6 yr trip complete, 6 month Voyage plans

What a long trip it’s been…About 6 years ago I believe I became aware of the ASA sailing assoc. I was advised, while in Japan at the time to seek out the Redwood city Spinnaker school upon my return to Stateside.

The Redwood city school was rather far from our home at the time. So I began my ASA journey local. At one time I was put on a list to work for the S.F. Bay school. but that did not work out, I was always busy when they called. I really wanted to sail one of their charter boats  but that also did not work out for some weird story. Anyway…

I ended up meeting the owner of the Spinnaker Redwood city school a few years back via, Yoh Sensei of the Aoki sailing school in Japan at an ASA conference in LA. Very round about eh! Today I met with him about teaching there next year. I was placed on the instructor list. It was a long way around for the visit to Redwood city and to go as an instructor not a student was kind of interesting to me.

I got an interesting bit of news while there at the school. It seemed the 2011 ASA conference has been set. It will be in Las Vegas, NV. , the keynote speaker will be Yoh Aoki Sensei. In addition to being a World record listed sailor , he is also Zen Master.

LZ and I have visited him a couple of time in Japan. The topic of his Keynote speech will be…Zen and the Art of Sailing Teaching. How cool is that. I am so there!  I will enjoy hearing what a Master has to say about it in depth. I have wrote my sense on the topic as you know , but I am but a child on this path of Zen. Of course you will see my report here.

From there I went to visit Captain Mary of the Afterguard school. My Catamaran class had to be rescheduled due to a project she was working on. I spent the next couple of hours with her chatting about this and that.

We chatted on various topics not all sailing. She did bring out her Pilot Chart on the Pacific and we went over currents for various times of the year and when I had planned on leaving. Going by the current and wind patterns, the target launch time is mid to late Sept 2012!! That will give us 5-6 months of casual cruising time. She thinks going down the Coast first is a excellent idea. She also added that I should make my first stop right here at Angel island for the first night. Even though it is only here in the Bay Area and a short sail away , it will give us a breath from leaving the home dock and really being on the way, a chance to unwind. However not in the thick of it yet, but cast-off. Then short hops down the coast for shake down and sea legs before heading off-shore with the current.

*Update * Whoa, I was just asked by Yoh Sensei to help with the Question and Answer part of his speech! Sugoi!