A Sailing Sabani Boat Dog Presented in Motion GIFs

When I first met this gal, she wasn't too fond of me.

Her owner, Takashi, calls her his daughter, Maruko and takes good care of her.

If you haven't already noticed, she's wearing a lifejacket.

The dog can probably swim OK but,  it's a good idea to keep her floating high in the water.

That way, if a sabani boat capsizes, at sea, maybe, the straw hat will stay dry.

Maruchan and I spent a whole weekend, riding boats together, back in June.

Whenever the sabani boats were practicing or, racing, she rode along with me.

We were on a fishing vessel escorting the boats during the races.

While I was shooting the cameras, she would be at my feet.

The dog figured out, my sense of hearing, isn't that great, I guess.

We became friends.

And, when I try to take her picture now, look what she does.

She keeps looking around, to make sure nobody is sneaking up behind me !

Is that a cool dog or, what ?

12 Photos from the 2014 Zamami Jima Sailing Sabani Race

Just Back from the Event

 

 

The three day visit was completed today.

There was a new twist in the race because the seas got rough.

Instead of sailing from Zamami to Okinawa Island, the course was changed.

The traditional wooden boats raced around the islands surrounding Zamami Jima.

Tonight, I'll just post some photos of the different boats and scenery, I observed.

It would be impossible, for me to get photos of them all, sailing.

 That's because, I'm bouncing around on an escort boat.

 The Umimaru, is the team, I went along with for the occasion.

They have enough sense, to turn-in early every evening. But, I don't.

They go home and get some sleep and I, mingle with sabani folks I never met before.

Well, I make lots of friends and, drink plenty of beer. Sometimes the local awamori, too.

Everybody wants their picture taken, while they are racing.

So, I tell them, I'll see what I can do.

If the light isn't right, when I'm looking for the Umimaru, I turn around.

And, shoot some other boats, too.

When it's all over, I have thousands of photos to process.

There are always plenty of them for the team, I was assigned to.

And maybe, I got some of my other drinking buddies, too !

The Sabani Sailboat Dog Asura

Made Into Boating Bow Wows

 

 

It took some doing, getting this gal from Okinawa, into a Boating Magazine.

They have plenty of girls in bikini photos but, Asura doesn't wear those things.

Pets on the Water was the category I entered her in.

 

In an email to the editor, I explained that, Asura sails with the sabani team, Ayakaji.

The photo was taken at Kanna Beach in Ginoza, Okinawa, Japan.

Here's a link to the image at Boating Magazine

It's a little tricky because they have 146 Boating Bow Wows.

The first one you will see is #1. Then, you have to push NEXT, above the photo.

When you get to #3, you can see this sabani sailing dog.

Then, hit Like and Tweet and maybe, we can get Asura into the #1 position.

That's where she belongs, I think.

PS  I almost forgot.  You can look at the girls in bikinis, while you're over there, too.

15 Photos: 2014 Itoman Okinawa Sabani Boat Parade

An invitation was extended to go with the Umi Maru for this event.

When a rainbow appeared above the boat, I knew that was a sign it would be a great day.

 The weather was kind of iffy so, I figured I'd shoot some flags while still ashore.

 Each boat had displayed banners, bamboo and pine, hoping for a good year of fishing.

This is me shooting photos from aboard the Umi Maru.

They outfitted me with a life jacket and told me where to sit for the ride.

I'd show you a photo of the boat tilting the other way but, don't want to make anybody seasick.

 The crew on the Umi Maru consisted of two guys and two girls with paddles.

Those sabani boats are heavy but, move incredibly fast.

 Trying to get photos of every boat, in good light, was a real challenge.

When I got a chance, I snitched one of the gal's paddles.

The camera on a tripod was held between my knees so I could paddle away.

It doesn't take much effort to get these boats moving.

A husband and wife could do it, if they got together.

When we got to the other end of the port, I walked funny, for awhile.

Sort of a drunken sailor walk, because the earth don't move like the ocean.

Everybody paraded up to a shrine for Lunar New Years, prayer and offerings.

They are Uminchu, "people of the sea" and, they come to this shrine to worship.

Offerings are tossed into the cave at Hakugindo Shrine for a good reason.

It assures future success for fisherman and all the uminchu.

So, I tossed some coins in there and prayed for them, too.

The Commisioner of the Itoman Sailing Club had everyone gather for a group photo.

It started to rain, again as the boats were preparing to return to the starting point.

So, I turned-in my life jacket because, I'm really not that kind of sailor.

I'll work on it. OK ?