to Album of Peter offered Dian & Bill Dec.19 2002
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to a picture diary No.2picture diary No.3picture diary No.4picturediaryJan 18 2003
to Dian & Bill Pool Dec.19 2002
to Larry Lesser (uncle to peter)
Please forgive for wrong english grammar
and records and mistake spell, if you can
correct,please send e-mail.
Remain his memories is only things what I
can do.
If someone can add some memories or comments
about Peter, Please send e-mail. adress:
hotufoboat@hotmail.com
memories of one sailer Peter Lesser
"Hello, my name is OBATA. I come from
Japan"
This is the beginning of this short story.
I went to Bonbonon for meeting my spanish
brother Enrique who was anchoring there for
a long time,
and found a small steel boat near my anchoring
position.
This boat's length is less than 7m, with
a aluminium mast standing through the hull,
only a main sail, and an outboard engine
set on the back.
"Hello, I'm Peter, I come from Hawaii"
"Really, did you come single handed
from Hawaii with this boat?"
I apologized about asking so obvious statement.
I had not been inside his boat, but maybe
there is no enough space forloading food,
water, fuel.
My cruising style is always easy and comfortable
going but he can not make even a plan of
sailing.
Enrique told to me:
"Peter started for Kotakinabalu, but
drifted away during one month ,then arrived
inParawan."
Enrique and I, payed respects to him as he
has a great brave and challenging spirit
in spite of a small boat.
Most boat have 2 crew members in Bonbonon
but we (Enrique, Peter and I )are single
handed.
I cooked Japanese curry and korean kimuchi
sometime , shared with them.
Peter prefered kimuchi with beer.
I always have my shower and wash my cloth
at sunset time, on the deck. Peter calls
me from his boat,
"Hey, What about a beer?"
"Why not, thank you."
Peter loved this sunset time, always on the
deck and drinking a beer.
When I seat on his boat, we are both heavy,
so his boat is healing one side, so we must
seat on opposite sides.
We had a party of lonely single handed members,
buying gorgonzola cheese, spanish hamon,
good bread and cheap wine in Dumaguette,
knowing even nothing about each other age.
Maybe Peter is 65, I am 55, Enrique is 45
years old.
I do not know a lot about Peter, only a few
things:
He was borned and grew up in NewYork, had
been to India when he was young,
had worked in salmon fishing in Alaska,
sailed on trimaran which was distroyed during
a storm,
got this small steel boat and came here in
Bonbonon from Hawaii .
That's all.
One day, we enjoyed sailing on my boat with
beer, wine, cheese, then went out Bonbonon
bay. The wind was blowing from north, 12/15
knots,
,good conditions for sailing. We sail east,
sailing part is Enrique, drinking and eating
part is Obata, fishing part is Peter.
"If you can catch fish , I will operate
fish, and make a sashimi",
but I think that my boat is a jinx, as I
have never been able to catch a fish.
and jinx still continues, even with Peter.
Peter told me that he wants to get an other
boat, so, I contacted Iemura in Japan,.
got information on a 34ft X-racing yacht.
I know an other boat that is scrapped ship
in the same yacht club in Japan .
I do not know the price of this boat, but
Peter is pleased with this X-yacht.
He asked me when is the best season for sailing
to Bonbonon from Japan.
"It is in Oct maybe, after the Typhoon
season, but this season is passing fast,
with low pressure from west to east.
you should rather take a south course from
Osaka Bay to Titijima, Guam, then Bonbonon,
current and wind direction are good for sailing,
but it's a longer distance.
" Ok, I will go to Japan inJuly, then
meet you there if you go back to Japan."
I started for Malaysia to Singapore, Langkawi,
Phuket this year.
Peter and Chona started sailing to Kotakinabaru
from Bonbonon, this spring, with his small
steel boat.
They could see Negros Island for a week.
It took one month sailing , I cruised same
route, for only 4?5 days.
I can imagine how hard sailing they did.
Sometimes, Chona looked at Peter:
"Do you want to kill me."
It is too hot, not hot: burning ! like a
fry pan.
Peter came down to Kansai airport inJapan
in July, took a train and visited Iemura
house as he heard the way to iemura from
Enrique.
Enrique had been staying in Japan for a long
time, about 2 years, so he very well knows
here.
I also came back to Kyoto in Japan in July,
so I went to Lake Biwako for meeting Peter.
Lake Biwako is the biggest lake in Japan,
and I have a 30ft monohull boat in Yanagasaki
Harbour inside the Lake Biiwako.
Peter was on his new boat, I shouted at him.
He brought a small inflatable dingy from
Bonbonon.
"Hi, Peter How are you?"
"Fine, but some guy over there at the
yacht club claimed to me this morning that
here you cannot moor"
"Ok, never mind , we move your boat
near my mooring ."
I contacted Iemura and asked him to bring
his baggage to Yanagasaki Yacht Harbour(that
is my mooring placein Lake Biwako)
We picked up anchor and moved to the south:
it takes about 40min,
then ,threw the anchor, 100m away from my
boat.
I found a good dinghy that Kimura(same club)did
not use for a long time,maybe garbage (I
suppose)
"Peter, you may use this dinghy, no
problem, and bring it back to Bonbonon because
Kimura will go to Bonbonon someday.
but it is a little bit difficult so if his
dingy could arrive in Bonbonon faster than
his main boat(named Oasis) and he, maybe
he will be glad."
This evening is the party of Koukyu Oumi
Usi(Expensive and Good Quality Japanese Beef
Meets), so, many BCYC (I belong to this club)member
gathered and
drank beer, wine and ate good beef barbecue,
so I was able to easy to introduce Peter
to everybody.
Sure, Iemura and his wife Alice joined this
party, Alice can speak english very well
and also Japanese with a lovely accent,
she is always cheerful and popular with everybody.
When I stay in Japan ,I sleep in my boat
half of the week,
Oneday I invited Peter for sightseeing in
my car, first,drove up by the road to Mt
Hiei which is located in the north east of
kyoto city,
arrived to the top of the 800m mountain above
sea level. There is an old buddism temple
Enryakuji for protecting the old Kyoto capital.
We took a photo, hitting a big bell, everyone
after the other. This is in the forest and
silence, you only hear the bell sound "Guooon"
Next we down to Yamasina city (between kyoto
and Lake Biwako) then take a lunch.
We go to a sushi bar named Kura and eat sushi:
many kinds of sushi on the plate are moving
in front of our eyes.
Peter likes pink salmon ,maybe it reminds
him of the fresh salmon in Alaska.
Next we go in Kyoto city and sightseeing
of Nijyoujyou(a castle of Japanese emperor)
The inside work is traditional style of architecture,and
famous painter of this erea, 800 years ago,
drew many mural paintings.
We tooke a photo here,maybe these photos
are the last one for Peter.
Now I remembered that Peter had a camera
and he also took a photo, was his camera
insidethe cabin?
He said to me and still remains in my ear:
"Thank you Obata, Maybe I will never
come back again to Japan, good memories"
and this word is now not "maybe".
The beginning of Aug.. is a customary fireball
festival in Otu city.
Many kind of fireball are set off from opposite
side, so here Yanagasaki harbour is special
site for looking fireball.
Mr.kihara who is a master of party ready
barbecue koukyu Oumi Usi and Iemura family
bring many kind of food.
Peter and I can eat and drink everything
of everyone.
Peter and I discussed and made a plan of
presents for Bonbonon village children and
people.
We gathered many used pencil, ballpen, rubber,
notebook, T-shirts, bags, sewing machine,
and loaded insidethe cabin.
Maybe he also loaded a bicycle offered byYukisan
and a motobike from Kagisan, a new battery
from Fukui and Kihara,
surely a dingy from Kimura, but I had gone
already and I do not know.
Another BCYC member presented many things.
One day we took a bath of" Yamato no
yu" (big sauna and bath shop ) near
the yacht harbour.
This building has 3 floors, we first go in
sauna bath, next cold water bath, next bubble
bath, last open air bath in a roof garden.
I thought that Peter doesn't like hot water
but he loves it and stay inside for a long
time.
"Peter, when you return to Bonbonon,
talk to Enrique about this open air bath."
Because I and Enrique have a plan( maybe
dream?) for making open air bath if he can
rent Eric house.
Beginning of Sept. I must go back to Malaysia
through Korea Pusan. Many times I have asked
Peter:let's go to Pusan with me.
But he doesn't want to give me any worry,
so he refuses.
He asked me some information chart to Bonbonon
from here.
"I will give you copies of C-Map"
I printed the Chart, south course from Osaka
Bay, Titijima, Guam, Bonbonon.
But, He changed to west course to Okinawa,
Manila, Bonbonon.
I guess that he wanted to go back to Bonbonon
faster, so he selected this short distance
course but the boat had to fight against
the strong Kurosio current
and many low pressure occured and passed
fast over this west course from west to east.
When I go back to Japan, I'll research the
weather maps from 18th Oct. to 1st Nov 2002.
It took 14days, and if I take the same course,
maybe 5?6 days.
"Peter, you should bring this handy
casette kitchen range and blanket to Bonbonon,
I will pick them back there someday."
Now, I still have not gone back to my boat
in Japan ,so I do not know whether he took
these things with him or let them on my boat,
but I guess he didn't take them.
No means for "IF", it's too late,
but still, I think that's these little casette
range wouldn't have consummed gas for such
a long time and perhaps Peter would still
be with us.
Because he brought a kerosen burner from
Bonbonon, and he asked me to buy some white
kerosen, about 2liters, maybe he used this
as he was cold and wanted to heat his body
and cook some potates
I left Japan on Sep. 5th , his boat moved
to Osaka Bay beginning of Oct.
Some yachtman confirms that Peter started
for Nusima Island ( a narrow channel between
Awaji Island and Osaka city in Osaka Bay)on
18th Oct.
He arrived at a small fishing port of north
Okinawa Island(Kunigamison) on maybe Oct.30
or 31, boat was tied shoreside safely.
On 2nd Nov. Okinawa police found his dead
body in cabin, contacted Peter's sister Rosemary
through Naha American Consul.
His body had an autopsy but after many days,
it was not possible to clear the cause of
his death.
Blood test showed poison of carbon dioxide,
police found burned potato in the kettle.
Iemura wife Alice guess that Peter fought
alone against waves, wind and current for
2 weeks, then arrived in Okinawa small port,
he was hungry, tired, sleepy, and it was
very cold in Okinawa , he shut all hatch
and put on fire kerosen burner for boiling
potatos in kettle.
He wanted to take a rest for a short time
and layd down in his berth, but he slept
deep and deep .
I imagine the same story than Alice's.
It is too short time that I had to do with
him,
Of course it is no mean to say about length
of time, because time was passing for a too
much length, 10years is long time? or 1second
is long time?
I know ,but too much short.
I send to Peter same word that I wrote on
guest note book in Bonbonon.
"I meet you now only one chance crossing time and space.
Someday I must say
"See you again"
but I don't know for certain.
So, I do my best for you to not regrets."
see you again Peter
by Masanori Obata
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e-mail from Aice Iemura on 20th Nov.
Dear Mr. Obata,
I read your HP about memories of sailor,
it so sad but it also bring joy because his
memory is always with us,
I like also to share some memories that we
spend with him, but i dont know how to start
or where do i start.
Well it goes like this,
We recieve a mail from you in the early February
telling that you have a friend american people
who want an yacht with a minimun size of
30 ft and have a reasonable price,
That time Kenji my husband have an extra
yacht the 3/4 X yachts
it was 34 ft the boat is not bad because
it was use in Lake Biwako which is fresh
water,
and you give him our mail address and that
is the time that every time we exchange mail
to get along together
and he plan to check the boat in the middle
of spring but at that time he was in love
to a pilipina which is Chona,
and they have a plan to sail in Malaysia
.
Kenji said that maybe he was no longer interested
to the boat, but after we heard that they
got a hard sailing on that time
and maybe it was he change his plan that
he need more comfortable yachts, but as you
know every sailorman have a minimum badget
of expenses,
he told us his badget, that he cannot afford
the expensive one just he want is more comfortable
and fit to his badget,
So Kenji tell him that he had a boat 34 ft
and not so old and it is an original made
from Denmark and after he visit to us ,
He came here in our house on July 27 2002
about 11:00 , at that time I'm still working
and Kenji call me that Peter is in the house
,
so I leave my work in that day , and it make
me surprise because every time we exchange
a mail
I thought he was about in the middle of 40
years old and my eyes get big when I heard
his aged,
I quiet Peter fann at that time because at
his aged he was so brave to sail alone and
one more thing that make me surprise is that
story about his boat that he live in bonbonon,
I told him that now his boat is big he can
do more fun in sailing, and he said to me
"Yes Alice, you want to came with me"
and I reply
" Oh no, thank you,I repair catamaran
if I want long cruise "
and He laugh on me, after that we have our
Lunch in Japanesse restaurant,
He had no Idea what to order and Kenji said
that "Why not try Unagi (Ell fish )
set with a tempura ,"
and he love that taste very much.
then he live with us for a while,
I have an habit not to make a breakfast,
but when Peter live with us I do my best
that every morning I woke more early to make
some breakfast
and my son evry morning call him
" Peter san breakfast time "
Jun always call him, we have a very good
moment with him,
at night I always make sure to make a hot
bath and my son told him
"Peter san shower time "
and he joke to Jun that Jun is good in saying
"It's time ",
my son is not very good in English but when
he was with us, my son use a little english
and it was a very good training to him.
When he started to work on his boat Kenji
give him some advise but he said always
" No need, after I bring it in Phillippines
I will work on it because it was cheap there
than here in Japan,"
we could not blame him in that thinking ,
because he was always badget his expenses.
and when he change the place for mooring,
and he said that he want to stay on his boat
we fell lonely but Kenji said it was better
so that he can work better and he can make
some plan to what to do on his boat.
When he was in Yanakasaki he got a lot of
friend on there, and the last day here in
Biwako we held a "Sayonara party "
for him and everybody have a gift to him,
When he go to Osaka in Izumiotsu where my
husband yacht club , Kenji ask favor to the
Master to have him 10 days for free
and the Master harbour said
" It's fine, with us "
and Peter have a quiet famous in Izumiotsu
he got a lot of friend also there
Because of his aged he was very brave to
go alone (single hand)
Every time we got party over there and always
we have a cold beer a good wine on that time.
after he finnish all the paper work in Immegration,of
course with the help of Kenji,
and he leave Osaka with the promise that
we will meet in Bonbonon this coming Jan.and
Kenji told him
" that after he reach Okinawa will you
please call us before you leave Japan and
we will give you also some weather information".
During the time that he was sailing we always
wacth the weather report every time that
there was a low pressure we worried for him.
But Kenji said "don't worry there was
a lot of iland over there every time he can
have a place to rest for a while
I count the day and I thought that in first
day of November he will reach Okinawa at
that time.
And Nov. 1 is Saturday usually every Saturday
we go to Izumiotsu but on that time because
as we count the day we fell that he was in
Okinawa so we dicide to stay at home to wait
of his call,
Then Sunday I fell boring I keep asking my
husband
"Is Peter call"
he said
" not yet maybe he was checking the
town because I teach him where place is the
best to go "
I told to my husband,
"maybe he was busy, because last time
the weather is not good, he was very tired
and he was resting
maybe tommorow he will call,
In my mind I pray that there was nothing
bad happened to him,
And the clock is so slowly to and my son
Jun
" Mother let go outside "
I said
" okey but we need to go back ealy because
maybe Peter will call us ",
Jun said
" Mother you are over thinking Peter
san is a Professional he will fine "
Me and my son go to Public bath, at that
time I fell unease,
I ask Jun to go back home,
When we back at the house Kenji was in phone
with a worry on his face
I said his that Peter "
He sign me to quiet, I could not understand
my feeling on that moment and after Kenji
finnish on phone
" He said that Peter is gone "
and my tear is falling I have no words came
out,
Kenji give me water, and hold my shoulder,
and Jun came with a surprise face
"What happened "
and daddy said that Peter is gone
"oh my god " is that the first
word came out ,
"what happened, is he got accident,
is his boat drawing, or what happened "
Kenji said that the Policeman have no idea
yet just he reach Okinawa on Oct 31 and some
people see him making his boat get it in
tight rope, and after a a day he dont go
up and when the coastgruad check him they
found inside the boat without life.
and rest of the day is like the world is
not moving
Kenji could not go to work
,we dont talk so much,and Jun also keep silent,we
spend every with a silent time in that moment,
after we know the cause of his death,
it make me also surprise, or it make me angry
for while to him,
I could not explain it every well, because
the day before that I keep a lot in my mind
maybe he got in trouble or maybe ha got an
heart attack, or maybe... or maybe.... but
.... for god sake ... it was a CARBON DIOXED
POISION... Why... like that... or maybe....
I thought that he kill..... or what else....
but for that kind......
Well after i clear my mind maybe.. maybe
he was very tired, he was very sleppy or
what,,, and He was alone.... Just I could
not accept the way he die,
before the last time we talk ,
He has a lot of dream. he plan to go in africa,
he have a lot of dream ..
He want to be in Philippines before the big
fiesta is starting
He want to join in a race in Mindanao ,
and He promise to us that when we visit to
Bonbonon we dont have to worry the place
to stay because he got two boat over and
we will cruise on his new boat with the name
of "FLASH"
I realize that this Peter case, however if
my husband plan to go in Phillipines with
his yacht , I thought that he need company,
and maybe ... I will go with him... wherever
he go..and that is promise.....
by Alice Iemura(wife of Kenji Iemura)
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