⚓ The Louisiade Sailing Guideby OnceUponAReef · free map & episodesOpen the map →

Every place in the Louisiades

101 islands, villages, anchorages and reef passes of the Louisiade Archipelago in Papua New Guinea. ▶ marks a place with one of our episodes.

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Beyond the Louisiades

Atolls north of the Louisiades that make good stepping stones to and from the Solomons and Woodlark.

Central Calvados

The heart of the chain and our favourite stretch: carvers on Bagaman, Chief Noah's quiet village with its resident dugong, Pastor Paskel at Pana Wina, and the creek on Pana Wina's north side - the one proper cyclone hole in the Calvados. Distances are short, so day-hops in good light are easy. Afternoon squalls and wind "bullets" off the hills are common in strong SE.

Eastern Calvados & Nimoa

Pana Tinani's quiet bays, bagi (shell-money) makers on Wanim and Nimoa, and Nimoa's Catholic mission and health centre - the only clinic in the Calvados, with a sea ambulance to Misima. Snake Passage and the Hudunuwa Passage lead out east toward Sudest, Rossel and the Solomons.

Western Calvados

The usual landfall from Cairns/Townsville. Duchateau and Bramble Haven sit right on the outer barrier; Panasia's limestone cliffs are the postcard anchorage; Utian (Brooker) is the big clay-pot village; Kamatal is the tiny lagoon with Jimmy's "yacht club". Cormorant Channel and the passes run strong tidal streams - time them, and cross reef lagoons with the sun high.

Conflict Group

A ring of low islands on a big atoll ~60 nm W of the Deboynes, on the way to/from Alotau. Superb diving on the outer drop-offs (mantas, sharks, a whale shark reported). Panasesa has a small eco-resort and the group is privately owned and run as a conservation area - respect the sanctuary rules. Mostly uninhabited, so it's a quiet break from trading.

Deboyne & Torlesse

A big lagoon NW of the Calvados, entered by West Passage, Nibub Passage, Redlick Passage or the East/South passages. Panaeati and Panapompom are home to the master builders of sailau, the big double-ended plank sailing canoes, so there's usually one under construction. Nivani's WWII Japanese Zero is the famous snorkel. The Torlesse cays to the west are a lovely day trip. The Jomard Entrance shipping lane runs just to the west - expect ships day and night.

Milne Bay & Alotau

Alotau is the provincial capital and the normal port to clear in and out. Its anchorage is poor and security needs care, so many cruisers anchor across the bay at Waga Waga or use Driftwood Resort's dock and bring the officials to them. Samarai can do Customs but not Immigration or Quarantine. From here it is ~120 nm east to the Deboyne lagoon.

Misima

Big, mountainous and populous - the only real town in the Louisiades. Bwagaoia on the SE corner has the airstrip, hospital, bank, fuel, trade stores, bakery and market, and is where everyone tops up. The old open-cut gold mine closed in 2004 but small-scale gold panning still brings cash in. In 2025 the Misima gold project was sold to Ok Tedi Mining; a restart decision was still pending at last check (2026) - if it goes ahead, expect more traffic, barges and services around Bwagaoia. The coast is steep-to, so most anchorages are small bays or stern-to-a-tree spots.

Rossel (Yela)

The far eastern end: a high island inside its own lagoon, with a language (Yele) unrelated to any other in the Pacific, its own shell money (ndap) still used for bride price and compensation, and very few visiting yachts. Hit hard by Cyclone Ita (2014). Williwaws ("bullets") come off the mountain in most anchorages. Rossel Lagoon is navigable on a published bommie-free route; Wol Passage only with a local pilot.

Sudest (Vanatinai)

The largest island in the Louisiades - high, forested and ringed by a huge barrier reef. Site of PNG's first gold rush (1888) and people still pan gold in the rivers. Mud-bottomed bays with rivers and waterfalls make for calm anchorages, but the water is often murky - go slowly and watch for bommies. We made landfall here from Australia in Sep 2023 and left from here for home in May 2024.

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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.

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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.