Since getting home I have been collecting material that I missed finding before the trip from Hong Kong. This collection process is far from over. Here is a summary of what I have so far, not that I think there is a great crying need, but it might be of some interest to a few people. There are marinas and yacht clubs in most major and some minor ports. These resources are very important in Japan and So. Korea; less so in Russia. Where there are no marinas or clubs, there are often some local individuals who have been reported to be helpful to cruisers. These kinds of less formal resources are vital if a cruiser is to avoid excessive fees and paperwork. Japan has chart booklets, but I have not located the source and am informed they are hard to get. What this means is not clear. To visit Russia, having contact with a Russian Navy Admiral commander would be a good idea. Contrary to what is in the US Coast Pilot #9, Adak Alaska was abandoned by the US Navy in 2000 and the facilities which are awesome were turned over to the native Aleut. The native corporation there is eager to be of service and has much to offer. There is a government base of some sort at Attu Island (Alaska, last island in the chain), but visitors are not welcome, from what I can find out. Japan will keep you in a quarantine anchorage for at least 24 hours if you fail to give them the 24 hour advance warning. Garbage is a big deal in Japan. Food scraps from food you have brought with you, won't be taken ashore and attempting to sneak it ashore, could get you in big trouble. They separate their trash, paper, plastic, etc. Kushiro dock had mediocre internet access about a block from the boat in the nearby hotel. Another Hotel about 6 blocks away had free, excellent access. Japanese computers use the 2 byte character set, a way to force the machine into English is needed as I have been told that what I sent from Japanese machines was not very readable. In Windows, go to Regional and Language Options in the Control Panel, choose the Language tab and change the language to English(I have not tested this you have been warned). There is a key on the right of the keyboard that will force the keyboard into English. I don't have a clear description of the key, good luck. The last really useful port in NE Japan is Kushiro. I suspect it is the preferred jump off point for going north. But, I don't know how to buy fuel there, yet. I have ship's agents for Hakodate and Kushiro, but the cost is about $750 USD. The Fleet Numeric Model wave/wind charts were very helpful making the passage to Alaska. This was supplemented with weather faxes from Tokyo. We had a recording barometer which was followed religiously. It gave us a couple hours warning of major wind speed changes. We had winds behind us nearly the entire way and nothing over 25 knots. Conditions could not have been better. This argues for July being the best month. The chart portfolios from Bellingham Charts are missing a few key charts. 513 or 514, which ever is the southern one of the set. Also 96032. All this material could be used in reverse, Alaska to Japan. Regards, Mike _____________________________________ Capt. Mike Maurice Beaverton Oregon(Near Portland)

Mike Maurice wrote: > Since getting home I have been collecting material that I missed finding > before the trip from Hong Kong. This collection process is far from over. > Here is a summary of what I have so far, not that I think there is a > great crying need, but it might be of some interest to a few people. > > Some more material about the Aleutians. There are no VHF weather transmitters west of Dutch Harbor. Their transmitter is readable from about 40 miles. All other weather radio is on HF SSB frequencies. Kodiak weather fax was not very readable in the Aleutians, perhaps due to our radio. HF SSB is vital in Alaska. There are numerous(365)anchorages in the Aleutians, only about half are really useful. Some of the passes are choked with kelp or have very high current speeds to be wary of. Warning: None of the Anchorages in the Aleutians should be approached without consulting the charts and the Coast Pilot. Also, due to frequent earthquake activity and the resulting changes in bottom topography, all approaches to land should be made with caution, with the depthfinder on. There are about 60 Sea Lion Rookeries which must be avoided by 3 miles, many of them are near otherwise useful anchorages.