Saturday 10 August Departure Banda Neira

There's not a moment to lose! Onwards onwards with the schedule of islands due to our time limit of three months dictated by our cruising permit of 90 days. Each renewal costs $200 plus the extra costs for our visas.

Onwards this morning is an anticipated 3 day, 2 night passage to Wakatobi to the south and east of Sulawesi and by reputation, world class diving. As we were preparing to leave our friends on Delos came in. We saw them briefly in Darwin two weeks ago and now an even briefer thirty minutes to catch up. We first met Delos in the Marquesas three years ago and our paths cross from time to time. Don't know when we'll next see then as they are headed up to Raja Ampat and the Philippines before crossing back to Singapore.

Our first day on passage was a delight – good wind and flat seas – and we quickly adjust to the rhythm of being on the move once more. Early in the afternoon whales are spotted a short distance to the north. Judging from the size of the water spouts we estimated there were three, possibly sperm whales because this is the season when they migrate north from the Antarctic to calf and breed. Nice to see but bit of a bugger to hit in the dark which is possible because they sleep on the surface. However, the odds are similar to finding proverbial needle in a haystack.