5:44.70S 132:40.61E

We dropped anchor in Debut harbour at 1030 this morning 676 miles after leaving Thursday Island.  It has been a real treat sailing by day and particularly at night in the company of other yachts and following their lights as we each followed our own course on the wind relevant to the different yacht type but all going in the same direction.  Our small group of yachts all seem to have chosen a similar Waypoint (navigation check point along the route) about 10 miles off the main island, so at 0500 this morning it was a bit like Piccadilly Circus with about 13 yachts all slowing down and waiting for first light to be able to see the land and the way up the channel between the reefs.  In addition to waiting for daylight nobody wanted to be the first yacht up the channel and setting the way but rather hoping to be able to have someone to follow!

We arrived off the harbour entrance, a line of 13 yachts, and there was a motorised dugout with a couple of guys and a big cheerful flag waiting to guide each yacht in across the bar and around the reefs ( just has we had been told there would be).  Not just one dugout but several working in relays and handing each yacht on to get them in to the anchorage area, all lined up and anchored.  And all done with much cheerful waving and shouting happy greetings!  Joyfully amazing and rather moving.

The yacht with battery problems and no lights had been only a few hundred metres from us at last light and so she was shepherded through the night using radar to spot her position and keeping other yachts aware of where she was.  In the morning, in the main approach channel, she was unable to start her engine due to a lack of battery power. Radio messages went back and forth and immediately other yachts already at anchor produced a spare battery, jump leads and one of the guys motored out in his dingy to deliver the means to get them started.   As it turned out they were able to get the engine started and she motored in, but having dropped their anchor and drifted in too close to other yachts she did not have the battery power to lift the anchor again.  So to give her enough room Tashi Delek moved.  After a long night with little sleep this would appear a pain, but someone had done exactly the same to help us in Mourilyan Harbour during our passage north to Cairns.  It is just what cruisers do for each other.

So clean up the yacht. Coffee and cake and sleep while we wait for Customs and Immigration to visit each yacht in turn.  We are now in Indonesia.