All places › Sudest (Vanatinai)
Damaga Bay - Duwa (school)
Anchorage · Sudest (Vanatinai) · Louisiade Archipelago, Papua New Guinea
Open Damaga Bay - Duwa (school) in the interactive mapThe guide
- Position
- 11°37.32'S 153°33.15'E
- Depth
- 4–15 m
- Wind shelter
- good in E, SE
- Getting in
- A large reef sits in the bay entrance - use the west approach waypoint from the west, the east one if coming through the outer reef entrance. Shallow reef extends a long way out; water not clear inside. Don't go closer in than the waypoints at Rehuwo (bommies).
- Bottom
- mud
- Holding
- good
- Ashore
- Duwa is the closest anchorage to the school (aid station at the school). Good trip up the river with a decent outboard - cross the mud bar on the flood; deep inside. Small waterfall up the back with clean water.
- Water
- Waterfall - clean water.
- Cyclone season
- Possible cyclone refuge for shallow draft: the river at the head of the bay (around 11 36.1S 153 33.3E, a 2023 planning mark) is a 50-60 m wide mangrove channel where two creeks meet, behind a mud bar. A cruiser note says to cross the bar on the incoming tide and that it's deep inside. Fine for a catamaran tied into the mangroves; doubtful for a deep keel. Unverified - check the bar depth at low water before the season.
Our sketch map

Drawn by us from OpenStreetMap, Sentinel-2 and our GPS. Not for navigation.
More in the Sudest (Vanatinai)
Venama islet - "Great anchorage" (Sudest south coast)Sudest SW - deep lagoons with swim-throughsPamela - Hinai Bay (Sudest)Midawa village (Sudest west coast)Griffin Point (Sudest north coast)Muhua BaySnake PassageJelewagaLigi Ligi BayRambuso Creek - jumping-off for Rossel LagoonHobuk school anchorage (per cruiser mark)Sudest north coast - cruiser anchoragesAraida village (after Snake Passage)
⛵ Sail with us
This guide is free for everyone, sailor or not: explore the islands and watch our episodes right where they were filmed. The two of us made it from our own visits, footage and a lot of late nights over the maps.
▶ Subscribe to OnceUponAReefFollow along for free on Patreon, or become a member from A$3 a month for exclusive videos, each season's update first and meet-ups. Some memberships include the chance to come sailing with us.
♥ Join us on PatreonOpen the interactive mapSources: compendium p105-106 (Maranatha 2012) · cruiser note via Ryan's waypoint (2023) · OnceUponAReef map study Oct 2026 (cyclone note)
Thanks to Soggy Paws PNG Compendium, Maranatha guide, other cruisers' notes (2023): their notes are summarised in our own words.
This guide is a set of personal cruising notes shared in good faith. Information can be out of date or wrong, and positions can be out by hundreds of metres. It is not a substitute for official charts and notices, your own eyes, local knowledge, or professional medical, legal or customs advice. You use it at your own risk: the skipper alone is responsible for the safety of the vessel and everyone on board, and the authors accept no liability for any loss, injury or damage arising from its use.
Thanks to Soggy Paws PNG Compendium, Maranatha guide, other cruisers' notes (2023): their notes are summarised in our own words.
This guide is a set of personal cruising notes shared in good faith. Information can be out of date or wrong, and positions can be out by hundreds of metres. It is not a substitute for official charts and notices, your own eyes, local knowledge, or professional medical, legal or customs advice. You use it at your own risk: the skipper alone is responsible for the safety of the vessel and everyone on board, and the authors accept no liability for any loss, injury or damage arising from its use.