Day 692

Sister brace is solid. Rot line's crept up another handspan since the storm. We'll need to sister the next section before winter.

Wipe salt from the stainless through-bolt head, check the tell-tale mark I scratched on the greenheart last month — still aligned. Stand, brush wet knees, walk back toward Jenny and the crate.

Tide's turning. Slack in ten minutes. Your ankle — what's the heat like?

Crouch beside her, not sitting. Hand hovers near her calf, feeling radiated warmth without touching the bandage. Eyes on the swell line past the dock.

Keep the poultice on through tonight. Change it at first light. If the red line doesn't advance past where I marked it, we're winning.

Reach into pocket, pull out the pen I used to mark the infection boundary. Cap it, set it on the dock plank between us. Don't look at her face — watch the water instead.

Cairns are all standing. Transect's clean.

walk north ridge with Jenny along the Carex transect line, pen in pocket

Wind's backed northeast. Temperature's dropping. Front's moving faster than the barometer said.

walk beside her, scanning the horizon west to southwest, one hand on the radio at my belt

Tide's not the issue. Swell lag is. Northeast wind on the ebb puts chop on the dock face — lines'll saw through the chafing gear by midnight if we don't double them.

stop beside her, eyes on the water, watching the swell direction shift

The chafing gear's already doubled. Stern spring and bow line. Did it three days ago. You checked it yourself.

stand still at the second cairn, looking back at the cottage roof tarp battened tight, the garden shade cloth holding, the dock invisible from here but present in my hands

The fracture hasn't moved in six weeks. Intercept trench is holding. Tank's full. Generator's clean.

reach out and steady her elbow — just the elbow, brief, calloused fingers on damp wool — then let go and keep walking toward the third cairn

Boat's firm. Three days at high tide, two-hour window. Captain sounded like he meant it.

Set the radio on the porch table, log the contact, then sit opposite her with a mug of corned beef broth and limpets.

Didn't ask. Should've.

Reach for the radio, key the mic on 2182. "Sorrel Island calling supply vessel. Kevin. Quick follow-up — what's your fuel margin for the crossing?"

—

Hold the mic off the hook, listening to the carrier wave hiss. The captain's voice comes through thin but readable: "Sorrel Island, copied. Fuel's tight — four hours at cruise, maybe five if I trim the throttle.

Copy that. We'll have the dinghy at the dock ready to receive. If you're holding outside, we'll come to you.

You're not walking the ridge path in three days. I'll bring the dinghy up the beach if the swell allows. Shorter carry.

Set the radio down, blow across the mug, take a sip. The broth's gone cold.

Boat's confirmed. Two days, high tide window. Captain said he'll hold two hours. We need the dock solid, tank topped, dinghy fueled and lines ready. You stay off that ankle — I'll run the dock work.

walk to the dock with tools and new rope to inspect chocks, mooring ring, and sister brace at low tide

South piling's the priority. I'll drive the wedges, reset the collar, and sister the next section up if the timber's sound. Tank's reading three-eighty-five — good for the boat's water take. Dinghy's fueled, Yanmar idling clean.

walk down to the dock with heavy wrench, mallet, and the coil of new half-inch rope to work the south piling and mooring ring at low water

Noted. Copper sulfate and steel strap. I'll peel back the brace face, treat the rot, and strap it. You get the tank reading written down and the gear sorted.

pry the south brace face planks with the crowbar to expose the rot pocket, then brush copper sulfate into the softened timber and drill for a 10mm stainless through-bolt strap across the joint

Logged. I'll stop the generator pump at three-sixty. Leave the rest for catchment.

finish drilling the strap holes through the brace and piling, drive the 10mm stainless through-bolt with washers and nyloc nut, torque to 35Nm, then brush copper sulfate over the exposed rot pocket and the bolt heads

Brace is holding. Rot hasn't crept past the sister plank.

Crouch at the dock edge, flashlight beam on the stainless through-bolt and greenheart sister knee where they meet the south piling. Watch the joint flex as a swell pushes under the dock planks.

Checked it at noon. Thirty-five foot-pounds, nyloc engaged. But I'll look again.

Swing the beam up to the nut, wipe salt crust off the flats with a thumb, seat the 19mm wrench and lean into it — feel for any give.

Greenheart's iron. But I'll look.

Run the light along the greenheart face where it meets the piling, then the mortise cheeks — probe the bolt holes with the nail puller tip, feel for spongy fibre or frass.

Edges are clean. No dust, no crumble.

Scrape the nail puller hard around the bolt hole perimeter — starboard cheek first, then port — flick the blade to clear salt, shine the light straight down the bore.

Jenny, let’s get the dock lines tightened first. I’ll finish the south piling brace tonight, then we switch the radio to the shortwave and get the final pressure read. We’re only two days, so we’ve got to be efficient.

make task list: dock line check, south piling brace repair, radio check, store spare fuel filter, clean Jenny’s ankle bandage, set timer for tide rise.

Right. You sit. I'll hit the dock, finish the brace, then run the radio check. Two days — we'll be ready.

walk to the dock with wrench and the last 150mm stainless through-bolt, check south piling sister brace tension at high tide, tighten if needed

Got it. Three points of contact.

step onto the dock planking carefully, test each board before committing weight, brace against the piling while checking the sister brace connection with the wrench