Experience Kanazawa | Things To Do

Noto Sailing Adventure

Chilling on the boat while sailing the Nanao Inlet

For many international tourists interested in the peninsula, a road trip may be the main thing they consider enjoying while there. However, there are not too many adventurous activities to enjoy around the waterfront. Nevertheless, it’s certainly worth visiting this area of land surrounded by water. And guess what?! We discovered that a new sailing business had been started in Nanao City, not far from Notojima Island. They sail a monohull boat or catamaran and you can embark on a new adventure not only in the Nanao Inlet but also in the Sea of Japan.

Coco SHIZUO, Artex Inc.; Updated Aug. 20, 2018

Noto Sailing Adventure

Chilling on the boat while sailing the Nanao Inlet

For many international tourists interested in the peninsula, a road trip may be the main thing they consider enjoying while there. However, there are not too many adventurous activities to enjoy around the waterfront. Nevertheless, it’s certainly worth visiting this area of land surrounded by water. And guess what?! We discovered that a new sailing business had been started near Notojima Island in Nanao City. They sail a monohull boat or catamaran and you can embark on a new adventure not only in the Nanao Inlet but also in the Sea of Japan.

Coco SHIZUO, Artex Inc.; Updated Aug. 20, 2018

Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins live in the calm inlet. They will show up out of curiosity!

The bay along the east coast of Noto Peninsula is called “Uchi-ura (inner bay),” while the west coast is “Soto-ura (outer bay).” Uchi-ura is pretty much calm, with almost no current. Noto Sailing Adventure (NSA) is located at Uchi-ura shore, near to Notojima Island. Their office is located inside Cafe Youho, which is well known for its Thai cuisine and also Thai massage. Their monohull and catamaran watercraft are calmly anchored at the small marina just in front of the cafe.
Captain Roki, who directs NSA, was preparing to sail around the inlet for us when we arrived at the cafe before 10 am. It’s a two-hour drive from Kanazawa City via the limited-access highway “Noto Satoyama Kaido.” We then began taking our stuff onto the catamaran.

This time around, we took some snacks with us for lunch by ourselves, having been shopping at Costco the previous day. Just so you know, meals by a restaurant can also be prepared for the boat cruise if you wish. Ask them when you book!
*
It was now time to set sail! The sun was dazzling, but the gentle breeze felt so good on the white deck.

Within 30 minutes, Captain Roki cut the engine to raise the sails. He asked us to help him out and warned against getting hit by the ropes or poles. No sooner were the sails hoisted than we saw some splashes on the other side of the inlet. There they were! The ocean residents of Noto Peninsula were hanging around! Even though they were quite a distance from the boat, we felt pretty lucky to have seen them. The next moment..., they were gone, then they suddenly showed up again from beneath the boat! Everybody was excited and screamed!

Having lunch and enjoying water activities in the middle of the inlet. Bring your meals and swimsuit!

The catamaran then set sail again without engine power, moving to the spot for lunch. All was going pretty well, although we were now missing the ocean residents; otherwise, we felt pretty confident in being able to cruise on this sunny day on the quiet boat without its motor.
Food is always an important part of packing for a boat trip, whether you’re going for a day or a month. From our own boat experience, a good piece of advice is that quick-and-easy finger foods work well when you are on the deck. However, everybody nowadays seems to want gorgeous Instagram photos, so we make an effort to ensure our snacks look good.
For those without the time to prepare lunch for themselves, NSA also offers full-course lunches as an optional extra.
*
We still had enough time after lunch, and there were some kayaks and a SUP (standup paddle) board carried by the catamaran. Why not try wateractivities? Kayaking or standup-paddle boarding is an easy way for just about anyone to enjoy the water.

Uchi-ura: the inner bay is the perfect place to start those activities. You can paddle safe on the calm tide in the inlet. Just there are some matters to be attended to.
With time remaining after lunch, there were some kayaks and a SUP (standup paddle) board on the catamaran. Why not try some water activities? Kayaking or standup paddle boarding is an easy way for just about anyone to enjoy the water. Uchi-ura: the inner bay is the perfect place to start those activities. You can paddle safely on the calm tide in the inlet. There are just a couple of things to attend to.
- - - - -
1. Check for small things in your pockets that you don’t want to get wet! One of our party actually ended up ruining his phone.
2. Bring some sunscreen and also a rash guard if you don’t want to get sunburned.
3. Please note that you’ll see some jellyfish, or rather they sometimes take over the inlet. Check the water!
- - - - -
After enjoying the activities, remember to rinse yourself off with fresh water before getting back on board!

Catamaran cruising was definitely a great experience even for local folks like us. NSA also has some more optional extras for sailing. Check out their official site and ask them in English! They will coordinate your plan.

Noto Sailing Adventure: www.sailingadventure.jp
14-i, Sode, Nakajimamachi, Nanao City
Sailing Experience:
Monohull (up to 5 people) ¥20000 (2.5 hours); ¥40000 (6 hours)
Catamaran (up to 10 people) ¥30000 (2.5 hours); ¥50000 (6 hours)
Open: 9:00-18:30; closed Thursday
090-3291-7790; info@sailingadventure.jp

Noto Sailing Adventure:
www.sailingadventure.jp
14-i, Sode, Nakajimamachi, Nanao City
Sailing Experience:
Monohull (up to 5 people) ¥20000 (2.5 hours); ¥40000 (6 hours)
Catamaran (up to 10 people) ¥30000 (2.5 hours); ¥50000 (6 hours)
Open: 9:00-18:30; closed Thursday
090-3291-7790; info@sailingadventure.jp