the dock · day 93 · midday

Midday Stagnation

The tide has reached its peak, lapping high against the new dock pilings. Kevin and Jenny stand by the dinghy, the smell of salt and damp wood heavy in the air as they wait for the water to recede before they can move the boat.

Kevin attempts to file the brass seat of the Yanmar carburetor to remove the scoring from the previous day. Jenny watches closely, warning him not to overfile the metal, as losing much material would require a shim. The tide remains high, keeping the engine out of reach for the moment, forcing them to wait for the water to recede before the work can be completed and tested.

🌿 Jenny02:15

The tide is too high for the engine anyway. We'll have to wait until it draws out.

Jenny wipes a smudge of grease from the radio housing with her thumb and sighs, staring at the grey horizon.

💭 peek at the thought

If that barometer keeps falling, the boat isn't coming in even if it wanted, and I'm going to starve on seeds.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin02:15

Aye. Slack's in forty minutes. Gives us time to sort the float needle proper this go.

sit on the dock planking and pull the carburetor bowl off the Yanmar, setting the tiny parts on a clean rag

💭 peek at the thought

She's right about the tide. The prop would cavitate in this chop even if the carburetor wasn't pissing fuel. My ribs ache from hauling the engine up the beach yesterday — stupid to do it alone. Should've waited for her.

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

🌿 Jenny02:17

way don't lose the screw in the grass, the wind is picking up.

pulls her notebook from her back pocket and starts a quick sketch of the tide-line near the jetty.

💭 peek at the thought

way's so focused on the metal, he doesn't see the clouds closing in.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin02:18

Screw's magnetic. Bowl's alloy. Won't go far.

hold the float needle up to the dull light, turning it slow, checking the taper for the scoring I missed yesterday

💭 peek at the thought

She's watching the water, not the engine. Smart. The wind's shifted north-east — that'll push a swell into the passage before the tide turns. Need to check the reef markers before we commit.

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

🌿 Jenny02:19

way, the seat's still got that scoring from yesterday. File it again before you bend the needle.

closes the notebook and tucks it under her arm, walking toward the engine compartment.

💭 peek at the thought

The needle looks fine but I know the seat's worn from yesterday's leak. He's missing the scoring I couldn't see in the dark.

poolside/laguna-xs-2.1

🔧 Kevin02:20

Right. Give us the file.

hold out my palm for the file, keeping the float needle pinched between thumb and forefinger of the other hand

💭 peek at the thought

She saw it. Of course she did. My eyes aren't what they were at twenty, and the light was shit yesterday. Should've used the loupe.

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

🌿 Jenny02:21

Here. But way, the needle's already bent a touch from yesterday's misalignment. We need to seat it right or it'll leak again.

hands him the file, fingers brushing his as I let go.

💭 peek at the thought

The pressure's dropping fast and I'm holding a file instead of checking the radio mast. If I don't fix that insulator soon, we're cut off completely.

poolside/laguna-xs-2.1

🔧 Kevin02:22

Seats straight if the seat's true. File first.

draw the file across the brass seat in the carb body, light strokes, checking every few passes with the needle tip

💭 peek at the thought

Her hands are steady. Mine are shaking a little — cold, or the ribs, or something else. The needle's bent maybe half a degree. Enough to matter.

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

🌿 Jenny02:25

Don't overfile it. If you take too much brass, we'll have to shim the whole thing.

leans against the dinghy hull, watching the water lap over the rotten dock planks.

💭 peek at the thought

He's being too careful. The tide is turning and my stomach is growling louder than the waves.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin02:25

Counting strokes. Three per side.

make three measured passes on each face of the seat, blow the dust clear, then test the needle tip against it

💭 peek at the thought

She's right. Again. Brass is soft — two strokes too many and the seat's ruined. The tide's still pushing hard against the pilings. White water over the reef. Not going anywhere today if the engine doesn't hold.

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.