Another day wasted attempting to get a response from the Treasury. I hung around at the hostel all day, on line and making phone calls to every Tom, Dick and Harry with a boat. John in the UK sent countless faxes and emails. I got in touch with a family up near Cape Canaveral who said I could stay at theirs for the weekend and watch the (rescheduled) shuttle launch on Sunday. I was a bit reluctant in case something turned up here in Fort Lauderdale, but the more captains I spoke to the more I realised it was permission or bust – there was no wriggle room here.

Had a night out in Fort Lauderdale with Robbie and Steve-O. Apparently Brian found me at 4.30am in the dorm kitchen asleep on the sideboard with my feet in the sink. Yeah, sounds like something I’d do…