Marovo Lagoon - Docking
Anchorages:
There are several anchorages around the lagoon which are well protected from both wind and swell by a double barrier reef system.
Matiu Island is recommended by cruisers as one of the most protected anchorages in the lagoon area. Anchor in four to five metres on sand and totally protected from the trade winds. Sarumara Bay inside the south western tip, forms the northern border of Kokoana Pass. Custom fee is payable to Telina village community fund.
Seghe: There is an anchorage in Njae channel, east of the jetty at Seghe town which is next to the runway.
Uepi Island: Yachts are not welcome here according to cruisers who tried to have a meal there in August 2023. See Related Reports for details of their experience.
Pore Pore Island: Anchorage is on the the southern boundary of Kokoana Pass (dive site). If diving the Pore Pore side, custom fee is payable to the people living there.
Telina Island: The anchorage is between Telina and Vangunu. The house on the fresher belongs to Rocky and is where all of the villagers wood carvings are displayed for sale. Opposite on Vangunu is John Wayne’s house. He is a master carver and in charge of community funds. Fees can be paid here if they have not already been collected.
Mbili: Anchorage is inside SW tip of Sanihulumu Island next to Turupu Island where Minado Eco Resort/Solomon Islands Dive Adventures is based. Anchorage can also be found further north alongside the island between the two small islets.
Tetepare Island to the west of the Marovo Lagoon is the largest uninhabited island in the Southern Hemisphere which has not been logged and is a totally wild and pristine wilderness. There is an eco-lodge on the western side which is undertaking a host of ecological programs so you can see turtles being hatched and swim with dugongs.
Last updated: November 2023
If you have information for this section, or feedback on businesses used, please let us know at editor@noonsite.com. We also welcome new information about businesses you have used (see Related Businesses).
Next Section: Profile: Yacht Clubs
Related to following destinations: Marovo Lagoon, Solomon Islands, Western Province (New Georgia)
Port Navigation
Courtesy Flag Discounts
YachtFlags.com provides high quality courtesy flags that are manufactured in durable Knitted Polyester fabric. Knitted so that the fabric itself does not deteriorate in the constant movement that marine flags are usually exposed to, and polyester so that the flag does not weaken in the strong UV-light usually found in the main sailing areas of the world.
YachtFlags.com offers a discount to Noonsite members.
Use the coupon code NOONSITE_5A2B when checking out to get 10% off today.
Buy Now On YachtFlags.comMain Ports - Solomon Islands
Courtesy Flag Discounts
YachtFlags.com provides high quality courtesy flags that are manufactured in durable Knitted Polyester fabric. Knitted so that the fabric itself does not deteriorate in the constant movement that marine flags are usually exposed to, and polyester so that the flag does not weaken in the strong UV-light usually found in the main sailing areas of the world.
YachtFlags.com offers a discount to Noonsite members.
Use the coupon code NOONSITE_5A2B when checking out to get 10% off today.
Buy Now On YachtFlags.com
gemma ross says:
Jan 19, 2019 01:22 AM
On sailing overnight between the Russell Islands & Marovo lagoon, we arrived at Mbili passage in the early morning. Mbili village on Minjanga island opposite Gatokae is home to many talented wood carvers. We anchored just inside the southern tip of Sanihulumu Island.
It has been recommended that yachts ask the visiting carvers in canoes to view the carvings in one go either at the village community hut or on the beach. This can be organised by Paul John of Sanihulumu or by going to see Lisa at Solomon Dive Adventures (SDA) off the small island of Turupu next to the anchorage. Chief Luten & his family live on the northern penisula of Gatokae & they will also show you carvings there.
The reason for this is so that all the villagers get a fair chance at selling their work, as some of the canoes can be rather insistent & all seem to come from the same family therefore monopolising. If you are not firm you will get “canoed” all day every day.
There are several good dive sites in the area for which there is a Custom fee of SI$25 pp per dive if you have your own gear or you can dive with SDA & it is included. Lisa at the Dive Resort was very helpful in explaining that the fee is meant to go into the community fund so I recommend having a chat with her to ascertain who owns which dive site & we gave the fee to her directly as she puts it into an account for the village (rather than it ending up in one person’s pocket). Also be careful that you do not get asked for the fee by different people. We tried very hard to please everybody but it seems that there are some politics & greed that marred our time there.
Any concerns & talk to Lisa! Equally I do not want to put anyone off going there because it was a lovely spot & the diving awesome. Mbilikiki dive liveaboard visited the same time we were there so the carvers all gathered together for their guests to view their art. Even if you are just looking, some of the carvings were spectacular & in a group setting there is no pressure to buy like with the canoes.