Sail Guam?? Sail Japan??

[Lightfin]

My daughter just returned today, safe thankfully, from a tour of teaching English in South Korea.

On the way home she spent some time in Japan and in Guam, which got me wondering....

"Why do I never see any mention anywhere of cruisers visiting either of those places in their sailboats?"

I would think Japan would be a very interesting place to visit, and that staying aboard your own boat in port cities would be an economical way to visit what I understand is a very expensive country.

Sorry about putting this in the wrong category.

[markpj23]

I spent 4 yrs on Guam and 2 in Japan.

Guam is a beautiful place that has the misfortune of being centered on the track of most typhoons. Plus there are limited safe harbors due to its rugged coastline. When I was last there (1990) there were but 3 marinas and plans to open another on the south end of the island.

Being 3,000 miles from Hawaii doesn't help either.. it's just too far out of the way to attract circumnavigators. My feeling is that people sail to Guam as a destination vice an enroute stop.

Japan's lattitude makes for a short cruising season in the northern part of the country. It also makes approaching from the south a long beat into the wind. Many nice harbors and islands to explore once you get there. VERY high cost of living as the Yen to US$ exchange rate is in the low 100s per dollar. Okinawa is very tropical and likely worth the trip.

I'm sure others on this board have more experience with cruising Japan than I.

[Euro Cruiser]

I researched this recently as my son stands a chance of being stationed on Guam. A read thru Cornell's _World Cruising Routes_ gave me one answer; there simply is no certain season when the risk of typhoons is absent. Moreover, as Mark points out there are limited ways to obtain protection. I also corresponded with a small number of folks who've cruised in Guam waters and, while it may be a biased sample, every one of them suffered storm damage while based there.

Japan's season does not appear to be any shorter than that of N Europe, where sailing is a huge past-time. However, the weather is less attractive (lots of fog and no Gulf Stream to influence temps and steer lows to the N) and, again, the non-storm season is very short. How tough it is to reach Japan depends on where you are coming from and in which months; you can make it less of a windward trek if you're willing to accept more exposure to storms...altho' what a choice.

Jack

[GordMay]

Experience generates bias, and (often) strong opinions.
Don’t discount experienced opinions, merely because they exhibit a point of view, which is often hard-earned.
I’m certain Jack values those “biased” opinions.
I've NEVER suffered any damage in Guam, or anywhere in the S. Pacific. Of course, I've never been there.

“... I also corresponded with a small number of folks who've cruised in Guam waters and, while it may be a biased sample, every one of them suffered storm damage while based there ...”

[markpj23]

Jack - if your son may be stationed there another marina opportunity arises. The Navy base at Apra Harbor has a very sheltered marina open to those who are authorized patrons of US military facilities. Most typhoons hit the island from the east, and this marina is on the sheltered west side of the island.

Facilities are acceptable - I know one family from Hawaii who lived aboard at this marina for the duration of the father's tour. Has a large area for dry storage and DIY work, but no travel-lift so you'd have to hire a crane locally. Best of all is the marina bar atop the office building that overlooks the basin & entrance channel.

Another option is that way up into the harbor, past the commercial piers (again Apra Harbor) is a well-protected area among the mangroves. Used to be a rather derelict liveaboard area last time I was through there, but it provides good shelter.

Here's a link that shows Apra Harbor... the Naval Station marina is the smaller basin between the inner harbor area and the ship at anchor in the outer harbor. The patch of light blue water...
http://www.guam.navy.mil/navalbaseguam.htm
The commercial port lies off to the right (north) of this picture.

I miss the place... diving visibility in the outer harbor was 80ft on a BAD day, the WWII underwater national park is there... many shipwrecks to explore and an incredible wall dive 40 yards off the beach.

Hope you and/or your son get a chance to see the island in person!

[Lodesman]

I agree with Mark and PJ that Guam is probably too far out in the middle of the deep blue to be an attraction to cruisers. That in itself could be an attraction to anyone who wants to get off the beaten path. Other than the first-rate diving, the WWII history and the biggest K-Mart in the Pacific, there's not a lot I would recommend about Guam. When I was last there, I found the prices exhorbitant (gouging by the hospitality sector); this was during the Japanese recession, and the hotels/bars were empty. Guam is very popular with Japanese tourists, and they evidently feel they have as much to offer as Hawaii, so they price accordingly. If you are going to be in the neighbourhood though, you should definately stop at Saipan and Tinian, again for the diving and WWII stuff.

Japan is awesome - I've only been there on big boats, but I seem to recall there were plenty of facilities for yachts. Kure is close to Hiroshima, which is a "must see". If you plan to go into Tokyo Wan, you will definately want advice on the right time to do it. Went into Yokosuka twice - the first three harbour transits were uneventful with moderate traffic; the last trip leaving Yokosuka, the channel out of the harbour resembled a twelve-lane superhighway at rush hour - it was wall-to-wall steel with everything from coasties to Panamaxes not more than a couple hundred yards from each other. Of course most cruisers could use the inshore zone, but then you're playing dodge'em with the fishing boats...