After months in the Raja Ampat regencies to the north of Sorong, we must start moving south again. It’s only a bit over a month until we have to clear out of Indonesia with our six month visas due to expire.
The obvious first destination is Misool, as we still remember the islands and reefs and birdlife as the best we have seen. To avoid the tides and currents and making calculations for best time to depart, we take the route south through the Selat Sele rather than passing out to the west. We had a late start after waiting for some drum of fuel, so the first night was under the lee of a little island at the top of the Selat where we stopped when the wind and tide became unfavourable.
Early the next morning a local fisherman same by with fish and lobsters that he was selling, before we left with good conditions to be able to sail down the straits.
That all worked well till we were close to our chosen overnight anchorage near the village of Seget when we were hit by a heavy tropical deluge that obscured the shore for about 30 minutes.
With over 40NMs to the next anchorage off the north chain of Missol islands, we left before daylight to avoid the strong flood tide running into the Selat Sele, but instead had to contend with a large number of logs mixed in with the usual stream of plastic waste.
Calm weather and glassy seas meant we had to motor most of the way, but the tranquil anchorage at Harfat made it all worthwhile.
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