At 1915 last night a red ball, looking like a giant hot air balloon, grew from the horizon almost directly behind us, the east. As it grew and then rose above the horizon the full moon turned orange and then yellow and stayed with us for the night until near 0700 this morning when a red sun raised itself lazily from the same position; almost as the moon and long and guiding reflection on the water directly in our path westerly dipped away slowly.

At 0900 yesterday a light breeze started to fan the flat sea that was threatening a hot, tropical and still day. In consultation with Kassoumay on radio we decided to take advantage of the light breeze and flat seas and make our next move, one of 165 nautical miles, an overnighter at least and maybe more with the very light conditions.

We both weighed anchor and set sail, motor sailing the north westerly route until a little after what would normally be lunch time when we set the MPS and Main and managed a very pleasant sail with modest breezed on a flat and calm sea for the afternoon, The two boats crossed each other from time to time as we made our way along the same waypoints. Very pleasant sailing, or moreso getting about, reading a book, doing some tasks, and the boats saililng themselves in the idyllic conditions. As the day turned to night it made little difference in the bright moonlit evening with the flat seas visibility was excellent.

Nights ago we were in pitch black conditions, in choppy seas with ships, local boats, unlit boats, fish traps, fads, fishing boats, islands, rocks and reefs and so on. Ironically sailing in Indonesia is full of contradictions and contrasts.

Tonight we are on the flatest of seas, from horizon to horizon - north, south, east or west there is nothing to be seen. The flat but dimpled water with the light breeze just ruffling the surface extends as far as the eye can see for all points of the compass without interruption, without anything else being there. This is one massive pond from horizon to horizon in any direction.

Seemingly in the centre of this universe two catamarans are sitting on the water criss crossing occasionally and it almost seems like they are stationery and the ocean is moving under them. It appears a little surreal in these conditions.

After sailing in waters kilometres deep just metres from shore, along the side of rugged and steep coastlines and islands, passing by the volcanoes and the aftermath of the land movements that created this archipelago we are now sailing it seems on a vast pond that is constantly 34 metres deep, not just for a short distance but for hundreds of miles, constantly 34 metres deep and no sign of any land or rocks or life. Yes eventually we cross a shipping lane and several ships are moving south and north across or behind our path, and eventually we see a fishing boat or two, but in reality we are pretty much out here by ourselves - somewhat unique with the boating traffic in Indonesia and the myriad fishing vessels that ply the waters miles and miles from any location or village or settlement.

We motor, we sail, we put the MPS up, we take it down and we motor sail in our effort to keep up an average of 6 knots, Sometimes we are doing 8 knots sometimes down to 3 calling us to start one or the other of the motors so we get in before dark today. And the day delivers more of the same. The main and the MPS until 0930 now we have a motor running as well. Kassoumay has slipped a little way away from us but we touch base every six hours and can still pick them up on Radar.

It is hot and tropical as we are getting close to the equator, in a day or two we should cross the equator all going well.

In the balmy conditions we have all read a number of books, and of course the chores of keeping a vessel going, eating etc is easy as at times it seems the vessels are hardly moving and yet we are maintaining our averages.