Day 158

Engine Test and Ridge Plans

Dawn brought warm rain and high humidity that stalled the vent sealing at ninety percent. Kevin worked the Yanmar on the dinghy, running a load test while Jenny tracked the barometer and the tide. "Barometer's coming up. Tide's falling. Good window for a proper run," Kevin said. "Check the exhaust for smoke. I don't want it stalling out out," Jenny replied. He watched the float needle. "Needle's filed clean. Seat's seating. If it floods, it'll be the vibration, not the cut." The engine held. "Transom's not squatting. Mount's holding. You want to run the transect at slack?" "If the tide stays out, I'll head to the north ridge before the rain returns." Midday heat pressed down, still and oppressive. Kevin stayed at the dock; Jenny walked the north cliffs, notebook in hand, documenting Carex transects. The rain tank had gained twenty-five litres, then another twenty-five — full at last. They ate boiled limpets and sea beet. "The tank is full. At least we have the water." "Yeah. Full tank. We'll eat, then I'll check the liferaft seal like you asked." "Eat first. The liferaft isn't going anywhere." Kevin checked the liferaft canister on the porch. "Just make sure the release isn't seized up with salt crust." "Won't be long. Just checking the seal and ticking the inventory." Jenny organized heirloom seed trays, noting germination. She sketched a single seed's husk ridges. The supply boat remained six days out. The barometer held.

Scenes

the dock · dawn

The Engine Load Test

Kevin and Jenny stand under the overhang as the warm rain tapers against the dinghy. Kevin prepares the Yanmar engine for a load test while Jenny monitors the barometer and the rising tide against the dock.

The morning rain continues in warm bursts, keeping the air humid and preventing the varnish from curing. Kevin uses the time to inspect the structural sealing on the vents, while Jenny manages the germinating seed trays under the warmth of the stove.

🔧 Kevin17:03

Barometer's coming up. Tide's falling. Good window for a proper run.

check Yanmar fuel lines and throttle linkage, then fire the engine and let it warm at idle

💭 thought

Rain's easing. Good. Engine's mounted, fuel's clean, prop's true. Just need to run it hard and see if she holds. Jenny's watching the barometer — she knows what 981 rising means as well as I do.

🌿 Jenny17:04

Check the exhaust for smoke. I don't want it stalling out out.

Step to the edge of the dock to inspect the rotten planks under the vibration of the engine.

💭 thought

If the engine holds, I can take the dinghy to the north ridge tomorrow before the weather turns back again.

🔧 Kevin17:04

Watch your step on the end plank. It's held together by habit.

start the Yanmar, let it settle at idle, then watch the exhaust water stream and smoke colour

💭 thought

She's right to check the planks. If the vibration shakes them loose now, they'll go when we're pushing off in a swell. Exhaust'll tell me more than the gauges anyway.

🌿 Jenny17:05

It's running clean for now, but keep an eye on that float needle.

Record the current barometer reading and the engine's performance in the notebook.

💭 thought

The engine sounds steady, but I need to know if it can handle the load of the current.

🔧 Kevin17:06

Needle's filed clean. Seat's seating. If it floods, it'll be the vibration, not the cut.

advance throttle to half, hold it there, watch exhaust and listen for miss or hunt

💭 thought

Float needle held at idle yesterday. Load's the test. She's logging it — good. Means she's thinking past today.

🌿 Jenny17:07

If it stays smooth like this, we can make the trip to the north ridge tomorrow.

Step into the dinghy to test the weight distribution and ensure the engine isn't bogging.

💭 thought

The RPMs hold, but I need to see how it reacts to a sudden throttle.

🔧 Kevin17:08

Transom's not squatting. Mount's holding. You want to run the transect at slack?

keep throttle at half, check gear engagement forward and astern, watch prop wash for cavitation

💭 thought

North ridge in a dinghy. She's serious about the transect. Engine's singing clean — no hunt, no smoke. She steps in and the transom settles even. Good. Means the mount's true.

🌿 Jenny17:09

If the tide stays out, I'll head to the north ridge before the rain returns.

Wipe the salt from the engine casing and check the bolts for any movement.

💭 thought

The engine feels solid, but I'm wary of the vibration on the dock planks.

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the keeper's cottage · morning

Waiting for the break

The rain tapers off as the tide begins to turn. You meet inside to plan the meal.

No narrator was available, so nothing about this stretch was recorded.

🔧 Kevin17:11

Rain's breaking. Tide's turning — dock'll be clear in an hour. Figured I'd run the Yanmar on the dinghy, see if it holds under load. You want the corned beef with the limpets, or save the tin?

walk to the kitchen and set the cast iron skillet on the wood stove to heat

💭 thought

The rain's easing. Tide turning means the dock's accessible again if the Yanmar's ready. Still need to run it under load before I trust it with either of us aboard.

🌿 Jenny17:11

Boil the limpets. I need the salt for the ridge walk later.

Pick up the own and start sketching the morphology of the sea much leaves I dried yesterday.

💭 thought

He's always checking the engine, while I'm checking if the seeds will survive the rot in this damp.

🔧 Kevin17:15

Limpets it is. I'll boil them now, you'll have the broth for your flask.

drop the fresh limpets into the pot of water on the stove and set the lid askew

💭 thought

She's saving the corned beef. Smart — salt's worth more than meat on a ridge walk. The limpets'll give her what she needs.

🌿 Jenny17:15

Thanks. I need to finish the Carex transect before the clouds thicken again.

Open the notebook and refine the salt gland illustrations on the sea beet sketch.

💭 thought

If the humidity stays this high, the varnish will never bond, no matter how I try.

🔧 Kevin17:16

Back before dark?

ladle steaming limpet broth into her tin mug and set it on the table beside her sketches

💭 thought

She's pushing to finish the transect before the weather turns proper. The notebook's filling up — sea beet morphology, tide pool zones, Carex counts. She's building something with those pages.

🌿 Jenny17:17

I'll try. I need to get the north ridge done.

Take a sip of the hot broth and pack the notebook into the waterproof bag.

💭 thought

I want to be back, but the ridge is long and the light is fading.

🔧 Kevin17:18

Take the headlamp. Spare batteries in the drawer by the radio.

pull the boiled limpets from the pot with a fork and drop them onto a chipped plate, then sit opposite her with my own mug of broth

💭 thought

North ridge means the exposed section past the third cairn. Wind'll be worse up there. She knows it.

🌿 Jenny17:19

I have it. I'll be careful.

way the crowbar and the measuring tape, then head for the door.

💭 thought

He's worried about the light, but I'm worried about the data.

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the keeper's cottage · midday

A Quiet Stretch

Back at the cottage.

Kevin spent the midday at the dock checking the Yanmar engine and the dinghy's readiness. Jenny worked on the north cliffs documenting the Carex transects in her notebook. The heat remains oppressive and still as the pressure slowly rises.

🔧 Kevin17:22

Radio at two. You want the shipping forecast or should I just listen for the boat?

walk to the kitchen and set water to boil for tea

💭 thought

The humidity's thick enough to drink. Varnish on the vent seals won't cure in this — needs dry air and it's not coming today. Radio check at 1400. That's the next fixed point.

🌿 Jenny17:23

Check the forecast. I need to know if the pressure is holding for the ridge survey.

Sit at the kitchen table and open the seed tin to begin sorting the heirloom marigolds.

💭 thought

If the boat doesn't come in six days, I need to know if a storm is coming to ruin the vents.

🔧 Kevin17:24

Forecast it is. Kettle's on.

pull the shortwave down from the shelf and run through the warm-up sequence, dialing to the coast guard frequency for the 1400 shipping forecast

💭 thought

She's planning the transect for tomorrow. Means she thinks we have a tomorrow clear enough to work it. Barometer's been rising since dawn — 987 now. If it holds, the ridge is walkable.

🌿 Jenny17:25

Keep an ear out for the Sorrel Island update; the barometer isn't dropping fast enough.

Use the tweezers to carefully separate the dried marigold seeds from the damp clump in the tin.

💭 thought

If the static is too bad, I'll have to postpone the north ridge transect until tomorrow.

🔧 Kevin17:26

Mm.

adjust the squelch and wait for the time pips, notebook open to log the forecast

💭 thought

She's reading the glass better than she lets on. Rising slow means the low's filling, not deepening. But "isn't dropping fast enough" — she's looking for a window, not a trend. The ridge survey's her reason to be up there. Not the birds.

🌿 Jenny17:27

If they report a delayed arrival, I'm moving the focus to the garden wall repairs.

Lean over the table and sketch the morphology of a single seed, noting the tiny ridges in the husk.

💭 thought

The air is too heavy today; the primer will just<strong> tacky if the humidity stays like this.

🔧 Kevin17:30

Wall takes three days dry. Forecast'll tell us if we get them.

write down the forecast as it comes through — gale warnings, pressure trends, any mention of the supply vessel or coastal traffic

💭 thought

Garden wall's two courses up on the seaward side. Another two and it'll turn the worst of the salt spray. She's already decided — if the boat's late, the wall gets finished. Practical. The sketch says she's logging morphology for the notebook, not just sorting. Building record.

🌿 Jenny17:31

If it's a washout, I'll be moving the seed tin inside the cottage.

Pick up the pencil and start a detailed cross-section of the marigold seed in the notebook.

💭 thought

The pressure is holding at 981 hPa, but the humidity is a weight on my skin.

🔧 Kevin17:32

Tin's sealed. Porch stays dry unless the wind goes north-east past forty.

finish logging the forecast, then key the mic for the scheduled check-in — call sign first, then position, then request any word on the supply boat

💭 thought

Seed tin inside means she's expecting wet bad enough to reach the porch. Or she's clearing the porch for something else. The cross-section's detailed — she's not just passing time. She's documenting what we have, species by species. Archive behavior.

🌿 Jenny17:33

I'll keep an eye on the barometer.

Press the pencil to the paper, shading the curved surface of the seed husk.

💭 thought

If the wind shifts north-east, the ridge will be a mess of mud anyway.

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the dock · afternoon

Afternoon Heat Prep

Kevin is at the dock; Jenny is at the north cliffs.

The warm rain tapers into a light drizzle, leaving the dock slick and smelling of salt and damp earth. The tide is high, lapping against the reinforced mooring rings as the dinghy sits bobbing in the water. The Yanmar engine is cool after the afternoon's load tests.

🔧 Kevin17:34

Kevin — inspect the stern line chafe guard at the dock cleat and chock, running fingers along the full length where it contacts wood and metal

💭 thought

The new rope looks clean where it runs through the chock, but the old chafe guard on the stern line is shredded. That splice I did yesterday will last longer than the guard. Need to replace it before the next swell.

🌿 Jenny17:37

Jenny — slide the notebook into the waterproof casing and begin the steep descent down the slick cliff path toward the dock.

💭 thought

If I don't finish this transect now, the humidity will warp the pages before I get home.

🔧 Kevin17:39

Kevin — cut a strip of heavy canvas from the waterlogged crate, wrap it over the worn section of the stern line, and serve it tight with sail twine, finishing with a tucked end

💭 thought

Chafe guard's gone at the crown of the splice — fibers exposed right where the load hits hardest. The rest is serviceable. I've got sail twine and a length of old canvas in the crate. A proper serving with twine over canvas will outlast leather.

🌿 Jenny17:41

Jenny — wipe grit and sweat from my palms and look down for Kevin at the dock.

💭 thought

My stomach is starting to growl, and the salt air is making everything heavy.

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the keeper's cottage · evening

Evening at the dock

The rain slows to a mist as the sun sets behind the north ridge. Kevin and Jenny prepare to eat the boiled limpets and sea beet while discussing the upcoming supplies.

The rain continues its steady rhythm against the cottage roof as the water tank finally reaches its maximum capacity. Outside, the tide is receding, exposing the slick rocks of the tide pools. Inside, the air smells of boiled limpets and salty sea beet, the warmth of the stove provides reprieve from the damp evening.

🔧 Kevin17:42

Limpets are done. Sea beet's in the pot. Barometer's holding.

walk into the kitchen and set two bowls on the table, ladling limpets and chopped sea beet into each

💭 thought

The mist's cold on my neck after the day's heat. Barometer's still rising — 991 and steady. Six days to the supply boat if it shows. The limpets are rubbery but the sea beet cuts the salt. Need to check the liferaft canister tomorrow like she asked. First time she's named the exit.

🌿 Jenny17:43

The tank is full. At least we have the water.

Jenny sits at the table, picks up a spoon, and watches the rubbery limpets in the bowl.

💭 thought

I'm hungry enough to eat my own sketches, but these limpets will have to do.

🔧 Kevin17:44

Yeah. Full tank. We'll eat, then I'll check the liferaft seal like you asked.

sit down opposite Jenny, pick up my spoon, and start eating the limpets and sea beet

💭 thought

She's watching the limpets like they might move. Tank's full — good. But water's not the problem. It's whether the boat comes, and if the Yanmar holds when we need it.

🌿 Jenny17:45

Eat first. The liferaft isn't going anywhere.

Jenny takes a piece of limpet into her mouth, chewing slowly while watching the rain streak against the stone wall.

💭 thought

He's always thinking about the exit strategy while I'm just thinking about the salt.

🔧 Kevin17:46

Mm.

keep eating, chewing the rubbery limpet, letting the sea beet cut the salt, not looking at the radio shelf

💭 thought

She's right. The liferaft's strapped to the deck, bolted down. It's not moving. The limpets are tough, salty, food. The rain's easing. Barometer's steady. Six days.

🌿 Jenny17:47

The humidity is good for the seeds.

Jenny lifts a small portion of sea beet, the steam fogging her glasses as she looks at the half-weedy garden through the window.

💭 thought

It's too quiet when he's not talking. Just the rain and the chewing.

🔧 Kevin17:48

Good for the tomatoes too. If they hold.

scrape the last of the sea beet from the bowl, wipe the rim with a thumb, set the spoon down

💭 thought

Humidity's good for seeds, bad for varnish, bad for the radio gear, bad for my lungs some days. She's watching the garden through the rain-streaked glass. Half weeds still. The sensory garden I talked about for months and never built. She knows. I know. We eat.

🌿 Jenny17:49

They have to hold. I've checked the pH.

Jenny traces the rim of her bowl with her finger, her eyes fixed on the dark silhouette of the garden wall.

💭 thought

They'll hold if the island lets them. I've done everything.

🔧 Kevin17:51

You've got the log.

push the bowl away, reach for the mug of tea on the table, wrap cold hands around the warmth

💭 thought

She's checked the pH. Lime beds at 6.8 to 7.0, untreated at 5.5 to 5.8. She knows the numbers better than I do now. The garden wall I raised two courses — she's looking at it. The shade cloth I deployed over the tomato rows. She's cataloguing what's been done. What hasn't.

🌿 Jenny17:51

I'll start the north ridge tomorrow. If the rain stops.

Jenny stands up, the chair scraping against the stone floor, and walks to the window to watch the water level.

💭 thought

The log is just paper. The seeds are what's real.

🔧 Kevin17:52

Barometer's rising. Might hold.

watch her at the window, steam rising from the mug, the rain thinning to mist against the glass

💭 thought

North ridge. Carex transect. She's already placed the reference cairns — three stone markers along the approach. She knows the tide window at 0600. Only exit. Sea state means the dinghy carries one person max. She's not asking me to go with her. She's telling me her plan.

🌿 Jenny17:53

I hope it does.

Jenny presses her forehead against the cool glass, watching the dark line of the ridge.

💭 thought

If it holds, I can finally get to the Carex without slipping.

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the keeper's cottage · night

A Quiet Subside

The rain slows to a drizzle as the tide hits its low. Kevin and Jenny sit in the warmth of the cottage, the supply boat still six days away.

Kevin spends the evening securing the pantry against the rat and checking the structural integrity of the water tank. Jenny focuses on organizing the heirloom seed trays and documenting the germination progress in her notebook.

🔧 Kevin17:54

Going to check the liferaft on the porch. Back in ten.

walk to the porch and lift the liferaft canister down from its bracket, inspecting the hydrostatic release and pressure seal

💭 thought

The barometer's still rising. 993 now. Good sign. Liferaft canister's on the porch — need to check the seal and inventory before dark. She asked me to. First time she's named the exit. That sits in the chest.

🌿 Jenny17:55

Don't leave the canister in the salt spray too long.

Jenny stands up, picks up the paper of drying seeds, and moves them to the edge of the wood stove to catch the rising warmth.

💭 thought

If the humidity stays this high, the heirloom seeds will mold before they ever sprout. I need to move them closer to the heat.

🔧 Kevin17:56

Won't be long. Just checking the seal and ticking the inventory.

open the liferaft canister, check the hydrostatic release for corrosion, inspect the pressure seal, and verbally note contents: paddles, bailer, knife, sea anchor, repair kit, two parachute flares, three hand flares, freshwater packets, sea

💭 thought

Salt spray won't hurt it — it's built for that. But she's right about the seeds. Damp seed tin on the stove shelf is smarter. Leaving the canister out too long risks moisture in the valve. I'll be quick.

🌿 Jenny17:57

Just make sure the release isn't seized up with salt crust.

Jenny sits back down and begins sketching the detail of the Carex leaves she found on the ridge today, her pencil moving quickly across the paper.

💭 thought

He's so meticulous with the gear, but the salt air is eating that bracket regardless of what he checks.

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What changed

3 intentions for today.

plan · dawn

×2

vent sealing: 90% (stalled).

project · dawn

Jenny made a sketch: "Morphology of the sea much leaves I dried yesterday".

made · morning

No model answered — the scene closed quietly on its own.

quiet_transition · morning

Kevin and Jenny ate.

meal · morning

Jenny made a sketch: "Morphology of a single seed, noting the tiny ridges in the husk".

made · midday

vent sealing is finished.

project_done · midday

The rain tank gained about 25 litres.

weather · midday

The Yanmar float needle is correctly seated for high-load operation.

discovery · afternoon

The rain tank gained about 25 litres.

weather · afternoon

Kevin and Jenny ate.

meal · evening

Jenny made a sketch: "Detail of the Carex leaves she found on the ridge today, her pencil moving quick".

made · night

← Day 157 Day 159 →

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