At 12:40 we set off on our winter trip, bound for Poole. Unlike our last start towards Poole last year there are no problems and we make good progress to Sourton where we stop for a burger. The weather turns dull and dark towards Honiton then brightens before dusk sets in near Charmouth. As we travel along the Dorset coast there is a fantastic red-orange full moon ahead. From Bridport it is an endless stream of oncoming headlights. We reach Poole harbour ...

The wind eased to a moderate hooley around 04:00 and neither of us slept soundly. We're up at 06:30 and ready to leave at 07:15 Ali stands by with the mallet while Nick prepares to try and start the engine. The battery has dropped a little, to 11.8, in the cold. Should be enough, and if we're nervous how on earth (moon) did Armstrong and Aldrin feel when they pressed the start button on the lunar module? Thankfully there's no drama, she starts normally and t...

Ali goes to town for the last few essentials before we start another trip and returns with two pasties intending to pack them for supper, but they smell so good we have them for lunch instead. We leave home around 16:00 on the way to Plymouth. Ali receives a text from Brittany Ferries saying a technical issue has caused delays to the Armorique's schedules. We can only stay overnight at the port if we arrive after the last sailing, so we wait in a layby on the ...

Up at 06:30, leave the aire an hour later and slop out then up the hill for the long-face mile to the port. Check in is smooth, Douane comes in but without his gun this time and we are last on except for a broken down vintage MG-TC towed on by a port tug. By the time we get up on deck the lines are being cast off and Pont-Aven shudders her way off the quay with loads of vibration. A few minutes out we are passed by Armorique and Ali exchanges 'your ship' pict...

After all the frustrations and delays of the last few months we finally start another trip. We leave home at 14:00, way earlier than necessary, for a showery drive to Plymouth. Today, because we have time, we use the Torpoint ferry instead of the bridge. There is no queuing and we are in Plymouth before the rush hour begins, arriving at the terminal at 16:00. Even this early there are vehicles already here. Dinner is a reheated stew from home eaten as the ra...