9 am), please send me an email with a cc to Mike Seymour at "Michael Seymour <michael@ecentral.jp>". You will be requested to fill out a form stating you were present at the dockside departure. We'll send you a complimentary gift of the Saito 8 T-shirt and cap for your help!

Please coordinate with Mike or Saito-san for this. I will be out of touch until Sunday but can access my mail until Saturday morning Tokyo time.

More repairs, this time in Hobart; a worrisome leak is hunted down and fixed

Position:
042 52 S, 147 21 E (Hobart, Tasmania)
Stopover in Hobart

Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 18.9%

Heading: 0
Boat speed: 0.0 kt (7-day average: 5.0 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 0 nm
Distance made good: 4,726 nm (8,753 km)
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 20,404 nm

Yokohama ETA:  170 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)Tasmania (WP #3 / 0 nm) ETA: 0 daysWeather: Mostly cloudy, cold, breezy (11 C)
Barometer: - hPa
Waves: - m
Wind (from): 15 - 18 kt W
Current (from): 0 kt
Engine: hr / 1500 rpm, hr / 2000 rpm (estimates 35 hours since Sydney)
Generator: 0 hr
Sails
Main: 0%
Staysail: 0%
Genoa: 0%

Today's Report

Our apologies for the break in the log.

After being dogged by a persistent stern leak Saito put in at Hobart, Tasmania, on Sunday, Nov. 30 to determine whether the hull had developed a crack. A structural failure would have been disastrous, and the source of the leak could not be traced while under way.

Saito cleared Hobart immigration on his Australian cruising permit, and made his way (with the assistance of Nick Corkhill, Sailing Manager of the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania) to the Clean Lift Marine boat complex in Prince of Wales Bay, where there was a large enough lift for Nicole BMW Shuten-dohji III.

There, an immediately helpful Chris Smith assisted Saito-san and the boat was hauled from the water for a thorough hull inspection. An expert on steel hulls was brought in for the check. Jason Scheppein determined the hull was "not a problem" but discovered that a stern area deck hole for an antenna had become uncaulked, allowing water to enter. Jason said he was "100% confident" he had found and corrected the leak.

Added Comment

The stern leak, which Saito estimated at about 3 liters/hour at its worst, fortunately was not structural. Sealant for the antenna hole had washed out and there being no scuppers in that area of the deck, accumulated water from rain and spray drained into the boat, rather than over the side.

Saito was unable to locate the problem since the leak was hidden by diesel fuel containers covered by a protective tarp, which was contributing to the water accumulation, Jason theorized. The water was pooling inside the boat in an area that suggested either the stern tube (for the propeller shaft) or rudder mount had developed a hole or crack. Jason said his inspection revealed these to be in good shape.

An additional positive note: the new portable pump added in Sydney got a good test and proved its usefulness to a grateful Saito-san.

***
A further issue that will be addressed in Hobart is the aux. generator, which temporarily stopped operating (again) a day or so after departure from Sydney. Saito was able to get it started by bleeding the fuel circuit, but only with considerable difficulty. If it can be fixed by a diesel mechanic, he'll leave Thursday, he said.

Here are the steps required for bleeding a diesel engine.

***
Saito-san mentioned today that as he was departing Sydney a problem developed with the lazy jacks and he got his first use of the folding mast steps that were designed into the new mast during last spring's refit in Auckland."Lazy jacks" is the name given a system of lines that are used to contain, and guide, the mail sail as it is being raised and lowered. (If you think of a "cat's cradle" children make between their hands with a length of string, that's roughly the idea behind the lazy jacks.) Without it, the main sail can be blown out of control during the reefing process.

The folding mast steps were another feature added in Auckland, since going up the the mast without the help of one or more crew can be dangerous and extremely difficult. Without steps the alternative is being hauled up by the main halyard in a bosun's chair. To imagine that, think of an emergency helicopter lift operated manually by only one person -- and that's the one being lifted out.

Repairs finished, Saito readies to depart Hobart

Position:
042 52 S, 147 21 E (Hobart, Tasmania)
Stopover in Hobart

Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 18.9%

Heading: 0
Boat speed: 0.0 kt (7-day average: 5.0 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 0 nm
Distance made good: 4,726 nm (8,753 km)
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 20,404 nm

Yokohama ETA:  170 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)

Tasmania (WP #3 / 0 nm) ETA: 0 days

Weather: Mostly cloudy, cold, rain, strong winds (11 C)
Barometer: - hPa
Waves: - m
Wind (from): WSW
Current (from): 0 kt
Engine: hr / 1500 rpm, hr / 2000 rpm (estimates 55 hours since Sydney [revised])
Generator: 0 hr
Sails
Main: 0%
Staysail: 0%
Genoa: 0%

Today's Report

Saito leaves tomorrow. The following report was prepared for the Saito 8 Committee and is published below.

Added Comment

Saito-san leaves tomorrow about noon as he waits for a storm front to pass and makes final preparations.

The vessel seems in good shape after replacing a cracked backstay turnbuckle, modifying the engine room door, and securing the batteries with steel bars. The leak in the stern was found and caulked. The generator was serviced and the air leak corrected by several replaced seals. He topped off the tanks, adding 260 liters. The forward tanks were filled slightly though he wants them mostly empty for improved buoyancy.

(He used 250 liters in the 5 days from Sydney to Hobart running at 1,500 - 1,600 rpm 11 hours a day. That's roughly 4.5 liters an hour.)

***

The question has been raised whether he can still make it in time for the Yokohama Port 150th Anniversary celebration.

Here are my calculations on whether he can make Yokohama by the first week of June:

1) Saito has 20,400 nm to go from Hobart. There are 175 days remaining to May 31 if he leaves tomorrow [Sunday].

2) He needs to maintain 117 nm / 4.9 kt to make it by then, which gives him a window of about 4 days during the week of celebrations.

We discussed his plan. He expects, with moderate use of the engine, to maintain 120 nm a day.

3) If so, he'll arrive in Yokohama in 20,400 / 120 = 170 days.

In the 5 days he motor-sailed against the winds from Sydney to Hobart he averaged 5.8 kt. That is likely to be what he will encounter in the Freemantle to Cape Town leg. (He said before in SD II he made that leg in 45 days -- 4,000 nm, or 89 nm a day -- with no engine.) He will sail in 1- to 3-day tacks, depending on wind direction and strength. (See Don's comment below.)

4) If he motor-sails at 1,500 - 1,600 rpm (making an ave. 5.8 kt) which is what he did for 11 hours a day from Sydney, he would make Cape Town in 29 days from the Fremantle waypoint and use 28 days x 11 hours x 5.5 liters = 1,700 liters + generator use of about 120 liters. Or say 2,000 liters total.

[Note that this calculation assumes regular engine use. This is not Saito's usual practice so dependence on the "iron sail" can be expected to be considerably less. What he decides will depend heavily on wind speed and direction, and the state of the seas.]

5) He used approx. 35% of his fuel from Yokohama to Hobart, which is 35% x 5900 liters = 2,065 liters. This amount includes 600 liters carried in on-deck containers, which have now been emptied into the tanks. The tanks themselves hold 1400 gallons (5,300 liters).

(For the record, Tony, our astute number cruncher, calculates a more cautious 60% expended but Saito and I have a different number. I keep a close record of estimated daily fuel use and Saito keeps a watch on the tank levels. He is estimating about 30 liters a day, and I show 34 liters. It WILL be more, of course, if he actively motor-sails. The intent, of course, is that he use the engine to the smallest extent possible.)

6) While in Hobart he topped off all four tanks except the forward (smaller) tank which he will leave mostly empty for greater buoyancy. Thus I am estimating he will have .65 x 5900 + 200 liters he estimates he will add = 4,035 liters on board as he leaves Hobart.

So the upshot, assuming no major breakdowns, is that he will arrive in 147 days at 5.8 kt or 170 days at 5.0 kt.

He can stop in various places to refuel if he absolutely needs, including Cape Town and Guam.

The fuel added in Yokohama (nearly 6,000 liters) was the generous gift of contributing sponsor Fujiki Group.

***

Our profuse thanks to Don and Margie for their friendship and kind help to Saito-san while in Hobart, and to Nick Corkhill of the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania. The yacht club treated Saito-san to great Tasmanian hospitality for which we are immensely appreciative!

***
This response was received back from Don McIntyre, a long-time friend of Saito's, past BOC competitor, and boat builder. Don and Margie live in Tasmania, but Don is active in several boat and film projects that in recent weeks have sent him to far-off China and soon to a ship in Antarctica [for them, NOT that far!] They were a big assist to us during the Hobart repair & maintenance stopover, for which we profusely thank them.

Hi Hunter

Good news that Minoru is all set and the stop missed some heavy head winds so things looking OK for tomorrow. Just on your ETA's I think you will be in a better position to make some estimates once Minoru has spent a week or so heading into the southern Ocean, which will be a first for this boat and may bring a few surprises….My belief is that until he gets past Cape Leeuwin in WA, going may be very slow, but if he then gets north after that, he may see some favorable winds across to Cape Town keeping up the 120 miles a day…before heading down to Cape Horne where things will slow again….I think Minoru may find in the Southern Ocean holding a particular course will be determined by wind direction/strength/sea state, rather than the motor, which may ultimately slow the VMG on the route home…

All the best to everyone…we will take some pics of his departure and send them over…Don & Margie.     

Saito-san departs Hobart in the face of a gale brewing to the south

Position:
042 52 S, 147 21 E (Hobart, Tasmania)
Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 18.9%

Heading: 180 (approx.)
Boat speed: 0.0 kt (7-day average: 5.0 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 0 nm
Distance made good: 4,726 nm (8,753 km)
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 20,404 nm

Yokohama ETA:  170 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)

Cape Leeuwin (WP #4 / 1,500 nm) ETA: 12.5 days

Weather: Mostly cloudy, cold, rain, strong winds (11 C)
Barometer: - hPa
Waves: 4.0 m
Wind (from): 30-35 kt WSW
Current (from): 0 kt
Engine: hr / 1500 rpm, hr / 2000 rpm
Generator: 0 hr
Sails
Main: 0%
Staysail: 0%
Genoa: 0%

Today's Report

We received notice that Saito departed Hobart at 1045 local time, and got a several-hour earlier start than he had said. A gale warning had been issued for an area about 70 nm south of Tasmania, with winds expected to reach 35 kt and waves of 4 - 5 m. Saito will turn north away from that area but rough seas can still be anticipated. The weather alert is shown at bottom.

Below is the msg received from Don and Margie McIntyre, along with photos (below).

Minoru got away at 10.45 today and is headed out into a strong wind warning
W/SW 30/35kt so it picked up overnight...but there is a big high coming so
should get better over time...he was happy and the boat was looking a bit
better than when he arrived....there we two networks covering his
departure

....all the best Don & Margie

Added Comment

He was in great spirits this morning as he prepared to enter the next major phase of his circumnavigation, beginning with the northerly turn up from Hobart to Waypoint 4, Cape Leeuwin (image promised tomorrow) and then across the massively empty Indian Ocean toward the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa. No further stops are planned.

Congratulations to Saito-san from all of us here in Tokyo!

***

The news coverage was excellent in Hobart, and included a TV newscast we understand has already already aired after a 1-hour onboard interview, and a story soon to be (or already) published in The Mercury, Tasmania's largest-circulating daily newspaper.

Please watch here and help us announce when / if it appears on the paper's web page.

Thanks to Will Kollias, of the Saito 8 Committee, and Nick Corkhill, Sailing Manager of the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, for their timely efforts to alert the local media.

And again to Don and Margie for these great photos.

Also, see below for the gale warning for an area approx. 70 nm south of Tasmania.

Rough seas outside Hobart but no leaks. All systems in good shape. A good night for the skipper.

*********
Saito Around-the-World Update, Day 67  (Dec. 8, 0700 JST)
Yokohama to Yokohama (24,970 nm)

Position:
043 47 S, 146 23 E

Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 19.3%

Heading: 270
Boat speed: 4.0 kt (7-day average: 4.7 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 90 nm
Distance made good: 4,826 nm (8,938 km)
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 20,304 nm

Yokohama ETA: 180 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)

Cape Leeuwin (WP #4 / 1,460 nm) ETA: 13 days

Weather: Mostly cloudy, cold, scattered rain showers, moderating winds (8 - 17 C)
Barometer: -1005 hPa
Waves: 3 m
Wind (from): WNW
Current (from): 0.3 kt NW and mixed
Engine: 14.0 hr / 1600 rpm, 1.0 hr / 2000 rpm (est: 75 L)
Generator: 3.0 hr (est: 3 L)
Sails
Main: 2pt
Staysail: 80%
Genoa: 0%

Today's Report

The skipper was in good spirits after a rough but uneventful night. Seas were running 4 m swells but had reduced to 3 m by a bit after daybreak. Winds were also moderating after being in the 30s during the night.

No leaks reported despite the heavy seas and strong headwinds.

Saito noted the appearance of a small island 1 nm north of his 0700 JST position. He said it was hard to see but that he had been watching it on radar.

Added Comment

The 24-hour (actually 22-hour) distance covered from his 09:45 Hobart departure was good at 90 nm including a nearly 40-nm slog down the river/bay to the sea, and then a westward turn into near-gale winds and heavy seas coming out of the west.

This area is protected from the heavy swells of the Indian Ocean to the WNW, but the heavy weather conditions were a good test of the various fixes, particularly for leaks, carried out in Hobart. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Ocean

Weather to Saito's west appears to be moderating after a large cold front passed through yesterday.

About 100 nm on a heading of roughly 290 degrees will deliver him to a broad current that runs northward for several hundred miles at a nice 0.4 to 0.6 kt. Winds are forecast to be from the WNW for the rest of today at about 12 kt, and will then come out of the SSW at about 5-9 kt for a day or two, giving him a nice lift toward Cape Leeuwin, his next waypoint (No. 4).

Slow going against 30-plus headwinds. An elusive visitor at dawn. Clearpoint rightly forecasts winds from behind about noonish.

Position:
042 55 S, 145 13 E

Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 19.6%

Heading: 320
Boat speed: 3.1.0 kt (7-day average: 4.5 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 75 nm
Distance made good: 4,901 nm (9,076 km)
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 20,229 nm

Yokohama ETA: 187 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)

Cape Leeuwin (WP #4 / 1,392 nm) ETA: 13 days

Weather: Overcast but brighter, cold, headwinds 24 - 30 kt
Barometer: 1001 hPa
Waves: 2.5 - 3 m
Wind (from): WNW changing to S/SW
Current (from): 0.3 kt S
Engine: 23.75.0 hr / 1700 rpm, 0.25 hr / 2000 rpm (est: 145 L)
Generator: 0 hr (0 L)
Sails
Main: 3pt
Staysail: 0%
Genoa: 0%

Today's Report

Uneventful night. Slow going in heavy seas and headwinds in the 20s and occasionally hitting 30-plus knots.

Skipper Saito is riding a slow but helpful current up the coast. "It's not much but it's ALWAYS there, and I have used it before going to Freemantle," he said. (Freemantle, Australia, is where he will turn to start his 45-day crossing of the Indian Ocean to the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa.)

With much delight he reported a passing encounter with a large seal at 0400 hours. "It was hard to tell, but it looked about 2 meters [in size], and I tried to get closer to take a picture but it dove." He hopes something shows up on the camera image but, he laughed, "it was very difficult and the seal just disappeared."

He called again at 1400 local time to say the winds had veered out of the SSW, following the Clearpoint forecast exactly. "The engine's off, the main is at a 1-pt reef, and the jib's at 90%," he reported, with NBSD III doing a comfortable 4 to 4.5 knots under a gradually clearing sky.

In other words, a sailor's dream.

Added Comment

As Saito-san prepared to leave Hobart several media outlets interviewed him. Here's the news summary that appeared on the website of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

***

Just for the fun of it we'll start posting a mix of Saito Challenge 8 and relevant nautical "factoids" that grab us as particularly interesting.

Here's the first:

[SAITO 8 FACTOID NO. 1] At Saito's present location, the sun rises at 2:53 am, is over the horizon at 3:26 am, sets at 6:42 pm, and is fully gone by 7:15 pm.

A good day, with fair but slowing winds on flattening seas, sees him pass the 5,000 nm / 9,260 km / 20% waypoint.

Position:
041 45 S, 143 06 E

Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 20.1%

Heading: 300
Boat speed: 4.9 kt (7-day average: 4.6 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 118 nm
Distance made good: 5,019 nm (9,260 km)
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 20,111 nm

Yokohama ETA: 182 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)

Cape Leeuwin (WP #4 / 1,312 nm) ETA: 12 days

Weather: Partly cloudy, cool (14 C), winds favorable 8 - 13 kt SSW
Barometer: 1013 hPa
Waves: 1.0 m
Wind (from): SSW and SW changing to S in next few hours
Current (from): 0.3 kt S
Engine: 8.75 hr / 1800 rpm, 0 hr / 2000 rpm (est: 68 L)
Generator: 2 hr (2 L)
Sails
Main: 2pt
Staysail: 0%
Genoa: 90%

Today's Report

Winds have moderated and turned favorable from out of the southwest. Combined with seas flattened to a relatively placid 1 meter, yesterday's sailing conditions were among the best in weeks as Saito made his way along the west Tasmanian coastline. He's now turned onto a direct heading toward Cape Leeuwin, the southwest corner of Australia, with an ETA of just under 12 days.

Added Comment

Skipper Saito passed the 20% point yesterday, having made 5,000 nm on his 69th day. His actual time under way is 55 days, with 14 days spent on repairs in Sydney and Hobart.

In terms of actual sailing time, his average boat speed is 3.8 kt, with a DMG (distance made good) of 91 nm / day.

***

In today's email bag, a message from Bali:

Dear Mr. Minoru Saito,

Reading your adventure has giving me a great inspiration.

My name is Ebong L. Sandi Wirabuana / Male / 39 years old/ Indonesian Citizen.
In the past I've worked on the cruise ship (Holland American Lines and Wind Star cruises ) and also running a sailing club and sailing school in Bali, where i lived for the past 25 years.
My current job is as an editor of a water sport free publication <<http://www.magicwave.org>www.magicwave.org> in Bali.

I'm still working to get a boat to do the "Wrong Way Around" myself from Indonesia.

Probably will take sometime, but reading your journey boost my spirit and confidence.

Thank you for the inspiration and all the best in your journey !!

Best regards,
Ebong

Thanks, Ebong. We wish you much success! We'll read him your message this evening.

[SAITO 8 FACTOID NO. 2] Saito's first major race in Australian waters was the "Around Australia Double-handed Race" of 1988-89, from which he was forced to retire after suffering an angina attack at the age of 55.

A day for downwind sailing. The Iridium phone takes a hopefully brief holiday.

Position:
041 01 S, 141 29 E

Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 20.4%

Heading: 280
Boat speed: 3.6 kt (7-day average: 4.3 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 86 nm
Distance made good: 5,105 nm (9,454 km)
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 20,025 nm

Yokohama ETA: 194 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)

Cape Leeuwin (WP #4 / 1,231 nm) ETA: 12 days

Weather: Overcast, cool (14 C), winds weak but favorable 6 - 8 kt
Barometer: 1013 hPa
Waves: 1.0 m
Wind (from): ESE changing to E in next few hours, increasing to 20 kt in 14 hrs
Current (from): 0.3 kt S
Engine: 0 hr / 1800 rpm, 0 hr / 2000 rpm (0 L)
Generator: 8 hr (8 L)
Sails
Main: 2pt
Staysail: 0%
Genoa: 100%

Today's Report

A quiet day and night running downwind under light winds from the ESE. "Everything's fine" sailing-wise, Saito said, as we rushed through the daily report checklist.

The Iridium phone's charger is out of commission. Saito-san said the constant boat movement apparently fatigued the power cable connector and it broke. He expects to be able to fix it. Until then the Inmarsat sat phone will be put back in service.

Added Comment

While the Inmarsat unit offers much better comms clarity, the usage charges would choke a humpback whale.

October's bill was the yen equivalent of $1,500 despite light usage over just 21 days. We decided to depend on the Iridium exclusively after we got over the invoice shock.

It IS nice to have absolutely static-free conversations, easily the quality of a landline call. But until a sponsor can be found to foot the Inmarsat charges, we'll be all the more grateful for BOTH the Iridium phone provided by sponsor Clearpoint, and the Inmarsat sat phone (as back-up) provided by sponsor JRC.

****

See this article on the web site of Yachting Monthly, published out of London. The "youngest" sailor restarts his solo, non-stop attempt after his autopilot breaks down. The "oldest" also gets a mention.

***

In today's email, a message from Down Under, correcting yesterday's Saito Challenge Factoid. Thanks, Kanga!

Hi,
The around-Australia yacht race was a) double handed and b) started on 8/08/1988.
Please forward my regards and best wishes to Minoru. 
I raced against him in that race and in the 1990-91 BOC -- and I am sure to join him in a glass or two of sake in the future.

Kanga Birtles

***

[SAITO 8 FACTOID NO. 3] While in his 20s and 30s, Saito was a climber credited as the first to scale perpetually snow-capped Mt. Tanigawa-dake, now a favorite of Japanese alpinists. His day job: managing the family gasoline service station in Asakusa, downtown Tokyo.

 

 

 

A faster day of downwind sailing as winds from behind build to 20-plus knots. Longest distance since Hobart.

Position:
040 23 S, 139 28 E

Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 20.9%

Heading: 280
Boat speed: 4.1 kt (7-day average: 4.2 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 99 nm
Distance made good: 5,204 nm (9,638 km)
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 19,926 nm

Yokohama ETA: 202 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)

Cape Leeuwin (WP #4 / 1,142 nm) ETA: 11 days

Weather: Overcast, scattered rain showers, cool, winds strong and favorable from ESE 16 - 20 kt
Barometer: 1004 hPa (falling)
Waves: 1.5 m
Wind (from): 12 kt ESE, increasing to 28 kt in 14 hrs
Current (from): 0.2 kt S
Engine: 2.5 hr / 1700 rpm, 0 hr / 2000 rpm (15 L)
Generator: 7.5 hr (8 L)
Sails
Main: 2 pt
Staysail: 0%
Genoa: 80%

Today's Report

Good progress as favorable winds build toward the low- to mid-20s from the ESE and E. Yesterday's 99 nm was his second best since leaving Hobart with much of that made in the last 18 hours.

Added Comment

The Iridium sat phone is still down. Received a fax from Saito-san -- we expect to have reports delivered that way as well as in abbreviated phone conversations kept to 4 minutes or less due to the cost of Inmarsat.

[SAITO 8 FACTOID NO. 4]

In Saito's final solo Around Alone race (1998-99) he badly fractured a finger on his left hand and thus became truly "single handed" as he pulled lines and steered the remaining 2 weeks of the race, which he finished. 

At 149 nm, his third-best day of the voyage with steady wind from ESE & S and following seas. The hydraulic steering works overtime.

Position:
040 11 S, 136 12 E

Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 21.4%

Heading: 270
Boat speed: 6.2 kt (7-day average: 4.4 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 149 nm
Distance made good: 5,353 nm (9,913 km)
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 19,777 nm

Yokohama ETA: 187 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Days until Yokohama 150th Anniversary Port Celebration: 169

Cape Leeuwin (WP #4 / 1,118 nm) ETA: 9.5 days

Weather: Overcast, scattered rain showers, cool, winds strong and favorable from S 20 - 24 kt
Barometer: 1008 hPa (rising)
Waves: 2.5 m
Wind (from): 20 - 24 kt S, falling to 13 kt in 14 hrs
Current (from):
Engine: 0 hr / 1800 rpm, 0 hr / 2000 rpm (0 L)
Generator: 5 hr (5 L)
Sails
Main: 2pt
Staysail: 0%
Genoa: 80%

Today's Report

His third-best day of the voyage with strong downwind wind, turning later to off his port aft quarter on an ideal 270 degree heading. Seas have moderated slightly to 2.5 meters. Winds are expected to ease somewhat, but so will the swells later in the day. As of 7 am he was reporting 6 kt (but averaging 6.2).

Added Comment

Hunter's cell phone was temporarily out of commission, so James got the 7 am Inmarsat call and confirmed the good progress being made.

He said Saito-san believes the hydraulic autopilot is drawing more current than normal, requiring somewhat longer generator charging. This is likely due to the strong down-wind wind and following seas, which put more strain on the rudder. However it could mean the hydraulic pump is weakening, as occurred before near Brisbane to a smaller Type 2 unit, since replaced by a Type 3.

There is a second stand-by (correctly sized) Type 3 pump already configured into the hydraulic circuit, but chances are good it will not need to be used. We'll keep an eye on this over the next few days.

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Starting with this report, sea conditions will be shown by Clearpoint, a Saito-8 contributing sponsor. This includes wave height, direction, and frequency, as shown in the image below. Such knowledge as supplied by NOAA monitoring devices will become increasingly important as he encounters the monstrous swells and waves of the Indian and Southern oceans.

[SAITO 8 FACTOID NO. 5]

On return to Yokohama, Saito-san will have sailed 204,000 nm in his eight solo circumnavigations. With other voyages, his total distance solo is more than 225,000 nm. By comparison, the average distance to the moon is 207,561 nm.