The day we left Tinian was quite rainy. It rained steady all morning but by the time we left around 11am it had mostly stopped. One problem with the harbour we were in is that there were rocks and debris on the bottom from past storms and the war. Our anchor got snagged on a giant old ships anchor chain, but with a bit of back and forth we were able to unsnag it without diving down. Dean had already had a check when we arrived and he saw old bullet magazines and a ship was to one side that looked like it had been blown up.
Saipan and Tinian are only 5 miles apart however from harbour to harbour is was more like 22 miles. We sailed and then motor sailed across the Saipan Channel that separates the two islands, due to a fairly strong current that runs through. Although there was rain over the islands, we got very little off the coast and it was quite a pleasant sail.
As we approached Saipan it was covered in rain and clouds. The outer harbour had 4 large naval supply ships anchored. Dean tells me the correct name is Prepositioning ships. Basically they are used to get military equipment somewhere quick and without relying on other nations transport networks. It isn’t all about defence though, they are also deployed for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in the region. Maritime Prepositioning Ships Squadron 3 look after these particular ships.
One of the ships we passed quite close by, you can just make out another ship behind it and the land, through the misty rain on shore.
There is a large dredged well marked channel into the port and main harbour that was easily navigable. Dean checked with Port Control before we entered to make sure there was no shipping traffic, and we were cleared to enter.
We opted to enter Smiling Cove marina. I was really nervous going in. There was a very narrow channel we needed to follow in down the side of a rock wall. Dean had a good look through the binoculars, and what prevented us entering was two idiot snorkelers that looked like they were diving for lobsters right in the passage.
We hovered for a while but they showed no indication of noticing us or moving along. We had absolutely no room to manoeuvre so if they didn’t see us and we entered our only choice would be to run into the reef or run over them.
Finally we called Port control and asked for permission to anchor over there for the night and move to the marina in the morning. Before going we took one last look, and lo and behold they had moved further onto the reef. So before they drifted back into the passage we went through. We still passed pretty close to them and they still gave no indication of being concerned that a huge boat was passing so close by.
Once we were passed them I took the helm and we went in. We had at least 1m under the keel most of the way in. We tied up to the transit dock, behind a commercial boat loading people on for a tour but when Dean went in to check with the office they instructed us to move up further in front of the tour boat. I could practically touch the boat as we passed it, and the Korean tourists had their cameras out taking photos of us. It was quite funny. While they can pick up people and drop them off, commercial boats aren’t allowed to stay here.
While a bit tricky to enter we are utterly protected from swell and wind. It is absolutely calm in here. It is the place where all boats that can get in are put for typhoons. Apparently they cram them in.
Saipan looks to be the big smoke compared to what we have been experiencing so far. We will stay here until we get a weather window to travel to Chichi-Jima, our next major destination where we hope to spend some time.
In fact Saipan is the largest of the Northern Mariana islands. It has a rich history with evidence of human settlements 4000 years old. Then it went through Spanish, German then Japanese periods. And of course the US captured it during WWII, and remained in administration until 1978 with the formation of Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).
As a point of interest Saipan is in the Guinness Book of records for having the least fluctuating temperatures in the world!!
Before it got dark we had time to go for a stroll and found our new local sushi shop. Ok it sells a bit more than that and we also got the Pork Butt Quesadilla and chips. Yumbo! All the very well behaved strays hang around and I fed this beautiful girl our prawn tails.
Tomorrow we explore.
Run to Paradise 