Picture: Just after going under the Kanmon Kaikyo bridge, one of narrowest parts of the channel.

The Kanmon Kaiyo is the 10-nautical mile channel which connects the Inland Sea with the Sea of Japan. If we average 5 knots for 7 hours we should do the 35 miles to the Kanmon Kaikyo by around 12 noon just when the favorable current starts through the channel. To do this we left Himeshima at 5:00 in the morning while it was still twilight. If we miss the favorable current we will have to wait about six hours for it to change in our favor again. The current gets up to about 8 knots and we only go 6 knots under engine power so there is no way we can go against the current.

Our prediction was useless because we underestimated the wind speed and direction. We thought it would be slightly against us but it turned out to be a 17 to 18 knot head wind. We could not go any faster than 3 knots and sometimes only 2 knots. Things got worse. Right after we had our bowl of hot barley cereal around 7:00, we heard a loud gear noise in the engine and then felt a tremor and vibration. Rats! We did not want to believe what we thought happened... but it did! Yes, seaweed in the propeller. Ted tried to back up but it was no use. Again, I put on my swimming suit and then wet suit. Ted dropped the sail so the boat was not moving. He also tied a rope around my waist for safety. Even with no sail the wind pushed us backwards at 2 knots. I (Pam) went under the boat three times before I was able to successfully cut the seaweed away from the propeller. Everything was against me, the current, the chilliness of the water and a full stomach. Anyway, I stood under the hot shower for about three minutes to thaw out after I got out of the water.

After two instances, we were on pins and needles about seeing a patch of seaweed. One time Ted quickly turned the engine off so the propeller would fold and not suck the seaweed in. (We have a folding propeller as opposed to a fixed one.) After that, he tried to start the engine but it would not start! He checked the fuel filters and then magically, it started again. Wow, that is the reason I will not sail without him.

After the two delays, we made it to the Kanmon Kakyio at 15:00 and this particular tide only lasted 3 or 4 hours instead of the usual six so it was about to turn against us soon. Luckily we got five miles into the channel before it changed and we were able to do the other fives miles before it got too strong. One and a half knots was our maximum opposing current so we were able to get to the open sea before it reached its potential of 8 knots. All the time we were dodging the large freighters that are passing both ways through the channel constantly.

Only after we entered the Japan Sea, we were able to relax. By that time it was almost 17:00 so we pulled into the first island after exiting the Kanmon Kakyo. It was a small island with numerous large oil storage tanks called Mature Shima. It has a small fishing harbor is called Uma. What a sanctuary! It was like pulling into a rest area after battling heavy traffic with bad road conditions on a super busy freeway. The anchorage was calm and we had a great night's rest.