Taking out the trash isn’t always straightforward—especially when you live on a sailboat, anchored off a remote Japanese hamlet.
In this short glimpse, I row ashore to meet the garbage man and navigate the very local—and very specific—rules of Jap...
25 years ago, I began an epic 3,000 km bicycle journey the length of Japan—chasing cherry blossoms from south to north.
On Day One, I rode 125 km to Sakurajima, one of Japan’s most active volcanoes and a symbol of resilience. I turned 70 recently, and...
It’s a hot evening, so supper’s being cooked outside—simple chicken, spinach, and potatoes under the open sky. I’m using the mug my brother gave me from caribou country, where he’s living his dream in a tiny house with his wife Tracy.
The heat m...
After a weekend of sea swims, waterfalls, sailing and laughter, the family heads home, and I return to my floating solitude in Buren Bay.
Read the full reflection in this week’s blog post:
https://www.nevertoolateacademy.com/blog/what-a-week
#NeverT...
Cardio at 70+? You bet.
On the Boat I naturally get upper body workouts, jsut but doing what I have to do. But cardio and leg movements not so much. So, now that my foldable bike is fixed, I’m riding the hills around Buren Bay, with Wahine moored just ...
Maintenance My Way.
Some people are wired for repairs. I’m… not one of them.
Today I’m rowing ashore to get my broken Zero Breeze air conditioner looked at (and its stubborn battery). Thankfully, my friend Martin is an electrical wizard—because my...
"I`m Not Dying. Not Yet".
This week, just after the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, holds layers of meaning for me.
- Six years ago, I moved aboard Wahine and launched the Pacific Solo dream.
- 39 Years ago this week, we welcomed our firs...
It’s not because it’s July 4th that I’m staying on shore — I’m Canadian.
But something curious is happening here in Japan.
Tourists are cancelling their trips because of a decades-old manga prediction about a disaster on July 5th — and oddly en...
There’s a typhoon in the forecast—at least according to one of the weather models—and it could sweep right over Amami next week. So it’s prep time aboard Wahine. Today I’m taking down the jib sail, adding fenders, securing gear, and making sure b...
What’s happening in Japan right now?
Some tourists cancelled trips over a manga doomsday prediction for July 5th. Social media ran with it. But here in Amami, just south of the Tokara Islands, the sea kayaking festival went on, and the village of 29 whe...
Living on a boat in remote Japan has its beauty… and its challenges.
I’m moored in a quiet bay, in a remote spot on Amami Island, where the bus comes just a couple of times a day. With typhoon season approaching and writing deadlines too, I needed som...
Hi, Lowell here from Pacific Solo and the Never Too Late Academy, aboard my Gib Sea 402 Wahine, moored in Buren Bay on Japan’s Amami Island.
With one typhoon heading toward China (safe travels, friends) and another brewing for next week, I’m prepping ...
How does the Zero Breeze Mark 2 really hold up after 2 years on a boat in Japan’s heat and humidity?
I’ve been using mine on my sailboat Wahine as a portable air conditioner during typhoon prep and writing retreats. I’m not a tech guy, so setup took...
Goodbye, Wahine… for now.
I’m heading to mainland Japan for a few weeks to work on the second draft of my book and continue research.
Life aboard a sailboat, especially in typhoon season, means constant prep. She’s secured, bug-bombed (yuck), and fl...
New Meditative Video Coming soon
Lowell here from Pacific Solo and the Never Too Late Academy. I’m back on the mainland, diving deeper into longevity research across Japan—building on Blue Zones and Ikigai. After three days off my feet from blisters, I...
Boat life may be good for the soul… but not for the waistline.
Back on land, walking every day in one of my favorite valleys in Japan, I’m reminded of when I used to cycle 70 km before breakfast.
Now? I’m the heaviest I’ve ever been at 95 kilos.
...
July began with a scare caused by a Manga Prediction and an unprecedented earthquake swarm near by. but what followed was deeper—a quiet goodbye. In this meditative video essay, I reflect on what it means to leave my sailboat Wahine for a time, the gr...
Day 5 in Tokyo. I am away from Wahine for 6 weeks, having family time and writing and working. This is my second stint in Tokyo this summer. The city is sweltering—hot, humid, relentless. But even here, in a place that never sleeps, there's value in st...
Wahine’s home when I found her was at Yumenoshima Marina — Tokyo’s “Island of Dreams.” Built on landfill, transformed into a marina and park, it was here that my journey with Wahine truly began.
On this day off from writing, meetings, and even b...
Walking around the Imperial Palace and heading back soon to the boat. Watch full video here.
https://youtu.be/SW0xbYIrxHE?si=X8tr_1u9ErK-Pi1P
#imperialpalace #walking #japan
Could they be the land equivalent of JetSkiers? :) in terms of sound pollution? Three more days and I am back on board Wahine.
check out more videos at @pacificsolo.com
"After six weeks in the city, I return to the island—and am greeted by a sailor’s perfect picture: a calm sea, blue skies, and a squall cloud rolling in. City life has its rhythm, but here the horizon reminds you of raw, quiet power. For sailors, rain ...
Back on board Wahine after six weeks away. No mold (a sailor’s small victory!) and Buren Bay is as beautiful as ever. In this short, I share a quick check-in and a teaser for my upcoming video: the five things I wish I had done before buying a boat. Whet...
Blue skies. A sparkling coastline. A secret beach for a midday dip.
This is sailing in Japan — beautiful, empty, almost untouched.
In the Med or Caribbean, this would be crowded with yachts. Here, I counted just two others in the harbor.
That’s what ma...
Dreaming of owning a boat? Before you even buy one, there are six things I wish I had practiced or studied more. These are skills and habits that would have eased my anxiety, sped up my learning curve, and made the first days onboard far smoother. The best...
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