Alongside Fukuoka
Weather: mostly overcast, showers, mild

Things do not seem quite as bad today as they did yesterday. I have had some wonderful people helping me to keep things in perspective and who have provided great moral support. Jap in particular over the last couple of days has run me around and offered me encouragement and advice which, as he is an experienced cruiser with extensive local knowledge, I have valued highly. Also, a new neighbor in the marina, Justin, an Australian expat who lives and works in Japan (somehow he has managed to persuade a company in Tokyo to pay him while he sails about the place), has also helped me out, providing me with an internet connection over the past couple of days, and a listening ear to my tales. And today Mena, a fascinating local sailing lady with extensive cruising experience, and who it seems has taken it as her mission to take care of us visiting yachts people, paid me a visit and helped me get my pocket wi-fi replaced. So now I am once more connected to the outside world, which will hopefully help me solve a number of problems as well as being a morale booster. She is an energetic slight lady, with a quirky sense of humour, and I enjoyed her company very much.

Sorting the pocket wi-fi out has taken up most of the day, as we had to travel into town to a store of the same company that sold the device to me in Kagashima.  I am pleased to say that replacing it, with Mena as charming interpreter, proved relatively trouble free.  At least that is how it appeared to me as I watched Mena do all the talking and, as usual, really had very little idea of what was actually going on.

Apart from this task, I have also managed to do a little more in the way of cleaning Sylph up. We are slowly getting on top of things. Damage to the stern is probably not as bad as I first thought, and I am coming to the conclusion that the best path might be to simply patch it up, replace the wind vane, and continue on our way with a view to finding somewhere that is relatively inexpensive to repair things properly, and at a time when I feel less pressured for time. If we are to cross the North Pacific this season I need to have Sylph ready by late May, and ideally I want to be in Kushiro, Hokkaido by the last week of May to make final preparations to be ready to launch off when the weather looks suitable. That is the goal, but we will aim to do things safely and, to the best of my abilities, to do them in a seaman like manner.

Thank you Jap, Justin, and Mena.

All is well.