Please select your home edition
Edition
Webasto AUS 2020 LEADERBOARD 1

Guam sailors cruise to the remote Maug Islands

by Lacee A.C. Martinez, GuamPDN/Sail-World on 20 May 2013
Maug as seen from a satellite SW
To most of us Guam is a remote island in the Mariana Islands somewhere in the western Pacific Ocean, best known as a US military base. But Guam, naturally, is not remote to the leisure sailors who live there. It's Maug that is remote - so remote that few sailors had ever ventured there, until Jim, Wayne and Bill, Guam sailors, set off recently in a 38ft Galaxie and told their story to Pacific Daily News.

On April 13, James 'Jim' Cafky, Wayne Baumunk and William 'Bill' Hagen left Guam's Agat Marina for the wild, mysterious and uninhabited island, which sits at the very top of the chain of islands which make up the Marianas, a 400 nautical miles voyage.


'Even to residents of Guam, Maug is somewhat a mysterious, faraway place, if it is known at all by residents,' Cafky told the Pacific Daily News. 'The sailing community of Guam is somewhat familiar with the island and pilots of the national airlines located on Guam fly over Maug routinely in the north-south shuttle traffic between Guam and Japan. However, Maug remains a faraway enigma to those of us who know of its existence. Maug is a name written on a scrap of paper that is placed in some folks' 'bucket list.'

Maug is the peak of a volcano and resulted in three islands that form a circle around a lagoon, called a caldera, more than a mile wide, Cafky says.

There are reasons why few sailboats or even powerboats make the trip up the Marianas -- especially all the way up to Maug, Baumunk says.

'It's more of a challenge,' he says. 'Sailing ... is more difficult because you have to sail into the wind to go there.

Packed with provisions, the crew first had to stop and declare entry into the Northern Marianas by way of Saipan to get permission to go to Maug. It took two days to get to Saipan and a few hours to get permission to sail north.


Three hour watches at night made sure they would not encounter ships, but they saw just one large commercial sailing vessel, far in the distance, during the 12-day trip, Cafky says.

And there wasn't much of any life up the chain, Baumunk says. 'I've gone fishing on Guam for many years. You usually look for the white birds or the black birds or any school of birds,' he says. 'There was none.' After a long while, they finally spotted a school of birds, about 400 yards ahead of the sailing boat.

When the wind died down the crew was forced to run the boat's engine for a while. 'It was a hurt,' Baumunk said. 'Sailboats aren't designed to go motoring.'

On the way up, the crew passed all the northern islands, some inhabited by small populations or research crews.

'We passed several of the islands at night, but we were fortunate enough to sail by and view several during the daylight,' Cafky says. 'Islands along the way first appeared as dim shadows on the horizon and slowly surrendered their details as we approached. One of those islands, Pagan, held a special interest for us: Pagan is an active volcano and was belching smoke and fumes high into the air as we passed.'

Five days after leaving Guam, the Galaxie was in the caldera of Maug. Finding a safe and shallow spot to drop anchor was a challenge. They settled in the central shallows of a plateau and dropped a 35-pound plow anchor with 140 feet of chain down.


'The initial impression after anchoring that evening was of the silence, the isolation, the overbearing rugged nature of the surrounding islands,' Cafky told Pacific Daily News. 'Maug was unlike anything we had ever previously observed.'

He describes the interior walls of the three islands as vertical surfaces likely too steep to climb.

'They present a striking appearance, one that must be seen to be believed,' Cafky says. 'Striations of sedimentary rock rise vertically up their surfaces. We would need the explanation of a geologist to understand the patterns of these surfaces in their formations.'

Once daylight broke, Baumunk and Hagen jumped on a folding dinghy to explore the island while Cafky stayed back for maintenance.

'And, I confess, to consume some celebratory beer,' Cafky says. 'It's my practice to never consume alcohol underway; however, after the hook is dropped, the drinking light is lit.'

Maybe he didn't say it, but leaving a boat unattended in a strange anchorage is not what good seamen do anyway unless conditions are ideal.

Cafky later explored the north and east islands of Maug and said you can't exactly use the term 'shoreline' to describe the island's edges.

'Rugged rocks from the size of golf balls to small cars are the exclusive characteristics of these Maug island shorelines.'

With their visit complete, the men set sail back home, first stopping in at Rota to check out of the CNMI.

About the Pacific Daily News:
The Pacific Daily News, formerly Guam Daily News, is a morning edition newspaper based in Hagåtña, in the United States territory of Guam. It is owned by Gannett Corporation and is published seven days a week. Joseph Flores, later the Governor of Guam, founded the newspaper. www.guampdn.com is the online version.

X-Yachts AUS SAIL FOOTERSydney International Boat Show 2023 - FOOTERVaikobi 2023 Gloves - FOOTER

Related Articles

WASZP - The Swarm Podcast - Team Tilly
The dynamic father and son combination taking Australian WASZP Sailing by storm The dynamic father and son combination taking Australian WASZP Sailing by storm. Jervis is the current President of the Australian WASZP Association and very proud Super-Master.
Posted today at 4:37 am
America's Cup: Volunteers sought for Barcelona
The 37th America's Cup in Barcelona has announced the launch of the AC37 Volunteer Programme The organisers of the 37th America's Cup in Barcelona today announced the launch of the AC37 Volunteer Programme with an ambition to create the largest and most passionate Volunteer Team in the history of the event.
Posted today at 4:04 am
The Real Watergate on World Ocean Day
Burling and Tuke are joined by global ocean advocates as they step forward for World Ocean Day Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, world champion sailors and founders of Live Ocean are joined by global ocean advocates as they step forward to speak about what they're calling ‘the greatest cover up in history' for World Ocean Day, 8 June 2023.
Posted today at 3:32 am
The Little Aussie Lap - Doerr in Fremantle
Xavier made it to the Fremantle Sailing Club just after 1am local Perth time. In constant contact with his shore team, and with the extraordinary assistance from the team at Fremantle Sailing Club, a very exhausted Xavier made it to dock just after 1am local Perth time.
Posted today at 1:40 am
Biotherm look to Leg 6
Condensed, coastal, copious... 800 miles. It's the shortest course in The Ocean Race, but it's certainly not "a little leg". The Ocean Race heroes will have many obstacles to overcome if they are to stand a chance of a happy ending in The Hague (Holland).
Posted on 7 Jun
Transpac 2023 and RealSail offer virtual race game
Being made available for participants at no charge For those unable to physically participate in the race, the Transpacific Yacht Club and RealSail have partnered to offer an interesting online alternate: the RealSail Virtual Transpac 2023 race game.
Posted on 7 Jun
Sydney Jeanneau Sail Show in August 2023
A 2023 model Sun Odyssey 380 is now available 'as new' 2023 model Sun Odyssey 380 is now available 'as new'. It features the lighter timber 'grey cedar' interior finish with the two-cabin single head layout.
Posted on 7 Jun
“The time to act is now”
World Sailing supports call for Universal Declaration of Ocean Rights World Sailing will mark World Ocean Day by calling on the federation's global community of sailors to support the One Blue Voice petition for a Universal Declaration of Ocean Rights.
Posted on 7 Jun
Life On The Edge - Abby Ehler interview
What life is like as a Holcim PRB crew member in The Ocean Race Ask any of the Ocean Race crew members aboard the leading three boats about the blast across the Atlantic on Leg 5 and you can be sure that the word 'intense' will crop up plenty of times.
Posted on 7 Jun
Rolex Giraglia 2023 - two days to go
Here's everything that is new in the 2023 edition The Rolex Giraglia turns 70! 184 yachts on the start line with the first act beginning Friday, June 9 with the Sanremo - Saint-Tropez.
Posted on 7 Jun