Majuro Photos

Things can be so relative.  Majuro seemed so nice after Tarawa but now seems too busy and crowded after our two months in the outer atolls.  Still, it is a good place to work on boat projects, catch up on administration (tax time !) and reprovision (plus a bit of playing too)

Majuro is a busy commercial harbour as you can see in this photo from the cockpit - mostly tuna boats and cargo ships taking the fish to other ports.  For the Sea King guys reading the blog, check out the yellow help on the bridge top.

Majuro was a time to catch up on boat jobs - Lunasea was nice enough to replace our "out of warranty" trilight that lives at the top of the mast with a new and improved design at no cost.  I wish others in the marine industry were so responsive.

Speaking of masts, here is the view from the mast while I was doing the usual pre-passage inspection and replacing the trilight,   The little ketch beside us is SV Adele singlehanded by Moon from Korea.  He was going direct from Hawaii to Korea but had some boat issues and diverted to Majuro.  Unfortunately without an autopilot and a lack of charts we fell asleep and went up a reef.  Super nice guy and have enjoyed having him over to Fluenta for dinner (Benjamin likes him because he brings gifts !)

Hmm ... 10.5 volts ?

Replacing the windlass battery bank was not on the "to do" list but the batteries are not holding a charge so needed to be replaced.  Of course, you cannot get the same size batteries we originally had so adapting was required.

And time of course for some school ...  Very cheery about that too it appears.

Time for a trip to the barber.  Johnathan and I got our hair cut.

and time for cakes too.  One for one of our new friends in the cruiser community here.

Pool has not been a large part of the kids education - like not at all - so Tamanui, Johnathan and Benjamin work on their pool skills.

Tamanui, Johnathan and Benjamin playing in Fluenta's saloon.

Hmm ... this does not look right either ...  something else for the "to do" list.

We also had the chance to meet the "sea gypsies" of Infinity.  A truly different model for going to sea.  We were hosted on board a few times and enjoyed getting to know the family that owns and runs the ship. (This is a photo from Infinity's site and not taken here in the Marshall Islands as I neglected to take a  picture of the ship)

One of the Infinity crew took this picture of, what a surprise, Johnathan climbing the rigging on Infinity

and of Victoria rightside up on the boom of Infinity

The Easter Bunny found us !

Looking for eggs.

That crafty Easter Bunny put an egg in the dorade.

The church put an Easter Egg hunt on too.

Oh, and I got a year older too.  Victoria's cake.

I tried to go sportfishing for my first time but we had engine issues once we got to the fishing area (injector pump stuck at low revs).  We did get a strike from an approx 200 lb marlin though.  This is sunrise as we leave Majuro.

The winning marlin was 430 lbs.

We were honoured with a visit from Anious and Emily from Ailuk.  They are trying to get to Wotje to see their son's high school graduation so they need to go come to Mauro first to get a ship to Wotje despite the fact that the closest atoll to Ailuk is Wotje ... The whole trip will take them about a month,

A trip to the canoe musem

This model was made with the same materials the Marshallese would have originally used.  The hull is breadfruit wood and the rigging and sails from pandenus.

Rigging details - all natural materials.

Sail detail - all natural materials.

Maloelap WWII Sites - Underwater

In the previous blog post I showed some photos from our time on land Maloelap.  Of course, below the surface there are various ships and, rumour has it, aircraft.  Using Matt's 2006 report we dove on three Japanese ships that had been converted to warships.  All three ships are within free diving depth so I did not bother with the dive gear. 

The ships we dove on were:

- Tarushima Maru: it was rumour to still have live depth charges but as much as I searched I do not think they are still onboard.  I did find the depth charge track though and checked in the hold below the track to no avail.

- Seisho Maru:  Either this ship or Kaikou Maru was rumoured to have a carried Zamperini, an American Olympian turned airman.  He was a  downed US pilot who drifted in a liferaft for 46 days, only to drift into Japanese hands at Maloelap.  His story is chronicled in "Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption."

- “Kaikou Maru

Johnathan diving down for a closer look

Deeper down ....

Depth charge track and exit point off the transom.

Matt's photo showed a depth charge right here but I did not find them

Well secured on the bollards.

The steering compartment of the Tarushima Maru

And the other end of the steering compartment - the rudder and propellor

Stairway to nowhere.

Lots of natural life to see as well.  A giant clam.

Victoria checking out a Christmas Tree worm she spotted.  How she spotted it I have no idea. I have a good video of it that someday should find its way to the blog.

Of course, anchoring with the coral bommies around we buoy the chain to reduce the wear and tear on the reef and our anchor tackle.  Reduces dramas when it is time to leave too !

Bye !

World War II Relics at Maloelap - Above Water.

On our way back from Ailuk we stopped for a week at Maloelap Atoll.  It was a major Japanese air base during WWII.  It was not invaded by the US forces but was rather rendered ineffective by airpower and naval bombardment and then bypassed as the USN moved closer to Japan.  According to Wikipedia, of the over the over 3000 Japanese personnel, only 1041 survived.

On the main island we asked about the airfield and were taken on a tour, by the kids, of the massive Japanese command bunker, generator station and the airfield.  Then, using the Matt Holly study, we took the RHIB to see the downed B-25 he discovered and finally moved Fluenta to Olllet Island to see the Japanese Zero's on the beach.

Photos below but if you would like more information about the history and the items left behind I recommend reading Matt's 2006 study.   We also have a more detailed version which appears to not be on-line.   Matt is still here in Majuro (we rented a mooring from him) and interesting fellow to talk to.

This is one of the engines from a US B-25 that was shot down attacking Maloelap.

The other engine is about 200 ft further away in deeper water.

On the island itself there are lots of parts of the B-25.  This is a, still lockwired, cover for the gyro.

Further along in the atoll is a Japanese zero fighter.

This is another Zero has what we think is a bullet hole in the prop.

Big carburetor on the zero.

Figuring out how the parts go together

A little hard to see but the purple things are jellyfish. 

Drop tank ?

Ashore, we asked about the airfield and were taken on a tour by the children.

The Japanese infrastructure was impressive.  This is one of the large generators.

The old airfield has Zero fighters and Betty bombers.

Looking at one of the engines of a Betty bomber

Betty bomber

Japanese Betty Bomber

The dials on one of the radios.

Ammunition is strewn around

Placards are still legible (if you can read Japanese)

Massive tanks.  I should have had someone stand byside them to understand the scale.  They are at least two stories high,

One of the smaller cannons with Fluenta in the background

I suggested to the kids that digging up unexploded ordnance is maybe a bad idea.

The whole ocean side of the island is a complex of shore batteries and bunkers.

and more generators.  Look at the size of the flywheel

More cannons.

and bunkers

and old shells.

The interor of the island is full of bunkers.  This one is about three stories tall.

To be continued with the "below water" portion of the visit ...