Maisu arrives on Saipan; nears destination

Alingano Maisu captain Sesario Sewralur, second left, joins his crew after arriving at Smiling Cove Marina last Saturday. They will leave Saipan on May 17 to arrive just in time for the May 22 opening of the 12th Festival of the Pacific Arts in Guam. (Jon Perez)

Captain Sesario Sewralur, on board the Alingano Maisu, guided his nine-member crew in crossing the vast Pacific Ocean—traveling more than 1,000 miles—to safely arrive on Saipan last Saturday.

Sewralur and his crew spent close to three months in the ocean, including several stops in six islands scattered around Yap state of the Federated States of Micronesia. They are just 218 kilometers away from Guam—their final destination.

Seven-year-old Dylan—Sewralur’s son—is the youngest crewmember. The rest includes Rodney Kazuma and Murais Sebangol of Palau, Satawal’s Miano Sowraenpiy and Albno Esoailug, Norman Tawelimai of Ifalik, American Aylie Baker, and Japanese Kazuyo Hayashi and Osamu Kasuge.

They made the close to two-month voyage to attend the 12th Festival of the Pacific Arts at the Paseo de Susana Park in Hagatna, Guam that opens on May 22, Sunday. Their trip started in Koror, Palau and they made stops in Ngulu Atoll, Woleai, Ifaluk, Elato, Lamotrek, and Satawal for supplies.

The Alingano Maisu, or simply Maisu, is a Polynesian double-hulled voyaging canoe donated by several voyaging organizations in Hawaii to Sewralur’s father, the legendary traditional sailor Pius Mau Piailug, as a thank you gift for teaching them the traditional method of seafaring.

Sewralur learned the skill from his dad, who in turn was taught by his grandfather. He said the traditional way of navigating the oceans was passed down from generation to generation and is the same method used by the Carolinians who sailed from the Caroline Islands to Saipan.

“He (Piailug) spent all his life sailing and training me and others. He was the first person to teach modern Hawaiians how to navigate using the traditional method,” said Sewralur in between sips of an ice-cold beverage minutes after they docked at the Smiling Cover Marina Saturday.

“There was no ice box on board and we could not carry a mini refrigerator since we are reserving the power to charge our communication devices and the lights that we use at night. We only drink coconut water and warm water. This is my first cold drink in months.”

“Our canoe only carried three months’ worth of food and water supplies. We use a solar panel for our lights, communication systems, and to charge our cameras. Whatever we cook, we eat everything to avoid spoilage.”

Sewralur added traditional navigation of the seas involves a lot of skills since you will rely on the position of the stars at night and the sun in the morning, while also considering overcast or clear skies, wind direction, and the movement of the waves, swells, and currents.

“The way you look at it, it is hard. It takes a lot of skill and years of training. Of course, it all depends on the interest of the person. If you put your mind and heart into it, you will learn quickly. Some people took them years to master it,” said Sewralur, who was 8 years old when he learned the skill from his father.

He said that they encountered rough and sometimes calm seas, and even faced two storms during their voyage. “It was not a really strong storm but we still have to put our sails down.”

Sewralur and company will have to depart Saipan on May 17 to arrive before the May 22 start of FestPac.