We arrived in the Med yesterday, 28th April, and had the mast put up by Naval Services in no time at all. Took most of the rest of the day to connect everything up and make her sailable again.

Tomorrow - off for a weeks cruise before Hermione flies home from Marseilles and new crew join for the next leg to Corsica and Sardinia.

UPDATE: Weather has not been too kind, lots of rain even a force 10 gale that wrecked the seafront at Cannes before the film festival. Waiting new crew in Marseille and hoping that flights will go - that Volcano again.

I will be only updating this with brief reports until I get some serious time to write up the journey properly. Internet cafes require you to use a funny keyboard with keys where you would not expect them!

We crossed on Mqrch 31st over night to Honfleur: Q very cold night with 30 knots NW. Arrived at Honfleur around 10 am.

Mast down in pouring rain into the ready made X Frames, and all was set for the Seine to Paris.

After Paris we went up the Marne qnd are now at 350 mtr above sealevel. and desend now to wards the Saone, Rhone qnd the Med.

I will provide a more detailed update when I have better access to the internet.

It is Monday, we have finished loading Carina, and now wait for the off. A quick look at the forecast for Tuesday night's proposed crossing presents a horrid picture: The low pressure is deepening to 980 and is going further south than expected, so giving South Westerly winds up to 40 knots gusting 50.

This will mean a close reach in unacceptable weather, so I have delayed the start to Wednesday evening. Fingers crossed.

We are aiming to get to the Ionian around the end of June. However the organisation of crew changes has necessitated a plan with 2 weekly stops to change crew, so unfortunately making the journey to a strict time table.

The outline plans are as follows:

30 March: Depart Portsmouth 22:00 for Honfleur
3 April: Enter French canal system bound for Marseilles
8 May: Deadline for arrival at Port St Louis
10 May: New crew joins - leave for Corsica - Sardinia to Olbia
25 May: New Crew joins in Olbia - depart for Sicily - Palermo
8 June: Palermo - new crew depart 1 for 1 week this time to Catania
15 June: Catania - new crew for voyage to Corfu.
26 June: Arrive Corfu

I think the 2 weekly intervals leave an easily achievable schedule, not allowing for mechanical breakdown. All the deadlines need to be met to meet the dreaded "Sleazy Jet" schedules. Fingers are firmly crossed, and I will have to pray that my maintenance is thorough enough not to worry.

The list of projects that we have now completed were:
1. Epoxy the hull with International Gel shield 200
2. Install new fridge/freezer
3. Install 2 x 90 watt solar panels
4. Change work surface in galley from Westerly tiles to white Formica
5. Change all running rigging
6. Install holding tank
7. Double batter capacity to 450 a/h on domestics
8. Add oil pressure, water temp, and exhaust alarm to engine

We now just have to clean up, anti-foul and stow ship for the voyage, for the off on 30th March 2010 at 10 pm - first port of call, Honfluer.

We had originally planned to be away in the summer of 2009, but worries about the economy and the impossibility of doing anything with depressed pension values required another years work.

This has actually allowed us to do much more preparation to the boat than we could possibly have done in just one winter.