After an epic journey of 4,022 miles from Auckland, New Zealand, and guided only by the stars, the double-hulled Okeanos Marianas finally arrived on Saipan yesterday morning and was met by a platoon of dancers, dignitaries, island officials, and people who want to revive the navigating culture of the islands.<\/p>\n
At approximately 8:30am, the eight-person Okeanos Marianas vessel pulled into the Susupe shore by the Guma Sakman near the Civic Center in Susupe and were met with a traditional ceremony participated in by Marianas High School students and greeted by family and friends of a few of the crew members.<\/p>\n
The ceremony paid tribute to both the arrival of the vessel and the revival of ocean voyaging and traditional sea navigation. Okeanos Marianas is being eyed as a sustainable means of transport from Saipan to neighboring islands in the Northern Islands.<\/p>\n
Emma Perez, Okeanos Sustainable Sea Transport Ltd. managing director, put together a heartfelt ceremony to honor the vessel, while also honoring master navigators Peia Patai, Tonie Piailug, and Sesario Sewralur for sharing the gift of ocean voyaging with the Marianas.<\/p>\n
The ceremony also celebrated the safe voyage of the crew aboard the Okeanos Marianas. The crew included Steven Tawake from Fiji, Maurai Villa from France, India Tabellini from Italy, Deirdre Golani from the United States, and John Sablan, Devin Noison, and Andrea Carr of the Northern Marianas. <\/p>\n
A visibly overwhelmed Perez said she was moved to tears upon her realization that the Okeanos Marianas had finally arrived on Saipan after awaiting its arrival for so long. <\/p>\n
According to Perez, the Okeanos Marianas will change the lives of the people of the Marianas. <\/p>\n
L.J. Castro, chairman of the Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council and an advocate of the indigenous culture, said the arrival of the Okeanos Marianas means a great deal to the Marianas. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a very significant canoe arrival because of the purpose of the vessel. It\u2019s going to benefit the education of our youth and our people about traditional seafaring but also it\u2019s going to help in assisting our residents of the Northern Islands,\u201d said Castro. <\/p>\n
Carr, who joined the voyage, left for New Zealand late last August to assist in the construction of the canoe. According to her, the voyage was intense at times due to the unpredictability of nature. \u201cAs long as we respect the ocean and the sky, we\u2019ll be okay. \u2026It was a great experience,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
One of Carr\u2019s biggest takeaways from being a part of the 4,000-mile voyage was that becoming an ocean navigator requires quick thinking.<\/p>\n
\u201c[Patai] made some spur-of-the-moment decisions which I really appreciated because without those decisions, we could have been in danger. My takeaway was to always listen and be mindful of what\u2019s going on around you,\u201d said Carr. <\/p>\n
Patai said the biggest challenge he and his crew faced in their 40-day voyage to the Marianas was the weather condition slowing them down. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe tried our best to be here. [We\u2019re] a couple of days late but its okay because everyone is fine and safe,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
One of Patai\u2019s personal challenges was getting accustomed to his new crew. \u201cIt was tough, especially working with different cultures,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
According to Patai, the shared bond they each had with the ocean helped, especially while teaching them the ways of seafaring. \u201cNorth and south, it does not matter. We are people of the oceans and it makes it easy to teach them how to sail,\u201d Patai said. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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