04:13.61S 128:15.52E

We left Banda at 1600 on Sunday.  It is now noon on Monday and we have done 102 miles with 100 to go.  We hope to arrive off Namrole at the southern end of the island of Buru around first light tomorrow, Tuesday.  The welcome ceremony and festivities start next day.  This is a new destination as yachts fleets have never been there before so we are told everyone is very excited.  The island was out of bounds as it was a political prison for communist opponents to the regime.

Last night we had the weirdest, strangest and spookiest night at sea of all time!  It was very dark with no moon and the horizon was black, as was the sky, but clear with stars out.  BUT the sea was a milky white soup of phosphorescence.  Back-lit by millions and millions of tiny lights from under the sea.  Although we were rolling badly in the swell the sea appeared to be completely flat.  It was like sailing across a moonlit snow field and it lasted for about 40 miles until the moon came up around 0330.  We were sailing with two other yachts, Carrie and Persephone, so we exchanged golly gosh and wows over the VHF radio!