The Solomon Islands are approximately 900 nm NE of Airlie Beach making it a reaching sail to and from this amazing country. Drumbeat has been visiting the Solomon Islands for a few months each year since 2015. Each year we visit we are a little more entrenched, making and consolidating friendships with the local people.  The diving is simply stunning, with 30m visibility the norm, and home to the greatest diversity of marine life on the planet.  Where to dive?  Just get in the water, there are no 'bad' dives here!!  Kolombangara Island is a favourite, encircled with wall dives which go forever home to amazing fan corals, sponges and teaming with fish life.

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Most of our time is spent in the Western Province, as it is easiest to sail to from our usual departure point of Bowen.  A lifetime could be spent here, exploring the hundreds of idyllic anchorages and reefs to be dived.  The wind is rarely boisterous, 20 knots being a strong wind, with calms more often than not amongst the islands.  This is just as well, as the predominant mode of transport is still the dugout canoe, or small fibreglass canoes with an outboard motor.  The temperatures vary between about 25 degrees overnight, to 32 degrees during the day, mostly 27-30 degrees.  Water temperature is a very comfortable 29-30 degrees, no wetsuit needed!!

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The sail to and from the Solomon Islands typically takes about 4-5 days of non-stop sailing, however we sometimes have a stopover at coral sea reefs for a break.

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Our work with Pacific Yacht Ministries during 2007 and 2008 in Vanuatu gave us a heart for helping out with providing transport for medical practitioners to remote communities, and we have started to build that work here in the Solomon Islands.