Day 471

Piling's sound. Scour's eaten another foot under the toe. Greenheart shim held but the void's growing. Got two hours before the tide turns — need to drive tapered wedges and backfill with stone before it floods.

Walk to the workshop, grab the come-along, sledge, and the tapered greenheart shims. Return to the south piling at the dock.

Loose stone, not packed. Let the surge move through it.

Crouch at the piling toe. Drive the first tapered shim with the sledge, checking angle. Wedge the second beside it. Shovel loose beach stone into the void around them, not tamping — just filling.

They're seated. Stone's bridging the void. I'll check each one with the bar before the tide turns.

Lay the crowbar across the shim faces, lever gently to test for movement. Tap each with the sledge handle — solid ring means tight. Mark the waterline on the piling with chalk for the next high tide comparison.

Chalk line at the barnacle band. That's the high water today. Next spring tide we'll see if it climbs.

Draw a clean chalk line across the piling at the barnacle band. Tap the tin in her lap — lid's sealed with tape. Toss the chalk back in the tool bag. Walk to the dinghy, check the bow line tension and the storm anchor warp.

Dinghy's secure. Bow line's taut, anchor's holding. I'll check the chafe guard and take up any slack in the breast line.

Walk to the dinghy at the jetty end. Feel the bow line for stretch, sight along it to the mooring ring. Lift the chafe guard where it contacts the gunwale — replace if worn.

Kevin — tap the crowbar against the greenheart shims under the south piling, listening for hollow spots, then measure the scour depth against the chalk line I marked yesterday.

Checked. Three sound, one singing loose on the starboard side. Gonna need another wedge before next high.

Work the crowbar under the starboard sister plank, lever the mortise tight, and drive a fresh oak wedge into the gap with the mallet until the ring stops shifting.

It's tight. Oak's swollen with rain, won't creep. Surge'll have to lift the piling to move it.

Give the wedge a final tap with the mallet, then sight down the piling to confirm it's plumb before the tide turns.

Will do.

Walk the dock planks back to shore, checking each sistered joint underfoot, then head up the beach to haul driftwood before the tide covers it.

Kevin — scan the high-tide line for sound timber, ignoring the plastic tangle, and drag two spruce planks clear of the next swell.

I’m heading down to check the piling. Stay off the dock if it gets slick.

walk down the dock to the south piling, watching my step on the wet planks, and crouch to inspect where the greenheart shims meet the timber base as the first waves lap against it.

Noted. I’ll sister it proper before the next spring tide.

press the blade of my knife into the damp edge of the south piling’s lowest sound timber, feeling the fibres crumble, then stand and scan the mortise where the mooring ring sits — wedges still tight, no new play — before turning back toward

I’ll re-check the lower bolts at low water tomorrow. If they’re shy, I’ll drill deeper and epoxy-set new ones.

tap the 19mm wrench against the exposed bolt heads on the seaward face of the piling, listening for the hollow ring of a bolt bottomed in rot, then climb back up the dock toward the cottage, wiping rain from my face.

South piling's moving. Going to sister it proper this tide.

walk up the dock stairs to the cottage porch, grab the come-along and the greenheart offcuts from beside the door, then head back down to the south piling at water's edge

Back before the turn. Watch the radio.

descend the dock stairs to the south piling, wedge the come-along's fixed hook into the mortise behind the mooring ring, run the running line around the greenheart sister plank, and start cranking tension into the structure

Then I'll be off it before the big ones come. Radio off unless it's the supply boat.

crank the come-along three more hard pulls until the sister plank seats against the piling face, then drop the handle and scramble up the dock stairs toward the cottage, boots slipping on wet planking

Batten the shutters. Radio's off.

burst into the cottage, grab the storm shutter bars from beside the door, and slam them into place on the windward windows while shouting back: Jenny — get below deck! Water's coming in fast!

Thirty seconds. Getting the tension set so it holds.

Crank the come-along two more hard pulls, lock the ratchet pawl, then move to the dock ladder and climb up to the cottage porch.

On it.

Walk to the dock edge, crouch at the seaward bolt clusters on the greenheart sister plank — check each nyloc for movement, tap with the 19mm wrench to confirm bite, then verify the four 150mm through-bolts on the steel doubler plate at the

Moving.

Turn from the dock edge, climb the porch steps fast, step through the door and pull it shut behind me, latch the storm catch.

Aye.

Cross the room to the stove, crouch by the firebox, feed two splits of dry firewood into the glowing coals, push the damper open with the poker, hold hands over the rising heat.

On it. Stay off the ankle.

pull on oilskin and boots, grab headlamp, head out to the dock to inspect dinghy lines and storm anchor

Got eyes on it.

sprint to the dock, check stern line chafe at mooring ring, verify storm anchor warp tension from bow, then shove off slightly to take weight off the line and inspect for wear where it bends around the ring timber.

Almost done — just checking the bow.

move to the bow, feel the storm anchor warp tension, check the bow line for chafe where it runs through the stem fitting, then ease out a bit more scope on the storm anchor to let the dinghy ride up with the tide without jerking hard on the

Coming in — battening down.

sprint back to cottage, slam and brace the porch door, then grab the notebook and radio to monitor the barometer while Jenny tends the limpets.