Cruising ~ Solomon Islands Walk on the wild side The Solomon Islands lie on a path less well trodden. Nick and Jenny Coghlan discovered the delights and drawbacks of this wild corner of the South Seas t was 1am on a hot, moonless not pay, in our experience, to exude deep. At Skull Island in Vonavona night; Bosun Bird lay utterly still paranoia. So we also doubled down Lagoon, there are hundreds of at anchor in Marovo Lagoon. But on maintaining friendly relations macabre reminders of the pre- for some reason I slept uneasily, with the locals: always greeting missionary days when head-hunting slipping in and out of a bad dream. them, asking their advice on good cannibals roamed these waters, but Then I was suddenly wide awake; I places to anchor. And trading. these days you can cheer yourself up Imust have heard something. I lay flat The trading can be interesting. We with a cool SolBrew at the nearby on my back under the sheet, my eyes swapped a six-month-old edition Lola resort, one of the few tourist wide open, heart pounding. I took of The Economist for four luscious destinations in the Solomons. a couple of deep breaths to relax. crabs on one island, but were briefly On Santa Ana Island, at the Out of the corner of my left stumped when a young man asked eastern end of the group, we eye, I seemed to see something for our iPod in exchange for a were befriended by Greta Kuiper unfamiliar. Right by my head, only pineapple on another; fortunately and her mother. Greta’s father a foot from the pillow, there was he was just as happy with two – now deceased – had been a a motionless figure, blocking my ballpoint pens. In the New Georgia Coastwatcher in WW2: one of view of Jenny on the opposite bunk. group, many locals were converted a network of westerners who For a moment I thought I was back to the Seventh Day Adventist reported clandestinely by radio, in my nightmare. Then adrenaline faith in the late 1940s, and do not to Australia on the movement of took over. I shouted incoherently, consume shellfish; but self-professed Japanese troops and ships through thrust the sheet off, grabbed the 'backsliders' will trade their lobster the islands. Reminders of the war machete-holding figure and bundled enthusiastically. As well as local are everywhere. The waters off him up the companionway and into produce, cruisers like to seek out the Honiara are now named Ironbottom the cockpit – all without thinking. beautiful wooden masks for which Sound on account of the 70 or more A second later, he was over the the Solomons are famous: expect to wrecks that litter the bottom (and side and into his dugout, paddling bargain for at least a couple of hours which may cause your compass hell for leather into the darkness. for a choice piece by John Wayne to shift). Honiara’s international The Solomon Islands can be (yes, that’s his real name), and stock airport is still called Henderson an edgy place for cruisers. More up in advance on a good selection of Field, as it was when battle raged than half the dozen or so sailboat sandpaper and high-quality chisels. around it in 1942, with US marines crews we met over the course of Protected anchorages are plentiful fighting desperately to retain their three months had experienced an in the islands, with the great coral- first foothold on enemy territory. unpleasant incident of some kind. studded lagoons of Marovo and Greta introduced us to all her But while we doubled down on our Vonavona offering dozens of idyllic friends, and soon we were trading security precautions after Marovo – spots, if you don’t mind wending not only for vegetables, but for keeping the cockpit well-lit at night, your very careful way through laundry services, sponge cake and a winch handle close by – it does channels that are often only 6ft and for the eggs of the unusual megapode. This bird (which is not locally endangered) 'nests' in warm Choiseul Island SOLOMON OPPOSITE PAGE sand and abandons its eggs (which Hamilton Passage ISLANDS (clockwise from are oval-ish and about twice the top left) trading Gizo from onboard our size of a hen’s egg) as soon as they Vonavona Lagoon Vancouver 27 at are laid; chicks can walk and fly Marovo Lagoon Vanikolo Island; it's more politic to trade the moment they hatch. One day, Russell Island for reef fish than catch at her suggestion, the local chief Honiara them yourself; Makira Marau Sound Island; trading for took me (not Jenny: the site was megapode eggs, Santa taboo for women) to the traditional Ana island; locals Santa Ana Santa Cruz in canoes; waterside longhouse where, for hundreds of Utupua Island village, Marovo years, the bones of chiefs have been Vanikoro Island Lagoon; Skull Island, Vonavona Lagoon laid to rest in miniature wooden NICK AND JENNY ALAMY COGHLAN; 36 JULY 2018 sailingtoday.co.uk sailingtoday.co.uk JULY 2018 37 Solomon Islands as its slogan: “Jas Ranim, Wokim, Singim, Drinkim” (Just running, walking, singing and drinking...). And when I needed some medical advice, following the appearance of a lump in my abdomen, it was our Canadian friend who referred us to the local doctor: “Oh, no big problem”, said the doctor after a professional examination. “It’s a hernia. Common at your age. We’re fixing them all the time… canoes or – more recently and rather story there, we thought to ourselves routine operation”. disconcertingly – in cardboard as Ross breezily told us that all we “Oh yes.....and, er, what would the grocery boxes. As dozens of children needed to do was to check in once cost be? I’m not insured, you see.” clamoured around us, the chief we got to Honiara, the capital. “Well, in American, about 7 told me in a matter-of-fact way Honiara is not a place to linger. dollars…But I should point out that he would not be buried in this Its artificial port is cramped and that the post-operative care in way; the local bishop had prevailed exposed, the streets unsafe after Honiara may not be optimal.” and he would be interred more dark and bizarrely bloodstained I was all for it; the price was conventionally, in the ground. by day (actually this is betel-juice, certainly right. Jenny, my crew and Formalities, happily for cruisers, the national narcotic, chewed and partner, was less keen. She thought I are not greatly insisted upon. We randomly spat by all). There is a should fly out but, notwithstanding had already visited two of the yacht club that is friendly enough, the more comfortable atmosphere Solomon Islands before reaching any but being tied up a mere 50m from in Gizo, was not comfortable about semblance of officialdom, at Santa the front deck did not prevent a being left alone on the boat. So we Cruz Island, where, we were told: neighbour of ours from having their spoke with Laurie, the boss of PT- “Oh yes, there will be customs, boat pilfered in broad daylight. 109. He agreed to keep an eye on immigration, and even an ATM!” Gizo, in the far west, is an Jenny and Bosun Bird, while I went Santa Cruz has an interesting altogether more laid-back, pleasant down to Sydney for the operation. history. When the Spaniards were place and is conveniently cyclone- “But she’ll need this…” exploring Peru in the early 16th free as well. The de facto yacht club he said with a smile. century, a pressing question was the here is PT-109, a straw-thatched bar He rummaged under the source of the gold used by the Incas on the waterfront named after John bar counter and brought out in their fabulous ornamentation. In Kennedy’s Motor Torpedo Boat. The a large aerosol can of extra- one of the great con-tricks of history, President-to-be was on patrol in strong bug repellent. the conquistadors were told that it nearby Blackett Strait one dark night “Mortein. Great cockroach came from some islands “over the in August 1943 when he was run killer. It’ll also blind anyone who horizon”. Alvaro de Mendana was down by a Japanese destroyer that might try something…at least for one of a number of sea-captains was part of the Tokyo Express, the ABOVE a couple of hours. Makes ‘em real The PT-109 bar and to take the Incas at their word. He high-speed convoy by which Japan yacht club, Gizo easy to catch, too. All yours.” sailed almost the entire width of sought to reinforce its outposts most the Pacific before stumbling in 1567 nights. His subsequent leadership BELOW For detailed cruising notes on A peaceful evening on this island where, imagining when the crew was stranded on scene in the the Solomons, see Bosun Bird’s that this must at least be the site of nearby Plum Pudding Island turned Solomon Islands blog at www.bosunbird.com King Solomon's mines, he gave the him into a war hero and probably islands their modern name. Later did no harm to his eventual he returned to find a colony here; it political career. Among the local failed and all traces of the settlement traders in Gizo are a persistent few have long since disappeared. who will offer you, at a “special The erstwhile bureaucratic price”, signed thank-you letters delights of Santa Cruz had also from JFK to their grandparents disappeared.