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Life in Japan after 3/11
March 17, 2010
When the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan on March 11, Don and I were in Seattle waiting for the birth of our first grandchild.  During our year in Japan we have made many friends, and shortly after the qua…

How do we avoid the dangerous debris from the 3/11 Tsunami?
March 17, 2011
Starr is in Ashiya in the inland sea next to Kobe, and was not impacted by the Tsunami. Our plan has been, and still is, to return to Ashiya at the end of this month, finish fue…

Stretching the Fuel Range to Cross the Pacific
2-9-2011
REDUCE GENSET HOURS AND REDUCE RPM.
When Starr made her run from Seattle to San Francisco and on to Honolulu we chose to run the Northern Lights 20 kw gensets only when we needed to make water and…

GETTING READY FOR THE PASSAGE TO HONOLULU, HI
January 2011

We are currently tied up in Ashiya, Japan (35 42.3N, 135 19.0E). Starr has been here for over ten months with the result that I’m ready to “set sail into the sunset” (sailor talk). The d…

GETTING READY FOR THE RETURN PASSAGE FROM JAPAN TO HONOLULU, HI
January 2011
We are tied up in Ashiya, Japan, (35 42.3N, 135 19.0E).  Starr has been here for over ten months, and I’m ready to “hit the road” (sailor talk).  The distance …

Nara:  A Trip to Japan’s Ancient Beginnings
21-23 January 2011
Day Two:  22 January 2100 and 602 AD
 
Horyuji, the oldest Temple in Japan and Yamayaki
We met an elderly gentleman on the train from Ashiya to Nara; his name was Mitsui Ma…

Nara:  A Trip to Japan’s Ancient Beginnings
21-23 January 2011
 
Day One – 21 January 2011 and  (710-784 AD)
Almost every morning I read various newspapers online on my computer; these usually include The New York Times, The Japan Ti…

New Year in Kyoto

The Temple Bells of Kyoto and the Rabbit in the Moon
30-31 December 2010
30 December 2010
A VERY large part of my desire to spend a year in Japan was my wish to experience all four of Japan’s very distinct seasons.  At the cen…

Hiroshima Revisited (with Family)

Who would have thought that you could have so much fun with family?
14-17 November 2010

Don’s oldest sister Donna, her husband Wayne, Don’s youngest brother Dan, and his wife Cheryl arrived in Ashiya on Friday…

Our time aboard Starr has been just fantastic. It has been a blending of intimate family time, new experiences,  and old stories  with a cultural voyage into the hearts and minds of the Japanese people and their rich cultural heritage. Sharry…