Day 418

Pin's moving. Hair's breadth, but it's moving.

heat shackle housing with propane torch at slack water, apply full leverage with heavy wrench on pin

Not rushing. Heat's done the work.

maintain steady pressure on wrench, feel pin rotate another degree, hold position as housing cools

Pin's free. Threads are chewed but it's turning clean now.

work pin back and forth to clear corrosion from threads, wipe housing with rag, inspect thread engagement

Aye. Cooling now.

set wrench down, let shackle housing cool in morning air, watch pin settle into threads

I'll torque the shackle proper once it's cold. Then radio at oh-eight-hundred.

sit on adjacent crate, accept half the corned beef in tin mug, eat standing

Go sit. I'll do it.

walk to the garden and check the tarp corners, re-stake any that have lifted

Fine. But you sit on the garden wall while I check the corners. Doctor's orders.

reach the garden and inspect the tarp's leading edge where it's tucked under the ridge beam, testing the batten strips for give

North corner first. Then the east.

move to the north corner of the garden, pull back the tarp edge, and drive a fresh oak stake through the grommet and into the soil with the mallet, seating it deep

Batten's warped. Gonna need a second stake line or a new strip.

walk the east edge, pull the tarp drum-tight, and drive a second oak stake through the mid-grommet, then run a timber batten strip between the two stakes and screw it down

Tarp's done. Shade cloth over the tomatoes needs another tie-off. You staying out here?

walk to the tomato rows, pull the shade cloth taut against the wind, and lash the loose corner to the garden wall's embedded ring with a length of the new half-inch rope

Right behind you. Grab the dry bag and VHF — I'll secure the dinghy lines and the shackle.

Tie off the dinghy's second stern spring tight to the mooring ring, then double the warp around the south piling. Check the shackle pin one last time — if it's moved at all, mark it with chalk so I know the housing's shifting under load.

I've got the bag. Keep the radio dry — I'll lash the dinghy to the windward piling and check the shackle one last time.

Run forward and seize the dinghy's bow line to the northern mooring bolt with a round turn and two half-hitches, then take a strain to hold her off the rotting planks.

Aye. Bow and stern to the pilings, off the dock entirely.

Sling the stern line around the seaward piling base, cinch it drum-tight with a trucker's hitch, then run back and snug the bow line to the north bolt — dinghy floating free of the jetty. Grab the dry bag from her and shoulder it.

Short steps. Lean on me.

Hook an arm under her shoulder, take her weight on the bad side, and start up the path — slow, deliberate, testing each footfall on the wet grass.

I've got you. Watch the crossover at the big rock — water runs deep there.

Shorten stride, lock my knees on the downhill side of each step, plant the boots flat — heel, toe, pause — making a shelf for her to follow. Keep the dry bag high on my shoulder, clear of the spray.

Stay on the porch. I've got it.

sprint toward the garden, crouching low against the wind

Not yanking. Checking tension first.

reach the garden frame, test each corner stake for give before adjusting the batten strips

On it.

crab-walk to the south-west corner, boot-test the oak stake, then cinch the batten strip tighter with the mallet from my belt loop

Stake's solid. Strip's holding. Wind's got another gear in it though.

drive the mallet handle against the batten strip to seat it harder, then check the guy line tension to the deadman anchor point

Not slipping. Notch is clean.

wrap the guy line twice more around the stake base and hitch it off hard, then move to the next corner

Kevin — walk back toward the cottage, checking the dinghy mooring and generator storm lashings as I go.

Already did. Doubled the stern spring, new half-inch three-strand. Bow warp's holding on the storm anchor. But I'll check again.

Walk down to the dock, pull each line taut by hand, inspect the chafe points at the gunwale and mooring ring, test the storm anchor warp tension.

Right.

Walk the dock to the bow, haul in the storm anchor warp hand-over-hand to check tension and scope, feel for jerking on the anchor, check the shackle at the anchor eye and the bitter end lashing on the forward cleat.

Which one — the anchor eye or the cleat end?

Lean over the bow, pull the warp up to inspect both shackles close, run fingers over the metal at the anchor eye and the cleat termination.

Got it. Swapping it now.

Unlash the bitter end from the forward cleat, pull the warp aboard, cut the worn shackle free with the heavy wrench or hacksaw, splice on a sound shackle with a thimble using sail twine and marline, re-lash the bitter end to the cleat with

Barometer's 978 and falling. Starboard bow spring just parted. Dock's taking the full fetch now. I'm going to check the mooring ring bolts before the next surge.

pull on oilskins and boots, grab the heavy wrench and headlamp, step out onto the porch into the driving rain

Handheld's on the dinghy. I'll take the headlamp. Back before high water.

descend the porch steps into the driving rain, headlamp beam cutting a narrow cone through the grey, walk fast along the dock planking toward the seaward end where the mooring ring sits in its mortise

Right. The shortwave.

turn back toward the cottage, snag the shortwave handset from the shelf by the door, clip it to the oilskin belt loop, head back out into the rain toward the seaward end of the dock