I was just directed to Noonsite and have some corrections for your Honiara profile. Having been here for 10 1/2 years and being the operator of a charter boat in Honiara, I feel qualified.

1) Entrance to Mbokona Bay (where the YC is) Firstly, the starboard channel marker has been gone for about 6 months.

We are not holding our breath on it being replaced. The reef there comes up to about one metre, so caution is recommended.

For safe passage into the bay. visitors need to line up either; a) the flagpole at the YC

or

b) the left-hand side of the blue 6 story building behind the YC

with the orange pole on top of the hill behind. It is about 10 feet high and 2 ft around and has a slow flashing light on top.

2) There is only one mooring available for hire on a constant basis. It is mine and is the yellow one and the furthest out. Despite one story on your site, I know of no incidents of theft from vessels on that mooring. It is SBD $100 per day (about $12 US) and the owner can be contacted on ph 96000 or via the crew on MV Lalae (in Mbokona Bay).

Another mooring is owned by a yachtie, who allows the SDA Medical boat to use it in his absence. In the absence of both of them it is available for hire through Henk, owner of SV Aurora, also in Mbokona Bay.

Moorings on the east side of the bay are not available for hire and are in constant use by their owners.

3) Anchorage in Mbokona Bay.

The only place for, relatively, safe anchorage is on the east side of the bay, stern to the seawall, as Noonsite says.

There is nowhere with available space to anchor between the Patrol Boat wharf, or a line projected from the wharf, and the western reef. The depth in the bay seems ok but rises quickly to the reef. The bottom is a silty/sandy mix which, time and time again, has proven to be very poor holding ground.

Many, and I mean many, have experienced much grief by anchoring either on the west side of or in the middle of the bay. We have strong winds that come up quickly for no apparent reason from the North or Nor East and cause total chaos. I personally have been involved in the rescue of several boats that have thought anchoring in the middle or west side of the bay seemed like a good plan, which is understandable on a nice day. Most recently a large expensive yacht that, if it hadn’t run aground on its deep rudder (lost 1/3rd of it and 2 prop blades), would have been smashed to bits on the seawall. It had to be towed away from the seawall by a Patrol Boat.

Very large vessels should remain outside the reef, to the western side of the bay.

ANYBODY anchoring inside the bay needs to be constantly aware of instantaneous weather changes and be not too far from their vessel. The crew of the yacht mentioned just above were having dinner, by the sea, about 2 kilometers away but couldn’t get back in time.

I hope this is of some assistance (and I hope it stops me having to get all wet while rescuing visitors).

Cheers

Steve

LALAE Charters