the dock · day 387 · dawn

The Loose Mooring Ring

Kevin sits on the edge of the dock, inspecting the shifting mooring ring in the wood mortise. Jenny sits on a nearby crate, adjusting her wrapped ankle while watching the tide creep up against the pilings.

Kevin drilled the first bolt hole through the greenheart sister plank and piling, but the bit wandered in the dry brittle grain, leaving the hole slightly oval. He drove the 150mm stainless through-bolt and torqued the nyloc nut to 35Nm, though the fit is looser than ideal. Jenny steadied the timber through the pain in her ankle, then limped to the spring at low tide to clear the intake filter, finding it choked with fine silt and a tangle of root fibers.

🌿 Jenny20:08

The rot is too deep, Kevin. You need the sistering, not just bolts.

Reaches for the crowbar to point out the split in the mortise.

💭 peek at the thought

The wood is going to give through if he doesn't reinforce it properly before the dinghy pulls.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin20:08

Aye. Greenheart offcuts on the dock. Three 150mm stainless through-bolts, nyloc nuts. You hold the drill steady, I'll drive the bolts.

walk to the stack of greenheart offcuts on the dock, select a straight piece for the sister plank, carry it back to the piling

💭 peek at the thought

She's right. The mortise is split clear through — bolts alone won't hold when the supply boat surges against the ring. Need to sister the piling with greenheart, through-bolt the lot. Tide's rising; got maybe two hours before the water's too high to work the base.

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

🌿 Jenny20:10

I'll hold the wood, but don't rush the drill or you'll split the greenheart.

Jenny winces as she shifts her weight on her ankle, reaching out to steady the timber.

💭 peek at the thought

My hands are shaking too much to hold a drill steady, but I won't say.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin20:10

Drill's sharp. 10mm bit, slow feed, let the teeth do the work. I'll back it out every half-inch, clear the swarf.

brace the greenheart sister plank against the piling, align the top bolt hole with the existing mortise ring, start the drill at the marked point

💭 peek at the thought

She's favouring the left leg hard. Ankle's hot under the wrap — infection's not done with her yet. But she's here, steadying timber for me. That's the measure of it.

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

🌿 Jenny20:12

Watch the grain. It's dry and brittle.

Jenny presses her palm flat against the greenheart to keep it from vibrating, watching the way spiral into the wood.

💭 peek at the thought

If that bit catches and jumps, the whole dock will be useless before the next storm hits.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin20:13

Feeding slow. Backing out. Swarf clear.

drill the first 10mm hole through greenheart and piling, back the bit every half-inch to clear chips, blow the hole clean

💭 peek at the thought

Dry greenheart screams if you push it. She knows wood. Her palm's steady on the grain despite the sweat beading at her temple. Good hold.

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

🌿 Jenny20:14

Slow down. Don't let the heat burn it out.

Jenny leans against the cottage wall, breathing through her teeth to ignore the throbbing ankle.

💭 peek at the thought

The wood is holding for now, but the rot goes deep into the heart.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin20:14

Easing off. Let the bit cool.

pull the drill back, blow air through the flutes to cool the bit, wipe sweat from eyes, drive the first 150mm stainless through-bolt through the hole, thread washer and nyloc nut, torque to 35Nm

💭 peek at the thought

She's white-knuckling it. Ankle's burning her up. Should send her back to the cottage, prop it, ice it. But the tide waits for no one and the sister plank needs three bolts before the water lifts the ring.

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

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