Solomon Islands: A Very Enjoyable Six Month Cruise
The Solomon Islands offer a convenient way to bypass Australia when sailing from Vanuatu to South East Asia or vice-versa and is a good option if you have pets onboard according to long time cruisers Luc and Jackie Callebaut. With uncrowded anchorages and only a few regular tourists, this a great place to visit says Luc in this report on their six months spent cruising the archipelago.
Published 8 hours ago
Don’t be Deterred!
Don’t let unfavorable reports of thievery deter you to cruise here, just use the same caution that is needed to avoid safety issues increasing in the Caribbean and the rest of the world but reported stories are infrequent!
Like anywhere in the South Pacific, paying your respects to the village chief, elder or the landowner of the area where you anchor helps to avoid problems. Anchoring fees were very rarely asked, most people we met were more interested in trading fresh food from their gardens or wood/stone carvings for items they need.


Officialdom
Before departing for your passage to the Solomons, check the latest clearance requirements on Noonsite and email the required forms to the relevant authorities. Should you not receive any reply, try again. You might print out the completed forms you send because you mostly will be asked to fill these same paper forms like in the old times, pre-internet.
A note of Caution: Solomon border patrols are really enforcing the policy of no-anchoring anywhere in the Solomons until formally being first cleared into the country. Some cruisers got a big hassle when they inadvertently spent two nights in an isolated area south of Bougainville. So check your maps really well to make sure you don’t stop in any island belonging to the Solomons.
No Excuses
Stories of drug-running boats abound and give the Border Patrols reasons to suspect any of us ‘breaking the rules’ and to treat us as guilty until proven innocent! The old days of poor up-to- date information and lack of communications are no excuses anymore! Informing them ahead of time of special circumstances making it difficult or impossible to follow the laws of their land is important. Hopefully common sense and some empathy will then prevail!
We decided to sail from the south of New Ireland in PNG non-stop to Noro. After emailing the forms before arrival to the Solomon authorities, we also sent these to the helpful Hilde (WA: +49 1523 6134187 / also on FB group), the Noro Marina contact person, so she could also inform the local authorities 24hours prior to our arrival. Due to the lack of favorable wind, as we neared Noro, we knew we would be arriving at night and did not want to negotiate the intricate and complicated way to reach the marina coming via the southern lagoon entrance.
Hilde asked permission on our behalf, for us to anchor in Nusaghele (easy anchorage to reach safely using satellite imagery when coming at night for the first time). She sent us the GPS coordinates and reminded us to not go ashore there or anywhere else before sailing into the marina and calling the CIQP authorities for clearance.


Clearance procedure in Noro
Biosecurity, Health and Customs came aboard to have forms filled and take some photos. All done easily and nicely. Afterwards we went to the Immigration office (currently located above the Chinese supermarket facing the public market) to obtain our visa on arrival: Luc as a European got three months and Jackie as a US citizen only got 45 days extendable for another 45 days for 800 S$. We were now free to start exploring the Western Province.
Fees asked were Biosecurity 300 S$ cash; Customs asked nothing; Health asked nothing; Immigration charged 1,000 S$ for checking in and out. Checking in Noro was a better choice than Gizo, because in Gizo you would have to arrange and pay transport costs for Billy, the Solomon senior immigration officer, to come from Noro. We visited Gizo area later as it is not that far away from Noro.



Cruiser-friendly ports
As mentioned on Noonsite, some clearance ports are more cruiser-friendly so you might as well clear in/out there. Concerning warnings of quite expensive SIMA fees levied to small yachts stopping in Honiara, I think this might only apply to boats checking in or out of Honiara because in our own short visit and as reported by fellow sailors transiting there this year without the need to see local authorities, no yacht was asked to pay that fee:)
Before we needed to renew our visas in Noro, we had to fly to Brisbane for medical reasons and so obtained a new visa on arrival on our return. One annoying fact also reported by several sailors was that in order to board our flight back to the Solomons without a return ticket (since we would exit on our boat), we had to buy a refundable or throw-away airfare!


Despite asking Immigration in person in Noro and via numerous emails to Honiara Immigration office three weeks in advance, we never received a re-entry permit based on our boat currently berthed in Noro marina! We also heard that a marina letter/bill and a copy of our boat registration would NOT be accepted by Solomon Airlines or by Immigration on arrival in Honiara or Munda! We only received a one month visa on arrival, but we were able to apply the next day, at the Noro Immigration office, for a three month tourist visa for a fee of 1,000 S$ /pp.
Note that one can only stay 180 days out of every 365 days in the Solomons. Only Honiara Immigration can process longer term visas. requiring a letter stating reasons, proof of financial self-sufficiency and more paperwork. We now had another three months to exit the Western Province and go south-east, against the tradewinds towards Vanuatu.
If going in that direction, allow plenty of time to use rare weather windows when the strong E-SE tradewinds are taking a break and to explore the central and eastern parts of the Solomons while waiting for these weather breaks!
Flights to/from Australia and Australian visas
Solomon Airlines has a weekly flight to Brisbane, from Noro stopping briefly in Honiara and then return direct to Munda (30min by bus/taxi to Noro).
If you need to fly to Australia for medical purposes, do NOT apply for a medical visa as curiously these can take over nine months to be processed! Just apply online for a regular tourist visa, that can be obtained in 24 hours (it is free for EU citizens or some selected nationalities, with a small fee for others)
Marinas / Boatyards/ Main Harbors
Towns and anchorages safety: Unlike in PNG, one can walk in town without fearing “rascals”. Several natives remarked that with our three watchful Schipperke dogs aboard, we did not need to worry about petty thefts.


Noro Marina is the best and only place really in the Solomons at this time where we felt a boat could be left by itself, safe from weather and thievery. It is conveniently located near the international airport in Munda and a clearance port. We appreciated the personal welcome and care given by Hilde Larsen on SY Amiga at the new Noro Marina where a few secure moorings are available. Shore facilities and dock are being expanded and the whole area is quite sheltered from waves and wind as well as being ‘outside’ of the cyclone area. Prices are reasonable and reduced rates are offered for monthly bookings paid in advance. Only a short easy walk or dinghy ride to the town market.
Gizo: the natural harbor offers some sheltered anchorages and a small dock had one motorsailing yacht there apparently for a while. Can be noisy at night with disco music!
Liapari Marina & Boatyard on Vella Lavella Island: since the passing of its founder, Noel, a few years ago, the business is defunct and only a few unpaid personnel still live there and protect the facility from vandalism. There are rumors of some local politician reopening the place at some point but land disputes and lack of finances and expertise make it unlikely to happen soon, in my view. Too bad because this natural inner lagoon offers a good shelter and visiting the area, one can easily imagine the attraction of yachts in its heydays!
Honiara on Guadalcanal Island: One would think that the capital island would have a nicely protected big harbor like Rabaul or Pago Pago but the tiny anchorage in Honiara is deep and an open roadstead anchorage, dangerous in more than 15kts from the N-NW and not a place where we would leave our boat unattended unless in an emergency.
In that case, one could med-moor, stern to the cargo wreck on the wall next to the port and be more protected from the swell rolling in. There is one boat mooring designed to hold a 52ft catamaran belonging to Fred Tulagi (WA +677 7495415), from the Breakwater Cafe, who also happens to be the Noro Marina owner and that, if available, he graciously offers the use to passing sailors who ask him nicely.


In front of his deli-cafe, he has a small man-made mini-harbor with a few local boats. A much more protected area to leave your dinghy ashore as long as you respect to ask first and not use after 3pm as the facilities are closed and the gate is locked afterwards. The broken jetty of the yacht club (a night bar really) is subject to swell.
Star Harbor, on the east side of Makira Island: a very nicely protected anchorage. While it has no town, the local community lead by Albert was very welcoming with lots of local food to be traded. Marine services are offered, like sail repairs by hand or hull cleaning.
Lata: Shaw Point, just 2nm from Lata town is a small protected bay with a small vocational school, where perhaps they can help you repair something onboard. The very welcoming Hilda will share some of her garden bounties with you and you should enjoy meeting her community.
Provisioning
Other than in Honiara, where you will find a bigger market and more modern supermarkets (but also terrible traffic on the roads), Gizo & Noro had the best fresh markets. Munda has a smaller market, also best on Fridays. All had small stores selling a limited selection of frozen foods and common dry goods and hardware items.


Money
ATM and cash exchange are available at the BSP banks.
Restaurants
- Munda: Agnes resort had very nice dishes. Since they let cruisers use their dock, it is good to patronize their restaurant/bar.
- Gizo: PT109 has simple dishes. Since they let cruisers use their dock, it is good to patronize their restaurant/bar. Can be quite noisy in disco nights!
- Noro: right below the Immigration office – very good Chinese dishes at very fair prices.
Communications
Starlink is legal in the Solomons and is the only way to have true internet coverage anywhere. The one local network only offers good data near main towns or bigger communities centers and fair coverage elsewhere.
Fuel
Duty-free diesel is available. The good thing about the Solomons is that you do not have to wait until you are cleared out to be able to obtain duty-free fuel. As soon as you clear in, you can ask Customs to get the exemption papers. Best place to fuel is in Noro, at the main wharf, near the market where a truck will bring you diesel (min 200 liters). You need to book a space at the dock, if you like to dock your yacht and refill directly onboard or you can just contact the fuel company if coming with jerrycans by dinghy.



Propane: Refills of your own tanks (if US type valves) are possible near the market in Noro at Origin Gas.
Scuba diving
Visibility was not the best during this time of the year, perhaps due in part to the numerous rains and often overcast skies. The main attraction seem to be WWII ships or airplanes wrecks, but the long time since WWII and occasional storms are slowly breaking everything!


As usual when visiting a new area, it is best is to go with one of the few dive centers around as they know the best places to dive, which are often difficult to get by dinghy because they are far from a decent anchorage. The local instructor, Euna Zam, from Dive Munda was friendly and accommodating but the center recently closed. Dive Gizo was not keen on sailors diving on their own anywhere.
Shipping things to the Solomons
Many sailors, including ourselves had excellent service from BJS Agency in Honiara (James Bradford, General Manager BJS Agencies limited +677 22393 james@bjs.agency). After contacting them first use the following as your shipping address:
Yacht [Your Yacht Name] IN TRANSIT
c/o BJS Agency Ltd
Commonwealth Street
Honiara, SOLOMON ISLANDS
Attention: Captain [Your name]
BJS is the Solomons DHL agent but we had a parcel sent via USPS to them and they got it from Customs in Honiara. Customs respects “for Foreign Yacht in Transit” so you shouldn’t have to pay any duty. You can then either pickup your parcel when you are in Honiara or BJS can forward it to you via Solomon Airlines to any islands with an airport or via an inter-islands ferry to your nearest location. You will then pay a modest handling to BJS plus airline or ship at a reasonable transport cost to you. It is best to let them know ahead of time if you have a parcel that you want to be shipped in, so they can update you on arrival and secure the customs release.
General Notes on our Solomon Cruise
General comments about our route and places visited during our April-September 2025 Solomon Cruise:
Officials:
Those we met in Noro and Lata were friendly and the regulations/paperwork/fees not too burdensome. Alas ,these officials are bound by more and more lawsand regulations, issued by bureaucrats who seem to have little understanding of seafarers concerns and personal situations. Noonsite and fellow cruisers with recent experience in countries you plan to visit are the best way to plan your itinerary and time as a visitor.
Weather:
Lots of rainy days so you probably rarely need to get water ashore if you can collect rainwater onboard. Solar panels might struggle on the numerous overcast days, especially when anchored near high peak volcanic islands attracting frequent rain. We motor-sailed most of the time in the Western Province as did the few cruisers we met, no matter what direction we were all going. Once in the Central and Eastern part of the Solomons, SE-E tradewinds were often quite lively and going west offered great sailing, going SE was quite frustrating motorsailing close to the wind in confused seas. A passage from Vanuatu towards SE Asia will be much more fun than the other way around.
Security:
We did not feel insecure in any of the places visited and contrary to what we read from past reports, we did not experience being bothered by too many wood carvers trying to sell their art or by hordes of canoes surrounding our boat. Perhaps the smaller number of yachts passing in the last few years made them loose that practice? Trading goods goes a long way as the local people are keen to get things they cannot find locally or they cannot afford in the local shops because of lack of disposable cash.


The most demanding and difficult to trade with were, in our experience, the wood carvers who are spoiled getting high prices for their artwork and who often want to trade anything at a penny for a dollar’s worth to then resell or trade with other villagers at a great profit for themselves. According to locals as well as most cruisers, the Western Province is the most friendly and safest area for visitors and as an extra advantage, it is out of the cyclonic zone. On our journey from the Philippines to Vanuatu, a six month stay was perfect for us, spending about three months in the Western Province before taking three months going East.


Prior research:
Our exploration journey was a pleasant experience, mostly due to the research we did beforehand, benefiting from advice given by cruisers preceding us here shared on resources like Noonsite, Soggy Paws Compendium, SSCA bulletins and anchorages listed on Zulu Waterways / No Foreign Land as well as speaking to cruisers met during our years of cruising.
Seafarers of long past would be so envious to have had these anchorages info, precise satellite charts and some friend’s tracks when planning where to anchor and what to do ashore, especially invaluable when one has to choose to make a night entry or under rain/overcast sky in an unfamiliar lagoon or passage!
Details and comments of our 39 anchorages are posted on Zulu Waterways as well as in this document: Solomon Islands Anchorages.
Luc and Jackie Callebaut
s/v Sloepmouche
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About the Author
Luc and his partner Jackie, have been exploring the warm waters of the world since 1992 on board their 46ft Norman Cross trimaran. They have lived and worked in the Caribbean, Pacific and for the past five years have been cruising in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. For the past six months they have been cruising eastward through Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands into the Pacific.
Luc worked as a regional editor for Noonsite for many years. Find out more about Luc and Jackie here [https://cornellsailing.com/archives/past-rallies/the-team/#LucJackie]
Videos about their cruising adventures can be viewed on their YouTube channel “Tropical Sailing Life” or their Tropical Sailing website, which contains more than 600 original, edited, titled, cruising videos.
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Other Noonsite reports from Luc and Jackie:
- Navigation: Staying Safe When Sailing in Remote Locations
- From Philippines to Tahiti: Kavieng to Noro in the Solomon Islands
- Papua New Guinea: Cruising the North East Coast
- Indonesia, Bitung: Notes on a Lengthy Check-Out
- SE Asia: Cruising Notes on Malaysia and Indonesia.
- Vanuatu: Cruisers Deliver Aid to Communities
- Indonesia: Clearance Experiences at Bintam and Batam
- Malaysia: Update on Sebana Cove Marina
- Pacific Crossing 2022: Panama and Galapagos Update
- Pacific Crossing 2022: French Polynesia Update
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Related to following destinations: Bougainville, Central Province, Choiseul Province, Florida Islands (Ngella Islands), Gizo, Guadalcanal, Honiara, Lata - Ndendo Island (Santa Cruz Islands), Liapari, Marovo Lagoon, Munda (New Georgia Island), New Britain Island, New Ireland, Noro (New Georgia Island), Ontong Java Atoll, Other Outer Islands (PNG), Outer Islands/Atolls (Solomon Islands), Papua New Guinea, Russell Islands, Solomon Islands, Taro Island, Tetepare, Western Province (New Georgia), Yandina
Related to the following Cruising Resources: Circumnavigation, Cruising Information, Pacific Crossing, Pacific Ocean South, Pacific Ocean West, Routing, Travel Information, World Regions Information