U.S. Coast Guard reopens Port of Saipan, works to clear channel hazards as Marianas port assessments continue

SANTA RITA, Guam — The U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands reset Port Heavy Weather Condition (PHWC) WHISKEY for the Port of Saipan, effective 9 a.m. ChST on July 8, reopening the port to 24/7 commercial traffic and cargo operations without waterway restrictions. All operators must coordinate with the Commonwealth Ports Authority.

A Hawai’i-based U.S. Coast Guard dive team working from a Station Apra Harbor 45-foot Response Boat-Medium began work on Buoy 2 at the Outer Apra Harbor entrance, which moved off station during the storm into the channel, where vessels expect safe water.

“We were close. Despite tremendous effort and a strong team, our first attempt was hampered by challenging weather and surf conditions that ultimately became unsafe,” said Capt. Jessica Worst, commander, U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam and Captain of the Port Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. “We are considering alternatives and monitoring conditions for Thursday to get Buoy 2 relocated.”

The U.S. Coast Guard continues to work with the Port of Guam, the Commonwealth Ports Authority, and commercial partners to clear channels and reopen ports. The U.S. Coast Guard team is tracking inbound commercial traffic and working with the harbormaster to prioritize the order in which vital cargo comes into port once restrictions are lifted and the port is ready to receive vessels.

“These complex challenges are exactly why we stood up an Incident Management Team to work the problem and bring in additional support,” said Capt. Worst. “We also provided liaisons from our team to key positions in the community to flow information. And we greatly appreciate the support of our partners from the port to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25 and CNMI Customs and Biosecurity, who gave us a lift yesterday to start critical port assessments in the air and on the water. It is a team effort.”

Those additional crews include the HC-130J Hercules airplane from Hawai'i with supplies, the five divers who arrived Wednesday, the five aids to navigation jump team members and an ATON positioner on island, the eight Damage Assessment Team members who are from various off-island units to evaluate the U.S. Coast Guard footprint and begin local recovery, the communications specialists working to get the communication towers back online, and six members of the U.S. Coast Guard National Strike Force Incident Management Assist Team.

A U.S. Coast Guard assessment team worked on Tinian on Wednesday, arriving aboard the Hercules aircraft. Initial findings show the port in good condition, with some buoys off station.

USCGC Myrtle Hazard (WPC 1139) returned from storm avoidance and is ready to get underway with the divers and an aids-to-navigation positioner to assess waterways and address buoys off station at Rota and Tinian. The Hercules crew and an assessment team are anticipated to arrive in Rota Thursday.

The Marianas operate on a hub-and-spoke model, with most cargo and vessels transiting Guam before reaching the CNMI, a function of commercial logistics and routes rather than anything the U.S. Coast Guard regulates. Reopening Guam and Saipan are vital to reaching Rota and Tinian, not a substitute for it. Rota sustained infrastructure damage during Typhoon Sinlaku, and the U.S. Coast Guard is coordinating with the Commonwealth Ports Authority to bring the appropriate people and assets in to evaluate the port as vessels and crews free up from addressing already identified hazards.

Three things the U.S. Coast Guard continues to ask of the public:

• Report any emergency on VHF Channel 16 or by calling 911. Social media is not monitored for distress. Significant VHF outages persist, so carry more than one way to call for help.
• Trust official sources for reopening and safety updates: NWS Guam, Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense, and the CNMI EOC State Warning Point.
• Stay out of the water and off jetties, piers, and docks. Dangerous surf, rip currents, and hazardous seas persist with advisories in effect. The National Weather Service extended the small craft advisory into Thursday afternoon.

-USCG-

About U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam is responsible for U.S. Coast Guard operations across a 2.6 million square nautical mile area of responsibility encompassing Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Freely Associated States comprised of the Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. These missions range from maritime security and enabling the flow of commerce to search and rescue and maritime crisis response across a vast and dynamic region.