Marshall Islands

[Kailuana]

Just signed up in hopes of finding good help and suggestions. Currently working out here in the Pacfifc and putting together a 1988 Beneteau/Moorings 432. Hopefully will spend several years exploring and not working in the near future.

[clausont]

Sounds like a great time. I know someone who works out there at the installation. Hope all works out well for you.

[Kailuana]

Yes the sailing is great. I am learning to sail here. This is my second boat. I broke my Cal 20 in a weekend race and never really got it back in the water. Stepped up to the Beneteau and love it. I am adding upgrades constantly but still enjoying it in the meantime. It's like like sailing in a 1100 sq. mi. lake only with trade winds and the Pacific just on the other side of the reef. Interested to know who your friend is out here. The population is in decline right now.
It's been awhile since we saw many cruisers coming around. I have heard there are quite a few making their way through Majuro. It's more difficult to come here if you want to get on this island but there are still nice dive spots and plenty of wrecks and reef to explore.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by Kailuana

....It's been awhile since we saw many cruisers coming around.

It's more difficult to come here if you want to get on this island but there are still nice dive spots and plenty of wrecks and reef to explore.

Is Kwaj still a military Installation? I remember that used to be the Star Wars testing site

In 1996 I was passing near there on a Super yacht when my chief engineer ended up with a burst appendix.

Luckily with working through Fleet Surgeon in Hawaii and my chief being American we were given permission to come in to the Atoll (I had already turned around) and he was taken in for emergency appendectomy.

Great civilians there (I remember working under civilian contractor Raytheon) but I was the only one allowed to accompany my engineer (under armed guard) and we only had 24 hrs grace before having to haul anchor and leave.

With those restrictions then it was not feasible to put it on the cruising list, but would like to return there as it is beautiful.

I remember one of the most spectacular views from any hospital ward I have ever seen.

Anyway Chiefy spent a month there, made a full recovery and had a great time with all the staff that seemed starved for outside company. We met up with many of them in Phonpei when they took vacation time at the Village Hotel


Let us know what the regulations are now.......Cheers!

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Kailuana,
Welcome aboard! Good to have you here. I have a lot of trouble finding parts and pieces for boats here on the Big Island and I expect you do too way out there.
Kind regards,
JohnL

[Danimal]

Wow, what a bunch of cool memories. I was just researching how to spell "Kailuana" (not remembering where, if any, the apostrophes went) for posting photos on Facebook. I've only sailed once, and that was to bring the Kailuana from Honolulu to Kwajalein with Mike Cheatham (owner - who bought the boat from Dave Lung), Michael Blair (Captain) and Matt Fine. We set the record (13 days, 22 1/2 hours) that stood for about 5 years. I've been around the world, to over 80 countries, and that trip is still one of my happiest memories. Enjoy!!

[markpj23]

I passed by the atoll on a Navy ship enroute to Majuro in the late 80s. The giant phased-array radar is something to see on the horizon.

One of my shipmates had been stationed on Kwaj temporarily and told us that the sister ship of the Bismark, the Prinz Nugen I believe, was towed to Kwaj after the Bikini bomb tests and ended up beached in Kwaj with part of her submerged at diving depths while part is always above water. Being a wreck nut I'd sure love to explore that one someday.

Beautiful islands!

[Danimal]

Mark:

Well, she is still there. And what you heard is true. It's the Prinz Eugen, and the props stick out of the water at low tide on an island just ways up the atoll, but visible from Kwaj (as I recall). It's a cool wreck to dive, but there are many more there. You really can't lose on any dive there.

[fastfilm]

Kailuauna,

Greetings. A friend of mine from High School is a Marshall Islander and last I heard he went back after college and was involved in the government there. His name is Maynard Alfred. If you run across him send him greetings from Robin Foster and his Andover classmates. We are all old farts now but I bet the Islands have kept him youthful.