We have been here nearly four years now after arriving with engine problems.  We waited for a weather window to leave but with little or no wind and drifting for three weeks we decided to return and wait for a new year and weather.  But then Covid arrived and and we have been here ever since.  Now that countries are opening up again, we hope to leave in about a month, but there is much work to do on the boat until then.  So here is a short run-down of life in the Marshall Islands and what to expect if you end up visiting these islands.

Helpful and friendly

When we arrived, it was very easy to check-in with immigration and the authorities were very helpful and friendly.

One can either anchor or pick up a mooring. There are about 20 moorings ranging from $1-$3 per day. If you pick up a mooring belonging to Ben you can use his dock to tie the dinghy up and walk through his property, across the road to Payless supermarket.

Or, you can dinghy to Shoreline and walk to one of another three supermarkets, namely Formosa, Price Mart or E-Z Price. There are another two supermarkets further down the road, and one can take a taxi to K&K supermarket or the other Formosa and the taxi fare is $1-50 per person each way. All groceries are imported, but the Fresh is not Fresh, as it takes about two weeks by ship from the US. Sometimes they fly fresh produce in top the islands but it is very expensive.

Shore services

There are many laundromats along the way, also Payless has their own laundry service. There are many restaurants close by and the newest one is on the 4th floor of the Napa Building, called Toeak. On Tuesdays, the yachties go to dinner at a restaurant, and circulate the same restaurants every four weeks.  On Friday the place to go is the Bar restaurant in the Napa building.

Eneko and Enemanot atolls

You can go out to the little atolls at the Entrance, namely, Eneko and Enemanot, where moorings are also available.  Go there to clean the bottom of the boat, it is more protected, and cleaner water for swimming.

If one needs to have a medical check-up, it is very easy to go to the hospital, fill in the form, name etc. and they will refer you to the necessary doctor, dentist or optics, which costs $20 per visit and includes medicines.

There are a few hardware stores, but if one needs special supplies for the boat then one has to import, either with Amazon etc, which can take about two weeks to the Post Office in Majuro.  There are often no problems and the service is very good.

People speak Marshalese and English and are very friendly. There is a Public Library one can go to, which is opposite Price Mart. Ground level is the Alele Museum and upstairs, the library where one can sit in air-conditioning and read or just take a book out for two weeks.

Hire cars are available at the Reimers Hotel or take a “Car-bus” to the airport or to Laura which is the small village at the end of the road, about 25 miles from town.  There is only one main road from Rita through Majuro town, Uliga dock area, to Laura, this is the Lagoon road.

There are two seasons here, namely dry and wet, the past dry season had the most rain in 65 years, so expect a lot of rain, but also some hot, blue sky days.

Visiting the Outer Islands

Since most people have now been vaccinated for Covid, the authorities are allowing yachties to go to the outer islands, though you still need permission to visit some islands and to pay to visit others.  Authorities are also encouraging yachties to take food and other essential items for villagers.

Glyn Jerling
SY Dignity

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About the Author

Glyn Jerling and her husband Dave left their home in Simonstown on the mountain side in Cape Town, South Africa in 1994 and for nearly 30 years have been sailing the world’s oceans on their Bruce Roberts ‘45 Dignity. After cruising to St Helena, Brazil, Venezuela, Panama, the USA, across the Atlantic to Spain and back again to Venezuela, they then spent five years in Panama before transiting the Panama Canal to the Pacific Ocean and cruising from Costa Rica to Ecuador. The next part of their voyage took them across the Pacific Ocean to French Polynesia, Western Samoa, Fiji and New Zealand. It was while cruising onwards through the Pacific that engine problems forced a stopover in the Marshall Islands, a stopover that lasted almost four years because of the Covid Pandemic. After more than 25 years of sailing, Dave and Glyn had to find their land feet in this remote Pacific nation (Glyn kept busy volunteering at the local library on Tuesdays and Thursdays) and prepare themselves to move onwards when borders re-opened. Keen hikers, nature lovers and bird watchers, their blog has wonderful photographs and great detail on all passages taken and countries visited.

You can read more about their time in the Marshall Islands on their latest Weblog or about all their other adventures:

• sailon2oceans.wordpress.com/ About
  
• sail3oceans.wordpress.com/Home
  
• sailon4oceans.wordpress.com/ Home/
• sailalloceans.wordpress.com/
  
• sail2pacific.wordpress.com/About
  
• fly2hongkong2johannesburg
  

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The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of Noonsite.com or World Cruising Club.