It was only possible to sail from Batavia to Ambon from October to March. This applies not only to the larger Dutch cargo vessels, but also to smaller ships.
Ships leaving Batavi in March or even at the end of February often failed to make the voyage and had to return to their port of departure.
From April to October, ships returned to Batavia with their cargo of nutmeg, mace and cloves. All types of vessels were used by the VOC on this route.
Normally, the voyage was not dangerous for the larger ships with regards to weather conditions or attacks from enemies of the Company.