Solomons Master

The sturdy Solomons Master, 34 meters (112 feet) can take 16 divers in 8 cabins and will split her time between the Solomon Islands and Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands.

A word from Dom : “A few changes in the Master Fleet which I think are good ones. The former Truk Master is set to serve the Solomon Islands, while her bigger sister, the Pacific Master (formerly Solomons PNG Master) will serve Truk & Bikini. Both boats offer everything that serious divers desire for these destinations, including great underwater photo support, tech diving and plenty of good food to keep your engines running.” Dominick Macan

Truk Master 786 opt

On Board Solomons Master

1 upper deck DOUBLE master stateroom
double bed & picture windows
3 main deck DOUBLE/TWIN staterooms
double bed or 2 twin beds (adjacent) & picture window
1 main deck TWIN stateroom
2 twin beds (adjacent) & picture window
3 lower deck TWIN staterooms
2 twin beds (adjacent) & port windows

ll staterooms have air conditioning, ensuite bathroom, storage & a safe.

up to 4 dives per day (including a night dive where possible)
12 liter alu tanks (DIN & INT valves)
15 liter alu tanks (at extra cost)
scuba gear rental (by advance request)
nitrox
tech/re-breather friendly
water temperature: 78 – 82F, 25 – 28C
3 – 5 mm full wetsuit recommended

TECHNICAL DIVING: booster pump for gas blending & rebreather tank fills; deco bar for stage/deco stops; manifold twin-tanks (DIN & Intational available); MKVI filters (upon request) & Sofno lime for rebreathers; rebreather tanks; 12L deco stage tanks (band, sling & clips); 40cuft/80cuft stage/bailout cylinders ; oxygen & hydrogen

accommodation & diving
meals, snacks & non-alcoholic beverages (except carbonated)
compressed air, tanks, weights & weight belts
airport transfers
scheduled land visits

international & domestic airfare
carbonated & alcoholic beverages
scuba rental gear (by advance request)
15 liter tanks
nitrox & tech diving
marine park & port fees

Comfortable Living

With 3 full decks and a fly bridge, you’ll finld plenty of space for relaxation and good accommodation for your dive equipment and camera preparation. The fly bridge offers tanning options to sun lovers & great vistas of the islands …. while on the upper deck, you can relax in the shaded outdoor lounge on the large stern deck. Inside on the upper deck is the popular lounge & bar area with its big plasma screen as well as the master cabin. Dining takes place in the spacious restaurant on the main deck where you also find 4 of the 8 cabins.

At the stern is the the camera room and a dive deck with loads of space for everyone, including photographers and technical divers. The remaining 3 cabins are found on the lower deck.

Some of the wrecks in Bikini waters lie within recreational diving depths, however the best are for tech divers … and Truk Master offers tech diving facilities for those wishing to delve deeper in the wrecks and take a closer look at history. You will have the support of the “mother ship” at all times.

Travel & Cruise Logistics

Bikini Atoll trips on the current Truk Master are scheduled from May to October  The Solomons Master will operate in the Solomons beginning 2022.

The itinerary is built around the United Airlines flight from Honolulu, Hawaii that serves both Kwajalein and Majuro airports in the Marshall Islands. Depending on your itinerary, we highly recommend you use this Hawaii connection to get to and from Kwajalein and/or Majuro. Passengers travelling from the Marshall Islands are required to pay an airport departure tax, For Kwajalein this is currently $20US. This varies from airport to airport and must be paid in US dollars

From the airport you are shuttled to a ferry that brings you to Ebeye Island in 20 minutes. From there you will embark the Solomons Master between 3pm and 4pm, depending on flight schedules.  Disembarkation is also at Ebeye Island between 10:00 and 12:00, again depending on flight times.

As Kwajalein is US Army territory, it is a restricted area and visitors are not allowed outside of the airport. Upon arrival, travellers are taken to a holding area while their luggage is searched by sniffer dogs, and will remain there until the shuttle bus arrives to take guests to where the Army ferry departs for Ebeye Island.  Upon arrival at Ebeye a representative from Master Liveaboards will meet guests for transfer to the boat.

At the time of writing, no visa is required for entering the Marshall Islands for US citizens, EU countries, Canada and most other Western countries. Nevertheless, it is imperative that you check for any updates and changes with their nearest Marshall Islands embassy or consulate as requirements evolve based on world politics and health concerns.

Layout & Specs

Deck & cabin layout here, the yacht specifications, the equipment & safety features
truk master deckplan opt

Specifications

Built: 1974
Refit: 2016
Length: 37 metres
Breadth: 7 metres
Draft: 3 metres
Construction: Steel
Cruising Speed: 10 knots

PROFESSIONAL CREWS

Captain: 1
Engineer: 1
Second Engineer/Deckhand 1
Chefs: 2
Tender Drivers: 1
Housekeeper: 1
Host: 1
Dive Team: 3

MACHINERY

Engines: 2 x Cummins 520 HP
Generators: 2 x 80 kw, 2 x 50kw
Water Storage: 20 tonnes

DIVING FACILITIES

Aqualung scuba equipment rental: Additional charges apply
UW Scooter rental: 2 Additional charges apply
12l Aluminium Tank
15l Aluminium: Additional charges apply
Weights
Valve Fittings: DIN and INT
Compressors: 3 x Coltri-Sub M16
Nitrox Bank System: Additional charges apply
Tech diving
Re-breather friendly No Re-breather rental available
Surface Marker Buoys

SAFETY EQUIPMENT

First Aid: Fully Stocked Kit
Emergency Responders
Emergency Oxygen
Automated Defibrillator
Life jackets: 35
Life Rafts: 2 x 15 person
Life Rings: 4
Radios: 2 x VHF
1 x SSB
4 x Handheld
EPIRB
Smoke Detectors
Co2 firefighting system + extinguishers

Itinerary ... Bikini Atoll

Due to the fact that Bikini’s wrecks are only suited for extended range diving, there will be 2 technical dives offered per day. You will be responsible for planning your own dives, with the assistance of the Cruise Director. For safety, the minimum surface interval between dives is 4 hours and it is mandatory to take an afternoon off mid-trip (optional land tour and beach BBQ will be offered instead of diving).
Travel time between Ebeye Island and Bikini Atoll is 23-34 hours depending on conditions. It may be possible to dive the German heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen wreck near Kwajalein as a check dive before sailing overnight to Bikini Atoll.

The number of wrecks you will dive will depend partly on weather … and partly on the itinerary you choose. There are 10-night, 11-night and 13-night itineraries on the schedule. The crew will take you to as many of the following sites as time and conditions allow:

USS Saratoga
The signature dive of Bikini Lagoon is the USS Saratoga CV-3 Lexington-class aircraft carrier, one of only 3 diveable carriers in the world. At 270 metres (888ft) long and 29 metres (95ft) wide, this 39,000-ton warship rests in Bikini Lagoon at a depth of 52 meters. Her bridge is easily accessible at 18 meters depth, and her flight deck at 28 meters.
HIJMS Nagato
Launched in 1919 by the Imperial Japanese Navy, the Nagato was the lead ship in her class and often served as flagship during WWII and one of the most powerful and versatile warships in the world at that time.
USS Arkansas
An American dreadnought launched in 1911, measuring 171 meters (562 ft) long, armed with twelve 12-inch guns and capable of a top speed of 20.5 knots. The USS Arkansas served in both WWI and WWII; escorting convoys in the Atlantic and bombarding shore targets during the invasions of Normandy, Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
USS Apogon
A second submarine of the Balao-class that headed straight for Hawaii and the Marshall Islands after her launch in 1943 to patrol areas of the South Pacific and attack enemy ships. The Apogon lies completely intact at a depth of 48 meters with an average depth of 43 metres. Stern torpedo tubes as well as viewing binoculars on the bridge are still visible.
USS Anderson
The Sims-class destroyer launched in 1939 totaled 106 meters (348ft.) long by 11 meters (36ft) wide. She served at different locations in World War II; she participated in fighting battles in the Atlantic and the Pacific using her machine guns, anti-aircraft missiles and torpedoes, taking down many enemy aircraft.
USS Lamson
This Mahan-class destroyer was based in Pearl Harbor but avoided damage during the Japanese attack as she was returning to port from patrol duty when the airstrike occurred. With her length of 104 meters, she might not be the biggest of the Bikini wrecks but nevertheless very interesting to explore as she features several guns, torpedoes, bombs and generally provides good access to divers…
Prinz Eugen – Kwajalein Atoll
This German heavy cruiser was surrendered to the British Royal Navy who then gifted it to the US Navy as a war prize. She survived the blasts of Operation Crossroads, even though she was already damaged, and she was towed to Kwajalein where she ultimately capsized and sank to her final resting place in December 1946.

MASTER bikini map opt

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