Pacific (Solomon Islands)

South Pacific, Solomon Islandsactivities

The Solomons sit roughly 1,500 nautical miles northeast of Brisbane, and getting there already filters out the casual sailor. Most bluewater passages come up from Vanuatu or east from Papua New Guinea, riding the south-east trades that blow reliably between May and October — typically fifteen to twenty-five knots on the beam or quarter, which makes for genuinely pleasurable passages through the outer island chains. Inside the larger sounds, particularly around New Georgia and the Manning Strait, the trade loses its teeth and you motor-sail more than you'd like, but the compensation is water so clear you can read your depth sounder by eye. Day-to-day cruising here is genuinely remote. Fuel and provisions in Honiara are manageable — the market near the Point Cruz waterfront is good for fresh produce — but beyond the capital you carry what you need. Liveaboard charter is the most practical format, with a handful of operators running out of Honiara offering skippered vessels with a local guide aboard, which is worth every dollar. Local knowledge navigates the reef passes and, more importantly, handles the village protocols; many anchorages require you to seek permission from the chief before dropping the hook. Skip that step and you'll regret it. The anchorages reward patience. Florida Island, Marovo Lagoon, and the wreck-strewn waters of Iron Bottom Sound offer extraordinary diving directly from the boat. Dolphins join the bow wave off Malaita with an almost theatrical regularity. The WWII history — sunken warships, jungle airstrips, corroding hulks — gives the cruising a dimension you rarely find elsewhere in the Pacific. Paperwork is straightforward but unhurried; budget an extra half-day for port clearance in Honiara, and carry printed crew lists in triplicate.

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