New website
Last week we were once again startled by a string of panicking media reports claiming that internet Armageddon had broken out because of a PHP vulnerability. Well, it turned out not to be quite that bad, but this website …
Sailing around the world on Merrimac, a Stadtship 56.
End of the first season in Japan
After the Goto Islands it was suddenly time to head for Irohajima, so I’d have a few days to get the boat ready to be hauled out. Back in Fukuoka I’d already agreed with Kirk that the date would be 1 October, …
The Goto Islands and Nagasaki
As I wrote at the end of the last post, I went to “hide” in Kamigoto Umi, a very sheltered bay that you have to approach from the south. That turned out to be more exciting than usual. By the time I got there …
Irohajima
In the end I wasn’t lying all that comfortably in Yobuko after all. This harbour wall had the same old problem: at high water there’s only 5 to 10 centimetres of quay left above the surface. Your fender …
Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Osaka and Yobuko
After leaving the Seto Inland Sea through the Kanmon Strait, we arrived in Fukuoka. That took some getting used to. A storm further away had set up a nasty swell, and this close to the coast, where we were sailing, it …
The Japanese "Inland" Sea
From 15 July up to and including yesterday, 13 August, Marion, Ella, Arnold and I camped out on the boat, all four of us at the same time, for the first time in years. Arnold stayed until after Ella’s birthday and …
Earthquake: didn't notice a thing
There was a big earthquake in Japan last night, on the island of Kyushu, near Nagasaki. That’s not where we are, and indeed we didn’t notice a thing. Yesterday we were on Naoshima, an island with lots of …
The first week in Japan is done!
Well, we made it across! It’s so hot this afternoon in the marina at Nio, where we arrived just after lunch, that we’ve retreated to the harbour office. We can sit here in blissful air conditioning until the …
Day 28 Hawaii to Japan: Land Ho
Our first Japanese island (Okinoshima) in sight Well, it’s Sunday again and we finally have land in sight. Tomorrow at exactly twelve o’clock we’re expected at Hiroshima Kanon Marina. They’ve …
Day 20 Hawaii to Japan: Talks with the agent
Well well, time flies. Tomorrow we’ll have been under way for three weeks already! Although we did lose a day crossing the date line: in Hawaii, coffee time (or drinks time) came around a good 12 hours after it did …
Splitting the NMEA 2000 bus: a simple switch trick
On Merrimac we carry a lot of NMEA 2000 equipment. The backbone runs the length of the boat and serves some two dozen physical devices — autopilot computer and controllers, two big chartplotters, instrument displays, the …
In memoriam: Dinand de Ridder
I’ve just heard that my good friend Dinand de Ridder has died after a hard fight with metastatic lymphoma. When I joined the Kustzeilers in 2006, I was immediately asked to help organise the 24 Hour Sailing Race. …