With the Port of Guam fully open and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands ports open for daylight operations following Super Typhoon Sinlaku, the U.S. Coast Guard has entered a new phase of the response focused on environmental recovery and marine safety.
“With commerce moving again, our attention turns to the waterways themselves,” said Capt. Worst. “We have additional crews in Saipan this week conducting pollution assessment and response operations, and the majority of vessel owners and operators are doing the right thing — taking responsibility for their affected vessels. That cooperation makes a real difference for our communities and our environment. We appreciate the support of all our partners throughout this response.”
Ports Open; Environment Now Primary Focus The Captain of the Port set Port Heavy Weather Condition Whiskey for Saipan at 1:30 p.m. local time Sunday, removing federal restrictions on commercial vessel traffic. The ports of Tinian and Rota remain in modified Whiskey, with vessel traffic restricted to daylight hours as pier repairs and aids to navigation restoration continue. In Saipan, portable lighting equipment is being tested to support limited nighttime operations at the port while permanent solutions are sourced. All operations and port access in the CNMI still need to be coordinated with the Commonwealth Ports Authority.
Pollution response teams, augmented by temporary duty personnel, deployed to Saipan over the weekend to assess vessels affected by the storm. Of 28 vessels identified for review, five require additional follow-up. Responsible parties initiated fuel removal operations on several vessels. One vessel, which broke in half, is being salvaged by a contracted firm.
AtoN Restoration Resumes After Crew Recovery Weekend Crews aboard USCGC Hickory (WLB 212) used the weekend to rest following an intensive operational period and will resume aids to navigation restoration work on Tuesday across Guam, Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. The U.S. Coast Guard prioritized addressing 12 AtoN discrepancies across the region in the coming days. These range from fixing lights and partial day boards to replacing buoys.
Mariners are urged to exercise caution and report any AtoN discrepancies to the U.S. Coast Guard command center via VHF channels 16 or by calling (671) 355-4821.
Degraded Communications Remain a Safety Concern Radio communications across the CNMI remain degraded. VHF coverage is improved, but can be intermittent as permanent power solutions are restored. Mariners operating in the area should take extra precautions and ensure they carry alternate means of signaling for assistance. First responders and agency partners are supporting efforts to mitigate communications gaps where possible, and restoration crews continue working toward permanent fixes, though full restoration will take time.
Search Continues for Crew of Cargo Vessel Mariana A U.S. Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules crew and the USCGC Oliver Henry (WPC 1140) crew continue to search for five missing crew from the cargo vessel Mariana, which capsized offshore Saipan. The search is coordinated by the Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu under the authority of the U.S. Coast Guard District Oceania. As of Sunday, Hawaii Standard Time/Monday Chamorro Standard Time, search crews conducted more than 85 hours of operations covering more than 127,900 square nautical miles, an area roughly the size of California.
The search included aerial searches of Farallon de Pajaros, Pagan, Agrihan, Anatahan, and the other Northern Mariana Islands. Crews from Oliver Henry and USCGC Frederick Hatch (WPC 1143), both homeported in Guam, participated in the search alongside Hawai’i-based U.S. Coast Guard crews and teams from the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, Japan Coast Guard, and Royal New Zealand Air Force.
The original announcement can be found here.
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