Sailing the Solomons during seven years at sea…

An interview with James Ashwell, owner and captain of Uhuru of London, on sailing the Solomons, living life to the max, and an unexpected seven years at sea.

When James Ashwell and his crew of three set sail from Fowey, Cornwall in late September 2017, it was bone chilling cold, with choppy seas and foreboding skies, a world away from the 27-degree Celsius, year-round average temperature of the Solomon Islands.

Fowey, a port town with an 11-kilometre deepwater estuary, is a busy passageway for commercial and leisure vessels and a port of call for cruise > Also on board was hired instructor Jean Petty, an expert, solo round-the-world sailor with a remit ‘to teach us how not to die’, quipped James.

“Interestingly, the start of our journey, leaving from Fowey, and a storm en route to Lisbon, was the scariest and most dangerous passage we have endured in seven years at sea.

“Looking back it’s amazing that we didn’t turn around, and just go home” he added.

Seven years at sea, which started as an intended two-year escape from the UK to the Caribbean.  The journey, a culmination of five years of dreaming, and a year of intense preparation including the purchase and modification of the aptly named Uhuru, which in Swahili means freedom, independence.

The decision to embark together on a life at sea, had required a leap of faith for everyone onboard.

For James, the decision was clear. At 36, he had already experienced career achievement, the premature loss of both parents, and success as an entrepreneur. In honour of his mother Fay who passed away at 54, he had launched a purpose driven venture.

The business, called Unforgettable aimed to improve the lives of those with dementia and their carers, through products, practical advice and a supportive peer community.

The unique start-up grew quickly to over 3000 speciality products, as did public recognition of James as a social changemaker and inspirational founder. It also led to long hours and a relentless,  frantic pace.

Three years after launch, and on the edge of burn out, it was time to reassess.

Acutely aware of the fragility of life, James decided to leave behind an unsustainably hectic lifestyle, retiring from the successful startup he had conceptualised and founded.

“My goal was never to sail around the world but to spend time with people I care about, have time for those I meet, and to get away from the crazy life I had been living,” said James.

“And while we achieved those objectives, after a year in the Caribbean, we decided not to sail back to the UK as planned.”

Instead, the crew sailed on to Colombia, and from there, through the Panama Canal to Cocos Island, Galapagos, Gambier via Pitcairn and to Easter Island in middle of the vast South Pacific. 

After Easter Island and a month in French Polynesia, they sailed further to the Cook Islands, Tonga, Fiji and New Zealand, their southernmost port of call. After a stop in New Zealand, the plan had been to then sail north again, to New Caledonia, Fiji, Vanuatu and Solomons before continuing to Papua New Guinea and beyond.

“Solomon Islands was always a key intended destination for us,” said James. “Even the name ‘Solomon Islands’ evokes the idea of adventure.”

“Since I was a child, I’ve been slightly obsessed with maps, especially interesting geographical features.

“The Solomon Islands fascinated me, including Nggela Island on the on the northeast side of Guadalcanal, with its slither of a channel, that just begs to be sailed.” However, it would be six years later before they reached the Solomon Islands, with the onset of the global Covid 19 pandemic, forcing a pause in New Zealand for over two years.

“2020 was a year many of us never expected, and lockdown in New Zealand was the most severe anywhere in the world.

“I couldn’t control how that year would turn out, I couldn’t visit my friends and family, and I couldn’t plan our immediate future. “But it did mean time for maintenance, to literally take Uhuru apart and during that process we discovered a host of dangerous defects that could easily have caused tragic and unthinkable consequences.”

In 2023, with Uhuru gleaming, and the kinship of buddy boats Veleiro Katoosh and WindHippie they departed New Zealand for New Caledonia, Fiji and Vanuatu before the anticipated short hop to reach the Solomon Islands.

The 300 nautical mile sail from Luganville Vanuatu to Lata, should have been an easy two-days, had the weather not turned menacing.

Erring on the side of caution, Uhuru sought shelter in the most unlikely of locations - an ancient volcanic cone, over 500 metres at its highest point, rising from the Coral Sea, the remote island of Ureparapara, also known as Parapara.

Maps of  Ureparapara from an aerial perspective, resemble a large round water lily leaf, with a long split into its centre where the ocean has breached its eastern side. 

The split is a spectacular harbour with steep headlands at the entrance before a 3 kilometre stretch into the centre of the cone.

“With storm clouds brewing, we had no choice but to head there, surfing down large waves as we turned to enter the mouth of the crater,” said James.

“Once inside, the sea turned as flat as a lake and we were surrounded by towering, steamy and jungle-clad cliffs. Out of sheer necessity, we had stumbled across an incredibly beautiful place, in splendid isolation, or so we thought at first.

“As soon as we arrived, we were joined by inquisitive locals who paddled out from a tiny village nestled inside the mouth of the inlet. “Before we left a few days later, we felt we had made new friends, and were able to help in our own small way, fixing their spear gun and a generator, and welcoming what seemed like half of the village who came to use our Starlink Wi-Fi.”

Uhuru finally reached the Solomon Islands in August 2023, entering the country at Lata, Nendo Island.

“In advance, we had been in touch with the officials and almost as soon as we dropped anchor, customs and immigration arrived to clear us in. “Shortly after we had lowered our quarantine flag, a lovely lady, whose house overlooks the small bay, came to welcome us to the Solomon Islands with a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

“We have never been welcomed to a country like that before, and felt it was a good omen for what was to come.

Over the next few days the crew spent a fair amount of time with Hilda. They toured her garden filled with colourful flowers, shared a traditional meal and met her children. When they admired her spectacular orchids, next day she came to the boat with an orchid cut from her garden.

“One afternoon we went for a swim in the bay and were joined by a school of tens of thousands of small fish. It was a magic afternoon swimming through the huge balls of fish and watching the rays of the setting sun catch on their silver scales.”

After a few days in Lata, the crew sailed Uhuru north to Marapa Island, aware that the window for heading over the top of Papua New Guinea would close in late October when the winds and current switch of direction make passage almost impossible.

“This seasonal change became our ticking clock requiring swifter progress through the Solomon Islands, than we would have liked,” said James.

“We broke our journey in the Marapa Islands and the anchorage I chose at the tiny island of PaiPai turned out to be one of the most beautiful we have been lucky enough to enjoy.

“After establishing who owned the island and asking permission to stay, we never tired of the stunning view of white sand and palm trees from every window.

Next came the unforgettable experience of crossing the Nggela channel.

“We decided it looked like one adventure that we couldn’t ignore. The only problem was, that there was no Nggela channel data available on any charts that indicated its depth, so it was impossible to know if Uhuru, measuring 2.5m in draft, was able to sail through.

“We knew we could only attempt it in good strong daylight, and only if the weather and conditions were right.

“We managed to find an anchorage nearby that felt nice and really safe. Next morning it was a perfect clear blue sky, amazing conditions and so at 5.00am before sunrise, we raised anchor and headed for Nggela channel.

“It’s fair to say I was extremely anxious and my anxiety levels only continued to rise the closer we got,” said James.

“The channel in places was barely wide enough to turn Uhuru should it get too shallow, and I was petrified of grounding her.

“As we slowed to 3kts and gingerly entered the passage, I was sweating, and my heart rate was sky high, as the depth reduced from 25m to 5m. From the drone images I could see just how shallow the waterway was with the bottom clearly visible all around.

“It took several hours to navigate the channel, and I felt a huge relief once we made it out the other side to open ocean.  But it was well worth the worries, as we passed by stilt villages and beautiful jungle just a few metres away.

“We also managed to capture depth data for the length of the passage which we passed it on to Navionics, so that vessels that might follow us there one day will know exactly how deep the Nggela channel is.  

“In some small way it felt like pioneering, literally writing the map for those who come behind us.”

James counts the welcome they received in Roderick Bay, Central Province as a standout experience of their entire journey.

“On the late afternoon of our arrival, John, a local, paddled over and invited us to come for some drinks. As we arrived at the beach, his entire family welcomed us in traditional dress singing and chanting as we climbed from the dinghy.

“The beachfront was decorated with a palm arch, hibiscus and orchids, we were presented with floral leis, coconut juice, plates of food and a dance performance by the children as we sat by the fire.

“The welcome was incredibly warm and genuine, as we had written to John in advance, to respectfully ask his permission to anchor on his land.

“In Roderick Bay we also spent an afternoon exploring the MS World Discoverer, which makes the most brilliant accidental waterpark!  The wreck provides a climbing frame for swings and zip lines, and below the water her belly is lined with coral and tropical fish.

With just weeks left in Solomon Islands, the crew set sail to find and dive the Leru Cut in the Russell Islands.

“We were lucky to hear about it by chance, from a passing super yacht captain who we had a beer with,” said James.

“We firstly had to find an anchorage in the Russell Islands, which turned out to be impossible as it’s all about 50m deep, so we tied up to the morning buoy of one of the local supply boats.

“Then we visited the local village, asked for permission to be there and offered a range of handy items as a gesture of thanks.

“The following day, it was a one hour dinghy ride to the meet the Chief responsible for the Leru Cut, whose permission we also asked.

“It took us ages to find the entrance to the cut, and when we did, we realised that it was a sheer wall of razed sharp rock, so we spent another hour trying to figure out what to do with the dinghy!

“When we finally got into the water all of the effort had been immediately worth it. The Leru Cut is a long passage cut deep into the land, almost, but not quite wide enough for a couple of divers to swim side by side.

“Looking up you can occasionally glimpse the jungle, and shafts of sunlight shine through gaps above, to light parts of the tunnel. Inside, the water was insanely clear which added to the strange feeling of floating inside a room.

“On exiting the cut, we found ourselves on a steep wall leading down to a precipice.  We explored for several hundred metres down one side, discovering sea fans larger than anything we had ever seen before.”

The crew’s last stop in Solomon Islands was at Morovo Lagoon, New Georgia, the world’s largest double barrier reef lagoon.

“We found the perfect spot to anchor in Morovo, and although we could have spent months there, it would soon be time to leave.

“We water-skied at sunset, chilled in the hammocks and became obsessed with catching squid and once a yellow fin tuna, which was delicious, and fed us for several days.

“Luckily, we also came prepared with boxes of useful items to trade. We traded fishing gear and tools for huge lobster and crabs brought by the locals.

 “On one of our last days there, we asked the locals if we could buy some carvings, and it was agreed to meet on the beach the next morning.

“To our surprise, it felt like most of the local community had turned up, setting out what could only be described as a market with dozens of stalls, ready just for the four of us!

“We ended up with some stunning carvings and the locals ended up loaded with tools, fishing and diving gear and school supplies. Everyone seemed happy.

“On our way out of Morovo Lagoon, we visited Tetepare Island, lingering before saying goodbye to the Solomon islands.

“Tetepare is the Southern Hemisphere’s largest uninhabited island, and we were struck by how incredibly wild it is, with waters teaming with life and jungle spilling out over the shore.

“I spent our last night in Solomon Islands falling asleep to the sounds of Tetepare, and contemplating the next chapter of our adventure – sailing on to Papua New Guinea.

“Like many places on our journey, it is hard to describe the thrill of discovering such spectacular natural places without sounding somehow incorrect. 

“At times we felt we were the only people in the world, with unique harbours, inlets and islands all to ourselves.

“To highlight such amazing and pristine places pays respect to them, but at the same time beckons others, which has propensity to change and spoil. 

“The lessons of the past seven years have been many, but most importantly, we are committed to encourage the protection and preservation of our Oceans. 

“The Ocean in every iteration is simply incredible, vast and amazing and dangerous and beautiful.   

"Once you have lived on it for such a length of time, explored parts of it where few have ever been, there is no escaping that it draws you in, and is very difficult to leave”.

*At the time of writing, Uhuru of London had just left Lombok, in the Java Sea, next stop Borneo… with an estimated three more years to complete their circumnavigation of the world. Follow Uhuru’s amazing adventures on Instagram @uhuruoflondon

Written by Heather Jeffrey