After thousands of miles of ocean have passed under the hull, the rugged mariners may now reflect upon their state of callow ignorance at the end of August. 

Jostling with the bank holiday crowds aboard the flatpack ferry (seen in the background) was not for them.

Pictured here on the pontoon at Sheppard's are (back row l to r) rugged Tom Homan, older by minutes of the dashing twins, highly qualified Paul Baines (with haircut courtesy of Parkhurst), elegant younger twin James Homan, (front row l to r) intrepid engineer and inventor Nick Homan, your humble correspondent with skipper Bill Cuthbert (also acquainted with HMP hairstyling).