We leave the final stop over at Cancale at 09:35 and drive directly to the ferry terminal at St. Malo.

Check-in is open and we don't have to queue, but for the first time ever our passports are checked three times, once by Brittany Ferries, then by Douane, then finally by the Border Police. There is the obligatory wait inside the assembly lanes and then we are directed onto the ship.

Yesterday we had a text informing us that for operational reasons Armorique would be replaced by Bretagne. We thought this good, we like Bretagne much more than Armorique.

But when we get on board it is obvious things aren't right. Our assigned helper arrives and we ask to go to an outside deck, but once out of the lift by reception he point 'outside deck that way' and disappears. Other passengers talk of strikes on the other routes so perhaps we're lucky to be sailing at all.

We try the doors but they are locked. We go to another deck but the doors to the bar through which we must go are also locked. Someone inside fetched the barman to unlock. Where we remember there was a ramp once is no more, so Ali goes to reception and gets a crew member to unlock the others.

It is warm and sunny on deck as we sail at midday and watch St.Malo fade behind us. But now we go to GMT so it is suddenly 11:00. We wait a while before we eat the packed lunches Ali brought then try to use the wi-fi point but it's useless. Haze and mist mean there is nothing to see, so we loaf about bored stiff.

Are we there yet?

No, and we discover our arrival time is later than we thought. Thirty minutes before arrival we go to reception to arrange our assistance but by the time the garages are open no one comes and we join the melee at the lifts. Then we cannot exit the lobby as there is anothe van parked over the ramp, but the owner moves it back and offers to help us. There is a big threshold and narrow door which snags a bag and breaks a bottle of duty free gin.

Are we there yet?

We get settled in the van, but still can't go, some vans have gone, but now the ramp is down and they are unloading the mezzanine so we wait more.

Eventally we get off and through border control, just as it starts raining. The rain continues all the way home, through diversions and roadworks meaning we have to go through East and West Taphouse [roadworks], Lostwithiel [roadworks] St Austell [roadworks] Tresillian [roadworks] and Truro [roadworks].

A brief stop in Truro Tesco for a ready meal curry and we finally get in just after 22:30.

Are we there yet? Yes.

After 4160 miles, 45 nights, only 15 of which were on site and 5 of those were sheltering from weather in the first week, we're home.

Where next?