When did we arrive here? Really? Only six days ago? Don't get me wrong. Kushiro is a great town. Reminds of Calgary when I first visited that city forty-five (or more) years ago. People are very friendly. You can get pretty much anything you need. Free mooring. Comfortable (heated) place right above the quay to hang out and do computer work. Many restaurants. A big supermarket. Nice walks along the river. A very nice Onsen (public bath). So what's the problem. It started the day after we arrived. On Wednesday. The two yachts that were already here when we had arrived the day before were talking about leaving Friday. Two more yachts arrived on Wednesday bringing hard core arctic sailing adventurers. French on one. Dutch on the other. Both had spent multiple years in Antarctica. Compared to them, we were novices. The Dutch sailor said Friday was a good day to go. The French sailor said no! But, by cocktail hour, the persuasive Dutch sailor had convinced the French sailor to sail on Friday. The rest of us were clued in so, to a boat, we started Thursday in a rush to complete our pre voyage to do lists, provision, get fuel etc. At 4 PM, I see the Dutch sailor prowling along the quay and so I say "What's up?". "Friday is no longer a good day" he says. "A deep low is going to severely impact the route. We must wait for it to move through". Soon there is a conference going on the quay with the French and Dutch sailors showing us the development of the low on their respective Ipads and the rest of us craning our necks to see. Yes, we can see what they are talking about. Depression replaces optimism and excitement. We hit the whisky glum just thinking about the delay (not thinking about the awful freezing cold thrashing we avoided). So, the next morning, Friday, we emerge from our boats after checking our various weather sources which all confirm the dire forecast of the day before and mumble something like "good decision, eh?" to confirm to ourselves that it was a good decision. Then, the Dutch sailor and his wife come down the quay and smiling happily say "Goodbye, we are leaving". "What?" we all sputter. "What happened now to make you change your mind?". "Well, there is a low after the next one and probably one after that and if we do not get get going we will never get there". Then we learn the French sailor is leaving also. So how do we feel? Cheated? Deserted? For a moment yes. But then we look at the low and agree that it is a serious piece of work and it is still worth waiting to get it ahead of us rather than behind us. But still, it is a delay and the waiting is tedious. I need to look at that weather chart again.xxx --



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