(Last info: by Chamade 2016/05/31)
Moorings and Anchorages in Taiwan,Japan and Korea
These Notes were originally set up in 2008/2009 by Olivier and Pascaline from French sailing yacht Neos, added to in 2010 by Hendrik-Jan and Hanny from Dutch sailing yacht Bannister with help from several Japanese and foreign cruising friends, of whom we specially like to mention: Jaap and Marijke from Dutch sailing yacht Alishan and Murano and Kazumi from Japanese sailing yacht Possible Dreams. Then added to by Fran and Tom from New Zealand sailing yacht Dagon in 2012 and 2013. Some notes are in French, but you should be able to extract the useful information.
Last added to by Marc and Sylvie from swiss sailing yacht Chamade in 2015. Ovni 365
Sailed from Okinawa to Hiroshima and from Hiroshima to Ishigaki and Taiwan.
Blog: www.chamade.ch
You can find more about Jaap, Marijke and Alishan on their blog, http://syalishan.blogspot.com/; also look at their website about sailing in Japan www.boatingjapanblogspot.com :
(Chamade 2015): We found excellent informations on this blog:
Voilier Anthea: (in french) : www.voilieranthea.com/l_b_levant.html with very good info about marina and harbors in the Inland sea.
TAIWAN:
Chamade: 22 december 2015 – 3 january 2016
Excellent marina on Kenting just on the south point of Taiwan.
Very usefull to cut the passage between Philippines and Japan.
Houbihu Marina: Excellent protection even if the pontoon looks a little bit derelict.
Price: 630 NTD per meter per month. For a short stay, you divide the monthly price by 30 days and multiple by the number of days. For Chamade, 12m, around 10 US$ a day. Only in NTD cash
Water and electricity. Fuel on the fishing quay, but big hose.
No facilities close by, just a good fishing market with nice shashimi.
Supermarket, coin laundry in Hengshun (10km) Bus every 30’ from the fishing market. Better to rent a scooter in town. (400 NTD a day ~11 US$)
Cash advance (Visa, Master etc) on every 7-Eleven. (4 or five in town)
If you intend to stop, contact before Bud Teng. Very nice and welcoming people. He speaks english and will warn the coastguard and immigration for you. Immigration officer come from Kaoshiung (1h30 drive!) just for you to put a stamp in your passport. Coast guard will check your boat upon arrival. All these formalities are free.
Bud Teng:
JAPAN General:
Entry formalities:
(Chamade 2015 and 2016): You must send a warning to the coastguard and the customs 24h minimum before your arrival. If you arrive in Ishigaki, you can do it by email:
Coast Guards:
Vessel name and data for the vessel (length, color… ), call sign, crew list (with birth date, passport number and rank) ETA
Customs:
Tourist information: At the ferry terminals you will find a tourist office or a stand with brochures and maps, and sometimes wireless internet.
ATMs: Post offices in Japan take foreign cards but recently also the ATMs from every 7-Eleven convenience stores, very handy when it’s one of those public holidays, or a Sunday.
Fuel: in almost every harbour you can get diesel. When there is a fuel station close by at the harbour, point at your boat and ask for diesel and they will come with a little truck, ask in advance the price as it can differ quite a bit. If there is a customs office in the harbour you can try to get a ticket to get diesel cheaper but often it is a hassle. Diesel is cheaper in Japan than in Korea.
Weather information: Navtex is working perfect in Japan, it gives, all the gunnery and other exercises, positions and forecast of Frontal systems, Tropical Storms and Typhoons, and when a TS/Typhoon is coming closer, you get an update every 3 hours. Typhoon2000 (Philippines) is useful for typhoon bulletins when you are in the southern Ryukyus and it has links to JMA and the Joint Tropic Warning Center. Dagon used Joint Tropic Warning Center for typhoon information, FNMOC for longterm forecast for whole of Northwest Pacific area, and JMA and Windfinder for detailed daily weather.
Navigation: We used Max Sea with CMap electronic charts and a backup of paper charts, beside that we used the Small Craft Guides, without those we often wouldn’t have had no idea about the specific ports as they didn’t show up on the electronic or paper charts. You can order the SCG ( also abroad) via Japan Hydrographic Association, www.jha.jp or you can buy them in Okinawa. That’s the first place from the south. Latest news!!!! already some of the guides are also in an English version, check out!! Dagon used paper charts with backup of electronic charts and Small Craft Guides. The SCG are essential – we bought a Small Craft Guide in Fukuoka (Y5,000 approx, but a great investment) from Hankai Marine which is close to Odo Marina. Jaap can give directions and will help if you need to order parts through Hankai. We also bought two Japanese charts (English series “W”) from the JHA – they were delivered to the marina we were in within two days – cash payment on delivery.
Chamade 2015: Small Craft Guides no more available in Okinawa shipchandler. You have to order it by internet to the Japan Hydrographic association. www.jha.or.jp/shop/
October 2015: They are no more available SCG as book. Only in PDF thru the website. You have to order and pay and download it thru the website. But the page of the website is only in Japanese. Better to have a Japanese friend to do it!
Cruising permits: You will get the official documents from The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure but we always made our own attachment with the ports we wanted to stop, including the position and the number of the SCG with page numbers, because we used sometimes slightly different names as they are using and so they are able to find out without a lot of faxing or telephone calls vice versa. Take your time to make the list, you can always skip a port but not add on your way (unless you go back for an amendment). We put as many ports on our list as we could find so we were able to decide on the go where to stop. Don’t bother about dates ( but you have to put a date on the list!!!). On our cruising list we often stay everywhere 1 day, but after you have received your cruising permit you can choose where to go and for how long; also be sure that the date of the last port on your cruising permit is way beyond the real date you expect to arrive, we know of one boat who had to apply for a new cruising permit in between because they would arrive 2 days later than was written on their cruising permit.
We (Dagon) got our first permit in Ishigaki, as far as Okinawa; then in Okinawa got permit from Amami O Shima through to Tsushima on Kyusu west coast, including all of the southern and SW'n closed ports. In Fukuoka we got permits through to Wakayama, basically covering our whole six months of cruising in Seto Naikai. This permit took five days including a weekend and probably could have been ready sooner, but we were in no hurry. The officials at Land Transport in every city were very helpful and we were given permission to visit every closed port we applied for. When in Hiroshima, we applied for 10 additional ports - see below (Fukuoka – Odo Marina) for further info.
Chamade 2015: We got a first permit in Naha, Okinawa, valid to Fukuoka. We had to wait 3 days and had to take it in the ministry of transportation.
Second permit from Fukuoka to Hiroshima in Fukuoka (ministry of transportation very close to Hagata Railways station). We had to wait 5 days (!) and received it by e-mail.
Third one in Hiroshima: We had to wait 3 days and receive it by email.
Very Common Handsignals: When you see somebody with his arms forming a X in front of his/her body it means, Not Allowed, Dangerous, Closed, anyhow don’t proceed. Somebody with his/her arms above his/her head with the hands together forming an O this means OK.
Marinas: Very often the marina offices are closed on Tuesdays, When there is a gate you often can leave the marina or dock but not come back without a key or code.
Driving in Japan: Japan is one of the few countries where you really do need an international driving . Driving is on the left side. The freeways are excellent for long distances but tolls are expensive (cheaper on weekends), and you do not see much of the countryside because of high walls to cut down noise. Local roads are much more interesting but the traffic can be daunting near cities.
Chamade 2015: If you have a swiss or French driving licence, you need to get a printed translation of your national driving licence (The international driving licence is not valid for you) The Japan Automobil Federation do it for you. They have an office in Naha, Okinawa. Take 2 days to get it by post to the Ginowa Marina Office.
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JAPAN
Ishigaki
Emplacement / Ryukyu SudSmall craft guide / H-812, pages 102, 106
Position au mouillage / 24°20.59 N - 124°08.75E
Accès / Go port after the big breakwater, 2end basin to the right (Passed the basin with Coastguard Boats), You will see a pontoon with sailingboats
Type mouillage / At the quay
Protection (*) / Very good for all winds, maybe you have to use 1 or 2 anchors for winds from the NE
Contacts / Mike Quinn: 090 3198 6472 /
Coast Guards 0980 82 4841
Kuri & Fusa: café Taniwha – 090 7471 1510
Date de NEOS / Du 16 Février au 6 Mars 2008
Facilités / - No ’électricité, water in the park, fuel truck available
- Coin laundry and hardwarestore close by
- Internet at the bibliothéque, slow; Internet at the ferry terminal fast.
All facilities
Bannister: Date: 10/22-06 2010 Because of the Dragon Boat races, we were on the new pontoon in the harbour next to the harbour Neos was in,( very protected),
Dagon:
Date 1/8-06 2012 Visitors' dock full so we med-moored off the end of the dock. MaxValue supermarket was best value for food. No free Wifi anywhere we could locate. Best internet (including Wifi) was at Ferry Terminal - 200Y for day (? perhaps only on Wifi). Taxi to Land Transport Division (close to airport) to obtain permission for closed ports was approximately 1000Y each way. Permit ready in 24 hours.
Chamade 2015-2016: 13-20 december 2015.
Caution entering the harbour in night as we did. They make a new quay. Small flashing yellow lights during the night. You have to stay on port side, close to the main jetty, but not too close, avoiding and letting port a flashing green mark.
We stay on the pontoon (just one place these days). But if full, the marina has some place (next basin), or you can go alongside the jetty just north of the pontoon. Free
Mike from Hanalee and Kuri and Fusa from the Taniwha café are really welcoming.
Free wifi at the Ferry terminal. Laundry close by. No electricity, water in the park.
Excellent Hardware shop close-by. (every kind of bearing, gaskets…)
MYAKO IKEMA
Location Ryukyu
Small Craft Guide H 812 page 9
Position 24-55.49 N 125-14.85 E
Entrance Pay attention to the shallow at the end of port breakwater
Berth Moor alongside quay at portside in front of fishermans office, they will direct.
Protection Ok for all wind directions, swell coming in with strong SE winds
Contacts Coast Guard 0980720116
Date Bannister 23/06 27/06 2010
Facilities No electricity, Watertap at fishermans office, post office, small little shop. In communitycenter very close near berth they serve a nice simple lunch around noon, at that time or a little later they often sell bread as well. Very nice quiet island to circle around with bike and Idyllic little snorkel beach on the north side.
Price 105 Yen per night, pay at fishermans office
Chamade 2016: (30.3-2.4) Nice place to stay. Free of charge. Visit by customs and coast guards. Nice cycling and snorkelling
Myako – port Hirara (Nikawadori)
Emplacement / RyukyuSmall craft guide / H-812, pages 94, 97
Position au mouillage / 24°49.09 N - 125°16.75E
Accès / Entrance of Nikawadori east of the big breakwater. You wil see sailingboats - .
Type mouillage / Along Quay – Protect your ropes for chafing on the quay.
Protection (*) / Very good for winds in SE corner, Good for winds from other wind directions
Contacts / Mr Tomari : 090 4777 8868 – Dive center 24° North
Coast Guards : 0980 72 0116
Douanes : 0980 72 2310
Dates de NEOS / Du 7 au 12 Mars 2008
Facilités / No ’électricité, No water, water and fuel possible with truck)
- not much facilities close by
- Internet free at terminal des ferry, un seul poste
Prix / Gratuit
ZAMAMI AGO NA URA KA
Location Ryukyu Islands
Small Craft Guide H812 Page 66-70
Position 26-13.4N 127-18.13 E
Entrance After Breakwaters to the Quay at starboard, with strong southerly winds the
Swell will come into the harbour
Date Bannister 28/29 June 2010
Facilities Little supermarket, No elec. Watertap somewhere in the harbour. Very nice
area. We met American sailor based in Ginnowan Marina, who comes often and anchors around the islands, no problem with authorities, but first check-in
in harbour, policeman will come and check papers. Also nice little harbour a
bit south ( Page 71), only suitable for 1 yacht but very good for bicycling on the 3 islands which are connected.
Price free
Dagon: Date 10/16 May 2012
Position above is actually in Zamami town harbour; Ago Na Ura is a beautiful anchorage on SE'n corner of Zamami island – stay within the circle created by four ships' bouys.