Sailing into history: Kirk Patterson’s marine odyssey

Dr Kirk Patterson has made sailing history. On 27 July, the former dean of Temple University Japan became the first non–Japanese to circumnavigate the country alone, by boat. The Canadian started his voyage around the archipelago in 2013, from the northern island of Hokkaido.

As he pursued the journey in his 40-foot custom cutter Silk Purse, Patterson considered the conundrum of why Japan never became a truly maritime nation. He plans to address this notion in a future book.

“I’ve had interesting conversations with sailors and fishermen, and visited many museums, archives and sites related to Japan’s maritime history,” he says. “My basic hypothesis [is] that Japan, despite being an island nation, is not a maritime culture. The reasons are much more complex and nuanced than I [had] thought.”

After unexpected delays in having his vessel stripped and repainted on Kurahashi Island in the Inland Sea near Hiroshima, Patterson embarked on the final leg of the journey this summer. His plan was to sail up the Pacific coast to Hakodate. Typhoons had a critical impact on the schedule, forcing him to find a safe harbour and sit tight for up to a week.

Prior to the final leg, Patterson said he was not expecting much fanfare when he completed his historic trip. “The friendly Hakodate yacht club may help me celebrate the circumnavigation,” he said. “The Asahi Shimbun wrote about my plan two years ago, and they may do a follow-up article. In Canada, my sailing club might recognise my accomplishment when I’m back there next winter.”

Along with his book and other academic work, Patterson hoped to promote Japan as a cruising destination for yachties, and he aims to document the facilities available in a separate guidebook.

“Japan is a fantastic cruising destination. I’d rank it as one of the best in the world. But it’s not the typical cruising spot — boats at anchor off unspoiled white beaches, sunset parties with other yachts, off the beaten track explorations. Except for the Ryukyu Islands [in Okinawa], Japan’s coastline is heavily developed and so there’s virtually no anchoring.”

Patterson cites the good food available in ports, the hot springs baths, the friendly Japanese yachting community, the growing network of “sea stations” with basic facilities for yachts, and the generally honest and very high-quality boat maintenance services. A major advantage of sailing in Japanese waters is the absence of piracy, which blights many other destinations today. Patterson rates the Seto Inland Sea particularly high as a cruising destination, both for its services and scenery, as well as its relative freedom from typhoons.

But cruising in Japan is not without its challenges. “Since 1635, all ports have been closed to foreign vessels unless they’re explicitly open. At that time, the only open port was Dejima in Nagasaki [on Kyushu]. That principle, which is uniquely Japanese, is still in effect today, with the Customs Office having the authority to determine what ports are open to foreign vessels.”

Thus, foreign yachters need to get advance permission to enter all closed ports that they might want, or need, to visit. This poses a challenge to anyone lacking advanced Japanese skills, which is exacerbated by the fact that the authorities themselves are not fully conversant with the rules.

“My suggestion is to simply give each foreign yacht an annual, renewable cruising passport that automatically gives them permission to enter closed ports,” suggests Patterson.

Other challenges that foreign cruisers have to deal with include a lack of ability to get foreign propane tanks filled, use of foreign cellphones and Internet access. There is also a difficulty in rubbish disposal, since each port town has its own rules.

But, says Patterson, “Bottom line, these challenges are relatively minor compared with the many wonderful sights and experiences awaiting foreign cruisers in Japan.”

Now that his journey is over, Patterson aims to make the island of Suo-Oshima in the Inland Sea his permanent berth.

© Japan Today