Hime Shima

From Fukuoka to Kanmon Kaikyo is a two days trip and we decide to make a stop in the island Oshima which is half way. Now we have also more time to reach the entrance  in the morning  and proceeding to Ube in the same day. Passing Kanmon Kaikyo needs a careful planning due the strong currents. You can have the current against or with you,, If  Marida has to go against the current she needs to us the engine full power. Better is with the current in the same direction. So  on Sunday 25 of September we arrived at slack tide in the Kanmon Kaikyo and went with the –now slowly running incoming tide- to Seto Naikai When we are passing Kanmon Bridge the current is running about 3 knots so we can handle Marida easy trough the eddies just behind the bridge .In this place runs the current against the waves from the open Seto Naikai causing a bit waves. Everything went well and we proceed to Ube ,only a 25 Nm up.

Bridge Kanmon Kankyo

We arrived in Ube around  16:00.. .it was a bit disappointing….What they call the Marina turns out to be a  very small floating pontoon,; to  small for us and moreover , there is a small daycruiser just in the middle. When we are hanging around to look out what to do and where to go the captain of a big tugboat invited us to go longside for the night , but told us also that we have to leave early next morning. It’s Ok for us despite we can not go ashore. 

Ube industry by night

The next day early we  went out and to Hime Shima a small island 20 Nm south. At noon we arrived and found a good spot on the long cay , west from the ferry pontoon. There is  a supermarket close by  and a public bath on the eastern side of the island. We went a day on our bicycles around the island visited the small lighthouse . We are invited to the house from a family to make a barbeque …. At this moment –it ’s Saturday  1e of Oktober - we are still in Hime Shima . The weather in the last few days was rainy and the sky overcast… We wait and see

Lighthouse Hime Shima

Het gaat precies goed

wel een beetje nat.....