We have to get the second coat of paint on today, giving it enough time to dry. I’ve asked the SIMS crew to move the boat stands tomorrow morning so we can sand and paint the blank spots covered by the stands.

We have the sense to start the painting on the sunny side while it is still less than a million degrees. It still makes you feel awful and nauseous. We take a break after the sunny side.

No word from Al re. the starter motors, I’m having trouble raising him on the phone.

While finishing up the painting, Michael from Sunshine Canvas comes by and says he has been trying to reach us but when he sees us in our Michelin Man suits he understands why we didn’t answer. The dinghy is ready and he has it parked right beside it – Christy goes to inspect while I keep painting. I can hear her laughing so I know she is happy with the result. He needs us to go over with him to the Prickly Bay beach to launch it, but we can’t stop painting right now so ask him if he can come back after lunch. No problem.

Christy goes to make lunch while I finish painting. REALLY glad to be done the worst of it – the patches are not that bad to do. Disrobe and breathe fresh air a bit. Then I go to the apartment for the lunch Christy made (cool, fresh air is always so great) while she comes back. After lunch I walk back, pick up some cleaning stuff at Budget when Christy calls me that Michael is there and ready to move the dinghy.

Michael and I ride over to the beach landing where four of us launch the dinghy. It truly looks great. I give one of his guys a lift over to a boat near SIMS where he drops off a bimini and then we ride back and lock up the dinghy at the SIMS dinghy dock.

Back on board Milu it’s time for the ultimate engine test. Will it start? I hook up the hose to a pail and stick the engine cooling intake into it while putting the hose on trickle. Christy at the helm with instructions after it starts to make sure the ignition switch returns to AC or off position so no change the starter motor stays engaged. Also, she will try the bow thruster and windlass.

OK, turn it on. OMG it starts, doesn’t seem to be any starter issues and water coming out of the exhaust as it should. No action from the bow thrusters and I shut down the engine before she has a chance to go and try the windlass because (a) if the bow thrusters don’t work, I know the windlass won’t work and (b) the engine is sucking up water faster than I can feed it with the hose and bucket. Still this is very good news, it means we can drive away from the dock at launch. I have reasonable confidence I will be able to figure out the windlass and bow thrusters while we’re on the water.

Time for a mini-celebration. We get in the dinghy and motor over to Prickly Bay Marine where we ask if we can get a mooring ball for the weekend. Can’t anchor without the windlass (well you can … ) so a mooring ball will have to do. They have one available so we’re booked. Can stay max until Tuesday morning which should be plenty. We’re hoping to head to Carriacou on Sunday but that is pretty iffy.

While at Prickly, we saunter over to the bar for a couple of smoothies. We are the only two people there, we both order a mango/guava combo. There is nothing quite so delicious as a tropical smoothie when its seventy million degrees, you’ve been painting and sucking up fumes in a Michelin Man suit and you’re pretty wiped. I savour every mouthful, swirling it around inside my cheeks before swallowing.

Soon enough it’s time to go and on the way back we make a half-hearted attempt to find MS7 – our ball – but can’t. Charlotte sent a map and I have a vague idea where it is but it’s not obvious.

This has been a day of many accomplishments and we are much further ahead than we were yesterday. The electrical issue with the bow thrusters, windlass and shut off switch has me concerned but I’m reasonably confident I will be able to find it or we will find someone to help before Tuesday.

Reasonably confident.