Events & Activities
Keelhaul: July 2nd!
The next Keelhaul will be July 2nd. "Where? When? Who?" you may ask....we'll be meeting at The Clubhouse in Shinjuku, for the second month running. Darshaun Nadeau, who recently saiIed his boat to Hawaii, will give a special presentation on his trip. He has a lot to talk about, so show up and enjoy this real tale of high sea adventure.
Starts at 7ish and goes to wheneverish. See you there!
Click here for directions.
Some Past Cruises:
Tomiura Weekend Cruise--Nov. 19-20, 2005
Cruising in Late
November??!! Yeah, it's cold, but...hey, it's what we do!
On November 19-20, 2005, three boats and 13 TSPS members and friends braved the early winter north wind to sail across Tokyo Bay to the sleepy fishing village of Tomiura in Chiba just north of Tateyama. The weather, though cold, was perfect for sailing with clear to partly cloudy skies and northerly winds at 15-23 knots. There was not a hint of the fog we had encountered in July going to Hota (see below).
Taking off from three different locations on the morning of the 19th, the three intrepid sailing vessels arrived at early in the afternoon, with the last boat arriving around 3:30. Warned about possibly unfriendly local fishermen, we cautiously sailed into the harbor on the lookout for hostiles, yet were pleasantly surprised to be greeted with hardly a glance. Perhaps they appreciated the fact that we hadn't plowed through any of the fishing nets on the approaches to the harbor. The three boats clustered at the end of the main pier where the fishing boats offload their catches. The harbor master requested that one of the boats raft up on another boat to keep the pier open for morning traffic.
Unlike Hota, where we went in July, Tomiura lacks dining or bathing facilities. However, with the barbecue and drinks that we brought, there was more than enough for a satisfying party in the quiet moonlit harbor. There are minshuku and the crew of one of the boats spent the night at one of them, while others stayed aboard. Three guesses as to who got a bath.
Coming home Sunday, I think we all felt that the trip had been a good break in the run-up to the end of the year. We'll have to try again next year, though earlier in November or in late October might be better for air temperature.
Posted 11/22/05 by Mike Snyder
Click here for more photos!
Hota Weekend Cruise -- Summer, 2005
Amazing... There IS Fog in Tokyo Bay (and Other Cool Things)
A forecast of fog in the morning drew the attention of the organizers, but one of our older salts dismissed it. "Never been a wisp of fog in all the years I've sailed in Sagami Wan and lower Tokyo Bay... I plan to spend the night in Hota," he wrote. Same salt was admittedly flabbergasted to find that fog does grow hereabouts, as sails flapped listlessly and a police vessel cautiously circled ghostlike in mist barely three or four boat lengths away, just off Misaki.
Calls on the Docomo shortwave brought reassurances from two other creeping crews, while another skipper found that his harbor master had announced a fog ban against anyone leaving. But by noon, the white stuff had mostly cleared and 17 TSPS members and friends again rendezvoused to enjoy the hospitality of Hota. (See story in archive for our previous excursion.) This time three sailboats and one powerboat made the trip, despite weather that looked iffy right up to the weekend, the last of the official rainy season.
Unusual sights were not limited to fog, however: Sunday two crews enjoyed the spectacle of a Japanese submarine powering mightily out of the bay, and one excited crew forgot to take pictures so impressed were they with "4 or 5 sperm whales 100 meters away" frolicking near Atami.
Posted 7/22/05 by Hunter Brumfield
Japanese sub making a good 20 knots heading south in Tokyo Bay
Kuruwa Beach July 19
Beach
Barbecue On Tap
On July 19, TSPS will have a BBQ at Kuruwa Beach in Akiya just down from Hayama, hosted by renowned BBQ-meister, Eugen Mall. Click here for some photos from last fall's barbecue. Things should be going by noon, so come on down and enjoy a day on the beach watching the boats, shooting the breeze and enjoying some fine grinds. There will be a reasonable charge for both members and their guests.
Click here for directions to the beach.
Sailing Independence
Dinghy Event
Coming
Sailing Independence is planning an event to promote Access dinghies. These are specially designed, easily sailed dinghies that make it possible for almost anyone to get out on the water and sail. They are particularly good for physically challenged sailors. We hope that Sailing Independence will soon announce definite plans for this event.
TSPS is helping to promote this event, which is sponsored by Sailing Independence, and plans on getting more involved in coming years. We will let you know more details as we learn them.
PAST EVENTS
Perfect
Sailing and Good Food with Friends
Hayama Yacht Club and TSPS Get It On!
The annual Hayama Yacht Club and TSPS sailing and barbecue event came off in spectacular fashion on Sunday, October 8, 2006. Hayama Yacht Club provided five sailboats, which took out the 20 or so TSPSers that showed up. The skies were clear and the wind came up to a perfect fresh breeze. After sailing for 2-3 hours, the boats came back to Hayama and a barbecue was held from 3 p.m. Yaki-niku, yaki soba, sashimi, and lots of other food and, of course, beer and wine, were served up to the hungry crews. A big "Thank You" to Hayama Yacht Club!
Posted 10/11/06 by Mike Snyder
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Spring Rendezvous Held, Too! |
The 50th anniversary of Tokyo Sail & Power Squadron was held on May 20th, 2006, at Seabornia Marina on Miura Peninsula. Along with it we had the Spring Rendezvous as well. Challenge 7 and others joined in, too. Some 60 to 70 people showed up, making it a big success. Two boats also sailed there and Seabornia graciously put them up for the night gratis.
Click here to see some photos.
Going Stateside?
District 13 ActivitiesDistrict 13 of USPS is an active friendly group of boaters. They have regular events throughout the year. To find out about what USPS events that you, as a TSPS member, can participate in, go to the D-13 page and look at the recent District 13 News. All the newsletters are on PDF files.
YBM Boaters Roll Out the Red Carpet
Engine Outing Big SuccessOn Sunday, March 5th, five TSPS members were kindly invited out to Yokohama Bayside Marina by some boat-owners there to take a look at some marine engines as part of the Engine Maintenance 102 class now being held. It was a beautiful sunny day by Tokyo Bay, and our hosts went out of their way to provide us with hospitality, including lunch! We were able to learn some interesting practical things about how engines work and how to maintain them. We hope this will lead to future such interactions with YBM. To see who our hosts were and some photographs, click here.
Posted 03/10/06 by Mike Snyder