Meandering to Lola Island (Vona Vona lagoon)

Well, if you ever get hold of a copy of Dirk Sieling’s “Cruising the Solomons” guide, that’ll help navigating through the Vona Vona lagoon. Tracking down the author on Google, I wrote to him at Dirk Sieling dirksieling@xtra.co.nz and convinced him to send me a copy. He really needs to get in print again. Though the total number of yachts going through the Solomons does not justify it, it’s a good reference book, except for some inaccuracies in the GPS waypoints. Anyhow, his sketch of the passage from Nusapate to Lola is pretty accurate. Some of the sticks marking the edge of the reefs have gone missing, so someone up high up on the mast in good sunlight is just the best insurance! Some passages are quite narrow and shallow so good to reccie first by motor before attempting a sailing. In the channel in between the reefs, the depths are 10 to 20 m, so any place is good to drop the pick if vis is not good enough or just stop and get oriented!!!



Google Earth is a good navigation tool too, for navigating in shallow waters. The Vona Vona is mostly unsurveyed and has a complex network of shallow reefs and sandbank between the islands. Some dry out at low tide.

I will add a complete set of waypoints soon. Here is an example of the reef edge marker found along the way. These sticks are mostly put for canoes so keep clear of them!



Not long after KUNA arrived at Lola, the FIRST anchorage crowd I’ve witnessed in the last 6 months built up to 5 yachts !!!!! There are probably the 5 yachts in the country… A 29’ norvegian, a Sydney 60 foot cat, and a few others flash monohulls hovered around.

Through the Diamond Narrows

South of Noro is a special passage between New Georgia and Arundel (Kohingo) islands called Diamond Narrows. The channel is no more than 50 m wide and generally between 20 and 50 m deep (or more because KUNA’s old sounder doesn’t register much deeper really, with steep coral reefs on either side. Before it was logged, 20 years ago, it was actually a sheltered tunnel under a thick rainforest trees canopy. Surprisingly, for such a deep and narrow channel, there was no noticeable tidal current. With both sides of the narrows being very protected bodies of water and such small tides, horizontal water movement is minimal here.





S8º 15.607 E157º 11.683 is good to line up the northern entrance, the shallow reef extending to starboard is currently marked by a stick. Unsurprisingly for the Solomons, some large ships sometimes travel through the passage, even at night.

the navigational marks are as usual are very obvious: here looking south, look out for the stick, duly marked as a beacon on the chart!

Whilst the men were rushing through the channel by motor canoe (gotta watch those bends as rules of the road don’t apply here!), all women are steadily paddling their dug out, singing and smiling.


A few miles further south, after exiting Diamon Narrows, another couple of miles got the KUNA to the entrance of Vona Vona lagoon. Staying on a straight line along the starboard shore going south, some small reefs were easily avoided. Because the light dropped rapidly in this late rainy afternoon, navigating the Vona Vona lagoon will be for tomorrow.

S8º 17.374 E157º 12.153: anchorage just north of Nusapate island, 20 m sand and coral. Deep but protected from all directions, really these lagoon waters are a chill out!!

Passing through Noro, New Georgia

terns chasing a school of bonito


Sailing in the Kula Gulf today was another lesson of patience, though the KUNA was pushed in the lightest breeze on these flat waters. Yet motoring was unavoidable to go through the harbour town of Noro, home of the Solomon Taio, the national tuna canning factory, which was mostly owned by Japan until recently.


The fishing fleet of Solomon Taio is rotting away tied to the wharf.


The tuna fishing fleet is in a rather advanced stage of delabrement ( these ships are no more than 25 years old but have not been maintained) but the factory is still functioning, employing 700 people (it used to be 3000, mostly women, canning tuna for 100 sol$/week!). The factory explains the unusually large population of Noro.






This philipino fishing boat, distinguished by the double outrigger arrangement, is part of a new initiative providing the local community with a light and less costly to run alternative fishing vessel other than the Solomon Taio fleet. The crew may catch just a few fish a day on single line and deliver to the factory. That's enough to feed their families and provides extra to the cannery. MOst of the Tuna is now exported to Europe.

Noro is the main town in New Georgia, a truck ride away from Munda, which has an airstrip and many large cargo, fishing and logging ships clear customs into the country there.



There is on custom officer (Michael Filao) but he is reputed for his unreliability, being found drunk or on the betelnut and corrupted by malaysian loggers. So if Ghizo immigration is open (which it is not at the moment) a trip there is worthwhile. KUNA did not stop in Noro, but many yacht suggested to raft with the Tuna boats (which don’t go anywhere) and keep someone onboard to prevent people boarding!

There is mobile coverage and broadband internet at the Telekom building in Noro. Internet in Munda is still dial up, as I discovered when I tried to post this blog!!

Jericho Harbour, Kula Gulf, New Georgia

Oct 5th
Jericho
S8º 07.398 E157º 19.989
The winds have died overnight but there was nothing more satisfying than lifting up anchor without starting the engine and slowly exiting Mbaeni harbour at 2 knots of speed! Creeping along to round the NW coast of New Georgia, a few surprisingly large buildings appeared: the churches built by the CFC (Christian Fellowship Church). Tacking in light winds in the Kula Gulf, a nice flat body of water that lays between Kolombangara and New Georgia, KUNA took 6 hours to cover less than 20 miles.


Cloud formation over Kolombangara


The valley into the crater of the Kolombangara is clearly visible

Didn’t get to go to Paradise (another very populated CFC village) this time as a huge squall helped creeping another few miles:

The clouds accumulated over New Georgia generated just enough wind for KUNA to make way at first, then suddenly picked up to 15 knots, getting KUNA to 7 knots of speed in zero visibility due to bucketing rain!! Far too fast near the harbour entrance of Jericho. Though there are no boats around, the unsurveyed reef areas are always a daunting prospect but the entrance was wide and straight.

The soundings in the middle of the channel on Dirk’s Sieling guide are accurate but the mud bank comes up very quickly just beyond the village so slow down and drop the pick in about 7-10 m to keep some swinging room! Very few yachts visit this village so the excitement of the kids on the shore was huge.

Arriving in Jericho...
There is no privacy to be had as this anchorage, which is just 100 m off the village. Just a good stopover and fruit and veg can be traded but watch that the kids don’t try to sell the golden papaw for 30 or 40$sols!!! Soon enough the KUNA was surrounded by a cohort of young men in canoe. The turkey brain age, they call it here: 12 to 25 years old, these just didn’t have much conversation so everyone sat quietly looking at eachother in the eyes, but all were good and didn’t ask for anything, they were just happy to be near the yacht. I’ve got used to that uncomfortable silence from shy visitors by now, and later a few educated women came to have a chat. There is a local canoe builder there too, who was very curious of the plastic kayak.

In the morning, the women depart for Noro market, with a cargo load of vegetables

Mbaeni Harbour, New Georgia

Oct 4th 2008-10-06
Mbaeni Anchorage
S8º 02.584 E157º 36.167

As most of the passages in/out of Morovo, Nggerasi and Toghovae lagoons, the Kokoana passage to get out of Matiu is deep with little current and steep reef edges. Navigating inside the lagoon is possible with lots of time.
The further north one goes, the murkier and less attractive the lagoon waters become. Lumahile passage and Charopoana passages near the resort island of Uipi also give access to interesting anchorages with good diving on the outer reef but beyond these locations, nutrient runoff from the logged slopes of Vangunu and New Georgia did not give much prospect for exciting diving.


yet another ship full of logs




A large flock of frigate day enjoy the wind!!

Winds have been so rare in the last month that the opportunity to sail 10-15 knots SE trade wind in flat waters today was not to be missed and the other locations mentioned above may be a stopover for later. 43 miles sail, an easy 9 to 5 day (yay!!!) led the KUNA to the very end of the Toghovae lagoon system, then the wind died. The lagoon gets very shallow but is connected to a deep harbour called Mbaeni, which is adjacent to the previously famous Lever harbour, whose entrance is a little further to the NW.


The entrance to Mbaeni Harbour is wide and deep, a stick to the left marks a shallow reef fronting a small island with an abandoned village. Best anchorage was found further in from the village in 17 m of mud, towards the river at position S8º 02.584 E157º 36.167. The bank raises rapidly to shallow mud after that. Few canoes came by but fruit and veg trading was possible, though exorbitant prices may be negociated!!

Matiu Island, Morovo Lagoon

The next few entries (read from bottom to top in the blog) relate details of a fast-ish passage along the 120 miles that separate Ngatokae Island all the way to Lola island in the Vona Vona Lagoon, via the north of the New Georgia Group.

Oct3rd 2008
Matiu Island
S8 29.667 E158 08.732


After first attempt to depart for Kolombangara, following the more picturesque southern route, via the Hele Bar and Blanche Channel to Rendova island, the KUNA rediscovered how uncomfortable it is to ride a bumpy sea with virtually no wind. A light southeaster (yes SE trades had come back that day after two months without wind!) was blowing but 8 knots were not enough to prevent the rig from bashing going down wind with occasional a 2 m swells.


Some large logs lost by the logging barges: something to no run into!

After a couple of mile of this, the KUNA turned around, opting for the more boring northern route around the New Georgia group, which has flat waters all the way and the same winds!


Stew has speared a barracuda and waves it good bye


After letting thew KUNA showing off in front of Peava with the red spinnaker, the winds died off and progress was slow: 18 miles achieved to get to the Kokoana Passage, which gives access to a variety of anchorages inside Morovo lagoon, including Matikuri Island, which has a nice sandy beach, and a hide in the lagoon behind Matiu Island, the closest to the passage.


Hide behind Matiu.

Nice and open anchorage, anywhere in the green (sand) with a nice breeze, the tongue of reef which extends NW on the right of Kokoana passage can be crossed through visible darker gaps in the reef, with a minimum depth of 3m, avoiding ovious brown bommies! The marker to bring in transit with island edge described in Sieling's guide does not exist anymore.

Chart SI07 (solomon Island survey, available in HOniara) shows some of these places in more detail though the survey is still imcomplete for the outer barrier. Eyeball navigation country, good for kites!!!

A short trip on the outskirts of Morovo lagoon

Morovo is one of the four lagoons which surround the New Georgia group (made of of the main island of New Georgia, Vangunu and Ngatokae). It is unique in that it is surrounded by a double barrier reef. More than reefs, there is actually a double layer of outer islands, which arose from a complex geological history of successives uplifts and tilts around the volcanic island of Vangunu.



Really the canoe reccie done previously didn’t show anything terribly exciting inside Morovo lagoon, nearby the island of Vangunu. Of course if you are interested in carvings, that’s a different story, go to populated areas, villages like Telina, etc. The township of Batuna (on the Eastern side of Vangunu) also has a good market. The best things about it is that it starts late: 10am, and the official rule is that everyone waits for all to turn up in their canoes from far away places to start selling!

Batuna from the shore line. The town host a TAFE type of trade school and also has an internet connection



The well supplied store of Batuna

The outskirts of Morovo are easy to navigate as all reefs are steep-to. Most of the inner lagoon is unsurveyed. Yet it could be travelled with care on clear days as most depths are over 5 m. The local Solomon Island survey chart SI07 provides more detailed information on some parts of the lagoon and Dirk Sieling Solomon Islands cruising guide (out of print, contact the author!) details all the local village anchorages though the information contained in the guide is outdated in terms of snorkelling and water quality (sadly so).


A typical Morovo nnchorage (flat still waters, here on a grey day!)



Squid check the anchor chain


The reef is definitely at the foot of the rainforest!


On the wild side, the outer islands are gorged with birdlife and the south of Porepore offers beautiful anchorage in emerald green waters 6-10 m, sand. There are many passages to access the lagoon and its best to not tuck in too much behind the tree to get some breeze!


Dark squall coming from the SE onto Peava


Build up after a hot day: summer is coming...

The trade winds have now stopped for good. The ITCZ, the Intertropical Convergence Zone, is the boffin name for doldrums, ie the windless zone of equatorial low pressure inbetween Northern and Southern Hemisphere trade winds. It regularly shifts in latitude. In the last ten days, the ITCZ went south of the Solomon Western Islands, leaving in her path a trail of thick rain cloud and absolutely no wind for many days (good computer weather!). After two sunny days with light SE winds (10 knots or so), it went on its way back North, but this time with a bagful selection of winds from all directions. Sailing consists now of changing sail configuration every half an hour, or more!!


The slopes surrounding the crater of Vangunu, this island is about 1000m high but is being logged to 800m, 21% of it's lower primary forest clear felled. Doesn't that remind you of Tasmania ?! Except with even less control from an corrupted government.

Beyond this geological reef uniqueness, the lagoon used to yield amazingly clear waters and nearly acquired the status of world heritage area in the 90’s. Unfortunately, this status was not granted and 15 years of unregulated industrial exploitation such as logging, oil plantation, Beche de Mer harvesting have modified the ecosystem dramatically. A 3 years monitoring project led by the Uni of Queensland tested reef health and water quality, and the report did not bring such positive results on the health of the lagoon.



logging barge and tug frequently seen in the lagoon



Pikininis came to say good bye!