We arrived in Italy on July 12th, optimistic and excited to begin our 3 month (post Brexit) sailing season. As Ricky lifted the hatch to the saloon the smell hit us ... diesel! Something was leaking and all indications were that it was the actual diesel tank! I could have wept, but that never solved anything, so we set about lifting the teak floors to see the extent of the damage and cleaning out the diesel from the bilges. What a job!!! Not an ideal way to start the holiday.

The diesel had crept under the floor boards and seeped up the woodwork of the galley, but was only, we deduced, a very small hole. Had it been a larger one it would have emptied the entire tank.

Unfortunately our marina in Italy had no way of lifting Patience out of the water, so we decided we would just put on the sails and head for a boatyard in Greece, obviously keeping a close eye on the fuel situation as we travelled. We reckoned the trip would take us 2 days and a night. We anchored off the beach outside the marina and spent a few hours scrapping what seemed like a reef off the bottom of the boat. Then we attached ourself on the visitors pontoon, just inside the marina and got a few hours sleep before heading out at 6am the following morning, July 15th. As we were leaving we were sailing away from the sunrise and towards the setting moon. Now that's a first.