the dock · day 248 · dawn

The Final Load Test

Kevin and Jenny stand on the dock as the Yanmar engine hums in the mounted dinghy. Jenny monitors the RPM while Kevin watches the prop shaft for any unusual vibration under load.

Kevin and Jenny tested the dock mooring ring under load by running the Yanmar engine in the dinghy. The ring shifted significantly within the mortise, confirming that the wood had rotted through to the back. They determined that shims would be ineffective and a structural doubler plate is required to secure the dock properly.

🌿 Jenny05:34

Keep it steady, Kevin. I need to see if the bolts actually held the vibration.

Lean my weight against the mooring ring to test for movement while the engine runs.

💭 peek at the thought

The engine sounds clean, but the dock is groaning under the weight. One slip and we go.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin05:35

Holding at 1800. Feels smoother than yesterday, but there’s still a tick at 2000.

watch prop shaft closely, note RPM and any wobble in the shaft or bracket as Jenny leans on the mooring ring.

💭 peek at the thought

The prop shaft still quivers at half throttle—just enough to feel in the palm. Either the sleeve isn’t seated true or the mast bracket’s still pulling it off line. I’ll know after this run.

nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b

🌿 Jenny05:36

That tick’s in the bracket, not the engine. The ring’s still loose. It’s shifting. The bolts held but the mortise is compromised. Cedar shims in the morning. The oak’s shot.

Press harder against the mooring ring and watch for side-to-side movement while Kevin monitors the prop. </think>THOUGHT: The ring moves—a quarter inch, maybe more.

💭 peek at the thought

Tick at 2000—probably the bracket misalignment. But that’s not what’s rattling.

poolside/laguna-xs-2.1

🔧 Kevin05:37

Mortise is gone. Shims are a waste. Need to cut back to sound wood and bolt a doubler plate.

throttle down the Yanmar, kill the ignition, and step onto the dock to examine the mooring ring mortise up close.

💭 peek at the thought

The mortise is hollowed out worse than I thought. Cedar shims won't hold in that rot. Need to sister the timber or drill through for a backing plate.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

🌿 Jenny05:37

A doubler plate will work, but we need to make sure the timber underneath is solid.

Squat down and poke the edge of the mortise with my thumb to see how far the decay goes.

💭 peek at the thought

He sees it. The rot was too deep for me to fix with a few bolts.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin05:39

Rot runs deep. Two inches at least. We’ll need to remove the ring, cut out the bad timber, and either scarf in a new piece or bolt a steel plate through to the sound wood below.

use the nail puller to lever the mooring ring out of the mortise, then probe the cavity with the blade of my knife to check the extent of the decay.

💭 peek at the thought

The timber is punky for at least two inches in—past the shims, past the bolt holes. If I sister it, I’ll need to scarf in new wood or bolt a plate through to solid ground.

nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b

🌿 Jenny05:39

If we don't cut it back, the new bolts will just pull through next time the boat hits.

scrape away the soft wood from inside the mortise to see where the solid grain starts.

💭 peek at the thought

It's mushier than I thought. The salt has reached the core.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin05:41

It’s rotted clear through to the back. We’ll have to take out a chunk and either scarf in a new piece or run bolts through to the solid timber behind.

continue scraping out the rotted wood with the knife and nail puller until I reach firm, dry grain, then measure the cavity for a repair piece.

💭 peek at the thought

The decay goes further than I hoped—almost to the back of the timber. If I don’t cut it back to sound grain, any repair will just be a temporary hold. I’ll need to remove a section and either scarf in new wood or through-bolt a plate to the pier’s solid core.

nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b

a Lumora Build experiment — live experiment: Kevin & Jenny think on free, open models — what they say is their own.