ocean pacific yachts

The global authority in superyachting

• NEWSLETTERS
• Yachts Home
• The Superyacht Directory
• Yacht Reports
• Brokerage News
• The largest yachts in the world
• The Register
• Yacht Advice
• Yacht Design
• 12m to 24m yachts
• Monaco Yacht Show
• Builder Directory
• Designer Directory
• Interior Design Directory
• Naval Architect Directory
• Yachts for sale home
• Motor yachts
• Sailing yachts
• Explorer yachts
• Classic yachts
• Sale Broker Directory
• Charter Home
• Yachts for Charter
• Charter Destinations
• Charter Broker Directory
• Destinations Home
• Mediterranean
• South Pacific
• Rest of the World
• Boat Life Home
• Owners' Experiences
• Interiors Suppliers
• Owners' Club
• Captains' Club
• BOAT Showcase
• Boat Presents
• Events Home
• World Superyacht Awards
• Superyacht Design Festival
• Design and Innovation Awards
• Young Designer of the Year Award
• Artistry and Craft Awards
• Explorer Yachts Summit
• Ocean Talks
• The Ocean Awards
• BOAT Connect
• Between the bays
• Golf Invitational
• Boat Pro Home
• Superyacht Insight
• Global Order Book
• Premium Content
• Product Features
• Testimonials
• Pricing Plan
• Tenders & Equipment

OCEAN PACIFIC

OCEAN PACIFIC is a 29.87 m Motor Yacht, built in the United States of America by Jones-Goodell and delivered in 1984.

Her top speed is 13.0 kn and she boasts a maximum range of 4500.0 nm when navigating at cruising speed, with power coming from two Cummins diesel engines. She can accommodate up to 6 guests in 3 staterooms, with 4 crew members waiting on their every need. She has a gross tonnage of 118.0 GT and a 7.62 m beam.

She was designed by Ed Monk Jr. , who also completed the naval architecture. Ed Monk Jr. has designed 64 yachts and created the naval architecture for 149 yachts for yachts above 24 metres.

OCEAN PACIFIC is one of 5798 motor yachts in the 24-30m size range, and, compared to similarly sized motor yachts, her volume is 5.87 GT above the average.

OCEAN PACIFIC is registered under the United States of America flag, the most popular flag state for superyachts with a total of 1643 yachts registered

Specifications

• Name: OCEAN PACIFIC
• Yacht Type: Motor Yacht
• Yacht Subtype: Expedition Yacht , Motorsailer
• Builder: Jones-Goodell
• Naval Architect: Ed Monk Jr.
• Exterior Designer: Ed Monk Jr.
• Refits: 2002,2006

Yachts like this

From our partners, sponsored listings.

FULL SERVICE BOATYARD

MARINE STORE

Proud dealers of the most trusted brands

2021 ocean pacific marine store & boatyard, welcome to ocean pacific marine in campbell river, outfitting and servicing commercial and pleasure craft.

– SINCE 1985 –

THE BOATYARD

COMPLETE & CONVENIENT SERVICE

110 Ton Travelift

ABYC Certified marine technicians

Fiberglassers, painting & detailing

ISO 9001:2015 Registered Quality Management System

Full service boatyard

CWB Certified welders

Certified diesel mechanics

Covered sheds

Convenient downtown location

THE MARINE STORE

EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR YOUR BOAT

Fully stocked marine store

Paint & paint supplies

Safety & lighting

Friendly & knowledgeable staff

Marine electrical & electronics

Plumbing & hardware

Sourcing hard to find parts

Online catalogue

Commercial & recreation marine repair & building

HARBOUR SENTINEL

HULL INSPECTION

SANDBLASTING & REPAINTING

NEW SWIM GRID

The Harbour Sentinel is owned and operated by the Western Canada Marine Response Corporation (WCMRC) and represents only one of a large fleet of spill-response vessels along British Columbia’s West Coast...

Single Malt

ELECTRONICS UPGRADE

NEW CUMMINS ENGINES

At completion, the yacht will boast a full GARMIN electronics upgrade package (speakers, plotters and radar system), and will be fully repowered with two new Cummins engines and ZF gears...

Western Brave

INSPECTED FOR SELLING

NEW BEARINGS

FISH HOLD REBUILDING

This 70-foot Seine fishing boat, owned locally by the Assu family, came in for new bottom paint, repairs to its PTO (Power Take Off), and fish holds...

Enchantress

COMPLETE INSPECTION

ANTI-FOULING PAINT

INSTALLED DRIPLESS SEALS

This 75-foot Ocean Alexander was imported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Shafts, shaft seals, props and thru-hull valves were removed for inspection and bottom paint was refreshed...

ALL BOATYARD PROJECTS

Ocean pacific marine to renew 13 cape class boats for the canadian coast guard.

EASILY FIND EVERYTHING YOU NEED

View our catalogue

This website uses cookies. Learn more

Please use a modern browser to view this website. Some elements might not work as expected when using Internet Explorer.

• Landing Page
• Luxury Yacht Vacation Types
• Corporate Yacht Charter
• Tailor Made Vacations
• Luxury Exploration Vacations
• View All 3647
• Motor Yachts
• Sailing Yachts
• Classic Yachts
• Catamaran Yachts
• Filter By Destination
• More Filters
• Latest Reviews
• Charter Special Offers
• Destination Guides
• Inspiration & Features
• Mediterranean Charter Yachts
• France Charter Yachts
• Italy Charter Yachts
• Croatia Charter Yachts
• Greece Charter Yachts
• Turkey Charter Yachts
• Bahamas Charter Yachts
• Caribbean Charter Yachts
• Australia Charter Yachts
• Thailand Charter Yachts
• Dubai Charter Yachts
• Destination News
• New To Fleet
• Charter Fleet Updates
• Special Offers
• Industry News
• Yacht Shows
• Corporate Charter
• Finding a Yacht Broker
• Charter Preferences
• Questions & Answers
• Add my yacht

NOT FOR CHARTER *

This Yacht is not for Charter*

SIMILAR YACHTS FOR CHARTER

View Similar Yachts

Or View All luxury yachts for charter

• Luxury Charter Yachts
• Motor Yachts for Charter

Ocean Pacific

• Amenities & Toys

OCEAN PACIFIC yacht NOT for charter*

26.97m  /  88'6 | jones goodell | 1984.

• Previous Yacht

The 26.97m/88'6" motor yacht 'Ocean Pacific' was built by Jones Goodell .

Range & Performance

Her water tanks store around 1,700 Gallons of fresh water.

*Charter Ocean Pacific Motor Yacht

Motor yacht Ocean Pacific is currently not believed to be available for private Charter. To view similar yachts for charter , or contact your Yacht Charter Broker for information about renting a luxury charter yacht.

Ocean Pacific Yacht Owner, Captain or marketing company

'Yacht Charter Fleet' is a free information service, if your yacht is available for charter please contact us with details and photos and we will update our records.

Ocean Pacific Photos

NOTE to U.S. Customs & Border Protection

Specification

M/Y Ocean Pacific

SIMILAR LUXURY YACHTS FOR CHARTER

Here are a selection of superyachts which are similar to Ocean Pacific yacht which are believed to be available for charter. To view all similar luxury charter yachts click on the button below.

27m | Canados

from $23,000 p/week ♦︎

27m | Baglietto

from $17,700 p/week

Alaskan Story

28m | Westport Yachts

Anticipation

25m | Knight & Carver

from $30,000 p/week

28m | Lloyds Ships

from $56,000 p/week

25m | Palmer Johnson

from $29,500 p/week

28m | Cheoy Lee

from $45,000 p/week

Heartbeat Of Life

28m | Heesen

from $47,000 p/week ♦︎

27m | Cheoy Lee

from $26,500 p/week

Oh Que Luna

27m | CNL - Cantieri Navali Lavagna

from $26,000 p/week ♦︎

25m | Azimut

from $34,000 p/week

26m | Cantieri di Pisa

POA ♦︎

As Featured In

The YachtCharterFleet Difference

YachtCharterFleet makes it easy to find the yacht charter vacation that is right for you. We combine thousands of yacht listings with local destination information, sample itineraries and experiences to deliver the world's most comprehensive yacht charter website.

San Francisco

• Like us on Facebook
• Follow us on Twitter
• Follow us on Instagram
• Find us on LinkedIn
• Add My Yacht
• Affiliates & Partners

Popular Destinations & Events

• St Tropez Yacht Charter
• Monaco Yacht Charter
• St Barts Yacht Charter
• Greece Yacht Charter
• Mykonos Yacht Charter
• Caribbean Yacht Charter

Featured Charter Yachts

• Maltese Falcon Yacht Charter
• Wheels Yacht Charter
• Victorious Yacht Charter
• Andrea Yacht Charter
• Titania Yacht Charter
• Ahpo Yacht Charter

Receive our latest offers, trends and stories direct to your inbox.

Please enter a valid e-mail.

Thanks for subscribing.

Search for Yachts, Destinations, Events, News... everything related to Luxury Yachts for Charter.

Yachts in your shortlist

• Power Boats
• Steiger Craft
• Scout Boats
• Brix Marine
• Vessel Concierge

• Fractional Boat Ownership
• Full Yacht Management Programs

Pacific Boats & Yachts

Your destination for new and pre-owned boats, featured listings.

25′ Boston Whaler 250 Outrage

40′ Carver C40 Command Bridge

26′ Apex Panga

53′ Knight & Carver/Gold Coast Yachts Sailing Catamaran (49-PAX USCG COI)

Pacific boats & yachts is the exclusive seapen dealer for hawaii, financing available, from fishing boats to yachts, there's a boat out there for every type of boater. and with financing, you can focus on enjoying your new boat, rather than worrying about the upfront cost., new listings.

34′ Boston Whaler 350 Defiance

30′ Ribcraft (15-pax USCG COI)

21′ Mako 211

21′ Parker 2120 Sport Cabin

21′ Steiger Craft 21 Tournament

Ocean Eco Tours – Honokohau

23′ Key West Bluewater 2300 CC

24′ Sea Fox 248 Commander

Ocean Recreation

Common Mistakes in Boating & How to Avoid Them

NEW SCOUT 355 LXF DELIVERY

BRIX build for NORTH SHORE CHARTERS

IRUKA HAWAII GETS A NAIAD!

Pacific boats & yachts is the premier new and pre-owned fishing, commercial,  and sail boat broker for hawaii and the pacific rim., experience stress-free boat buying and selling with expert services at pacific boats & yachts..

CONTACT PACIFIC BOATS & YACHTS

Your Name (required)

Your Email (required)

Telephone number (required)

Your Message

Be the first to know about new boats!

Pleasure Listings

Commercial fishing.

Pacific Boat Brokers & Covid 19

As per government instruction during this Covid 19 pandemic, and in the best interest of our staff and clients, we are complying with social distancing by being available to our clients via phone, fax and email as well as our website.

Please contact us at 250-248-0010, fax us at 250-248-4693, email us at [email protected]

You will find all cell phone numbers for our local Brokers in the window of our reception area and on our contact page

Best of health to you all.

Boat Search

Bc's largest pre-owned vessel brokerage, peace of mind, featured listings.

SQL: SELECT TOP (3) fi.ID, fi.feature_page, fi.file_number, fi.display_position, fi.highlight, bn.Vessel_Name, bn.Vessel_Location, bn.Length_Feet, bn.Length_Inches, bn.Listing_Price, bn.Manufacturer_ID, bn.Model, bn.page_name, dm.Manufacturer_Name FROM featured_items AS fi INNER JOIN Boats_new AS bn ON fi.file_number = bn.File_Number INNER JOIN DATA_Manufacturers AS dm ON bn.Manufacturer_ID = dm.Manufacturer_ID WHERE feature_page = 'Pleasure' ORDER BY NEWID()

  ...more

Quick Links

Pleasure boats for sale, commercial fishing boats for sale, industrial boats for sale.

We want to smash the Pacific rowing record - using F1 technology

T hree Scottish brothers are hoping to become the fastest people to row across the Pacific Ocean, after building a superfast, ultra lightweight boat.

Jamie, Ewan and Lachlan MacLean have harnessed technology used by Formula 1 teams to manufacture the 280kg (44 stone) carbon fibre vessel.

The trio, from Edinburgh, made headlines in January 2020 when they rowed across the Atlantic Ocean in just 35 days. Their fibreglass boat weighed one tonne.

Now they hope to cross the Pacific in about 120 days - 42 days quicker than the record.

And they intend to become the first team to make the 9,000 mile crossing without stopping to pick up food supplies.

Jamie, 30, told BBC Scotland News their new boat - the first of its kind - will enable them to consistently travel faster than they did crossing the Atlantic.

"We are going to be able to average between 0.5 and one knot [one nautical mile per hour] faster all the time," he said.

"Our average speed for the Atlantic was 3.3 knots but if you added a knot on to that you could shave off potentially months on a Pacific crossing, which is three times further."

The brothers will embark on The Rare Whisky 101 Pacific Challenge next May, when they will leave Lima in Peru bound for Australia.

They have been working on the vessel for the last year with specialists in The Netherlands.

Ewan, 32, an engineer for Dyson, said the boat was made using a process normally used in the construction of F1 cars or jet wings.

He said the hull and the deck were fabricated using a machine called an autoclave - essentially a high pressure oven.

It meant that much less epoxy resin, which is very heavy, was needed to bond the carbon fibre and the foam core.

Ewan said: "There are carbon equivalents to the fibreglass boat we were in previously.

"They would save a bit on the weight but if you compare gram for gram there isn't that much difference to be honest. The boats made from carbon are much stronger.

"Usually the vast majority of the weight from a carbon fibre lay up is from the resin but when you use an autoclave you can have a much lighter product at the end."

Jamie denied the lighter boat would give them an unfair advantage over other teams who have been unable to make the crossing without stopping to resupply.

Previously only solo rowers have been able to complete the crossing without stopping to take on board more food.

"I don't know if innovation is cheating," he said.

"The appeal to doing the Pacific is it's a longer crossing, it's the same but it's also very different to the Atlantic, it's the same sport but it will be a different beast."

Jamie, Ewan and Lachlan became the first three brothers to row any ocean when they crossed the Atlantic in 2020.

They also took the record for the youngest trio and the fastest trio to ever row the Atlantic - but their record of 35 days, nine hours and nine minutes was beaten by two hours last year.

Other modifications to the boat include a bulletproof mat for the sleeping pod to stop marlin strikes piercing them.

It is thought marlin, which have a spear-like snout or bill, do not see rowing boats when they are hunting the fish that shelter underneath them as the hulls are a similar colour to the sky.

The MacLean brothers who trialled the boat for the first time this week off the coast of Scotland are also trying to work out how they will be able to remove barnacles during the challenge without having to jump into the water as the Pacific Ocean is Great White shark territory.

Jamie said: "Barnacles cause a huge amount of drag. You would lose knots of speed if you let the barnacles build up. It's amazing how quickly they grow and they get quite big too."

• Brothers become fastest trio to row the Atlantic
• Brothers take on 3,000-mile rowing test

Photo | Harbor Patrol checks in on paddler in…

Share this:.

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to print (Opens in new window)
• Neighborhoods
• Special Sections

Latest Headlines

Photo | harbor patrol checks in on paddler in pacific ocean off of long marine lab.

First responders aboard a boat from Harbor Patrol check on a paddler this weekend in the Pacific Ocean off of Long Marine Lab. The paddler, who a caller from the shore mistakenly thought was in distress, was fine and the responders were quickly summoned to another potential person in distress farther up the coast.

More in Local News

Downtown plan expansion examined in joint session

Art Seen | Mural illustrates how the Filipino community’s roots run deep in Watsonville

Watsonville Music in the Plaza series returns Friday

Santa Cruz Opera Project wows audiences with Die Fledermaus – Revenge of the Bat

Watch CBS News

Russian military exercises in the Caribbean: Here's what to expect

By Alex Sundby

Updated on: June 12, 2024 / 8:15 PM EDT / CBS News

Three Russian ships and a nuclear-powered submarine arrived in Cuban waters Wednesday ahead of military exercises  in the Caribbean. While the exercises aren't considered a threat to the U.S., American ships were deployed to shadow the Russians, U.S. officials told CBS News.

The Russian warships  were seen arriving in Havana's harbor on Wednesday morning and were expected to stay in Cuba until Monday. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Air Force One on Wednesday the U.S. was closely monitoring the Russian ships.

"We have seen this kind of thing before and we expect to see this kind of thing again," Sullivan said.

The U.S. intelligence community has assessed that the submarine is nuclear powered but it isn't carrying nuclear weapons, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reported. White House national security spokesman John Kirby told CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O'Keefe last week that there was no indication nuclear weapons would be "at play" during the vessels' time in the Caribbean.

What Russian ships are in Cuba?

According to the Cuban Foreign Ministry, the three Russian ships are a frigate, a fleet oil tanker and a salvage tug. The three ships and the submarine headed across the Atlantic separately, Martin reported.

Russia has used the frigate, the Admiral Gorshkov, to test its Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles , according to the Reuters news agency.

Two American destroyers and two ships that tow sonar equipment behind them were shadowing the submarine, Martin reported. Another destroyer and a U.S. Coast Guard cutter were shadowing the three Russian ships. The U.S. Navy also used little sailboats fitted with cameras, known as sail drones, to shadow the Russian ships as they got close to Cuba.

The Admiral Gorshkov and the submarine carried out drills in the Atlantic that simulated a missile strike on enemy ships, the Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.

While the Russian ships are in Cuba, the U.S. Navy ships shadowing them are expected to wait for the Russians and continue shadowing them when they leave port, Martin reported.

The ships' arrival in Havana — which the Cuban Foreign Ministry said was expected to include the fanfare of one Russian ship firing 21 salvos in a salute to Cuba — comes ahead of Russia carrying out air and naval exercises in the Caribbean in the coming weeks, Martin reported.

The exercises, which will include long-range bombers, will be the first simultaneous air and naval maneuvers Russia has carried out in the Caribbean since 2019, Martin reported. The exercises will be conducted over the summer, culminating in a worldwide naval exercise in the fall.

"Clearly this is them signaling their displeasure about what we're doing for Ukraine ," Kirby told O'Keefe. "So we're going to watch it, we're going to monitor it, it's not unexpected. … But we don't anticipate, we don't expect that there'll be any imminent threat or any threat at all, quite frankly, to American national security in the region, in the Caribbean region, or anywhere else."

The Russian ships are expected to head to Venezuela after Cuba, but it's unclear what the submarine will do, Martin reported.

What was the Cuban missile crisis?

The events in the Caribbean are different from the Cuban missile crisis that happened over 60 years ago. The 1962 crisis unfolded after the U.S. discovered launch sites in Cuba for Soviet ballistic nuclear missiles.

Over the course of 13 days, the crisis brought the Soviet Union and the U.S. dangerously close to nuclear war. A potential conflict was averted when the Kennedy administration reached a deal with the Kremlin for the missiles to be removed from Cuba.

Alex Sundby is a senior editor at CBSNews.com. In addition to editing content, Alex also covers breaking news, writing about crime and severe weather as well as everything from multistate lottery jackpots to the July Fourth hot dog eating contest.

More from CBS News

Russian warships depart Cuba after visit following military exercises

U.S. accuses China of reckless action in South China Sea incident

Putin and Kim show off "fiery friendship," pledge unity against U.S.

Vladimir Putin to visit Kim Jong Un in North Korea

Philippines turns up heat over disputed sea but confronts formidable foe

A recent voyage in the South China Sea revealed the challenge as a flotilla of wooden fishing boats drew an armada of Chinese warships and coast guard vessels.

EN ROUTE TO SCARBOROUGH SHOAL — As several wooden fishing boats embarked from the Philippines one recent morning, more than 40 Chinese navy, coast guard and other vessels steamed toward them from the opposite direction, staging one of the biggest demonstrations of force in the contested South China Sea in over a decade.

The fishing boats were less than halfway to their destination — a ring of reefs and rocks known as Scarborough Shoal — when a Chinese coast guard ship appeared on the horizon. Those aboard the fishing boats, including Washington Post journalists, watched as the Chinese ship cut across the reflection of the setting sun. A second Chinese vessel arrived. Then a third. Before nightfall, the Philippine convoy was encircled.

The Philippines has been waging its most vigorous campaign yet to push back against China’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea. After Ferdinand Marcos Jr. became president two years ago, he launched a campaign backed by the United States and other allies to resist China’s efforts at projecting military and political dominance over this strategic waterway, which is also claimed in part by six other governments .

But over the past year, the effort by the Philippines has also demonstrated the limits of its power. In China, the Philippines faces one of the world’s largest maritime forces, which has routinely rammed, swarmed and pounded Philippine vessels with water cannons. Manila’s drive to “establish a new status quo” in the South China Sea has been largely dismissed by Beijing, which has doubled down on its claims over the waterway, said Greg Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the D.C.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The Philippines claims dozens of disputed islands and maritime features such as reefs that fall within what it calls the West Philippine Sea, recently building military facilities on the contested Pag-Asa Island and deploying warships to another atoll called Sabina Shoal. Speaking at an international security conference in Singapore late last month, Marcos warned, “The lines we draw on our waters are derived not from imagination but from international law. I do not intend to yield. Filipinos do not yield.”

Nowhere in the South China Sea is the Philippine campaign — and its limits — clearer than at Scarborough Shoal, which Chinese warships seized in 2012. Scarborough sits 140 miles off the coast of the Philippines, well within what the country deems its 200-mile exclusive economic zone. But China says it has “indisputable sovereignty” over the shoal, which it calls Huangyan Dao. For a decade, Chinese ships have blocked Philippine fishermen from accessing its inner lagoon and chased away vessels that have drifted too close.

—Hong Kong

Ship traffic to Scarborough Shoal

Over the course of three days, China sent over

40 vessels to prevent a Philippine convoy of

fishing boats from reaching a shoal that

China has controlled since 2012.

Scarborough

PHILIPPINES

China is able to launch vessels

from bases it maintains in the

Paracel and Spratly islands

as well as from the mainland.

The Philippine

convoy turned

around 50 miles

from the shoal.

Note: Some vessels had their trackers turned off or did not transmit location data during this incident.

Source: SeaLight at the Gordian Knot Center

for National Security Innovation at Stanford University

Over the course of three days, China sent over 40 vessels

to prevent a Philippine convoy of fishing boats from

reaching a shoal that China has controlled since 2012.

Note: Some vessels had their trackers turned off or did not transmit location data during this incident between May 13-16.

Source: SeaLight at the Gordian Knot Center for National Security

Innovation at Stanford University

Over the course of three days, China sent over 40

vessels to prevent a Philippine convoy of fishing boats

from reaching a shoal that China has controlled

since 2012.

Source: SeaLight at the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation at Stanford University

Now, the Philippines is again pressing its claim to Scarborough. The Philippines is working with allies to ramp up surveillance of maritime activity, say Philippine navy officials. The Philippine coast guard and bureau of fisheries last year began regular patrols to the shoal. And last month, Philippine fishermen and activists undertook a privately organized mission to distribute supplies to other fishermen operating near Scarborough and, in doing so, assert the right of Philippine civilians to sail through these waters.

But hours before the flotilla departed May 15, aerial surveillance imagery and ship-tracking data showed scores of Chinese vessels cruising toward the shoal. Not since 2012 had there been such a show of force, said Ray Powell, an analyst at Stanford University’s Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation.

A few dozen Philippine fishermen dropped out from the voyage days before departure because of concerns their small boats would be wrecked by Chinese water cannons. But the bulk of the convoy decided to press on.

At a news conference after the Philippine flotilla had set sail, a spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry, Wang Wenbin, said Beijing planned to defend its rights. “Relevant responsibilities and consequences,” he warned, “shall be borne solely by the Philippines.”

A turning point

Scarborough had long been one of the most prized fishing grounds in the South China Sea, drawing boats from the Philippines, China, Vietnam and elsewhere. Older fishermen recall a sparkling blue lagoon with schools of fleshy mackerel tuna and coral reefs that hid a buffet of rockfish, needlefish and clams.

Trouble in the South China Sea

Over much of the past century, the Philippines laid claim to the shoal, occasionally expelling boats from other countries. The shoal served as a precious harbor for Philippine boats trying to make it home through storms and typhoons. Its proximity to Luzon, where the Philippine capital, Manila, is located, also made control over the shoal a matter of national security.

So it came not just as a shock but an embarrassment to the Philippines, say current and former officials, when, following a lengthy confrontation in 2012, the Chinese effectively took it for themselves. Trouble erupted when Philippine officials said one of their warships had caught Chinese fishermen at the shoal poaching rare animals and corals. After the Philippine navy intervened to stop the fishermen, China responded by dispatching two law enforcement vessels. The Philippines eventually withdrew its ships. But the Chinese remained.

It was a turning point in the South China Sea, said Renard Sexton, a political scientist at Emory University who studies conflict in Asia. Scarborough became a symbol of what could be gained and lost in an era of rising Chinese power. For Beijing, on the cusp of a massive military buildup at sea, it was a statement to the world that China would not back down.

After that, China stationed at least one coast guard ship at the mouth of the shoal at all times. Chinese maritime militia — government-funded ships used to establish China’s presence in disputed waters — shadowed Philippine fishing boats near the shoal and sometimes confiscated their catches. Revenue for fishermen who used to rely on Scarborough diminished so much that some quit fishing entirely, say union leaders.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, an international tribunal, ruled that China had no legal claim to the shoal and could not block Philippine boats from fishing there. But China dismissed the ruling. That same year, Rodrigo Duterte was elected president of the Philippines, pursuing warmer ties with China and muting claims in the South China Sea. Already underfunded, the Philippine navy and coast guard languished under Duterte, said Jose Antonio Custodio, a Philippine military historian.

China’s grip over Scarborough had tightened sharply, say Philippine and Western security analysts, when, in 2022, the Philippines elected Marcos as president. At his first nationwide address, he made clear that the Philippines would not abandon “even one square inch of territory.”

A fraught debate

Captain Jory Aguian, 38, coasted his boat, named the Paty, to a stop. It floated adrift, 90 miles from port, 50 miles shy of Scarborough.

Chinese coast guard ships had shadowed the flotilla of four Philippine boats overnight, along with a single Philippine coast guard vessel. The largest of the fishing boats was a mere 70 feet long, barely a fifth the length of the Chinese coast guard boats. Now, on board the Paty and the other fishing boats, a debate was unfolding over the radio about whether to proceed.

Inside his cabin, Aguian tapped the steering wheel anxiously. He wanted to sail on.

Aguian had never seen Scarborough. His father, a shipbuilder from the town of Subic, had told him how beautiful the shoal was. But by the time Aguian became a captain, most fishermen with midsize boats like his generally regarded it as a waste of fuel — and a hazard — to fish there, he said.

But fishermen whose boats were too small to sail far into the Pacific still consider Scarborough to be the richest fishing grounds within reach and, for nationalist reasons as well, have been reluctant to give it up. So when Aguian heard this expedition was being planned, he volunteered his boat and half his crew. He wanted to fight for the shoal.

Among the 21 people on his boat, feelings were mixed. Most of the crew, composed of fishermen in their 40s and 50s fed up with the Chinese, wanted to sail on. But a medic on board was hesitant. So was a college student who belonged to the activist group Atin Ito, which had organized the voyage. “Honestly,” said Matthew Silverio, 21, “I’m terrified.”

The Paty was the smallest of the four boats in the flotilla, a traditional Philippine outrigger only 40 feet long held together by wood, bamboo poles, rope and zip ties. If the Chinese deployed water cannons, the roof of the boat’s cabin would fly off, leaving the engine exposed, said crew members. For those on board, there’d be nowhere to hide.

And there was another consideration that only a handful on the flotilla knew about. A fifth fishing boat had earlier sailed ahead of the main flotilla and been confronted by a Chinese warship. As the boat tried to circumvent the navy vessel, a Philippine fisherman working at Scarborough Shoal sent back an urgent message, recounted Mark Figueras, an activist on board:

“Do not proceed! Do not proceed!”

Chinese ships had sailed upon the shoal in force and were chasing away every last Philippine boat, Figueras said. Even if the flotilla made it to the shoal, there’d be no one left there to receive supplies.

Shortly before 9 a.m., the radio in Aguian’s cabin crackled with a final verdict. The captain started up the engine. The boats were turning around.

Success or failure

The morning after returning to shore, organizers of the voyage celebrated it as a success. The Philippines had sent a convoy of wooden fishing boats into the West Philippine Sea, and China had responded with warships, said Rafaela David, a co-convener of the Atin Ito coalition. “It seems China is afraid,” David said.

Not everyone saw it that way. Figueras sighed and shook his head as he talked about the disappointment of altering course just 20 miles away from Scarborough. Many of the fishermen aboard the four boats, including Aguian and most of his crew, said that if it had been up to them, the flotilla would have pressed on.

The Philippines has “no teeth,” said Raul Bogs Patijdas, 58, a technician on Aguian’s boat.

“We should have gone straight to the shoal because it is ours,” said Jose Takoyan, 44, another crew member. Instead, he said, the Chinese “escorted” the Philippine boats out of their own waters. “I don’t know how China got so powerful but I know they prepared for war,” he said. “That’s what we didn’t do. We didn’t prepare for war.”

A week after the sail, ship tracking data showed at least eight Chinese vessels, including two coast guard ships, surrounding Scarborough. The Paty and the other boats were headed back out to sea to fish. But at least for now, Aguian said, none were going to Scarborough.

Regine Cabato contributed reporting from Zambales, Philippines. Map by Laris Karklis .

Call us at: (206) 659-0710

• Yachts By Class

YACHTS FOR SALE BY CLASS

• Antique And Classics
• Commercial Boats
• Convertible Boats
• Cuddy Cabin
• Express Cruiser
• Freshwater Fishing
• Motor Yachts
• Power Catamarans
• River Cruiser
• Saltwater Fishing
• Sports Cruiser
• Sports Fishing Boats
• Unspecified
• Walkarounds

Contact Us Today

(206) 659-0710

SIGNUP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER

Office: (206) 659-0710 Fax: (206) 659-4293

Ocean Pacific Yachts

1001 Fairview Ave. N. Suite 1300 Seattle, WA 98109 (Directions)

Social Media

Contact broker, interested in this boat.

Form when user is inquiring about a single boat

Send to Friend

• Privacy Overview
• Strictly Necessary Cookies

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.