garymalmgren forum posts in last 60 days

I have a Japanese Class 1 license.
In Japan the licenses are basically designed for fishers.
It is expensive ($1200) and difficult . A practical and a written test.
In the practical you have to find what is wrong with the boat before you pull away from the dock.
The test boat is fitted with hidden switches which disable certain nav lights, engine room blower, horn etc.
The trickiest one is the boat could be fitted with an out of date fire extinguisher. Miss the safety and pre-departure inspection and you can't pull away.
You have lost your $60 boat test booking fee and you have to make another booking.
The license is renewed every 5 years.
With a video on boating safety.
An update on regulations and the general navigational hazards in your area and a lecture which dissects a recent marine accident.
Why did it happen? What should have been the procedure to prevent that accident?
The guy who ran out of petrol at night then the fog fell and he drifted into the shipping lane was a beauty.
I have always found that part of the 3 hour renewal process quite informative.

We can all learn from the old farts, especially their mistakes.
gary

ballinanewsdaily.com.au/2026/05/why-was-the-yacht-even-there-police-hunt-for-answers-after-bar-tragedy/

Reported to be crossing the bar at (around ) 6 pm.
Sunset was 5;08 pm.

Beautiful early spring day. 14 degrees water temp here in N.E Japan.
Air temp a little higher, but definitely sunscreen weather.
Half a dozen boats from my little harbour went out.
I am the smallest and slowest. As we were heading back in on a run, I was the only one with a gennaker up so was doing pretty well.
Watanabe san came up on me and I could hear the sound of his harmonica drifting down wind.
He was playing Waltzing Matilda. It brought tears to my eyes.
I listen to "The Band Played Waltzing Matilda" every year at this time and had listened to it last night.
I asked Watanabe san about it on the dock. He said that he had learnt it in primary school 60 years ago and this was the first time he had played it since. That's him sitting in his stern seat playing.
Gary

Great post, Kinora.

Hi Kebreda.
Do you have internal halyards?

I you want frustration and a waste if time,
climb to the top of the mast.
tie a fishing sinker to a strong line and lower it from the top.
It will jamb and wrap around everything in the mast including tiny rivets.

If you want to actually get the job done get an electrician's snake,
You will still need to go up the mast.
Feed it down, connect the wiring and haul up.
gary

Thanks for your effort Serb!