Blogs

People who have sailed are familiar with the usual preparations required to take the boat out for a (day) sail. You make sure there’s enough fuel, food and water and check all the safety gear, you take the sail bag off, start the engine(s), check the VHF radio and cast off by undoing and storing dock lines or by picking up and securing the anchor. You raise the sails and there you go, ready for some enjoyment on the lake, the bay or the ocean.

 Ready to go!                                                                                                          © Liesbet Collaert

Even though Mark and I have been living and cruising on Irie for over four years, our routines before leaving a harbor include some preparation as well, each and every time. We haul the dinghy and strap it tight, check the engines for any leakage, know the diesel level, write a log entry upon departure and arrival, go over the charts, plot a course, untie the boom, center the main, take the sail bag off, tidy the interior and exterior, secure loose items, close all hatches and the thru-hull of the toilet, take off instrument covers, install the handheld VHF outside, push all the cabinet knobs, take off the snubber and get ready to lift anchor and go. This process takes less than half an hour and we go through it religiously and simultaneously, as a well-oiled machine and perfect team.

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Life on the water is a little bit more challenging than on land, for more than one reason. Just like you don’t just walk out the door to go for a walk or jump in the car to go shopping, you don’t pick up the phone to call for help, park the dinghy in the garage or close the door behind you and are safe. Dinghies don’t have seat belts and sailing routes don’t have traffic lights or lanes. When you fall overboard during a (night) passage, chances that you survive are low; when you are anchored in a remote area and somebody means harm, chances that they get what they want are high.

 Seas can be rough during a crossing                                                                              © Liesbet Collaert

Safety Gear

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It has come to the attention of many of us in the Japanese surfing industry that the Japanese Pro Surfing Association (JPSA) is planning to go ahead with its contest in Ibaraki prefecture at Hokota next month. The planned destination is as little as approximately 150km south from the troubled Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, along the east coast of Japan.

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Over the last couple of weeks, there has been somewhat of a panic in the online kiting community about the alleged ban on kiting on Greek public beaches. Rash decisions have been made, such as canceling holidays, and many “expert opinions” about Greek politics, economy, and other unrelated issues seem to have overshadowed the key aspects of the new law: WHAT is being regulated, HOW, and WHY? As someone living on an island where windsurfing and kite surfing tourism is an important source of revenue, I believe it is unfair to be spreading a panic based on unfounded rumors. So, let’s clarify a couple of points.

The WHAT:

The regulation that has been passed is BY NO MEANS a ban on kiting, but an introduction of designated kiting zones. These, according to the new requirements, must comply with a set of safety regulations, and have a designated supervisor, who has to be insured and personally responsible for ensuring the safety of the kiters.

Among other things, the law requires that the kiting beach:

• Is of adequate size (600 meters minimum), with designated and marked launch corridors
• Is removed from densely populated areas, recreational facilities, roads, and airports
• Has rescue facilities, with an equipped rescue speedboat
• Has enough open space for kiters to keep a distance of at least 50 meters from each other

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Since the nuclear situation has been slowly unfolding in Japan with no signs of a quick fix, it is now accepted by most Japanese that they are indeed consuming a certain percentage of radiation in their bodies. In past blogs I have mentioned about the increasing numbers of surfers getting back into the water here on the east coast, despite the fears that the contamination in the water is above the safety levels. Although I am not encouraging anyone to grab their kids and head down the beach everyday here in Chiba this summer, I understand that surfers just gotta surf, so I am dedicating this blog today to handy health supplements/foods related to reducing the amount of radiation in your body.

Potassium Iodine

As we know, the release of radioactive iodine is very dangerous to humans, particularly children and unborn foetuses. Radioactive iodine can accumulate around the thyroid gland and cause thyroid cancer. In 1982, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved potassium iodine to protect the thyroid glands from radioactive iodine involving accidents or fission emergencies*. It should only be taken if there is a general concern that large amounts of radioactive iodine have been consumed.

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