Atoll Names & Yacht Permit Fees
Arno copra shed. Photo: Karen Earnshaw
The English spelling of the word ‘Marshall’ (as opposed to the American spelling of one ‘l’) means an officer connected to public security or, as a verb, to gather together a group of people. The islands are named after the British captain John Marshall, of the HMS Scarborough, who charted much of the island group in 1788. Most of the names of the Marshalls’ atolls and islands can be loosely translated into English, so for your reading pleasure today the following are approximate definitions of these words.
Alongside the atoll names are the yacht permit fees for each atoll. The application form is below. It should be filled in and taken to the Ministry of Culture and Internal Affairs. Please note that some of these atoll fees have been the same for decades, while others can change their prices on a semi-regular basis. I try my best to keep it current, but please let me know if there is a change I wasn’t aware of (karenyachtseal @ gmail.com). The below prices are from October, 2024.
RATAK (SUNRISE) CHAIN OF ISLANDS
AILUK: Bring (or tie) together. Yacht permit fee $50
ARNO: Lagoon wave. $150.
AUR: Door. $25.
ENEN KIO (WAKE ISLAND): Orange flower isle. N/A
LIKIEP: Bottom of the basket. $50
MAJURO: Two openings (or eyes, meaning the main passes). N/A
MALOELAP: Large lagoon. $100
MEJIT: Eastern opening. $25
TAKA: Two corals. Check with Mayor.
TAONGI: Frigate bird. N/A
UTRIK: Southern flower. $25
WOTJE: Land on which one can overeat. $50
RALIK (SUNSET) CHAIN OF ISLANDS
AILINGINAE: Island of currents. See Rongelap
AILINGLAPLAP: Very large atoll. $250 (may be negotiable)
BIKINI: Land of many coconuts. Check with Bikini town hall.
EBON: Type of basket, which the atoll is thought to be shaped like. Check with Mayor.
ENEWETAK: Island that moves. Check with Mayor.
JABAT: Very slow. Check with Mayor.
JALUIT: Facing beauty. $50.
KILI: Closed. $25.
KWAJALEIN: To break (or harvest) the fruit. Check with Mayor.
LAE: Calm water. Check with Mayor.
LIB: Egg (after the shape of Lib island). Check with Mayor.
NAMDRIK: Small secondary lagoon. $25.
NAMU: Secondary lagoon. $50.
RONGELAP: Big hole. $50.
RONGERIK: Small hole. See Rongelap.
UJAE: Rough currents. Check with Mayor.
UJELANG: Rough cloudy sky or drown heaven. See Enewetak.
WOTHO: Island far away. $100
WOTJE: Meaning unknown. $50
