Cruisers Fall in Love with RMI
Joanna Greenwood, crew of Karmaladen, becomes the best friend of every child in Airik village, Maloelap Atoll. Photo: Rixzene Ayers
By KAREN EARNSHAW
Just seven cruising boats visited the Marshall Islands in 1998. Now, 20 years later, in the 2018-19 season about 30 yachts sailed into Majuro lagoon. Many intend to stay three or four months, but end up spending another year here because there’s just so much on offer for cruisers … especially those seeking a new culture in some of the most remote islands on the planet.
The main cruising season runs from November to May, with most coming from the South Pacific via Tuvalu and Kiribati or from Hawaii.
The majority of cruisers are American, who have the advantage of being able to stay in RMI indefinitely through the Compact of Free Association with the United States. Non-Americans purchase a year-long visa for $200 when checking in at the Immigration Department.
Helping to attract cruisers to RMI is the Mieco Beach Yacht Club, which was founded in 2004 by Liz Rodick, Grant James, Ron Douglas, myself and Cary Evarts (current Vice-Commodore and the author’s husband). The club’s web site is www.sailingmarshallislands.com.
Twenty years ago, many communities on the outer islands were wary of visiting yachts. This has now changed with villagers eagerly awaiting yachts in their anchorages.
For example, a few years ago the council and community of Aur Atoll invited our entire fleet to join them in celebrating their Liberation Day, which is held in April.
To act as a support for yachts cruising outer island, the club hosts an emergency and social HF net called the Yokwe Net. This was started in 2008 by the yachts Sequester and Po’Oino Roa and now has a number of yachts acting as net control. The net is on 6.224MHz at 7:45am each day and is run by various members and friends of the club, including some guys from the outer islands.
During the off-season, the club holds occasional events, such as picnic rallies.
Back to the outer islands and life for a cruiser: On arrival at a new atoll, be sure to contact the mayor or acting mayor and pay your respects and your permit fee/ All atolls have at least some people who speak English.
If you would like to walk around the island, you should ask for permission, but this will always be given. Equally, if you want to anchor off another island in the lagoon, ask permission first. Some islands are taboo for traditional reasons or because the landowner prefers not to have visitors.
Remember always that all land in RMI is privately owned… You are in their backyard and should act in an appropriate way.
By using common sense and good manners, however, I guarantee you will enjoy your visits to these wonderfully remote dots on the map!
For more information on what other cruisers think about sailing in the Marshall Islands, check out Noonsite.
