I was really looking forward to this stop as I had read from an account by another yacht of the "luxurious onsen" that we would be entitled to upon paying our mooring fee at the pontoon of the 5 Star Ebisu Hotel that dominates the tiny harbor on the left side of its entrance. When we entered, two young men in black trousers, white shirts and black ties ran down to the pontoon to take our lines. I put on my finest polo shirt and yachting pants and headed into the hotel to check in. The young lady at reception was all smiles and made us feel very welcome. Of course I asked her about the onsen (hot water baths) and she pointed the way. I scampered back to Let's Go! to get my towel and wash cloth and off I went. I asked her how to tell the difference between the men and women's since I heard that embarrassing mistakes have been made. She laughed and showed me the way, first to the lockers where you remove and store your footwear, then to the room where you shed your clothing and store it in a basket, followed by the washing area where you cleanse your body before the bath and the communal baths itself, this one looking out to sea over the entrance to the harbor. A far cry from the last onsen by the sea at Yakushima. The writer was correct. A long soak followed and some conversation with another gentleman who kindly showed me even more of the nuances of the onsen ritual than I had learned from my first experience. A Japanese yacht came in later to join another that was already at the pontoon and we helped them get secure outside the hotel's sightseeing boat. Three older guys, just like us. Heading in the opposite direction on a holiday and looking as though they were great friends enjoying a terrific experience. Another sailor who was staying at the hotel, came by to say hello to say he was heading back in his yacht in a week and asked about C-map for the harbor. The village, focused on fishing, was quaint, Japanese style. Our farewell from this delightful stopover was made extra special as the three yachties we had helped moor up, came to their deck and waved their caps in a big circle until we were out of sight. (Notes for Cruisers: The position is for the pontoon of the Ebisu hotel. We were moored on the end of the pontoon with one yacht already on the port side and the hotel boat on the starboard side. The hotel provides free wifi and 100 yen coin operated showers. There are two small shops in the village where you can purchase basic supplies. The hotel also has a boating museum. The only tricky bit is finding the entrance and be very careful about the rocks coming around the cape. Give the Kuro Saki obstn a wide berth. Take the fish farms to starboard. The red (starboard) entrance market is not on the breakwater but is a buoy. Its location on C-Map was accurate (31 25.285N, 130 08.277E)).xxx

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