After a few false starts we finally managed to get together for the game last week. The session itself was largely unremarkable, with a battle against some kobolds, a subsequent interrogation, and then a journey to the dragonborn enclave. But that's okay - the main thing was to get going.
The next few sessions should see the party wrapping up this particular subquest, which hopefully should work out okay. Thereafter they have just a few of the smaller islands still to visit, and then it's on to Part Four of the adventure. So I guess I'd best get on with writing it!