MVA eyes sinking ship off Lau Lau Bay

Divers on Saipan and the island’s tourism office are in the early stages of a plan to sink a ship off Lau Lau Bay to create a new site for SCUBA enthusiasts.

The plan to sink the Charito, a 97-foot vessel that washed ashore on Saipan almost 10 years ago, could provide an added attraction to the already popular dive site, according to Perry Tenorio, managing director of the Marianas Visitor Authority. Several key details, however, including the cost of the venture, still have to be resolved, he said.

Sinking the Charito would create a gathering point for aquatic life and could later help create new coral, according to local diver Douglas Brennan. Ultimately, the plan could bolster the island’s SCUBA tourism sector, he said.

To accomplish this, proponents of the plan say, the Charito will have to be towed to the site, outside the bay’s natural coral reef, and submerged in a “controlled sink” that may involve cutting holes in the vessel’s hull. The U.S. Navy salvage and repair ship Safeguard may aid in the operation, Brennan said.

The plan comes after several similar projects worldwide, including two on the island of Rota, where a pair of vessels once used for smuggling became underwater attractions. Weather permitting, Brennan said, supporters of the plan hope to have it completed in April or May of next year.

However, Brennan and Tenorio both noted some serious obstacles that the plan faces. The Charito will have to be cleaned to meet Coast Guard and EPA standards for such projects, a process that will also include the removal of any hazardous materials or other potential pollutants. An analysis will have to be completed on the environmental impacts of the plan and whether rough waves could roll the ship up onto the nearby shore. Also, the costs of the plan remain to be considered.

Nevertheless, local divers appear enthusiastic about the idea. Hitoshi Yamaguchi, vice president of Marianas Sports Club, which organizes dives in Lau Lau Bay, says a new wreck in the area would prove “good for tourism” by giving visitors “something new to explore” and a reason to revisit the site.

An early analysis of the plan, according to Brennan, shows that it could generate millions of dollars a year for the dive tourism industry on Saipan. The MVA has agreed to apply for the necessary government approval for the project, sources say, but has yet to submit any formal proposal.