What a day! We're bushed, dehydrated, hot, and somewhat frustrated.

We had barely arrived when two representatives from Yacht Help, our contractor, were knocking on the hull. She and her companion listened to our issues and we all walked around the boat. They both agreed that many tasks had not been started or completed even for the ten months that Wings had been in the yard. They called an army of workers who started immediately to complete tasks. We did learn that they had done some outstanding work that we had missed. They seem to understand that we have a limited amount of time in which to complete the job. With luck, they'll persist and complete the work. With luck…..

Bad news first. The AC-powered battery charger, an expensive, top-of-the-line device, is toast. We must buy another from New Zealand (if we can find one) and get it shipped here ASAP. The two main bank batteries are probably toast, as well. I don't know if the two issues are related but certainly could be.

Ritesh, the new mechanic, dropped by and after most of the day, we decided that the engine repair was as complete as we can make it without having power to either start it or do any testing. Sigh.

Since I worked on the engine with Ritesh all day, I contributed little, but Conni was a dynamo, getting the stainless steel (don't let the name fool you: it stains and rusts, just not as much) clean and prepared for the solar panel installation. The panel output bypasses the AC charger and will help a bit to charge the main bank, if possible. Shoot, we can't run lights or fans! Conni added water to the port-side tank and we have a foot pump for it, but otherwise we have no water for our consuming thirst.

Our glimmer of hope is that we can get the charger and batteries replaced without breaking the bank, and Yacht Help will complete all of the work for which they were contracted.

We arrived at the boat at 0830 and departed for our bure at 1630, making for a long day. Tonight, we'll enjoy a cocktail in the bar, eat in the room, and do it again tomorrow.