Day 1075 [Sep. 12/11 JST] – In Port at Hachijojima


 Today's Report
Sep. 12/11 JST 

Position:  33°08'N, 139°48'E
Remaining to Hachijojima:  In port
Remaining to Yokohama:  140 nm / 99.8% finished, (ETA: 5 days)

An easy arrival just in time for lunch yesterday closed the 380 nm move from Chichijima Island to Hachijojima Island, with all onboard systems working well, and the weather also cooperating. Assisted by improved winds he was able to sail up to the last hour and then motor the rest of the way into the fishing harbor at the northeast corner of the main island, arriving a bit after 1100. He was given assistance at the pier by Mr. Takeuchi, the owner/operator of a Yanmar-certified marine services company there.

Fishing harbor on Hachijojima
 As we mentioned yesterday, Hachijojima has an interesting history as the outermost of the Seven Izu Islands, going back thousands of years to the Jomon Period. We've always been fascinated by the stories of the criminals and political exiles banished to the islands back in the 16th to 18th centuries. Elaborately long expositions can be seen written into walls of volcanic rock deeply etched, apparently by prisoners, but in Kanji almost indecipherable to modern Japanese eyes.
  
Hachijo – its popular nickname – is both the furthest out of the Seven Izu Islands, and among the most beautiful of the volcanic islands that stretch like a gorgeous string of pearls beginning near Tokyo Bay all the way out to the two Hachijo islands 140 nm distant (Hachijojima and the much smaller HachijoKO – "child" – jima). One can hardly fault Saito-san for his impatience to get there, nor for his obvious joy that came from his easy arrival at a place renown for its bountiful seafood and a wide choice of relaxing hot springs.

Details are still being worked out for how long he will stay there before the 30-hour sail he expects it will take to go the remainder of the way to Yokohama.