a Trip to the US of PAE, part 3

Remember the Why of this trip to the US of PAE?

Right: Our Nordhavn Research.

And did we see a few!

Outside & Inside.

a 55

a 47

an other 55

a 62

 a 46

a 43

again 55...

And there was a 68, a 76 and three more 62's.

How many exterior-interior-miles did we do all together?

And what do you think Kazuya?

Nope, it's not a show-room at the Fort Lauderdale BoatShow...

Just an average engine room inside a Nordhavn.

Yep, i can see myself looking after one of these baby's.

 Men need beside Boats also 

F-O-O-D

Wow, do these portions come huge...

This small sateh-set was on the menu for 2 persons...

we couldn't finish it with the 4 of us!

btw Marleen....zie je de spruitjes ??

Ahhhh, a first for my Japanese friends: Baked artichoke. 

Shrimp ....and avocado guacamole... 

By the bucket!  

A Cinnamon Roll Noriko and i always talk about during our early AM runs....

Of course couldn't leave the States without having eaten a burger...

Here with a salmon filling...

Fresh notable Kumamoto Oysters...

Tasted as good as in Nippon.

Even a small size crab dish was huge....

and yummy. 

Now what's next?

Looks like we're heading for winter, temps are dropping by the day. Gales after gales are visiting us. The heater is out of the box, Nori and Wakame are living on our laps....

But after winter....

there should be spring!

Salute

a Trip to the US of PAE, part 2

 

After 2 wet and windy Boat Show Days in Fort Lauderdale, we jumped into a car and drove down to Sunny Miami.

And sunny it was!
 Miss Sandy wasn't interested in these beaches anymore.

(btw, to the North you can still see her outer cloud cover area).

 Blue Sky and..

....Culture Shock.

It's all so different from what we're used to here in Nippon....

But, it's nice and relaxing at this chill-out bar-restaurant.

Driving unknown roads in this part of the world is a charm.

At least all the signs are clear and readable 
AND they use the right-side of the road.
Sadly the trip to Miami was the end of our Florida Research.. 

Our next stop in the US of PAE was....???

Yep, you are right.

 Seattle in autumn colors.

What a climate and attitude change.

Great and friendly airport officials...

But brrr, it was so cold after Florida.

No Joke: when we were flying out of Fort Lauderdale, we were pushed (more or less) into the airplane as it wanted to leave 10 minutes ahead of schedule ( they needed the plane later on for a last minute dash towards Sandy Country in the NE). Anyway, we did leave ahead of time, arrived 15 minutes early in Houston ( for our transfer).... taxied to the gate...AND.....then got stuck for 40 minutes! (as the gate couldn't reach the airplane) So we had to taxi again to an other gate ...so got out of the plane 50 minutes behind schedule!!

Was Houston ever in charge of  flying people to the moon?

So Seattle...

Things to do while in Seattle...

Share a good meal of sushi's with Dave and Marcia.

First time we had met D & M was in Fukuoka (1989-90) when they had sailed to Japan on board their

sailing yacht Manana.

Next time we had met was in Malaysia (2008).

And now again, here, as they are temporary landlocked.

We were told that Seattle is famous for
 little sunshine and lots of rain.

Well for us the days were.... 
Mostly Sunshine!

Yokatta!

Even had time for some touristic do-do's.

At the locks of Lake Union, Seattle.

.....and getting the feeling of walking at a
 Boat Show 50 years ago.

More to follow.

Salute

a Trip to the US of PAE, part 1

You might remember that Alishan on the Move went to Taiwan, with a reason, last February. 
If not....  Read Here.

Now it was time to go and see some boats in use.

PAE is the company that designs and markets Nordhavns.
A lot of Nordhavns end up in the USA, 

Hence it is a good place to do more research...

(and/or even purchase a Nordi....)

But first some sour words.

Before one gets to the US of PAE...
one has to enter the US of A.

Wow.....to say it gently...what a shock that was.

I'm talking about the people that work at the immigration, customs, airlines etc at LAX....
(Los Angales airport)

Don't know why, but they have zero-point-zero manners.

Okay-okay, i'm being spoiled living here in Japan...

but is their way "normal"??

Now i can truly understand 
why so many people try to sneak illegally into that country.

Just to avoid those arrogant, rude & grggrr.... civil servants.

But beside that LAX horror place, 
we had a good time, pictures will show.

First stop: Dana Point Marina. 

Home to the main office for PAE, 

the heart for all the Nordhavns.

Dana Point Marina,

a magic spot, as seen from a hill-top nearby.

After 2 days Southern California it was time to pack our bags again and head-off to Florida.

(shit...have to go through LAX again...)

Next goal: The Big Boat Show in Fort Lauderdale.

BTW we were not the only ones heading that way...

There was also a Miss WindyBag Sandy!!

The first day at the BS the weather was windy and by times wet indeed, but we enjoyed walking the jetties, looking at boats and dreaming.

There were some serious and big boats, as you can see always hungry for... 

Look at this: like airplanes, these boats need decent emergency exits...

Or...is it just a toy for the spoiled?

Sandy made it too cold for an ice-cream...

Ha remember the Ohhh-No Onan trouble.....??

BTW we still !! have..

Parts aren't on the horizon yet. (4 months)

Here talking to an Onan dealer and they couldn't believe our story that it was taking so long.

Mind you, it's a far-from-their-bed-problem.

Of course a decent crowd showed up at the Nordhavn stand.

Not only for the boats...

Also for the PAE Friday Boat-Show Drinkies.

Time for us to do some "networking".
Even talked to people we had met last February in Taiwan!

These days staying in contact with 

Homeland Nippon using Japanese phones 

became so easy...

(It's not that long ago that Japanese phones couldn't be used

in other countries due to different systems).

But all this phone-work is also soooo time consuming

and always resulting in....being low on battery power....

More to follow.

Salute

Sailing to Japan

For you out there that are following this blog AND are thinking about sailing to Japan...:Hot and better news regarding the 

CRUISING PERMITS foreign vessels need.
 

Zoeff over 

http://boatingjapan.blogspot.com/

On an other note...

Mena is back in Town!
Well known to many overseas cruisers from the past.

Over the years, Mena has been helping out manymany  yachts that made a stop here in Fukuoka.

The last year she herself became a yachty...

all the way in Sunny and Hot Palau.

(we don't think she'll stay here for the winter....too cold to her liking)

Anyway, just to warm you up: The Why.....

Salute

Esther Did It Again, part 2

In my last post Mt Unsen was mentioned.

So, a few days later Esther got in charge to take us to the mountain for an overnight-er.

(Nori and Wakame had to defend Alishan, no worries).

Mt Unsen got well-known for its eruptions in 1991...

(it was during our first stay in Japan).

We remember that event as when we were sailing with Jan Haring along the west coast of Kyushu (on our way down south), we could see Mt Unsen spitting and smoking  from farrrr away.

Mt Unsen seen from the start of the trail.

(it was walked the next day).

And.....the weather was perfect, again.

The hiking trail is along the west side of Mt Unsen. 

The volcano is for obvious reasons still off-limit.

(Don't cross the yellow line!)

Marijke had phoned birding friend John...

and indeed he was keen to join her for that first afternoon.

They both scored some great pictures.

See Marijke's Wing 'n Things

This is a view into the valley that was formed during the great eruptions in '91.

So much autumn...neh.

This fellow sits here already a while, 

He keeps a look out onto the volcano.....

....while we enjoy an other great sunset.

And there she goes..

 All three of us had a good night sleep and are ready for an other day of outdoor stuff.

While Marijke took possession of the small pond in the Azami valley all by herself....,

i did the hike...

Funny trees, growing at a 90 degree, away from the rocky wall.

Here almost at the top of this part of the trail...

See that rocky part..??

(it's the other side of the yellow line).

There used to be a valley before the Big Boom of '91...

Smoke and steam still comes out of the mountain at many places. 

Ohhh, autumn....

Mt Fugen, next to Mt Unsen.

Red arrow points to Mt Unsen.

Had we come this way by Express Road...

...the home run was made via the west coast

along the Ariaki Sea...

A famous stretch of road....

Famous for all the crab restaurants...

Of course we had to check that out !

Salute

                                                       

Yo-Yo-ing on Mt Sefuri...

The weather is still wonderful and

so the plan was made for an other early rise.

This time it had Mt Sefuri "On the Menu", 

but not the normal way of a trail-run....

First go to the top by car, then trail-run down and then....

TR up again... 

Top arrow shows were Alishan is and

 the bottom one points to Mt Sefuri.

At the top.

With buddy-runners Noriko and Ohara sensei waiting for......

Today's Sunrise!

And what a beauty it was.

Walking back to the car-park we spotted an other little jewel.

Oh the Glory of Early Mornings!

But we had come here with our running shoes....So, soon we were on our way.. zoeffing down the hill...

Of course that was fast going and good fun.

After about 2 hours...it was time to go....Up-Up-Up...

Tell you, it's a weird order of mountain-yo-yo-ing.

At one stage i had to stop to take this shot...looking SW.

In the far-far distance ( left of middle) we could see 
Mt Unsen....

Hmmmm, next target?

Salute