Nomo Ko: Send Us Your Weary
30 April 2015 | Nomo Ko, Kyushu, Japan
Jim
We had decided to give the next stop on my list a miss and headed to Nomo Ko, a natural harbor about 12 miles south of Nagasaki, with the idea that we would spend two nights and just chill for a change. For my crew John, that means exactly what it sounds like. Explore, check out the price of whiskey and probably buy some, maybe wash out a shirt, snooze and read. No one knows how to relax better than John. For the skipper, it means an opportunity to sleep in, yes, but also to fix something and get it off the list but in a relaxed unhurried way. The best way. And Nomo Ko has provided the very best opportunity for all of the above. We had read from the account of the yacht Bosun Bird that stopped here in 2013, that they had moored to a pontoon at the end of a quay that separates a small section of harbor to the left from another to the right. You cannot imagine how excited (or relieved) I was to see the pontoon was still in place and empty. You see, pontoon mooring beats wall mooring by an order of magnitude. The holiday was on no one took any interest in us or so it appeared until we saw a few window shades ruffling on the houses along the shoreline. Having had a very sunny and warm trip up and evening in the cockpit, we were surprised by a front that came after dark bringing strong wind, rain and lightning but by morning, it had passed and the day dawned calm. This morning I stopped at an office that with, the help of a fisherman, was identified as belonging to the pontoon owner and asked if we might stay another day and to try to determine if we could pay for our berth. They were delighted that we were in Nomo Ko and expected nothing in return. It might be different when summer comes and they are using the pontoons for tourist activity but at this time it was no hardship. Oh oh! Its 5 PM and the evening chimes are ringing. Time to put down tools and head for home. Have to go, but for cruisers, this is a delightful stop. A traditional village atmosphere, little homes cheek to jowl on narrow streets that go up, down and everywhere like a a Greek village or Moroccan souk. But..quiet, very quiet.xxx
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