See a Harbor Before You Commit
What a visit covers, what to look at on the pier, and the questions worth bringing along
What a Visit Covers
We can arrange for you to walk a harbor with us before you choose a berth, storage or a repair yard. Visits are arranged on request: you tell us what you want to see, we confirm the place and time in writing, and we describe what is and is not available there. The photographs on this page are illustrative and show the kind of places a visit may include.
The Pier and Its Approach
Walk the way you would walk it with luggage or a trolley: the surface, the railings, the lighting, and how far the berth is from where you can leave the car.
The Berth Itself
Look at the space beside and behind the berth, the depth, and how neighbouring boats lie. Measuring against your own boat is easier on the spot than on paper.
Shore Services Nearby
We note which services are close to the berth and which are elsewhere in the harbor, so that you do not find out about the distance on your first night.
Areas We Can Walk You Through
Piers and Berths
Where your boat would lie, how it is secured, and how the pier is reached at low and high water. We bring the details of the specific berth under discussion, not a general description.
Storage Ashore
For winter lay-up or longer storage: where the boat would stand, how it is lifted and supported, and whether the space is open or under a roof. Availability is confirmed in the reply.
Fuel and Shore Services
Where fuel, water and power are taken on, and at which times. If something is not provided at that harbor, we say so plainly.
Repair and Haul-Out Yard
If you want a maintenance estimate, a look at the yard shows what kind of work is done on site. The technician or yard that would do your job is named in the estimate.
Rest Areas and Washrooms
Showers, washrooms and a place to sit are worth seeing for a longer stay. We list what exists at the harbor in question and do not describe what is not there.
Our Office
Enquiries are handled from our office at 2-23-4 Toyomachi, Oita, Oita 870-0042, Japan. Please write before visiting; we do not keep opening hours and meet by appointment.
Things to Check During a Visit
A Short Checklist
- Water depth: ask for the depth at the berth at the lowest tide, and compare it with your boat's draft.
- Tide and current: watch how the water moves along the pier, and ask how the berth behaves in a strong wind.
- Shelter: look at what protects the harbor from swell, and ask how boats are secured in a typhoon.
- Security: ask what is really provided, such as gates, lighting, cameras or watch, and who responds when something goes wrong.
- Power and water: check the pedestals and taps, their rating, and how use is charged.
- Lighting at night: arriving late is easier on a lit pier than on a dark one.
- Access: note the walk from the car park to the berth, with luggage and with a trolley.
- Written terms: have anything promised on the day put in the written confirmation afterwards.
Weather, Tides and Safety on the Pier
A visit can be postponed when the weather is poor, and a pier can be closed to visitors at short notice for safety. Keep to marked walkways, watch your step on wet timber, and keep children close to you near the water's edge.
In an emergency on the water in Japan, call 118 for the Japan Coast Guard; call 119 for an ambulance or fire. We do not claim to provide rescue or medical services.
Harbor Photographs
Illustrative photographs of the kind of places a visit may include. They are not pictures of our own berths, staff or buildings.
Visits Are Arranged on Request
Tell us which harbor, yard or berth you would like to see, who is coming and roughly when. We confirm the place, the time and what can be shown in writing, and we are open about what a particular site does not have.