A 500 Sails canoe glides through the lagoon — learn to sail one yourself in the Lalayak program.
THE upcoming Basic Traditional Seamanship course has a total of 10 available slots, and there is still space for participants to join, according to Aina Chargualaf, program coordinator for Northern Marianas College-Community Development Institute.
The course, also known as Lalayak, is coordinated in partnership with 500 Sails. It is an eight-week experience that “introduces participants to the artistry and science of traditional seamanship,” according to a media release. To that end, participants will learn about and practice sailing on a traditional Chamorro canoe in the 500 Sails’ fleet.
Minimum age to participate is 14, with parental waiver.
Instruction is a mix of in-class theory and hands-on application of knot tying, points of sail, Micronesian seafaring tradition, steering the canoe, and more.
Deadline to register for the course is June 6, Friday, if space does not fill beforehand.
Classes in the Lalayak program begin June 21. Classes are held every Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from June 21 until July 5 at the Guma Sakman in Susupe, across from Marianas High School.
A prerequisite to participation is the successful completion of a swim test, which 500 Sails has scheduled for June 7 and 14. On both days, 500 Sails will conduct a one-hour open water tread. It will also require participants to swim from the Guma Sakman to the first tank in the lagoon without stopping. The tank swim is untimed. Participants may use any swim stroke.
To sign up, go to https://tinyurl.com/lalayak2025
