During her time at Nouméa, "Vestal" completed 158 jobs on 21 ships; she departed that port on 13 November; reached Espiritu Santo three days later; and began a year's schedule of repair service. During the next 12 months, "Vestal" tackled some 5,603 jobs on 279 ships and 24 shore facilities. Some of the outstanding repair jobs were on combatants, ships damaged during the bitter naval engagements in the Solomons in late 1942 and early 1943. There were: , ripped by heavy caliber hits during the night battle off Savo Island on 13 November 1942; and , the latter with a torpedo hole measuring 24 by , a flooded after engine room, and two propeller shafts broken; the New Zealand light cruiser , which, besides shrapnel and collision damage, had taken a direct hit on her after turret; and the torpedoed and fire-damaged cargo ship .