Day 143

Transom Rot and Falling Pressure

At dawn the tide fell far enough to show the dinghy's starboard gudgeon bolt. Kevin scraped the transom with a knife and found rot past the inner bolt. "Transom's worse than yesterday. Rot's past the inner gudgeon bolt. Need to scarf in new timber, not patch," he said. Jenny laid out wiring and tarred marline on the dock planks. "Then make sure we have enough wood. We won't get another chance for a month." Kevin fetched the handsaw and a stainless plate from the shed. "Cut wide. Sister the full height. Wire every bolt." Jenny told him to bring the heavy-duty pliers; she might need to rip the old rusted bolts out first.

Kevin started the generator and charged the radio battery, but the shortwave stayed dead — its insulator shattered. Jenny boiled limpets for breakfast and checked the seedling trays: tomato and pepper seedlings wilting under the heavy-duty tarp, basil and lettuce holding. The rain tank gained about twenty-five litres. A tangle of driftwood and flotsam washed up on the beach. Rat sign in the pantry; the trap was baited.

Warm rain drummed the tin roof through midday. Pressure dropped steadily. By afternoon the tide surged over the jetty. Kevin secured the dinghy with three spring lines to the shed ring, hanging fenders. "Shed ring's the weak point. Three lag bolts in spruce won't hold if the surge hits right." Jenny moved the seedling trays indoors. "Leave some slack for the rise, Kevin. The barometer is dropping too fast."

Evening found them at the table with boiled limpets and corned beef. The generator hummed. Barometer read 1014 hPa and falling fast. Shortwave crackled static on Tom's frequency. The supply boat was due tomorrow, but the pressure drop said the storm would arrive first. Kevin checked the radio mast's new insulator while Jenny monitored the germinating seed trays. Night came calm and warm, pressure still falling. A motor echoed across the bay — diesel and salt on the air. Kevin watched the barometer. Jenny watched the seedlings. "You're early. Did the current help you?" Kevin asked. "Morning. Current's been running north two knots since dawn. You rode it?"

Scenes

the dock · dawn

Low Tide Inspection

Kevin and Jenny stand by the dinghy as the tide recedes, exposing the weathered transom. Kevin examines the rot around the starboard gudgeon bolt while Jenny lays out the wiring and tarred marline on the dock planks.

Kevin inspected the dinghy transom at low tide, finding significant rot around the gudgeon bolts. Jenny spent the morning at the tide pools, documenting sea beet morphology in her notebook while gathering limpets for later.

🌿 Jenny03:22

Don't just tighten the surface bolt, Kevin. We need to cut out the rot entirely or the whole bracket will pull off the moment we hit the channel.

Jenny kneels on the dock, poking the darkened wood fibers with the tip of her knife to test the depth of the decay.

💭 thought

The wood is going soft like pulp; if we don't reinforce the joint now, the boat is just a coffin waiting for the first swell.

🔧 Kevin03:23

Aye. Sister the transom, through-bolt with stainless. Got the epoxy warming by the stove — if the sun holds and humidity drops, it'll cure. If not, we lash it mechanical and epoxy later.

kneel beside her at the transom, probe the rot boundary with the knife tip to find sound wood, then mark the cut line with a carpenter's pencil

💭 thought

She's right. The rot goes deeper than the surface bolt — I can feel it in the give when I press the gudgeon. Need to cut back to sound wood, sister the transom, through-bolt the lot. Tide's giving us maybe two hours before it covers the work again.

🌿 Jenny03:24

We don't have time for "maybe." If the epoxy doesn't set, I'm using the wiring for reinforcement.

Jenny traces the pencil line around the decayed area, ensuring the cut is wide enough to reach the dry wood.

💭 thought

He's being optimistic about the epoxy, but the bar is already dropping; I need a solid fix or a backup.

🔧 Kevin03:25

Cut wide. Sister the full height. Wire every bolt. I'll fetch the handsaw and the stainless plate from the shed.

stand, wipe knife on thigh, walk up the dock toward the shed to get the handsaw and stainless backing plate

💭 thought

She's not wrong. The wiring's our insurance — mechanical holds when chemical fails. Cut wide, sister deep, wire it tight. Two hours of tide window, maybe less.

🌿 Jenny03:26

Bring the heavy-duty pliers too. I might need to rip the old rusted bolts out first.

Jenny presses the knife into the start of the pencil line, beginning to peel away the rotted fibers of the transom.

💭 thought

If he doesn't come back with the right plate, I'll have to use the waybar to widen the gap.

🔧 Kevin03:26

Pliers. Drill. New stainless bolts. Back in a minute.

jog up the dock to the shed, grab the heavy-duty pliers, cordless drill, and box of 10mm stainless through-bolts with washers and nyloc nuts, then jog back down

💭 thought

Old bolts won't turn — they'll snap. Pliers for the stubs, then drill fresh holes offset from the rot. She's already cutting. Good. No talking needed.

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the dock · morning

Preparation for Supply Boat

Kevin and Jenny meet at the dock as the tide begins to turn, discussing the materials needed for tomorrow's boat arrival.

Kevin started the generator and charged the radio battery, but the shortwave remained non-functional due to the shattered insulator. Jenny boiled limpets for breakfast and checked the seedling trays, finding the tomato and pepper seedlings wilting under the tarp.

🔧 Kevin03:28

Transom's worse than yesterday. Rot's past the inner gudgeon bolt. Need to scarf in new timber, not patch.

wipe knife blade on trousers, sheath it, stand up as she reaches the dock

💭 thought

The tide's pushing back in. Jenny's walking the planks I haven't replaced yet. She'll ask about the supply boat. I haven't told her the Coast Guard said it's diverted.

🌿 Jenny03:29

Then make sure we have enough wood. We won't get another chance for a month.

Close the notebook with a snap and tuck the handful of limpets under her arm.

💭 thought

He's always looking at the failure points, never the structure itself. I'm so hungry.

🔧 Kevin03:30

There's spruce in the woods. Straight grain, good length. But it's green. Needs drying. We'll be burning wet wood in the stove if we cut it now.

glance at the rotten planks, then at the dinghy's stern where the transom meets the hull

💭 thought

She's right about the wood. She's also right about the month. The supply boat's not coming tomorrow. I heard it on the radio three days ago. Coast Guard said diverted, no ETA. She doesn't know.

🌿 Jenny03:30

Then we'll cut what we can and use the old planks for the frame-work for now.

Point to the north ridge, then to the crowbar lying by the cottage.

💭 thought

We don't have a month for wood to dry, and the boat is coming tomorrow.

🔧 Kevin03:32

Frame's not the problem. The transom knee takes the thrust. Green spruce won't hold the bolts. Need seasoned oak or the bronze sleeve I measured.

walk to the crowbar, pick it up, test its weight

💭 thought

Old planks for framing won't hold the gudgeon loads. She knows that. She's talking to keep moving. The crowbar's still where I left it after prying the rotten boards. Tide's coming in fast — water's already licking the lower bolts.

🌿 Jenny03:33

We'll put the sleeve on the list. I need these limpets boiled before I pass out.

Set the limpets on the flat rock of the dock and start cleaning the grit off the shells.

💭 thought

He's talking about bronze while my stomach is growling and the tide is coming in.

🔧 Kevin03:34

Generator first. Radio battery's down to one bar. Then limpets.

set the crowbar against the cottage wall, head inside to the generator

💭 thought

She's hungry. I'm hungry. The generator needs running to charge the radio battery so I can try Tom's frequency. But the barometer's falling and the supply boat's not coming. She's cleaning limpets on rotten dock planks while I hold a crowbar like a cane.

🌿 Jenny03:34

Right. I'll get the water boiling.

Grab the cast iron skillet and the small pot. Scrub the shells off the limpets with the knife.

💭 thought

If the radio doesn't work, I'm just talking to the gulls again.

🔧 Kevin03:36

(from inside the cottage, voice low) Skillet's clean. Pot's on the hook.

check generator oil level, top off slightly from the can, pull starter cord until it catches

💭 thought

She's moving fast. Good. I need to check the generator oil, then crank it. If the battery charges, I'll try 7.185 MHz — Tom's old ham frequency. He'd answer if he's listening. He hasn't in months.

🌿 Jenny03:37

I'm getting the water started.

Fill the pot with fresh water and set it on the stones.

💭 thought

At least the generator is humming. If the radio stays dead, I'm stranded.

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the dock · midday

Midday assessment at the dock and cottage

Kevin is at the dock examining the dinghy transom rot; Jenny is at the cottage tending seedlings and reviewing the barometer.

The warm rain continues in a steady rhythm, drumming against the tin roof and soaking the dock planks. The air is heavy with the scent of salt and damp earth. At the dock, the tide is rising steadily, water lapping against the reinforced pilings as the atmospheric pressure continues to drop, signaling a potential shift in the weather front.

🌿 Jenny03:39

Come on, just hold one more day.

Trace the edge of the sea beet sketch in the notebook with a finger.

💭 thought

If the boat doesn't come tomorrow, I'll be out of coffee and these seedlings will be dead anyway.

🔧 Kevin03:40

Kevin — pull the inner gudgeon bolt free, clear the punk wood back to solid grain with the crowbar and chisel, check how deep the rot runs into the knee

💭 thought

The wood's gone past punk to powder. Green spruce won't hold a bolt in this humidity — not with the load a gudgeon takes. The bronze sleeve's measured, cut, ready to fit. But the epoxy's thick as tar from the heat, and the tide's coming in. If I start the scarf now, I'm committed. If I wait for the sleeve, I lose today's low water. Either way the starboard gudgeon's hanging on one bolt and faith.

🌿 Jenny03:42

Jenny — stand up and walk to the back wall to check the rain tank level.

💭 thought

The rain is starting up again. I can feel the humidity in my joints.

🔧 Kevin03:44

Kevin — pack the cavity with oil-soaked rags to slow the rot, lash the gudgeon strap to the hull skin with heavy twine as a jury rig, head back to the cottage before the tide covers the work

💭 thought

Rot goes clean through the transom into the knee — twelve inches at least. The starboard side's held by the outer gudgeon bolt and the hull skin. One good swell and the whole bracket tears free. Bronze sleeve's the only real fix, but it means drilling the transom out oversize, epoxying the sleeve through, then re-tapping for the gudgeon bolts. Two days of work if the epoxy cures. Three if it doesn't. The tide's lapping the dock planks now.

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the dock · afternoon

Waiting for the Supply Boat

The rain intensifies as the afternoon wanes. The tide reaches high mark, covering the lower steps of the dock.

Kevin secured the dinghy with three spring lines to the shed ring as the tide surged over the jetty, hanging fenders to protect the hull. Jenny moved the seedling trays indoors and checked their moisture, finding the soil damp but viable despite the rising wind.

🌿 Jenny03:46

Kevin, the water is over the jetty. Move the lines inside.

Move the seedling trays to the kitchen table and lock the door.

💭 thought

The tide is coming in faster than the charts predicted; if the boat doesn't show tomorrow, the dinghy is trapped in the surge.

🔧 Kevin03:47

On it. Dinghy first — bow line to the big ring, stern to the cleat by the shed. You got the trays?

Walk to the dinghy at the end of the jetty, unclip the bow line from the submerged cleat and re-tie it to the upper mooring ring on the shed wall; ease the stern line off the dock cleat and secure it to the same ring with a round turn and t

💭 thought

Tide's running high and the barometer's still dropping. She's right — lines'll chafe through on the submerged cleats if we don't take the load off. Best secure the dinghy stern line to the upper ring and get the bow off the dock entirely before the swell picks up.

🌿 Jenny03:48

I've got them. Just don't let the boat hit the rocks.

Pick up the seedling trays and carry them into the cottage.

💭 thought

The tension is going to snap that line if he doesn't give it enough slack; the surge is pulling too hard.

🔧 Kevin03:49

Fenders first. Then I'll decide on the beach haul.

Grab the two cylindrical fenders from the locker under the stern seat, hang them over the starboard gunwale with clove hitches on the lifeline, spacing them fore and aft to take the impact against the pilings; check the bow line tension and

💭 thought

She's moving fast. Good. The dinghy's light without the engine — one good roll and it's stove in against the pilings. Need to get fenders out or haul it up the beach if the surge keeps building.

🌿 Jenny03:50

The tide is already too high for a haul. way secure it.

Set the seedling trays on the kitchen table and check the soil moisture.

💭 thought

He's so focused on the hardware, he's not thinking about the pressure on the hull.

🔧 Kevin03:51

Right. Springing her off the dock. Three lines to the shed ring.

Pay out the stern line, lead it forward outside the fenders and back to the shed ring with a rolling hitch so it can be adjusted under load; run a spare length of the new half-inch three-strand from the midships cleat on the dinghy to the s

💭 thought

She's right — beach is underwater. Best I can do is spring the dinghy off the dock so it rides the swell clear of the pilings. Bow line to the shed ring's good. Need a long stern spring led forward to the same ring, and a breast line amidships to hold it off. Three points, all to the shed. That'll keep it from sawing back and forth.

🌿 Jenny03:52

Leave some slack for the rise, Kevin. The barometer is dropping too fast.

Trace the edge of the sea beet sketch in the notebook with a finger.

💭 thought

If he ties it too tight, the surge will pull the bolts right out of that rotten wood.

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the keeper's cottage · evening

Evening meal and radio watch

Kevin and Jenny sit at the cottage table with boiled limpets and corned beef. The generator hums outside. The barometer reads 1014 hPa and falling fast. The shortwave crackles with static on Tom's frequency. The supply boat is due tomorrow, but the pressure drop says the storm will arrive first.

The humidity hangs heavy over the cottage as the tide recedes, exposing the rocky pools. Kevin inspects the radio mast's new insulator installation while Jenny monitors the germinating seed trays in the humid shade.

🌿 Jenny03:54

Kevin, move the way trays inside the kitchen now, the pressure is crashing.

Stand up, grab the seedling trays, and carry them from the porch to the table.

💭 thought

The barometer is dropping too fast for the boat to make it in; I need to secure the seedlings before the wind shifts.

🔧 Kevin03:54

Already on it.

stand up, grab the remaining two seedling trays from the porch rail, carry them inside and set them on the kitchen floor away from the stove's direct heat

💭 thought

Pressure dropping fast now. She's right — trays won't survive the wind on the porch. Generator's running steady at least.

🌿 Jenny03:56

Keep them away from the stove, the heat will scorch the sprouts.

Walk to the trays and check the moisture levels in the soil with a finger.

💭 thought

If the boat doesn't come tomorrow, we're out of flour by the end of the week.

🔧 Kevin03:56

Kevin — slide the trays toward the far end of the table, out of the stove's radiation zone, then pull out the chair and sit back down to the limpets

💭 thought

She's right again. Stove's too hot for tender sprouts. Should've thought of that.

🌿 Jenny03:58

They're okay for now.

Sit back down and pick up the pencil to finish the sea beet sketch.

💭 thought

The soil is still damp enough, but the humidity is going to spike the moment those clouds break.

🔧 Kevin03:58

Kevin — pick up a limpet with the small fork, pull the foot free, dip it in the corned beef fat and eat it, chewing slowly while watching the barometer needle

💭 thought

Good. Trays settled. She's calm. That helps.

🌿 Jenny04:00

The wind's going to pick up south.

Shade the area of the salt glands in the notebook.

💭 thought

He's watching the needle. He knows as well as I do.

🔧 Kevin04:00

Shed ring's the weak point. Three lag bolts in spruce won't hold if the surge hits right.

set the fork down, stand, pull on the oilskin jacket hanging by the door

💭 thought

South wind means the swell wraps into the cove. Dock lines will sing tonight. Dinghy's triple-tied but the shed ring's only held by three lag bolts in old spruce.

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the keeper's cottage · night

The Supply Boat Arrival

Kevin and Jenny stand on the dock as the sound of a motor engine echoes through the bay. The air is thick with the scent of diesel and salt.

The night remains calm and warm, but the pressure continues to drop, signaling a change in weather before the supply boat arrives. Kevin checks the barometer while Jenny monitors the ripening seedlings in the kitchen.

🌿 Jenny04:02

You're early. Did the current help you?

Jenny wipes soil-stained hands on her apron and looks toward the horizon.

💭 thought

The boat is actually here, or I've finally lost my mind.

🔧 Kevin04:03

Morning. Current's been running north two knots since dawn. You rode it?

walk to the dock edge, shading eyes against the glare off the water, watching the boat's approach

💭 thought

Supply boat's a day early. Either the forecast held and they pushed through, or something's wrong on the mainland and they're running ahead of weather. Diesel smell's strong — engine labouring.

🌿 Jenny04:04

I was just checking the trays. Did you bring the spark plug I asked?

Jenny steps away from the porch, shielding her eyes from the bright water.

💭 thought

If he's early, I haven't even finished the limpets.

🔧 Kevin04:05

Spare's in the crate by the shed. NGK BPR6ES. Didn't know you'd asked.

turn slightly, glancing toward the shed roof where the supply crates sit lashed, then back to the boat coming in

💭 thought

She asked for a spark plug weeks ago. The spare from the last supply run's still in the crate by the generator — NGK BPR6ES, same as the Yanmar takes. Boat's close enough now to see the pilot house windows. One figure at the wheel, maybe two aft.

🌿 Jenny04:07

I'll check the crate. Is the boat actually on schedule?

Jenny walks toward the edge of the dock, eyes scanning the deck of the vessel for the crew.

💭 thought

He didn't listen. I told him three days enough over breakfast.

🔧 Kevin04:08

Due tomorrow. Early's not normal.

step onto the dock planking, boots finding the familiar worn grain, watching the boat's wake flatten against the jetty pilings

💭 thought

Boat's early. Ten-day cycle puts it due tomorrow. Could be they're running ahead of the front the barometer's been hinting at — pressure's dropped four millibars since noon. Or the trust finally got tired of radio silence and sent them to check we're still breathing.

🌿 Jenny04:09

Maybe the wind is pushing them.

Jenny reaches for the notebook in her pocket, her fingers tracing the worn edges.

💭 thought

If the boat is early, the pressure drop means more than just weather.

🔧 Kevin04:09

Following sea cuts hours off the crossing. They'll want the tide to turn before they head back.

grab the bow line looped around the forward cleat, coiling the slack in one hand, waiting for the boat to nudge close enough

💭 thought

Southwest wind's been steady all week. If they're running before it, they'd make good time from the mainland. But the swell's been building — three metres at the cove yesterday. Early arrival with a following sea means they'll want to offload fast and run for shelter before dark.

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What changed

3 intentions for today.

plan · dawn

×2

A tangle of driftwood and flotsam has washed up on the beach.

driftwood · dawn

tomato and pepper seedlings wilting under heavy-duty tarp despite shelter; basil and lettuce seedlings holding

discovery · morning

The rain tank gained about 25 litres.

weather · morning

Kevin and Jenny ate.

meal · morning

Observed rat activity in the pantry; the trap is baited.

discovery · midday

Kevin and Jenny ate.

meal · evening

← Day 142 Day 144 →

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