That visit to the vulcanic Savo island and its vulcano was great! One more thing on our list is to see the leatherback seaturtles coming out of the sea at night to lay and bury their eggs on the beach. One of the places where they come on shore is Baniata and this will be another “first time” anchorage…

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/8.jpg
After we anchored many kids in hollow tree canoes came to check us out

Also Chief Manuka of Baniata came by and invited us to meet him on shore to discuss a night visit to the turtles. Chief Manuka gave us permission to walk the beach and see the village. During our walk we met guide Johnson and a 75 year old lady who was on here way to her garden. What a beautiful and strong woman, we spend a long time talking to her.

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/4.jpg
the Queen at anchor
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/5.jpg
black beaches
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/3.jpg
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/7.jpg
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/2.jpg
a track in the sand from the large leatherback sea turtles coming ashore here to lay their eggs
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/1.jpg
is there a bus station on this beach?
On our way back through the village to the dinghy a man approached us, he demanded money. He said he was from a different tribe and that chief Manuko was not the chief of Baniata. The conversation became heated and unpleasant. So I decided to pull up anchor and leave Baniata. This is the very first time after 9 years, visiting 26 countries and almost 50.000nm of sailing that I felt I needed to do that! On to Noro.

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/map.png
there is a huge amount of little islands and anchorages on the way
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/bi2.jpg
first anchorage Birimbiri island
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/mastcamera.jpg
a panoramic view from the mast camera
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/bi.jpg
found and dehusked some coconuts to make coconut milk
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/bi1.jpg
look at that bread using the new flower from PNG

plenty of rain to rinse the laundry in this season
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/6.jpg

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/10.jpg
a sea canal on the way to Noro
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/11.jpg
houses build halfway into the water lining the canal
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/13.jpg
on this location in Noro a marina will be build

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/12.jpg
repairing the peddle board, once again

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/mar.jpg
the Noro market
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/mar2.jpg
local produce from the villages surrounding Noro
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/mar1.jpg
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/14.jpg
time for a job: replace the motor mounts once again with the ones bought in New Zealand

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/hoist.jpg
first hoist the engine with the mizzen halyard
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/imp.jpg
then some improvisation to get the flexible coupling off as there are no bearing pullers available in Noro
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/mount.jpg
remove the old mounts
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/fine.jpg
Engine working fine with no vibration on the new mounts ๐Ÿ˜ƒ

Stefan in a hammock, that does not happen often nor long...

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/fat.jpg
At anchor near Fatboys resort we meet Trevor, He was so kind to take a photo of the boat when his plane took off from Gizo airport
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/ken.jpg
Kennedy island, history and beautifull snorkeling there
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/cok.jpg
Stefan cannot catch a fish but he is good at de-husking coconuts and making coconut milk
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/gz.jpg
pretty island near Gizo
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/sg.jpg
seagrapes at the Gizo market
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/sb.jpg
snake beans!
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/sal.jpg
together with the canned spicy tuna from Noro it makes a delicious salad

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/bc.jpg
next through the Beagle channel West of Vella Lavella island
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/crock.jpg
this is crocodile country...
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/pt.jpg
it indeed looks a bit like Patagonia
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/taro.png
arrived in the Northern town of Taro to check-out of the Solomon islands
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/fish.jpg
barbeque on the beach near Taro

had to throw the fish on as the wood fueled barbeque as it is too hot
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/oema.jpg
a few days at Oema atol between the Solomon islands and Bougainville

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/wat.jpg
then back to Taro again for a day out to a waterfall
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/route.jpg
the route goes deep into the jungle
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/salt.jpg
at first salt water, mangroves and crocodiles
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/sweet.jpg
then sweet water
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/tree.jpg
whooops a tree has fallen into the river
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/tree1.jpg
some hand work is needed here
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/tree2.jpg
we pass!

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/row.jpg
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/near.jpg
the last bit is wading through the water

and there it is…

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/tar.jpg
as usual Stefan cannot resist playing Tarzan
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/pig.jpg
the next day Olaf cooks local wild pig on his boat, delicious it was!

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๏ธ The western province images/2025/wes/sunset.jpg
checked out of the Solomon islands at Taro. Next country! Sailing into the night to Kieta on Bougainville island