This delivery one is taking way too long now.

I've been on the yacht 1 month today and have sailed 1100 nm but am only around 600 miles from La Rochelle. It doesn't appear that FP are forthcoming in a decision to fix the leak in the starboard engine and Reliance have another cat which is 'ready to go' from Les Sables D'olonne to Tortola.

Fly to Paris on Monday and then drive to LSD to pick the boat up. Hope this next one goes better than the current one!

The sail drive is out and the problem is diagnosed.

Apparently the sail drive was not bolted tight enough and this allowed water to get in and into the gearbox (also not installed correctly).

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The sail drive is bolted to the engine mount by 8 bolts. On lifting the sail drive out, we see that 21 holes have been drilled, 13 of which, of course are not needed: now, some of these have not been sealed...

Jaoa used words along the lines of [the installer], "...should be sacked, should be shot...!"

At least we know what the problem is. May get going soon.

The crane was only a couple of hours late this afternoon and, after a couple of hours of setting up, jigging around and the rest, the boat was finally hauled out.

Jaoa and his team start work tomorrow so, hopefully, we'll get an idea of how long the job will take soon after.

Fontaine Pajot are not too pleased with the rental cost of the crane to haul the boat out.

Today they sent a technician down from one of the local marine specialist service shops to take some photographs and to write a report on the engine bay leak.

I showed John the leak and explained when I think it happened (post-heavy weather off of Finisterre) and what has happened since, in terms of water ingress, repair, etc.

He said he would write his report to FP but, as a technician and also a sailor, he verified ALL of my own concerns. He said the boat has to be lifted out of the water by crane in order to do a proper job. He also says that if it is a lamination problem then the engine and the engine mount may have to come out in order that it can be redone properly. After that, the lot can be put back in again.

The earliest slot for the crane lift is Tuesday of next week! Weekend in Portugal then.

Preparing to leave this morning and the phone rings...

Reliance have informed me that Fontaine Pajot are trying to arrange a crane lift in Lisbon so don't leave until confirmation is given... ho, humm! Another day here then it seems.

It turns out that the crane in Portimao is a 2 tonne crane. Now, I don't know whether this refers to the crane itself or to the lifting capability, if so it's a tad short of the 11,000 kg boat that we're on!!

A bit of clarification needed methinks.

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Finally get confirmation and we'll be heading down to the Algarve tomorrow. Will take around a day to get there and then...book the crane, get lifted out, get the work done, back in the water, sea trials and then, weather depending, Azores or Madeira!

Looks like you'll be in Florida before me Dai Morris!

Contact Pedro, the Fontaine Pajot representative and am told that the only crane big enough in Portugal to hoist the boat out is in Portimao.

A few other questions need answering before we leave here so it looks like a day or so in lovely Cascais before heading off on Monday or Tuesday.

What to do now...

Arrive Cascais early afternoon, tie up in the marina and now I need to contact the Fontaine Pajot representative in Portugal...

I'm in the starboard engine bay at 9am watch change and Chris is operating the pump. I notice a very small trickle of water every 3 or 4 seconds from the engine mounting base (where it joins the hull). Et voila, the source of the Nile!

Unfortunately, being on a delivery as opposed to being on a private boat, I can't carry every kind of spare, sealant, laminating material, etc., needed to cover every eventuality so it's down to the good-old super glue to try and stem the flow.

Can't stop all of it but manage to reduce it to a very minor ingress compared to what it was.

A phone call to Reliance to advise them of the situation. A potential problem is any further damage underneath this pinhole crack and also to clarify that I'm not overjoyed to be taking a boat across the ocean, in hurricane season, when there could be a fair chance that one of the engines may drop out of the bottom of the boat!

Our closest port is Cascais (300 nm away as opposed to the 550 we still have to do to get to the Azores) and it's also downwind - less slamming, and less risk of the situation deteriorating.

Once again we are into the realms of '...best laid plans...'.

Whilst checking bilges and other routine stuff, the starboard engine bay has lots of sea water in it!

Now, for those non-mariners out there, it's always a good idea to keep the water on the other side of the boat, so the first thing to do is to identify the leak! Problem is though, can't locate it. Lots of pulling hair out (not a lot left now) but still fail to locate the source of the problem.

Thought initially that the lid seals on the engine hatches were letting a lot of water in after the soaking across Finisterre (there was a lot of water hitting the starboard side) but logic kind of tells you that this much shouldn't get in on a sealed hatch.

Unfortunately though, the wind direction changes and we are [as] close-hauled [as can be in this cat] and slamming into waves: more water in the engine bay! Hourly checks on the engine bays and bailing out to do...!

The wind drops late afternoon so we need to get one of the engines on to motor to the next port of call in the Azores. Problem is the boat won't go in a straight line!

After much hair pulling work out that the tiller clamp onto the rudder stock has worked itself loose and is only occasionally gripping the rudder stock. Out come the Allen keys and problem solved.

Nothing much whilst crossing the bay apart from one of the genoa cars decided it wasn't up to the job.( mean, it had had lots of wear-and-tear on a brand new boat!

Shredded the sheath on the genoa sheet but other than that, after a bit of alternative medicine by myself, we have a Plan A and a Plan B and head into Sada to refuel and re-water.

Manage to get hold of another 5 x 20l fuel cans (boy, are we going to need these), Chris gets his wet suit and mask on and clears [ano] the [r] fishing line from around the prop (5 times now I've had something - fishing line, fishing net, etc. - wrapped on a prop!!) and then head off back into the Bay of Biscay for the final leg out of the bay.

The forecast is 6's and 7's so it's going to be lumpy but, fortunately, it's downwind (always like that :-).

Once again, local conditions always prevail and we're downwind in Force 8, gusting F9's getting away to the west of Finisterre.

Very rough seas and big waves are the order of the day for the next 24 hours. Stonking along with a small head sail we're surfing at 12 - 13 knots sometimes - a little hairy but once into deep water it will ease off.

A close call with a container ship at 3 am and we're out into deep water and 24 hours after leaving Sada the conditions die down to leave a nice rolling Atlantic Ocean.

Next stop, the Azores...

Christian Richards and Ron Tomasson arrive over the next couple of days and after final boat prep and victualling we leave La Rochelle - just - late Friday afternoon.

The lock gate to the Bassin des Charultiers was jammed and at one point it was looking like we may have been here till Monday!!

Fortunately we get out, do the sea trials, drop Jeremie off in Port des Minimes, refuel, top up with water and head off into Biscay.

1 crew member arriving later on today and the second one arriving tomorrow night.

Get the rest of the provisions on Thursday, out for sea trials on Friday, refuel, water-up and then be off after that hopefully.

Azores to Bermuda is looking good: Hurricane Bertha has now been downgraded to a tropical storm (blowing a mere 60 knots!!! and should be gone by the time we get to the Azores.

Finally get contact from some potential crew. We shall see...

Need to get gas, check engines, check all pumps, seawater system, fresh water system, get engine spares, do rig check, check the deck, check the inventory, check all surfaces, check refrigerator, check the lights, check the, check the, check the, check... the list goes on.

In addition, need to protect the inside of the boat as well from 'wear and tear' on the crossing, not difficult but time consuming.

Also need to find places to get the things I need... Jeremie Brau, who handed the yacht over to me is very helpful and points me in the direction of the shopping mall.

Only 10 - 15 minutes drive away and I can get 'most' things but the car is only a small Nissan and space is at a premium. Of course, there's only me to do this so every time I load and unload the car, it takes two-to-three times as long...ho hum.

Have only got the car for 3 days so...

Hired a car from Europcar and drove down to Portsmouth for the 2030 ferry to St Malo.

Was meant to meet up with Bridget for a catch-up but she was 'stuck in traffic'! Mmmmm!! Only joking Bridg, next time...

Pleasant enough crossing, only blowing around 25 knots of wind and into St Malo at 0830 local time.

Picked the hire car up at the ferry port and then a 5 hour drive down to the yacht.

Would've been 4 hours but I went into La Rochelle as opposed to going around it and spent an hour trying to negotiate the streets, traffic, pedestrians and find my way to the 'Bassin des Charlutiers' which isn't signposted. Who needs satnav, eh?

Onto the boat and loads to do...(still no crew though!)

Have the delivery of the cat from La Rochelle to Annapolis next Tuesday so lots of running around to get stuff for this job.

I plan on doing a lot of travelling after this delivery and tell Reliance who mention the possibility of another delivery after this one from South Carolina to Rio de Janeiro - mmmmm, we shall see.

Just need crew for this one - any offers? (No Sarah, I'm not taking Sam )