Hi folks Like the capitano, I must apologise for the lack of news, but time vanishes so quickly on a boat and I can't believe we are already planning our trip back to Menorca. We have had a great summer of visitors and Hugh has told you where we went with everyone, so I'm just adding my highlights from these trips. Kirstie was very enthusiastic about Italian ingredients and the challenges of boat cooking. She made fabulous squid salad, got hector hooked on raw squid, then based on this success she and Kevin caught a fish, which Kirstie gutted and sliced for Hector that he refused to even look at! We also finally got round to using the disposable barbeques that we have carried for 3 years, by having a fabulous quayside barbeque in Olbia. We had huge langoustines and amazing tuna steaks. This meal has the distinction that everyone on board took part in cooking it, Kirstie directed operations and prepared the fish. I cooked potatoes and made pesto, Hugh lit a match and Kevin did a fab job cooking everything. Disaster is never far away however and we did think we might lose it all when the large mutt from the marina came over to check out the smells and stood drooling beside the barbeque! Luckily, the heat kept him far enough away and Hector was on standby to chase him off the boat if he got too enthusiastic. Kevin's repeated take on Ricky Fulton's traffic cop act improvised with a swimming mask has to be seen to be believed - preferably when you aren't at risk from drowning yourself! Hector has been a bit of a superstar with all our visitors. Firstly Kirstie softened him up for a week then he gave up his cabin for Hannah without any fuss and only got back in residence after Craig and Euan left. Hector isn't known for his charm or friendliness to kids, and he did biff everyone at least once, but I don't think he drew any blood - maybe the heat made it too much effort. Hannah was allowed to pick him up, groom him and give him the full tummy massage!! Craig and Euan were able to stroke him and he did quite often sit with them if they were reading or drawing at the table. Hannah and Craig both drew really good portraits of Hec, funnily enough they both captured his grumpy look. Hannah is a prolific reader and had brought seven books with her which she quickly got through then started on the ship's library, complaining that there are far too many Ian Rankin novels. Towards the end of the third week, she did manage to annoy Hugh and her Dad sufficiently for them to dispatch her up the mast. Craig and Euan drew up a list of things they wanted to do in their week and despite the windy weather, achieved all of them apart from annoying Hugh enough to be sent up the mast. Its all very quiet now everyone has gone home, apart from the howling wind that we've had for the last few days that has kept us stuck in Cannigione. Now that things appear to be settling down again weatherwise we plan to head west along the north coast of Sardinia and then hopefully down to Alghero for a few days. Best wishes Anne