Honiara 2008 - Solomon Islands

Created by sue. Last modified on 2008-08-21 16:15:52
Countries: Solomon Islands

At the start of the year we were trying to work out a route to Indonesia different to the Torres Straight, but it was hard to find positive information about the Solomon's & PNG.

Below are details for Honiara, Solomon Islands.

All prices are quoted in US $. The exchange rate is approx $7S to $1US.

Nobeltec was accurate for our entry into Honiara. The entrance is marked by two tiny markers only about 1 meter from the water & not lit at night. Red marker on east & green on the west. The bay outside the yacht club is small and there are a lot of big boats coming in & out. There are a few mooring balls that may be available. Some charge & others are free to use. Ask around & be prepared to move if the owner of the ball returns! On the west side of the bay the yellow mooring ball furthest out charges $15 per night but be careful when approaching this ball as the reef is not far behind it. There are 3 mooring balls on the east side of the bay which then require you to stern tie to wall. The northern mooring is the most protected and requires the shortest stern line. It belongs to the medical boat that normally sits on another mooring on the west side. Otherwise anchor & stern tie. It's about 65 feet and shelves up.

Don't be put off by the look of Honiara. The town has been totally safe for us, the people are fabulous once you get over their scary red mouths! Loads of expats working here so not as wild as you may expect! Fresh veg market is huge & good produce. Supermarkets with pretty good supplies & Chinese shops that stock almost everything. We were advised that theft is a problem in the Solomon Islands so we lock our boat up when leaving it, but otherwise have had no problems. The dinghy been perfectly safe on the beach outside the yacht club.

Checking in - start early. Lots of running around but everyone is nice. Count on it taking a half a day. Total cost was $37.50.

YC sells cheap drinks (delicious Solbrew for $2) & pretty good food ($4.30 for lunch $7 for dinner). Walking up to order you'll think twice but trust us - the food is good. The YC is presently in receivership so it doesn't really offer any services to yachts (the cold showers are free and refreshing), but everyone's friendly especially Hank who lives here. You'll find him on the cat "Aurora". He is the guy to see if you can't find what you are looking for or need advice.

You can buy a 250 MB or 7 day card (whichever comes first. Cost = $36) WIFI internet card. Otherwise loads of internet cafe's in the green plaza opp the YC.

We were advised not to drink the water here without treating it. The yacht club will let you fill your water jugs.

Laundry is hand washing only. The girls working at the YC will do it for you if you ask them or for machine wash call Smart Clean 75482 - but beware they are expensive.

For those going to PNG - The embassy is on the 1st floor of the blue & yellow building on the opposite side of the road from the YC behind the green plaza. It is open for Visas between 9am - 12 noon only. You can visit in the afternoon to collect the forms. Price is $55 for the Captain & $28 for each crew (take exact money as they have no change). No charge for the cruising permit. You need a photocopy of boat doc, a passport photo of each person onboard & a brief itinerary of where you intend to go in PNG.

Suzanne Roberts