U.S. Coast Guard lifts waterways restrictions at Port of Rota, recovery operations continue

SANTA RITA, Guam — The U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port (COTP) for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands reset Port Heavy Weather Condition (PHWC) WHISKEY for the Port of Rota, effective at 8 p.m. ChST on Saturday, July 11, reopening the port to commercial traffic and cargo operations.

"More than 85 people across our U.S. Coast Guard teams, with critical assistance from our partners and Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Five, are actively engaged in the maritime space and on port recovery right now," said Capt. Jessica Worst, commander, U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam. "I want to thank our crews for their dedication and the long days they've put in, going on a week now. That work is what allowed us to reopen these ports. But I also want to be clear with the public: the waterways are not back to normal. VHF outages and aids to navigation that are off station or damaged mean the margin for error on the water is smaller than usual. This is a time for increased caution and preparedness."

The U.S. Coast Guard advises all stakeholders that Rota's commercially regulated facilities may have facility-specific operational limitations, and commercial owners, operators, and shipping agents are strongly urged to coordinate directly with facility operators to ensure transit and cargo operations can be safely conducted. Mariners are urged to transit the area with caution when entering or departing the Rota West Harbor. Although no obstructions were identified, shifting or shoaling within the channel may have occurred.

Recovery operations across the Marianas Post-storm facility and port assessments are now complete for Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan, and initial verification of aids to navigation is complete for all ports. The Service published Broadcast Notices to Mariners detailing identified discrepancies in aids to navigation across Apra Harbor, Saipan, Tinian, and Rota.

In Apra Harbor, U.S. Coast Guard crews successfully returned Apra Harbor Entrance Lighted Buoy 2, previously reported off station at the harbor mouth, to its charted position. The buoy's light remains extinguished pending repair with additional equipment, and crews published an updated Broadcast Notice to Mariners. An aids to navigation team continued work on the Polaris Point and Inner Harbor ranges, with weather limiting progress. Repairs are ongoing.

U.S. Coast Guard cutters remain engaged throughout the region. The USCGC Myrtle Hazard (WPC 1139) operated in the vicinity of Rota with an embarked Navy EODMU5 team running sonar assessments. USCGC Hickory (WLB 212) and the U.S. Coast Guard Dive Team are evaluating the most urgent needs for aids to navigation repair and resupplying before getting underway. The HC-130J Hercules aircrew from Air Station Barbers Point continues to support overflights and communications restoration efforts in the Marianas.

U.S. Coast Guard crews are also responding to storm-displaced vessels on Guam. They identified four sailboats as sunken or partially submerged in Agat Marina, and mitigation measures are in place; one poses a potential environmental impact which crews are monitoring. A recreational vessel is missing from its slip at the Naval Base Guam MWR Sumay Marina, and crews are working with partners to locate it. It may present an underwater hazard; mariners use caution.

Communications and navigation hazards VHF towers on Rota and Saipan remain offline. Super Typhoon Bavi further damaged towers in Rota, further limiting near-shore VHF radio coverage. U.S. Coast Guard crews are developing interim solutions to provide some VHF Channel 16 coverage for Rota and Saipan, but implementation is pending.

In the interim, the U.S. Coast Guard advises mariners and waterway users to take multiple forms of communication with you on the water and to ensure you've let someone on shore know where you are going and when you will be back. Report any emergency on VHF Channel 16 or by calling 911. Social media is not actively monitored for distress, and the SOS function advertised on some cellular phones is not reliable in this region.

As stated, while restoration activities are underway, multiple navigational aids are reportedly out of position, off station, or missing. There are impacts to all four commercial harbors in the Marianas. The U.S. Coast Guard issued a Broadcast Notice to Mariners and reminds all operators to exercise extreme caution when transiting waterways as restoration efforts continue.

The current Broadcast Notice to Mariners for the Marianas can be found on the U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center website by using the regional search tool for the Oceania District and checking the box for Guam at https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/broadcast-notice-to-mariners-search?district=14.

Current National Weather Service Advisories The most severe weather from Super Typhoon Bavi passed the Marianas, but hazardous seas, surf, and rip currents may continue. Increasing showers are expected through the weekend and into the new week as Invest 97W moves through the region. Residents are encouraged to continue monitoring official forecasts and advisories issued by the National Weather Service Guam. Visit the following links for the latest information: https://www.weather.gov/gum.

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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.