I write at my desk on a baking hot, humid day, a 25 knot wind does little to cool it down. Although the date on the post is 1st February, that is the local time of the web host; it is in fact the 2nd of February here.
We are docked on a pier which needs some TLC, however at least it’s a dock as opposed to anchoring. There are numerous ships doing that, mostly refrigerated cargo ships, known by sailors as “Reefers”. They are here to load fish and alongside most of them is a fishing boat of some form; some purse-seiners, which use a long net strung out in a ‘loop’ by a small boat that each one carries. Others are Trawlers, these drag a deep net behind them. Tuna is their reason for being here and this is what they load. Some are here for months, waiting to fill their holds, others for a matter of weeks.
A purse-seiner, (badly in need of a coat of paint), unloading fish
…and a Trawler doing the same
A radar snapshot, with the cargo ships and fishing vessels at anchor.
What fun we had this morning. Approaching in darkness and first light a little later, we made our way towards the only approach through the reefs which surround the large lagoon and on which Majuro lies. The ‘Calinin’ channel is narrow and is meant to be marked with buoys and beacons. As is the norm with most of these islands, the wind and weather sometimes moves, or destroys the marks and today was no exception. Buoys we missing and some expected lights were non-existent.
An overview of the approach
We had spent a long time beforehand going through what would be required; a ‘Bridge Resource’ meeting with checklists which covers every eventuality, so we knew exactly what we were doing. Unusually, we could not use Electronic charts and overlays on radar and we navigated with methods from days of old, a paper chart and mark 1 eyeball and it worked like a charm, it brought back old skills and happy memories. We had a pilot, although, once he had his coffee in hand he was content to leave it up to us, just the way we like it 🙂 Taking the channel at enough speed to counter the strong wind on the beam, (which would push us ‘sideways’), we negotiated it and then built up speed, for it is 14 miles from there to the dock, (it’s a big lagoon)!
The channel, our track in green. As you can see, the electronic chart has no detail; no buoys, light, depths, nuffink…..
Even worse, according to this electronic chart, the dock lies on a coral reef!! 🙂
Fortunately, the dock heading lies more-or-less on the same heading as the wind, just 15° off, so we didn’t have to fight our way to the berth. All fast and cleared by Immigration and Customs, guests could take the ‘minivan’ shuttles to the town.
Thomas, taking her alongside, the pilot behind him, relaxing……
I would use that term loosely, although I didn’t go, I am told that one could miss it if one blinked. Nevertheless, I know guests enjoyed having their feet on dry land for a while and having a wander. Karen and Hazel did so and some of Karen’s photos are posted with mine. They returned with some local trinkets, lovely necklaces and bands which had been hand-made by the local ladies, made from shells and colourful braid.
How could I not show you the stalls????
Schoolchildren, on lunch-break
Fresh coconut to quench one’s thirst
The Amsterdam, from the town.
Our dock
OK, I’m going to try again, a time-lapse video, as we entered, (dark), although one can just make out the reef to starboard (right) if you pause it; then the turn through the channel and the run to the dock. I’ve got it down to 36 seconds, it actually took an hour…….
We leave here later today and another 4 days at sea, heading for Guam. I am a ‘history’ buff and having toured many a European battlefield, I am hoping both Guam and Saipan will have something of interest, although a web search on some of more well-known travel sites has drawn a blank……
