Day 547 [April 2/10] -- Winds ease as Saito-san enjoys the ride

Today's Report

0800 April 2, 0800 JST

Position:

23°56'S, 76°05'W (South Pacific Ocean, 989 nm from Valdivia)

While remaining favorable from the SSE, the winds eased for most of yesterday and so did boat speed under sails only, at 4.9 kts. The day's 118 nm was the least DMG since leaving Valdivia a week ago. However, there's certainly no particular rush and Saito-san is being encouraged to take it easy and just enjoy the downhill ride.

"Not bad," he reported today on the boat's performance. "No change," he noted, of following winds that have continued now for 6 days with variations of less than a few degrees on the wind indicator.

Meanwhile, back in Tokyo this morning, winds accompanying a large front were 35-40 kts steady as shown on Clearpoint, with gusts likely hitting 50 kts.

Listening to the roar from the comfort of home, or struggling to walk to the subway, it gave us a taste of what Saito-san experienced during his two punishing Cape Horn passages with winds and waves on the nose, temperatures near freezing in 4-10 meter seas, and spray-drenched misery that continued for days on end.

The "easy" bit he's on now is Saito-san's equivalent of a day cruise.

***

Distance in last 24 hours: 118 nm

Distance completed: 18,495 nm

To Yokohama: 9,775 nm (distance remaining: 34.6%)

Heading: 357

Reported boat speed: 5.0 kt (day's average: 4.9 kt) under sail only

Weather: Overcast 

Temperature: 19.0° C

Barometer: 1012 hPa (steady)

Wind (from): Favorable 12-14 kt SSE -- expected to be 16-18 kt SSE next 19 hrs

Waves: 2.0 m

Current (from): 0.3 kt ENE

Engine rpms: 0 hrs

Generator: 11.5 hrs

Sails: Genoa 0%, staysail 100%, mainsail 2-pt reef

Position Map (click to enlarge)

Day 546 [April 1/10] -- Solid progress as he passes a key milestone

Today's Report

April 1/10 0800 JST

Position:

25°54'S, 76°09'W (Pacific Ocean, 844 nm from Valdivia)

Another good day of progress as Saito-san passed a key milestone, breaking the 10,000 nm distance remaining to Yokohama. That means he has just 35% of the voyage still to go. 

He reported "no change" from yesterday, as the winds hit a groove the past 4 days that has not deviated more than a few knots below or above 18 out of the S or SSE. He said this morning the compass was pegged on "000."

***

Distance in last 24 hours: 139 nm

Distance completed: 18,377 nm

To Yokohama: 9,893 nm (distance remaining: 35.0%)

Heading: 000

Reported boat speed: 5.5 kt (day's average: 5.8 kt) under sail only

Weather: Partly cloudy 

Temperature: 18.0° C

Barometer: 1012 hPa (slight rise)

Wind (from): Favorable 14-18 kt SSE -- expected to be 18 kt SSE next 19 hrs

Waves: 2.0 m

Current (from): 0.3 kt NW

Engine rpms: 0 hrs

Generator: 10.5 hrs

Sails: Genoa 0%, staysail 100%, mainsail 2-pt reef

Position Map (click to enlarge)

Day 545 [March 31/10] -- A bit slower as genoa takes a break

Today's Report

March 31/10 0800 JST

Position:

28°10'S, 76°42'W (Pacific Ocean, 722 nm from Valdivia)

Saito-san reports that the port-side genoa sheet became entangled in a shroud during the night and has made it necessary to keep the genoa closed until seas flatten and he can work the sheet free, including the possibility of having to go aloft. 

As well, he said in his previous call that the 1st reefing line had parted on the main and so until it is repaired the mainsail can only be raised to the second reefing point. (There are three reefing points on the main.)

This means he will continue for the next few days under reduced sails, with the result that his average speed dropped yesterday by about 1.5 kts to 5.2 kts for the 24-hour period. At the time of his call boat speed under sail was 5.5 - 6.0 kts. That's still enough to make quite good progress under the steady, following winds and gradually flattening seas.

The running rigging is thus starting to see some fatigue, as can be expected from normal wear & tear. And while certain items can be replaced or mended, the opportunity to do that safely must be chosen carefully. 

The staysail is now fully open, the main at second reef, and the genoa fully closed.

No earthquakes were reported yesterday, for the second day in a row. NBSDIII is now far enough distant from the seismic area, and in deep ocean, so it is no longer considered a potential hazard to him. He's 300 nm off the Chilean coast. 

***

No word yet on the missing Japanese sailor. We received a call from an old Saito friend in Texas, Tokio Rogers, who is a HAM radio operator and followed Saito-san on previous circumnavigations, providing him regular radio-based messages and relaying news from home. Although a long-time Texas rancher now with her husband Luke, she is a Japanese expat and said she will listen as well from her base station near Austin for any distress signals that might be made in her native language from the Southern hemisphere. She also reminded us of the good luck rattlesnake rattle they gave Saito-san, which he still carries with him. He had one of the Indian totems with him on his 2005 non-stop circumnavigation.

As well, we received an email from Sue Richards, Site Manager of Noonsite, a web page for cruising sailors. She said they have posted the details as well on the part of the web page devoted to alerts on missing vessels.

***

Distance in last 24 hours: 124 nm

Distance completed: 18,238 nm

To Yokohama: 10,032 nm (distance remaining: 35.5%)

Heading: 018

Reported boat speed: 5.5 kt (day's average: 5.2 kt)

Weather: Overcast 

Temperature: 20.0° C

Barometer: 1008 hPa (down)

Wind (from): Favorable 16-22 kt S -- expected to be 18 kt S next 7 hrs, then 18 out of SSE

Waves: 2.5 m

Current (from): 0.3 kt NW

Engine rpms: 4.5 hrs. 1500 rpm

Generator: 6.0 hrs

Sails: Genoa 0%, staysail 100%, mainsail 2-pt reef

Position Map (click to enlarge)

Day 544 [March 30/10] -- One more 'best' as the winds stay fair

Today's Report

March 30/10 0800 JST

Position:

32°33'S, 76°05'W (Pacific Ocean, 599 nm from Valdivia)

The winds have continued steady and fair, and NBSDIII has apparently loved it as much as Saito-san, achieving another voyage record day -- the third day in a row -- of 160 nm under sail alone. He's now 599 nm out of Valdivia, taking advantage of the perfect wind conditions he had rarely seen when bashing often upwind under a combination of sail and motor. 

Fuel use at the moment is just for the generator, which sips a liter an hour compared to the much larger quantities of the engine at different RPMs, and depending on the condition of the seas and strength of headwinds. 

He had a bit of a surprise yesterday when the auto-pilot suddenly stopped working for no apparent reason. He gave it a rest for a few hours, went through several checks, and it went back to normal operation. He said the batteries look fine so he has no idea what caused the momentary disruption. Otherwise he reports that everything is fine onboard and temperatures are slowly warming up.

No earthquakes were reported today in the area.

***

No further word has been received on the missing Japanese sailor Mr. Chinami. He went missing March 11 as he approached Cape Horn from the Pacific side. A notice was posted yesterday evening on International Boatwatch Network, thanks to the assistance of Linda Kruk of Clearpoint Weather, and Bill Sturridge of Maritime Mobile Service Network.

The wife of Mr. Chinami has been informed of the alert and expressed her great appreciation through her English-speaking friend Mena Sato in Fukuoka, Japan, where they live. Mena-san was the person who first alerted us to the emergency and the worldwide sailor support network has quickly responded. A photo of Kifu can be seen below.

We also received a message yesterday from Mr. Hanaoka in Punta Arenas, on the Strait of Magellan, that he is alerting local fishermen. Hanaoka-san speaks Spanish, English, and Japanese and is familiar with the area as the owner/operator of a fishing company there. He was also instrumental in assisting Saito-san during his nearly 10 months there.

35-foot Kifu, shortly before leaving Fukuoka, Japan in 2008

***

Distance in last 24 hours: 160 nm (best DMG of voyage under sail only)

Distance completed: 18,114 nm

To Yokohama: 10,156 nm (distance remaining: 35.9%)

Heading: 332

Reported boat speed: 7.0 kt (day's average: 6.7 kt)

Weather: Clear and sunny 

Temperature: 17.0° C

Barometer: 1012 hPa (steady)

Wind (from): Favorable 15-24 kt S -- expected to be 18 kt S next 13 hrs, then 15 out of SSE

Waves: 2.5  m

Current (from): 0.4 kt S

Engine rpms: 0 hrs 

Generator: 10.0 hrs

Sails: Genoa 30% open, mainsail 1-pt reef (sailing only)

Position Map (click to enlarge)

Day 543 [March 29/10] -- Another 'best' sailing day, but close shaves on 3 seaquakes

Today's Report

0800 March 29, 2010 JST

Position:

32°33'S, 76°05'W (Pacific Ocean, 463 nm from Valdivia)

Another great day under sail, this time boosting his voyage record DMGUSO* :) to 156 nm. Winds were constant and fair, at 18 - 24 kts from the south, on seas of 2 - 3 meters.

*DMGUSO: Distance Made Good (Under Sail Only)

We've been watching an advisory service on earthquakes and see that no less than three large seaquakes have occurred (see position map) in the past 9 hours. Had he been a day or so behind, he would have been within 30 - 45 nm of their epicenters. However, thanks to his excellent progress he was well away -- about 200 nm northwest at the time the worst of the three, at 5.9 magnitude, occurred.

The smartphone app-based advisory service, Epicenter, gives the lat / long and time of quakes anywhere in the world on a near real-time basis. It uses the data supplied from the USGS here.

***

Yesterday we sent out an urgent request on behalf of the family of another Japanese sailor, Mr. Keiichi Chinami, who has gone missing near Cape Horn since March 11.

We want to thank Linda Kruk of Clearpoint Weather for forwarding our message on to Bill Sturridge, who sent us the following response. I am repeating it here for anyone interested, as well as to alert other sailors to the emergency service by this worldwide network of radio operators, the Maritime Mobile Service Network.

Hi
I am a net control with MMSN and do not wish to raise hope without facts, but two stations have reported hearing a Japanese call on frequency (14.300usb used for emergency traffic when other means not available) in last three days. Too weak to copy pointing south from Florida. I have been able to communicate with vessels in this area on occasion.

It would be helpful to have more information for the Net control stations. A description and or photo of the vessel. The MMSI#. A description of the type and size of life raft. Also the Sat phone # as we have a contact with a Marine radio station that can put out calls to both the MMSI DSC and the Sat phone. Also his heading and average speed at last contact if known. Weather conditions in the area at that time would also help if reported by Mr. Keiichi Chinami. We all wish the best for him and will listen and put out calls to his station.

William F. Sturridge KI4MMZ

We had already told Saito-san about the emergency, and confirmed this morning that he had not been trying to raise Mr. Chinami, thus was not the "Japanese call" the two MMSN stations reported.

We were informed by Saito-san that his own radio has been out of commission for some time. He expressed his own concern for the missing sailor.

A 24-hour stream of MMSN radio transmissions is available here.

***

Distance in last 24 hours: 156 nm (best DMG of voyage under sail only)

Distance completed: 17,954 nm

To Yokohama: 10,316 nm (distance remaining: 37.0%)

Heading: 331

Reported boat speed: 6.5 kt (day's average: 6.5 kt)

Weather: Overcast 

Temperature: 16.0° C

Barometer: 1012 hPa (slightly down)

Wind (from): Favorable 15-24 kt S -- expected to be 22 kt S next 19 hrs

Waves: 2.0 - 3.0 m

Current (from): 0.25 kt S

Engine rpms: 0 hrs 

Generator: 10.5 hrs

Sails: Genoa 30% open, mainsail 1-pt reef (sailing only)

Position Map (click to enlarge)

Urgent request to locate missing sailor near Cape Horn

We sent this out today to the Saito 8 email contact list, and are reposting it here.


***

You are being sent this as one of the people receiving the Saito 8 Daily Updates.

If you are in a position to help, your assistance is urgently requested.

We have been contacted in Japan by someone representing the family of another solo sailor who has been unaccounted for since his last message to his wife in Japan on March 11.

He was approaching Cape Horn from the west at the time of his last contact, and was approx. 438 nm due west of the Pacific entrance of the Strait of Magellan at the time.

The Japan Coast Guard and Chilean Navy have both been alerted.

He has an EPIRB emergency transponder on board, and it has not been activated. An attempt to track his Iridium sat phone signal was not successful.

If you are able to assist or advise in some way, please email (ftf@gol.com) or call Hunter Brumfield in Tokyo at +81 90 52 13 49 67.

Mr. Chinami's position and details are as follows:

Skipper's full name:  Mr. Keiichi Chinami
Age:  62
Nationality: Japanese
Name of boat:  "Kifu," 35-foot ketch
Home port:  Fukuoka, Japan
No. of persons on board:  1
EPIRB registration No.:  TBA
Radio call sign:  JE6BBF  (Iridium phone also on board)
Missing since:  March 11, 2010
Last known position:  051 deg 08 min S,  086 deg 55 min W (approx 438 nm west of Strait of Magellan Pacific entrance)
Last port:  New Zealand in mid-January, sailing eastward (toward Cape Horn)
Next intended port:  Puerto Williams in Strait of Magellan


Map showing Mr. Chinami's last known position (Click to enlarge)

Day 542 [March 28/10] -- Best day under sail

Today's Report

Position:

35°03'S, 75°14'W (Pacific Ocean, 299 nm from Valdivia)

The seas are a bit higher as he heads further off coast, urged along by near-ideal sailing conditions. He was powered the entire period by a 1-pt reefed main and 30% genoa, making 151 nm -- the best DMG of the voyage under sails only.

He's wishing for winds more from the southwest so he can stay nearer the relatively flatter waters of the coast. But he's also well out of ship traffic, saying he has seen no ships at all, since the shipping routes are closer to land.

About 150 nm off his port side he will pass Robinson Crusoe Island and Isla Santa Clara sometime tomorrow. To his starboard side he will also be abreast of the coastal city of Valparaiso and Chile's capital city, Santiago.

According to Wikipedia, Robinson Crusoe Island was hit by a 5-meter tsunami after the 8.8 earthquake on Feb. 27, resulting in the death of five islanders. Much of the island village of San Juan Batista was destroyed by the tsunami.

The island is famed for the book by Daniel Defoe, and was named in 1966 for the character in the adventure classic. An actual person was marooned there in 1704 for four years after the crewman complained that he did not trust the vessel's sea-worthiness. The captain left him there with scant provisions and a Bible.

***

Distance in last 24 hours: 151 nm (best DMG of voyage under sail)

Distance completed: 17,799 nm

To Yokohama: 10,471 nm (distance remaining: 37.0%)

Heading: 345

Reported boat speed: 7.0 kt (day's average: 6.3 kt)

Weather: Overcast 

Temperature: 16.0° C

Barometer: 1014 hPa (falling)

Wind (from): Favorable 18-24 kt SSW -- expected to be 23 kt S next 18 hrs

Waves: 2.0 - 3.0 m

Current (from): 0.25 kt S

Engine rpms: 0 hrs 

Generator: 7.0 hrs

Sails: Genoa 30% open, mainsail 1-pt reef (sailing only)

Position Map (click to enlarge)

Day 541 [March 27/10] -- Feeling "great!"

Today's Report

Position:

37°29'S, 74°24'W (Pacific Ocean, 147 nm from Valdivia)

If you want a definition of utter and complete happiness, think "Minoru Saito."

Back on the water since yesterday at 1700 local, on flat seas with following winds in balmy spring-like temperatures, Saito-san this morning declared himself (and his vessel)  "Feeling great!"

The contrasts between now and one year ago could not be more pronounced.

On March 27, 2009, he was approaching Cape Horn near the close of the late-fall weather window, in a well-functioning vessel, but with the knowledge of four previous Horn passages well understanding how unpredictable and unforgiving the weather can be.

As followers of his trip know, at just after pitch-black midnight April 12 with his rudder and propeller fouled by a washed-overboard line, he was within hours of being swept by a three-day gale back onto the rocks of the man-killing cape he had already passed a few days before.

Nearly a full year later, he has survived an excruciatingly frustrating, frigid Chilean winter in a crowded fishing harbor, an emergency abdominal operation, two additional Cape Horn passages, two destroyed genoas, a highly risky voyage up the desolate southern Chile coast, two engine breakdowns, three furling equipment failures, a damaged main, an injured arm, and history's seventh-worst earthquake with tsunami waves that destroyed coastal villages less than 70 miles away.

That was after sailing 16,400 nm and 192 days to get to fabled Cape Horn, the most feared and respected sailing waters of the world, fighting headwinds and bashing through prevailing seas much of the way.

And now on Day 541, Saito-san -- a year older at age 76 -- finally appears to be on his way home.

PS
Saito-san expressed his thanks again to the people of Valdivia for their hospitality and friendship during his stay there, as well as the sanity-preserving help he received from several kind individuals in Punta Arenas, under the extreme physical and personal conditions he faced there for more than 10 months. He also thanked his Tokyo shore crew for their constant support.

***

Distance in last 24 hours: 147 nm

Distance completed: 17,648 nm

To Yokohama: 10,622 nm (distance remaining: 37.6%)

Heading: 335

Reported boat speed: 5.0 kt (day's average: 6.1 kt)

Weather: Clear 

Temperature: 16.5° C

Barometer: 1020 hPa (rising)

Wind (from): Favorable 18-20 kt S -- expected to remain next 19 hrs

Waves: 1.0 - 1.5 m

Current (from): 1.5 kt S

Engine rpms: 4 hrs 1500, 20 hrs 2000

Generator: 2.0 hrs

Sails: Genoa, 90% open, mainsail 2-pt reef sailing/motor off since 2 hrs prior to call after wind changed to southerly (from south)

Position Map (click to enlarge)

Day 540 [March 26/10] -- Saito-san departs Valdivia

39°48'S, 73°27'W (Back in the Pacific)

Saito-san called and said he left Valdivia at 1700 local time today and at the time of his 2000 (0800 JST) call had just entered the Pacific Ocean.

He reports the winds out of the NW at 10 knots.

Boat heading 325 at 5 kts motoring at 1500 rpm, waiting for good visibility before sailing.

Weather is foggy, with visibility about half a mile to one mile. He says the radar is working.

All systems are working well.

We want to especially thank Sr. Edgardo Ojeda Bucarey, Administrador of Club de Yates Valdivia, for his many, many kindnesses shown to Saito-san during his time there.

He will continue to call in his position twice a day. We will receive beacon reports 4 times a day.

No earthquakes on the Chilean central coast have been reported in the past 10 hours.

We will supply more details in a subsequent post, but for now we're all just glad he's back on his way again!

Day 539 [March 25/10] -- Almost ready

Today's Report

March 25/10 0800 JST
Position:
39°49'S, 73°15'W (Valdivia Marina)

The replacement furler swivel arrived and was installed yesterday along with a halyard wrap preventer, Saito-san reported today. Both were supplied by the manufacturer under warranty, though local delivery from Santiago and customs handling and duty added on another 191,000 pesos ($350) and a frustrating 14-day delay. At least it finally could reach him!

He said repairs and sail rigging are finished and everything "looks good." His arm, injured from a falling hatch, is now completely recovered. 

Other than clearing customs and getting a stamp on his exit papers he appears set to go. He expects to leave within the next two days. 

The timing appears good, with the weather and winds favorable. Plus his extended visa runs out on March 31.