Today's
Report
Sep.
24/11 JST
The emails and calls have been pouring in and so we'll devote
today's update to those. They're in no particular order, but this first one
comes from the most famous of all living sailors – Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the
first person to complete a non-stop solo circumnavigation.
***
Please give my congratulations to Saito-san on yet another determined circumnavigation. His success will bring great pleasure to his many friends.
Please give my congratulations to Saito-san on yet another determined circumnavigation. His success will bring great pleasure to his many friends.
Sir
Robin Knox-Johnston
UK
***
In his message below, Hitoshi Hanaoka mentions his role in passing,
but he did much, much more than merely interpret for Saito-san. He was
instrumental in Saito-san's survival both on water and land during the 9 months
he was in the Cape Horn area.
I
know Saito-san has arrived in Japan through my partners in business. A lot of
people will be so impressed by his achievement. I want to say some words to
Saito-san.
I
received a call from the Chilean Navy in April of 2 years ago. They asked me to
come act as interpreter for a Japanese sailor after he had a problem near Diego
de Almagro Island.
I
have been working in the fishing business in here for many years and I know
over a thousand island names, but I never heard of Diego de Almagro island,
because this isolated island is 60 NM south of Cape Horn and smaller fishing
boats cannot reach there.
A
few months later, he had repaired his boat and tried to go back to Cape Horn
and successfully pass it, but 48 hours after he passed the Cape, the main
engine stopped, then a few hours later the generator stopped. He could use only
the sails but then they were damaged by strong wind. Finally it was impossible
to sail, but still he could control the boat near the entrance of the Strait of
Magellan.
He
fixed the boat and went out again -- two days later he hit a strong storm in the southern part of Chile, the Golfo de Pena. This time he could get through this
storm. A lot of sailors died in that area and they could not go smoothly, I
wondered.
A long
time ago people thought that if you go more south from Cape Horn, it was the
edge of this world and the entrance of nethermost Hell. That time the Diego de
Ramirez island area where Saito passed was just the entrance of Hell.
However,
the Cape Horn area is the hard part that could not stop Saito with his
obsession and sailing technique.
This
is the story I wanted to mention as I know it of Saito-san's most hard time
starting from Diego de Alamagro as he went through the southernmost part of Chile.
Saito-san:
You
really made it by west round-the-world sailing. Congratulations!
Hitoshi
Hanaoka
Punta
Arenas, Chile
 |
| Saito and Hanaoka |
We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Hanaoka-san during this
time when so many difficulties occurred. His company supplied free or
much-discounted services as well as helped prepare NBSDIII for the several, and
ultimately successful, attempts to transit Cape Horn.
Saito-san and we also owe a great deal to British and Spanish
expats Rose Bliss and her husband, Pablo, for their affection, support, and
frequent home-cooked meals (not to mention the occasional hot showers) provided
to Saito-san over the frigid Chilean winter.
Rose, thank you for being Saito-san's "guardian angel"
during this time!
 |
| Rose and Saito-san |
***
I
know you will ecstatic when he finally arrives. Quite an achievement, not just
for him, but for you and all the folks you managed, coaxed, and urged to stick
with the adventure until the end.
Congratulations
to all!
Boyd
Gatlin
Starkville,
Miss. USA
***
After all this time Saito-san’s return seems quite an anticlimax – only those following the full epic story day-to-day from start to finish know what this 77 (almost 78) year old intrepid sailor achieved following the never-give-up spirit.
Having
followed Saito-san’s progress from start to finish and suffered at least
mentally with him the many setbacks it would be a privilege indeed to shake the
great man’s hand and congratulate him personally on this stellar achievement.
Derek
Japan
Japan
***
You and The Team cannot be congratulated highly enough on your fantastic efforts (and results!).
I am
experiencing emotions that are difficult to describe knowing that this epic
journey of immense courage, colossal internal strength, and masses of
distinction are coming to a graceful end.
If
you recall, I had the privilege of meeting Saito-San here in Cape Town (at the
same time as Mike Perham and the subsequent signed picture that I forwarded to
you), and following his voyages is something that words cannot attempt to describe.
Please
forward my massive congratulations to this historic sailor.
Fair
Winds To All!
Alan
Hughes
Cape
Town, South Africa
 |
| Autographed picture by Minoru Saito and Mike Perham (click to enlarge) |
***
I read in the newspaper that Saito-san had arrived at Yokohama safe.
I read in the newspaper that Saito-san had arrived at Yokohama safe.
Congratulations!
He
is 77 years old! It is a remarkable thing! I thought that it took much courage
to sail around the world. He showed me that one is never too old to fulfill
one's dreams.
I'm
very pleased that Saito-san and Hunter-san's dream came true.
Good
for you!
Yuki
Yoshioka
Tokyo
***
Saito-san
is to be congratulated both for a voyage very well completed and for his
perseverance in doing so. He faced
each problem and challenge as it arrived and with patience and experience,
resolved it and moved on. It was
both challenging and educational to follow his daily progress and reports and
see what new lesson it would bring. Congratulations Saito for a job well done,
even down to eking the last ounce of strength out of his tired sails as he
completed the final miles (or kilometers!) through potentially stormy
conditions.
It
was a joy to see how many people had been following his progress after the
successful end of the journey was announced by Chief Commander Frank Dvorak at
the United States Power Squadrons Governing Board meeting first thing last
Saturday (Sat 17 Sept) morning in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Kenneth
Griffing
Past
Commander
District
13
United States Power Squadrons
United States Power Squadrons
Hacienda Heights, CA
***
Captain
Saito, Hunter san:
Congratulations!!!!!
He stayed alive and never gave up!
Thank
you so much such a wonderful record each time sending me and so we could watch
his activities over such a long period. All gave us full of hope and
happiness. I am so glad to share this moment with many people and friends
supported.
Much
friendship with Fair Winds,
Mena
Sato
(From a catamaran in Palau)
***
I am
thrilled for Saito-san and for all of you who have stuck with
him
through the years! Johnny and Abbi
were captivated by his journey, and
his
example of quiet, steady perserverance.
Please know how very much this
journey
has meant for all of us, and please tell Saito-san that he was, and
is,
an inspiration to many across the globe.
John
Plewes, M.D. and family
USA
***
We're
all so thrilled that Saito-san has made it back safely after all this time. Please
give him our best and tell him "Omedeto!" for us. What a wonderful
accomplishment!
Susan
and Aaron Farris
San
Antonio, Texas
***
Please
tell Saito-san we are so happy he succeeded once again. It is so wonderful for
people like us of our generation (you know, I am over 80 myself) to be able to
see someone like him do such an amazing thing.
Luke
and I were happy to see that that the goodluck rattlesnake charm Luke gave him
worked again!
Tokio
and Luke Rogers
(By
phone from their ranch near Austin, Texas)
 |
| The crumbled remains of a rattlesnake charm carried on two circumnavigations |
So happy to
read you are safe in Japan. We are all so proud of you here in Newport!!
God bless
and keep you,
Barbara
Brugman
Newport
Rhode Island
***
Terrific
news!
Hope to
have more time later to go through all the news. Please pass on our regards to
Saito-san for this historic accomplishment!!
Nona and
Pooch Pucciariello
Washington,
DC
***
Congratulations
to Mr. Saito on another amazing accomplishment!
Mary
South
Deputy
Editor, YACHTING magazine
***
Please
forward my congratulations to Mr. Saito for a very impressive and inspiring
adventure. We have written this piece about it:
http://thesailblog.com/?p=460.
I
would also like to be kept informed about Mr. Saito's coming adventures.
Jon
Amtrup
Editor
TheSailBlog.com
***
Hi
Hunter,
I
recall Saito's getting by Cape Horn with an easterly only to have it turn into
a long winter's "sleep" in Punta Arenas. Or before, in Cape Town,
with the youngsters [solo circumnavigators Zack Sunderland and Mike Perham],
each going his own way. And the earthquake etc., etc.
Home
is the sailor, home from the sea
And
the hunter home from the hill.
And
you are off-watch! And a longer watch than expected....
Congratulations
to all,
Robert
M. Lux, M.D.
Concord,
NH 03301
***
Hi,
Hunter san,
I am
so happy to receive your message directly. In fact, my group SSCA (USA)
searched for Kifu at that time, eventually found Mr. Saito in near Port
Williams, thought he was the missing person, when a friend sent me a local
newspaper article of about Mr. Saito's activities. They also congratulate him
and it reminds all of missing Kifu at that time.
The
family of Mr. Chinami now has accepted his accident. Thank you again for
your support indeed.
Fair
Winds, Mena
At the time Saito-san cleared Cape Horn, Keiichi Chinami was in his
ketch Kifu on his own circumnavigation and sadly disappeared within a few
hundred miles of Saito-san's position during a severe storm. Several weeks
later we were able to help clear up confusion that occurred when it was thought
that Chinami-san might have been the Japanese sailor reported at Puerto
Williams, Chile, rather than Saito-san. We commented on this at the time. More
can be read here. Our deepest condolences, again, to the family of Chinami-san
who himself was an amazingly brave sailor from Japan on his own personal dream
to sail the world.
***
Hi Hunter….
Hi Hunter….
What
an amazing story for Minoru…you…and your team…I have never seen anything like
it before!!...personally you deserve a medal!!...really…you held the whole
thing together, so well done…Minoru will be swamped for sure with attention
over the next few weeks…but some time when it is quiet please give him our best
from Margie and me…we followed it in amazement…what a hero…we still have a
laugh about that…but only Minoru will understand that…
I
can imagine your life will change now…it has been a long three years hey!!!
All
the best …warm regards and admiration for you both.
Don
& Margie McIntyre
Hobart,
Tasmania
Note:
This message, received from an island in the South Pacific, is from
a dear friend of Saito-san's, going back to when they competed in the 1990 BOC Challenge. Don & Margie own and operate a
marine service assisting nature studies in the frigid Southern Ocean and
Antartic. (Maybe we're easily impressed, but Don is the only person we know
with his own icebreaker!)
This is an article he wrote for Sailing World magazine.
Saito-san called him by Iridium the day after we got this message, to their mutual delight.
***
Congratulations to Saito and your team!
Congratulations to Saito and your team!
Derek
Nakamura
Honolulu,
Hawaii
***
Wow
what a trip. What an ordeal. How is Saito San? Tell him we are proud and
pleased to see he made it. He will always have a fond place in our hearts.
As you do also.
Ric
& Ardell
San
Diego, CA
(Formerly
of Keehi Marina, Honolulu, living aboard several berths over from NBSDIII.)
***
I'd really like to hear some of his stories; I’ll bet he has quite a few incredible tales.
I'd really like to hear some of his stories; I’ll bet he has quite a few incredible tales.
Dennis
Gans
USA
***
This
has been an amazing odyssey. We should be most thankful for folks like Hunter.
Well done to all.
Thank
you for including me in the journey.
All
the best,
Dick
Kyle
Past
National Education Officer
United
States Power Squadrons
This was forwarded to us by Ken Griffing, Past Commander of District 13 of the USPS. Saito-san is a member of Tokyo Sail & Power Squadron, a unit of D13.
***
Congratulations
due now...?
Hope
Saito-san safely in port and finished now...!
Cheers,
Jeanne
on 'Nereida'
Southampton,
England
www.svnereida.com
Jeanne Socrates is the word record holder as the oldest woman to
complete a solo circumnavigation at age 64, and was avidly following Saito-san
even during her voyage. She endured her own hardships and her blog makes for
some amazing reading on her own courageous accomplishments, including saving
her vessel after it was rolled near the Falklands.
***
We are very
pleased to have been able to provide this service to Saito in his travels. Congratulations on a successful
voyage.
Thanks,
Matt
SeaStar (A
division of Geoeye, Inc.)
A
plug for the company that provided the GPS beacon position reports, a paid
service but one we valued four times a day for 3 years – and took tremendous
comfort in as we tracked Saito-san during some very tense moments on the
voyage. What a great assist to blue water cruisers (and their families)!
***
This has
all been so amazing. I cannot believe that so much has happened since we went
up to Maine with him.
Please tell
him "Congratulations!" for me. I look forward to the next time I can
see him either here or in Japan.
Robert
Brumfield
Spring
City, Tennessee
(From his live-aboard houseboat in a lake in Middle Tennessee. Brother Bob was one of the drivers with Ken and Reyna Henry of Los Angeles, CA, Saito-san, Eiko and me, in our RV "expedition" to Maine to inspect prospective boats.)
***
Congratulations
to Saito-san, of course, but also to you and your team for a marathon effort
over the past thousand-plus days.
Chris
Pitts
Tokyo
***
Aloha, here is a photo posted 6 minutes ago from Yokohama of his arrival.
Aloha, here is a photo posted 6 minutes ago from Yokohama of his arrival.
Happy
day for him and all that supported him
Congratulations
Saito-san!
Cheers
Dave
Cooper
Team
Hawaii
Honolulu
 |
| Picture sent by Dave from the web |
 |
| Saito-san and Dave Cooper |
Thanks so
very much! All I can say is... YIIIPPPPEEE!!!!!
Scott
Gilbert
Honolulu,
Hawaii
Scott,
Ed Abott, and Dave Cooper were the key people who gathered Team Hawaii together and relentlessly campaigned to get NBSDIII repaired (and Saito-san!) to make the final leg of the circumnavigation.
We
reprint here the thank you email from Nico Roehreke, president of Nicole BMW, the main sponsor of Saito Challenge 8, expressing his appreciation
to our volunteers in Hawaii:
Hello
Dave and Team Hawaii:
Although
we haven't had the opportunity of meeting in person, we certainly have a common
friend. My great thanks to you and everyone in your team back in Hawaii.
Without your selfless dedication, it simply wouldn't have been possible to
ensure Saito-san's safe return during the last leg of his epic journey.
It has
truly been a great adventure for everyone involved and I'm sure it will
continue to live on in our hearts and minds as one of those rare and special
moments in life when regular time stood still and allowed us to take
part, for a fleeting moment, in one of the greatest adventures of our times.
Our
gratitude and well wishes go out to you and every single one of your team.
Nico
Roehreke
Nicole
Group of Companies
Japan
***
The
list of people who assisted Saito-san -- in Japan, the United States, New
Zealand, Australia, Tasmania, South Africa, Punta Arenas, Chile, Valdivia,
Chile, the Galapagos, Hawaii, Ogasawara Japan, and now again in Yokohama, as
well as through encouragement and donations from all over the world -- is
simply too long to post here.
But
we're working on it!
