Truk Master

Overview

Built of steel and completely refurbished in 2016, the Truk Master is the newest liveaboard to venture into the waters of Truk Lagoon, welcoming aboard 16 guests for 7 or 10 night dive safaris. The four decks provide ample space for relaxation, dive equipment and camera preparation, whilst the experienced crew ensures you receive only the highest quality service on your diving holiday.

ACCOMMODATION

Guests can choose between lower, middle and upper deck cabins, each of which are en-suite and have individual air-conditioning units. Communal relaxation areas are split between the middle and upper decks comprising of a spacious indoor dining area. There is a camera set up station, with guest storage drawers, lounge bar with comfortable seating and a plasma screen, plus a shaded outdoor seating area and a sundeck.

Dive equipment is set up and stored on the rear of the middle deck. All guests are allocated an individual set up station, with under bench storage for masks, fins and other personal items. A central camera table can be used to store prepared equipment ahead of the dive, with dedicated rinse tanks provided. Divers can take advantage of the on deck shower hoses or use the starboard side deck head to rinse off between dives. The Captain welcomes you to join him at the fly-bridge, from where you can soak up the stunning views of the islands of Truk Lagoon!

Guest facilities

• 8 twin-bed / double-bed cabins for 16 guests, with a/c and en-suite
• 1 Deck towel & 2 cabin towels provided for each person
• Main deck spacious indoor dining combines with camera station, complete with numerous charging points and storage
• Dive deck provides individual set up stations, under-bench storage and camera table with a large entry platform to the rear and deck head
• Upper level indoor lounge and bar with plasma screen for movie and photo viewing
• Shaded outdoor relaxation area, with lounge chairs
• Sundeck and Captain’s
• 2 dive tenders for diving in small groups
• New Tec diving facilities

SPECIFICATION

Length: 37m, Breadth: 7m, Engines: 2 x Cummins 520 HP, Cruising Speed 10 knots, Generators: 4, Construction Material: Steel, Water Storage 20 tonnes.  

Two main engines and 4 full-time generators power the Truk Master to a top cruising speed of 10 knots. 3 x Coltri-Sub M16 compressors with cascade storage for fast filling provide divers with an endless air supply and quick fills between dives. There is also a nitrox bank system (extra charge for nitrox).

• Tech diving friendly
• Re-breather friendly (no rental available).
• Aqualung dive equipment available to rent
• SMB’s & Nautilus Lifeline are available to rent on board.
• DIN & INT valve fittings
• 15l tanks FOC (please request)

Onboard voltage is 110/220 volts. US plug fittings. Adapters are available FOC. There is an indoor charging station for cameras etc. Camera table and camera rinse tank is on the dive deck. 

Please click here to view a floorplan for Truk Master

View a map of dive sites here

NAVIGATION / SAFETY

The Truk Master is fitted with the latest board navigation and safety systems. EPIRB for divers (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons), Life jackets, Life rafts, Fire system, Satellite Telephone, Oxygen and First Aid are also available.

DIVING

The diving is done from both 2 dive tenders and from the Truk Master, depending on the dive site and sea conditions. Typically the divers are divided up into three groups, each with their own Dive Guide. Each tender has a sturdy, custom ladder so getting in and out of the water is easy.

When diving directly from the Truk Master, there are entry / exit ladders located at the rear of the ship providing easy access to the dive platform.

Schedules & prices

Dive info

Chuuk State consists of 11 mangrove fringed islands in the Chuuk Lagoon – known to divers worldwide as Truk Lagoon. There is also a further series of 14 outlying atolls and low islands.

Truk Lagoon is enclosed by a 225 kilometre barrier reef, covering more than 2,000 square kilometres, and is home to an entire Japanese fleet, sunk in 1944. Frozen in time, complete with sake cups, a submarine, jeeps, tanks and fighter planes still waiting in the hangars, all encrusted with coral, the area has been declared an underwater museum.

Nowhere else in the world are there so many wrecks tightly packed into a coral reef lagoon and with many situated in shallow water, so perfectly visible for snorkelling.  Incredible corals in a kaleidoscope of colours and shapes attract divers of all levels. Schooling tropical fish smother the ships, with grey reef sharks, common octopus, spotted eagle rays, Pacific blue-fin tuna and black-tip reef sharks. Excellent coral pinnacles and deep channels with schooling pelagics too

Enjoy Truk Lagoon by liveaboard to experience the best diving in this unique dive destination, with quite simply, the finest wreck diving in the world!

BEST TIMES TO DIVE

Truk Lagoon is fortunate to have great diving conditions all year-round!

CLIMATE, WATER TEMPERATURE AND VISIBILITY

Truk, as part of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is a tropical country and the climate is fairly even all year round. The average high is 30°C whilst the average low is 25°C throughout the year. The more humid climate is during in the summer months (Jun-Sep) whilst trade winds come mainly from the northeast between December and June.

You are in a lagoon, so visibility is good but not excellent, 40-60ft is the norm and 30ft visibility would be a bad day. Sometimes visibility can reach 80ft or more, especially if it hasn't been raining (Nov - Feb).

Dry season: November to April

Wet season: May to October - higher humidity and more rainfall. July to October has the highest rainfall.

FLIGHT INFORMATION

For Truk Lagoon, you will need to first fly from the UK into Manila International Airport (MNL) and there are various airlines to choose from. You will then take another flight from Manila to Chuuk (TKK) with United Airlines. Please note that the United Airlines flights operate via Guam (GUM) both ways. Guam is an unincorporated and organized territory of the United States, and as such, all passengers travelling via Guam need to complete an ESTA. This must be done online in advance of UK departure. 

The Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) allows most British Citizen passport holders to visit the US for up to 90 days. The types of journey allowed under the VWP include tourism, certain types of business visit and transit to another country.

All travellers wishing to enter the US under the VWP now need to hold a passport with an integrated chip (an ePassport).

All passengers must clear US immigration in Guam and this can take several hours! With this in mind, we like to see a decent lay-over period before your take a connecting flight from Guam to Truk. With this in mind, we normally recommend you take a day room at an airport hotel, so you can freshen up and relax for a couple of hours, before taking a late afternoon / evening flight from Guam to Truk.

We can of course discuss these options with you at quote stage.

We can arrange hotel stays and local transfers in Manila, if required, and we can book your room at Blue Lagoon Dive Resort (Truk Lagoon) as required, to fit in with domestic flights and the operation of the liveaboard.

PASSPORTS & VISAS

Manila
As a tourist you need to be able to show the immigration officers that your passport is valid for at least another six months. You also have to hand over your duly filled-in arrival card. This arrival card is issued during your flight. Often you have to show an onward international flight ticket, that allows you to leave the country. If you meet these requirements, then you will be automatically allowed entry for up to 30 days without a visa. This is called a tourist visa-waver. It can be extended to 59 days directly at the airport.

Guam
Guam is a territory of the United States. All passengers travelling via Guam need to apply online for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). This must be done at least 14 days before UK departure and it is easy to apply for online at the following website: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/

In addition to the ESTA, all visitors arriving in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) (i.e. Guam / Truk) must have and present proof of citizenship or nationality, by possessing a valid passport or other travel document issued by the government of the country of citizenship or nationality. The document must be valid for at least 120 days beyond the date of entry into the FSM.

Citizens and nationals of the FSM, Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the United States may prove citizenship or nationality by possessing a passport, birth certificate or FSM entry permit.

Upon arrival, all non-citizens without a valid entry permit must present a completed 'FSM Immigration Arrival and Departure Record.' This form is provided by the airline carrier prior to arrival at the point of entry. Those wishing to visit the FSM for a period exceeding 30 days, must also complete an entry permit. A permit is not required for a person visiting the FSM for 30 days or less.

Every visitor must demonstrate the ability to travel onward beyond the FSM and to leave the FSM at the end of the visit. This can be shown by possession of a return or onward ticket to a destination outside of the FSM to a place where his or her travel documents will allow entry. At the discretion of Immigration, in lieu of a ticket, the visitor may present any other form of proof to show that the non-citizen will be able to leave the FSM upon expiration of the visit or otherwise.

Citizens and nationals of the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the United States may be issued an entry permit for the duration of the visit which shall not exceed one year.

All other noncitizens may be issued an entry permit for an additional period not to exceed 60 days.

All non-citizens, other than visitors must have their entry permits applied for prior to arrival in the FSM. The Entry Permit application can be downloaded here. Other restrictions apply for these categories. For more information, see the General Guide below or contact the FSM agencies (Government office) in the list provided.

http://www.visit-micronesia.fm/permit.pdf

Please always check for last minute changes in entry requirements at the Foreign & Commonwealth website. Nationalities other than British citizens should check with their own consular office.  Please always check your own entry requirements, regardless of your nationality.

AIRPORT TAX

There is currently a departure tax of USD 20 when leaving the country by air. Please make sure you have cash available as credit cards are not accepted and ATM machines are not available at the airports.

VACCINATIONS & HEALTH INFORMATION

There are no compulsory vaccinations, but we do recommend protection against typhoid, tetanus, hepatitis A, polio and rabies. The risk of malaria in Australasia is generally very low and therefore anti-malarials are not immediately recommended.

Vaccination requirements are subject to change and should be confirmed before departure. For the most up to date advice please consult your local travel clinic. 

Current information regarding vaccinations for travel to this country can be found at www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk and from your local healthcare provider.

Itineraries

Please note that liveaboard itineraries can change without notice. The itinerary will depend on several LOCAL factors including, but not limited to, weather, diving ability of guests & the number of other boats already present at the various dive sites. All dive sites visited are subject to weather conditions and are at the discretion of your dive guides and vessel captain.

Truk Master Diving Itinerary

• Arrival Airport: Chuuk International Airport (TKK), Weno Island
• Departure Airport: Chuuk International Airport (TKK), Weno Island
• Embarkation: Truk Stop Dive Center, Weno Island
• Disembarkation: Truk Stop Dive Center, Weno Island

On a typical day you will be offered up to 4 day dives, however the 4th day dive may be substituted for a night dive when the boat is anchored within the lagoon. A 7-night itinerary provides for between 18-20 dives, whilst during a 10-night itinerary, up to 30 dives will be possible. The diving day aboard the Truk Master is scheduled as follows:

• Light Breakfast followed by a briefing and Dive 1.
• Full Breakfast, relaxation period, briefing and Dive 2.
• Lunch, relaxation period, briefing and Dive 3.
• Snack relaxation period, briefing and Dive 4, where possible. Dinner. 

Many of the wrecks lie within recreational diving depths, however the Truk Master also offers Tec diving facilities for those wishing to delve deeper in the wrecks and take a closer look at history.

Dive the superb wrecks of the Japanese WWII fleet which lay in a variety of depths with the Truk Lagoon. 7-night and 10-night itineraries allow you to explore not only many of the famous wrecks but also to experience some superb reef diving. There are numerous channels that cut through the reef which serve as hunting grounds for reef sharks and schooling pelagics, which all adds to the wonder of diving in Truk.

Truk Master departs from Weno, and the 7-night and 10-night liveaboard trips take you directly to the main concentration of wrecks lying within the bay. The Truk Master will moor over the deeper wrecks allowing for you to descend easily down the line directly to the wreck. Tec divers will benefit from the support of the “mother ship”, whilst 2 skiffs can shuttle less experienced divers to the shallower sites and offer reef diving as an alternative to the wrecks.

Many of the wrecks are “Maru” or merchant vessels that had been left at anchor, some had been fortified with anti-aircraft weapons and many carried important army supplies including Zero Fighter aircraft parts, tanks, torpedo shells, trucks and road supplies. Bottles, cooking utensils, items from everyday life and personal artifacts can be found in several of the wrecks, serving as a reminder to the visiting divers of those who lost their lives during the battle. The more gruesome reminders of the conflict, such as human skulls, have since been removed and may now only be seldom seen in the deeper reaches of the wrecks.

SAMPLE ITINERARIES

Truk Lagoon

Bikini Atoll

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