Home again next day, with the Bay wreathed in mist as it had been on our first crossing. We had the most successful two-person approach to the pontoon yet and celebrated with lunch at the Captain’s Cabin.

We had an early morning appointment with the Bimini man, who came promptly at nine with his son and took the old Bimini away. This was not good news on two counts, the first being it left us with no shade above deck and the second that we worried he might just copy the old Bimini, without our shoddy but necessary alterations. We decided to keep faith in the man, who is coming to make a fitting on Saturday, and set about fashioning a boom tent from the side panels of the Bimini. It was a bit Heath Robinson, but it did the trick. It was still there when we came back from the little shop with ships stores and we augmented our curb appeal with a couple of loads of washing strung across the fore-deck.

After our day of chores we relaxed by the pool for the day. There was just us, a few Italian mums with very small children and a group of workmen building a narrow stage in a corner. Later that evening they were showing an opera performance. We enjoyed it twice from the boat, once a quiet run through at tea time and then the full volume after dark. Unfortunately we lost some of the second rendition as a chap on a neighbouring boat inflated a large rubber ring with a pneumatic pump. The worst of it was the thing and gone down again by next day, but perhaps it was a test to check it was ok for his grandchildren. Perhaps this was the Italian form of risk assessment.

John decided we could not possibly sail to Amalfi with no Bimini. I mentioned the fact we had manage to travel the length of Portugal and across much of Spain in just such a manner, but apparently that was not the same as we had a Bimini when we stopped. I indicated the glories of our present patchwork arrangements, but he just shook his head. I don’t think he wanted the Coppola brothers to laugh at us. However we could go the shorter distance to Sorrento and who could possibly argue against Sorrento.