Cruising Helmsman – June 2017

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Longan Island

• 01° 13.0930' S / 144° 18.0323' E.


• NE of small village. Oscar and Keren on shore.


• ~11 to 13m. Good holding in sand. Use shortish scope
  around 40 to 50m to avoid bumping coral. Shallower
  patches you pass over coming in to the NE of this
  point are deep coral bommies.

Pihon Island

• 01° 17.0497' S / 144° 20.5269' E.


• SDA village here and PiLiLu Primary School.
  Beautiful location.


• Talc-like sand bottom about 13 to 15m. Good holding.
  Good protection from the swell due to encircling reefs.
  No fetch during dry season; could be choppy in
  wet season.

Mal Island

• 01° 23.5330' S / 144° 10.8220' E.


• Off The Station. Micheal Tahalam and wife Lynette are
  hosts ashore.


• 14 metres sand with good holding. Watch your depth
  sounder; there are deep bommies in the area that can
  wrap your chain. Okay anchorage either season.

Mal Island

• 01° 23.8343' S / 144° 11.6139' E.


• Puhipi Village, home of the Thomas Ailis family.

Mal Island

• 01° 22.8978' S / 144 13.1493' E.


• Tiny motu off Mal Island. May be only suitable as day
  anchorage

Amix

• 01° 14.7474' S / 144° 21.4245' E.


• Approximate location


• Southern end of island with reasonable protection.


• Yacht Brigadoon relied on Oscar to guide into the
  anchorage. We were shown it from shore.

ANCHORAGES

There is also no electricity, no refrigeration
and no cell phone service. Rainwater provides
drinking water while shallow wells of brackish
water provide wash water. Food is gathered each
day from the sea or from lush home gardens
scattered throughout the tiny islands.
Medical care is poor: malaria, diabetes and
untreated injuries take their toll. Dental care or
eye-care is nonexistent and it seems most adults
suffer from poor eyesight from uncorrected vision
problems or maladies such as pterygium brought
on by excessive exposure to sunlight and irritants.
There is also no industry; the copra plantations
of the past are idle, the few buildings, unkempt or
collapsing. A brief contract with an Asian fishing
company early in this century badly depleted the
fishery and then fell apart, taking dozens of jobs
with it but serendipitously saving the protein
source of the people.
But, despite a myriad of challenges, these
friendly, caring and kind people survive and
are for the most part remarkably healthy and
happy. One of the reasons that they can live
so well with so little is because they have
preserved the tradition of the outrigger sailing
canoes that provide transportation, access to
fishing grounds and communications links
for all. The islanders realise how important
the canoes are and remain dedicated to the
preservation of the culture.

PACIFIC OCEAN

Ninigo

Islands

PAPUA

NEW GUINEA

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