7 Japanese boats swept by 2011 tsunami found in Hawaii
The Yomiuri Shimbun



TOKYO: -- Seven fishing boats believed to have been swept away by the March 2011 tsunami have washed ashore in Hawaii from February to April, according to an environmental nongovernmental organisation.

The Japan Environmental Action Network (JEAN) said another fishing vessel had turned up on the coast of Miyakojima island in Okinawa Prefecture.

The boats likely drifted on the Pacific Ocean for some time before riding a subtropical gyre current, the organisation said.

Other similar ships may be found in the future, sources said.

JEAN has been investigating the origins of the wreckage. Using vessel numbers, it has identified two of the seven boats as those of fishermen in Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures.

The Tokyo-based organisation is now trying to trace the five remaining boats.

The fisherman in Miyagi Prefecture, who abandoned his job due to his age, said he did not want the boat returned to him.

Meanwhile, JEAN said it has been unable to contact the boat owner in Fukushima Prefecture.

The boat found in March on Miyakojima island was confirmed as formerly belonging to a fisherman in Miyagi Prefecture.

While a conspicuous number of fishing boats drifted to the Pacific coast of North America around 2012, only a few have emerged on the coasts of Hawaii and Okinawa.

It is unusual that eight boats were found on the coasts within a three-month period, according to JEAN.

One reason the vessels stayed afloat is that many of them are made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic, a material that does not sink easily.

According to Environment Ministry estimates in 2012, about 5 million tonnes of debris from houses and boats were dragged out to sea following the Great East Japan Earthquake.

About 70 per cent of the debris sank to the seabed due to the characteristics of the materials, and the remaining 1.5 million tonnes is believed to be adrift on the ocean. Ships including fishing boats likely comprise about 1,000 tonnes.

"There's a subtropical gyre in the northern Pacific Ocean that flows clockwise," Kyushu University Prof. Atsuhiko Isobe explained.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/7-Japanese-boats-swept-by-2011-tsunami-found-in-Ha-30259875.html


-- The Nation 2015-05-12

Fascinating.

On the heels of Hawaii’s first confirmed report of Japan tsunami debris, NOAA and our partners are already examining the second confirmed item: a barnacled skiff which a fisherman found off the Hawaii coast—and which he wants to keep.

Using the skiff’s registration number, NOAA worked through the Japan Consulate in Hawaii to track down its owner, who expressed no interest in having it returned or in whom took possession of it.

The Zephyr, a longline fishing vessel, discovered the 20-by-6-foot skiff approximately 700 nautical miles northeast of Maui and reported it to the U.S. Coast Guard on September 29. After cleaning the aquatic species from its hull, the crew took it aboard and arrived with it in Honolulu Harbor the morning of October 5.

https://usresponserestoration.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/hawaii-tsunami-debris-skiff_credit-peter-grillo-fv-zephyr-2.jpg

They found a chunk of one off Oregon as well.

If no one want to have it, i would like to have it.

" We know you are getting on a bit but would you like to come and collect your boat please "

I heard there is a market for these type of boats in Libya.

All seven had barnacles 16 feet in diameter on them.

According to Environment Ministry estimates in 2012, about 5 million tonnes of debris from houses and boats were dragged out to sea following the Great East Japan Earthquake.

That is truly astonishing. Mother nature at her most powerful.

The 1,000 tonnes must be a mistake...has to be way more than that. The most interesting item I have seen so far was the container with the Harley in it that washed up in Alaska