Hello from Seoul/Busan, Korea

[cool2848]

Hi!

I joined the forum a few months ago while I was looking for a boat to buy and cruise/deliver myself.
I tired to buy a various boats mostly from abroad, then I decided finally on an old one which was in Korea.

It is an old Celetial 48 ketch cc.
It crossed pacific a few years ago to Korea.
It has a lot of equipments for long distance cruising, but the previous owner did not keep up the work so it needs more than a few fixing.
So, there are many things that I want to ask, but there are not many that can answer questions for me in Korea, esepcially in Seoul where I live and teach.

However the boat is in a marina in Busan City which is southern most port city.
I use Winter and Summer vacations to learn and familiarize with the boat and slowly updating/fixing the boat.
I have one year of Sabbatical year in one and half year.
I hope to use that time to do long distance cruising, while I limit myself to local and to closeby China and Japan crusie until then.

I want to extend my offer of welcome and a place to stay in Seoul, Korea to the community if ever you come to visit.
Also, I know a few people in Busan if you come by boat that I can introduce to.
I will be happy to meet any of you if you come by this area.

This is my second sailing yacht.
I owned a Catalina 27 while in Cleveland area about 9 years ago for less than a year.

I write my blog but in Korean language at http://blog.daum.net/cool2848/.

I hope to be a regular (probably not a frequent) member.^^


Yillbyung Lee

[S/V Willow]

Hi and welcome aboard! If we ever sail up your way we would like to come and visit. We are in the same position as you, we have just bought our second yacht in New Zealand so we will be some time getting her ready to sail. Good luck with your project and we look forward to stories from you.

[Artful Dodger]

Hello and weclome, have a buddy who sails from here in Canada, who works for Korean Air, is in your neck of the woods almost every month with spare time. If your interested could have him contact you, he has a vast knowledge in the sailing area.

[Boracay]

When I was teaching in Korea a few years ago foreigners were something almost from outer space.

I can only imagine what they make of yachties.

Welcome to the Forum.

[Jacana]

Hi and welcome aboard,I have a boat in charter in Queensland Australia on the Gold Coast and take Koreans out daily sailing on my catamaran am suprised as so far no one has been sailing before and a lot of my guests come from PUSAN which is on the coast.Goodluck with your new boat and I will keep enjoying taking out your fellow countrymen.Geoff.

[cool2848]

Thanks for the quick welcome, Yacht Moondust!
Yes, if you ever come this way please do let me know.
I still has to decide where to go in one and half year.
Down to Austrailia and surrounding area and back would be a nice cruise for me.
Hope to see you around.

Thanks for the welcome and for the offer, Artful Dodger!
Well, I do have to read and learn more basic thing here before I need worldly knowledges.
But, thanks anyway.


Thanks for the welcome, Boracay!
Well, there are quite many foreigners now even though they are still very foreign to many.
Yacht is quite new to most of the country, and no friend of mine owns a yacht.^^

Thanks, Jacana!
I am not surprised.
Pusan is Busan where I have my boat and it has the major size marina and related facility in Korea.
I am sure those guys will appreciate the experience.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha and Welcome aboard,
I have sailed a Celestial 46 interisland here in Hawaii and they are very nice boats. Is your 48 nearly the same? My ship was in Busan many years ago ('70s) and I enjoyed the few hours I was able to get ashore.
Welcome aboard the forum.
Kind regards,
JohnL

[cool2848]

Thanks John.

It is a ketch and a center cockpit.
I like it so far.
I do not know how 46 looks like though.

Wow, you were in Busan!
Hope to see you around.

Y.Lee

[BadFish]

Hi there Cool. I lived in South Korea for a year, stationed at Osan, and been to Pusan, Kunsan, and all types of San's. Can't remember a lot, the soju made me memory a little shaky. Mamma-son's are the devil, and I really miss bugogi. I've logged a lot of miles in Seoul, walking or subway, never really knowing where I was going. Honestly, I don't know how I got outta that country intact. I do remember there being an unusually amount of attractive Austrailian and British women there teaching english. Basically, I had a very good time in my 364 days in Korea.

Never visited any docks there, but remember nasty winter, and those docks are no place to be this time 'o year. Winters there are nasty, and I live in Pittsburgh. Actually, they're probably about the same as here, but I really hate winters. I been to Japan too, and know there are some great beaches there, but I never cruised 'em. For what it's worth though, I don't remember a whole lot about Japan either, other than beaches and saki.

Welcome aboard, and congrats on your new lady.

Cheers

Bill

P.S. Speaking of South Korea, a friend of mine, Hines Ward, is from there, and he just won his second NFL SUPERBOWL with the greatest team in history, THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS.

[cool2848]

Thanks for the welcome, Badfish.

So, you were at Osan, airbase I guess.
Yes it is cold in Winter in Korea.
But, Busan is quite mild compared to Seoul or Osan, and it is not really bad to sail these days at all.

Learning English is a big business since we depend on trade basically to survive, and that is why there are many native English speakers to teach English here.
Though I should say most Koreans speak poor English after so many years of hard study...

Korea has fair number of beaches as japan do, which has more.
But, while Japan has many well supported marinas and many yachts, Korea has only a few marina and a little more than a few yachts.

Hines is fairly famous because of his first superbowl MVP(?) although only a small number of Koreans watch and know how the rules are for American football.
Congratulations on the Steeler for the second Superbowl championship.

Y.Lee