Saturday March 31 - 3 different supermarkets to stock up on victuals for 6 men, 9 days. Popeye understandably averse to using ski box, since it would reduce speed / increase fuel consumption, so decide the volume cheapo stuff (water and milk) can be bought in France

Sunday April 1 - wedding anniversary, day of R+R, packing car etc etc . Don't remember the R+R

Monday April 2 - 5 of us set off at 07:00, car packed to the roof, for 12 hour drive to Bormes. Is this fun? Son n°2 leaves later, by train, and is on his second beer on marina waterfront bar bar when we get there. Eventually manage to find Sirius - Bormes is quite big - load our personal gear, and off for bite to eat

Tuesday April 3 - son n° 1 came in by overnight train from Luxembourg. Pick him up at bus stop at 08:00. Load provisions, do paper work with agent (no original insurance doc, is this a problem? Maybe, the Italians can be quite picky. Await DHL delivery). Fill water tanks - why does it take so long to fill forward tank? Because we were rinsing the holding tank ( couldn't make out the diff between "water" and "waste") so effectively filling up the sea - doh! Check rigging - some tweaking to be done - was this boat commissioned in a hurry? Ascertain that fuel tank is empty - need enough to get to fuel pontoon - take jerrycan to pontoon, and have to explain 3 times to the fuel lady that yes, we understand that it's against marina regs to fill jerrycans tanks, but no,we can't get the boat to the pontoon, 'cos no fuel.Doh! Pick up final crew member from bus stop at 14:15, do the baptism bit and proceed to shake down sail around 15:00. Put the boat and the crew through their paces, all performed satisfactorily, with the exception of the autopilot which threw a wobbly and bits of plastic and ball bearings all over the cockpit. Turns out it had been put on back to front - doh!

Back to marina, phone agent to explain autopilot problem, he promises to send a techy at 9:00 next day. Off for a bite to eat.

Wednesday April 4 - son n°2 and I hit the road at 8:30, for another 12 hours. Is this fun? Call from Popeye at 12:30 to say that the autopilot is sorted, and that they had left at 11:00. If all goes well, they should be in Bonifacio at noon next day. Fingers crossed. Home at 20:30, check mail, fall into bed. Tax audit tomorrow