Sand Dollar weighed anchor and departed Suwarrow at 11:30 AM along with the German boat "Ludus Amoris". She is bound for Apia, Western Samoa, Sand Dollar for Pago Pago, American Samoa. The passage is 450 miles and will take four days more or less. So far the wind is fair and the sailing very pleasant. The swell is only about four feet.

Suwarrow Atoll has been a favorite island among cruisers for many years and it is definitely one of my favorites. There are very few like it, possibly some similar atolls in the Indian Ocean. The place is wild, pristine, beautiful and full of sea life. The caretaker and his family are very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. Some day I would like to return.

Two interesting things happened this afternoon while sailing. First, I popped my head out of the companionway after having lunch and saw a huge marlin leaping behind the boat. I could not understand how that could be. My handline was not even taught. Well, to my surprise, the line was broken and we're talking 300 lb. test monofilament! More tackle never to be seen again.

The second thing that surprised me was a whooosh sound. I turned to starboard and there was a thirty foot whale surfacing only 35 ft from my boat. He floated on the surface for awhile looking at me and then swam under the boat and repeated this two more times on the port side and then disappeared. I guess he was curious and wanted a close look.

All else is well onboard. The sky is mostly clear and the moon is waxing.