We set sail about 8:30am. Its another fine looking day however the winds are only around 5 to 8 knotts and we have a long leg to sail : (
Not only this but shortly after setting sail, the wind swings around so we are facing an upwind sail.

A few hours of tacking at barely 3 knotts and we know this is going to be a lonng day. Di starts getting a little bored, but we both have some good books to read, and the boat is equiped with a good auto pilot.

The trip up the coast was still lovely with towering mountains plunging into turqoise clear waters, schools of flying fish startled by our boats passage racing away. It was still as hot as ever and the light breeze did not help matters any.

Rule - Sail has right of way of motor (in most cases) and apparently except for Vietnam !! We spy a fishing vessel about 5 miles off our port closing... it takes quite a few minutes before we even get close and you think the chances of collision would be none.... but he held his course and did not budge forcing us around him... He was prolly asleep downstairs in his boat anyway.

Within 5 miles of the entrance to the long bay that heads up to Whale Island we crank up the motor as the wind has all but died and we needed to make anchor before nightfall.
This does buy us enough time to pull into a small secluded bay for a much needed swim and feed. The water here is warm, really warm but still oh so refreshing.

It took us around 8 hours to hit Whale Island, so I really hope for Di's sake that it is nice, she has been fantastic through this part of the adventure and really taken well to life on a boat.

We are really feeling like pioneers here, and the more people we speak to and discover, it seems we are.
We're the 3rd customer to do this trip and most of the vietnamese have never seen a sailing boat before or the rubber dinghy... its funny as we pull ashore to see the locals wander down and try to work out how this soft blow up boat works.
It also gives us an amazing sense of really being away from the world and in another time.

The main problem faced is the lack of English speaking people. We were required to radio in each night to the local Guard Patrol, but after two nights of no answer we reason that they speak no english so really this is a pointless exercise... just adds to the remoteness I suppose.

We finally pull into the bay at Whale Island. A resort started 10 years ago by a french man named Michel, a lovely guy who treats us well while we are there and takes the time out to talk to the small group of people staying on his island. Even better he says we can eat for free while we are there.
The food is fantastic, but the weird thing is there is no menu. you sit down and get given whatever has been cooked.. but its all good.

This resort basically caters to budget-ish travellers and divers who really want to get away from it all. It is just so far from anything that it feels totally remote.

There are some nice corals in the bay and plenty of small fish. The channel outside is still fished constantly and we are told that most of the coral was destroyed through the now illegal practice of Dynamite fishing... : ( sad !