Buka - Docking

Anchorages

Anchor between Sohano Island and Bougainville Island which is well sheltered from the trade winds.

To get into Buka town, just hail one of the passing water taxi boats.  It’s convenient, costs two kina to town and better than using your own dinghy as the pass can be rough with current and ferry and water taxi traffic.

Other Locations:

• White Island seems to be the official picnic island for everyone and the island with its white sand beach is quite pretty. Unfortunately the reef is dead.
• Vungan Island a bit further south is another pretty anchorage in front of an uninhabited islet. Excellent reef for snorkeling and lots of fish around the wreck.

Security:

The villages in the bays on the northern side of Bougainville are friendly and happy to see visitors, but warnings still exist for the western side due to some incidents with sailboats in the past.  According to SV Pitufa who visited in September 2025, officials assured them that Buka town was perfectly safe, as well as on the island–the only town in PNG where you can leave your car unlocked and walk around at night without worrying.

Cruisers report there is no emergency number to call if you should run into trouble, but the Customs office in Buka provided this contact:

Albert Besten, Transitional Crime Unit - Buka:   Ph/WhatsApp+675 73818036

Last updated:  October 2025