Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands

Fierce winds bombard this protectorate of the United States upon our arrival. Paling in comparison to the 190 MPH gusts from Hurricane Yutu in 2018, our entrance was not so dramatic. However entering a narrow, shallow channel between reefs and rocks with little data from large vessels since then, there was ambiguity about whether we could. Captain Frank engaged the services of a maritime simulator to walk through various approaches given different current and wind conditions to confirm a high speed transit was safe. When we arrived and 35-40 knot wind greeted us, he had the confidence to know it was possible to enter at speed which reduced our drift through the channel. We might have missed this charming, historic port otherwise.Read more