Day 706
Rot Line and Rising Water
"Radio first. Dock at low water," Kevin said.
Dawn found them on the porch, tin mugs warming their hands, the barometer steady at 1008 hPa and high tide slapping the dock pilings below. Kevin had the shortwave propped beside him, headset ready for the 0800 schedule on 8291 and 6200. Jenny's ankle rested elevated on a cushion beneath the blanket, a basin of salt water and sea beet poultice materials at her feet. The gannet chick's faint cries drifted up from the cliff ledges.
"Radio first. Dock at low water," Kevin said.
"I'll soak it while you listen," Jenny replied.
Kevin keyed the mic: "Sorrel Island, Sorrel Island, this is Kilo Victor Zero November, listening 8291, over."
Midday brought the low tide. Kevin knelt with the caulk, inspecting the dock planks. He found deep-seated rot in the south-end section, the third plank from the seaward edge following a curved trajectory into the heartwood. Jenny stayed at the dock, managing her ankle with a saline soak. "The rot on that plank is deeper than it looks from the top," she said. "Make sure you cut past the soft spot, or the new bolts won't hold."
Kevin confirmed the plan: cut to the first clean growth ring, pack the joint with oakum, epoxy over, bolts through sound wood both sides. Torque wrench set to 35. The 150mm stainless bolts were staged. Jenny sketched the exact curve of the rot and mapped the pattern so she wouldn't forget the layout in the dark. Kevin sketched the rot line from memory — depth, angle, where the greenheart sat.
As the tide rose unexpectedly, cutting work short, they retreated to the porch. The barometer read 1004 hPa. Rain intensified, drumming the roof. They shared a tin of corned beef and reviewed the 05:47 low tide window. "We have a narrow window at dawn," Jenny said. "We need to be out there before the sun is up."
"0430 on the dock," Kevin agreed. "Tools and planks staged tonight. I'll wake you."
"Don't be loud when you wake me."
"Noted."
The season had turned wet. The rain tank gained about 25 litres. The cottage shutter leaked. North ridge remained stable.
Scenes
the keeper's cottage · dawnMorning Routines and Radio Watch
Kevin and Jenny sit on the cottage porch at first light, tin mugs warming their hands, the barometer steady at 1008 hPa and high tide slapping the dock pilings below. Kevin has the shortwave radio propped beside him, headset ready for the 0800 schedule on 8291 and 6200, while Jenny's ankle rests elevated on a cushion beneath the blanket, a basin of salt water and sea beet poultice materials at her feet. The gannet chick's faint cries drift up from the cliff ledges, and the dinghy tugs rhythmically at its doubled stern lines in the swell.
Kevin headed to the cliffs to observe the gannet chick, noting the parents' consistent feeding. Jenny stayed at the cottage, managing the heirloom seed drying and tending to the persistent infection in her ankle. The heat remains oppressive as the morning calm settles over the island.
The tide is too high today.
Reach for the salt bandage to adjust the pressure on the ankle.
💭 thought
Radio first. Dock at low water.
put on headset, power on shortwave, tune to 8291 kHz
💭 thought
I'll soak it while you listen.
Dip the ankle into the warm salt water and check the moisture levels on grandmother's seed tin.
💭 thought
Call if it throbs.
adjust squelch, key mic for 8291 kHz schedule
💭 thought
I know.
Submerge the ankle in the basin and watch the salt dissolve in the water.
💭 thought
(into mic) Sorrel Island, Sorrel Island, this is Kilo Victor Zero November, listening 8291, over.
hold mic, wait for traffic
💭 thought
(without looking up) Just checking the frequency.
Pat the bandage to absorb excess moisture from the poultice.
💭 thought
(into mic) Sorrel Island, Kilo Victor Zero November, monitoring 8291 and 6200 for scheduled traffic, over.
release mic, scan to 6200 kHz
💭 thought
the keeper's cottage · morningMorning Heat and High Tide
Kevin and Jenny meet at the cottage as the sun climbs higher. The air is still and the tide is at its peak.
Kevin prepares morning broth while the tide recedes, exposing more of the dock. Jenny sits on the porch, struggling with the pain in her ankle as she watches the thickening clouds.
Morning. Ankle holding?
walk to the porch and set the kettle on the stove
💭 thought
It's fine. Just hot.
Jenny sits on the porch steps, wincing as she shifts her weight to elevate the swollen limb on a crate.
💭 thought
Coffee's coming up. Want the broth too?
fill the kettle from the tank and light the stove
💭 thought
Yes, please.
Jenny nods silently, her pencil hovering over a sketch of a sea beet leaf she hasn't finished.
💭 thought
—
set two tin mugs on the porch rail, pour boiling water over coffee grounds in one, ladle limpet broth into the other
💭 thought
Thanks, Kevin.
Jenny reaches for the broth mug, her fingers trembling slightly as she wraps them around the warm metal.
💭 thought
Eat something with it. There's corned beef in the crate.
pull a tin of corned beef from the recovered crate and set it beside her with a fork
💭 thought
I'll try.
Jenny opens the tin with the knife, her movements slow to avoid the sharp throbbing in her ankle.
💭 thought
—
sit on the top step with my own coffee, watching the tide line on the dock pilings
💭 thought
Jenny — jenny takes a small bite of the beef, chewing slowly while staring out at the still water.
💭 thought
the dock · middayLow Tide Inspection
The tide has reached its lowest point, exposing the tide pools and the base of the pilings. Kevin is kneeling with the caulk.
Kevin used the low tide to inspect the dock planks, identifying deep-seated rot in the south-end section. Jenny stayed at the dock, managing her ankle with a saline soak while monitoring the swelling. The tide began to rise unexpectedly, cutting the repair work short.
The rot on that plank is deeper than it looks from the top.
Jenny stands up slowly, wincing as her weight shifts, and limps toward the kitchen to boil salt water.
💭 thought
Kevin — probe the plank with the nail puller to find the sound wood boundary, then mark the cut line with chalk
💭 thought
Make sure you cut past the soft spot, or the new bolts won't hold.
Jenny fills the basin with hot water and a heavy handful of salt, setting it on the table to cool.
💭 thought
Cutting to the first clean growth ring. Sister plank's greenheart — it'll outlast the rest of the dock.
saw through the marked rot line on the plank, remove the soft section, and fit the greenheart sister against the sound wood
💭 thought
Just make sure the fit is tight; the salt will find its way into any gap.
Jenny sits on the kitchen stool, dipping her way ankle into the salt water and watching the steam rise.
💭 thought
Epoxy's thin. I'll pack the joint with oakum first, then epoxy over. Bolts go through sound wood both sides.
drive oakum into the joint with the caulking iron, brush mixed epoxy over the seam, and drill pilot holes for the through-bolts through the greenheart sister into the sound dock stringer
💭 thought
Don't over-torque the bolts or you'll crack the greenheart.
Jenny leans her head back, eyes closed, as the salt water begins to sting the angry skin of her ankle.
💭 thought
Torque wrench set to 35. Stop when it clicks.
thread the 150mm stainless through-bolts with washers and nyloc nuts, torque each to 35Nm, and wipe excess epoxy from the joint before it skins over
💭 thought
Clean the edges well, it's a nightmare to scrape off.
Jenny shifts her leg in the basin, watching the salt crystals form in the water.
💭 thought
Kevin — scrape the squeeze-out with the putty knife while it's still tacky, wipe the joint clean with a rag dipped in acetone, and check the bolt heads sit flush in their countersinks
💭 thought
the dock · afternoonAFTERNOON - rising tide
The tide has now covered the lower dock, forcing Jenny to move to the higher ground near the cottage. Kevin looks at the marked planks, waiting for the water to ebb.
Kevin and Jenny sat on the cottage porch as the tide rose, reviewing the dock repair plan and Jenny's ankle treatment. Kevin confirmed the Yanmar is ready and the last heavy bolt is staged. Jenny, exhausted and in pain, finished the broth and headed to the shed for tide tables and medical supplies while Kevin stayed on the step sketching the rot line.
The water's too high for the planks anyway, Kevin.
wraps the damp cloth around the swollen ankle and leans back against the cottage wall.
💭 thought
Aye. Two hours till it turns. We'll hit it at first light tomorrow if the swell allows.
walk up to the cottage porch and lean the pry bar against the wall, then sit on the bottom step facing the dock, watching the water climb the pilings
💭 thought
Just make sure the boat is ready when the time actually comes.
opens the own and begins drawing the way the water ripples around the rotten wood.
💭 thought
The Yanmar's clean. Full tank, spare impeller, grab bag by the hatch. She'll start on first pull.
pull the kettle off the hook, pour the last of the broth into a tin mug, and hold it out to her without looking at the drawing
💭 thought
Thanks.
takes the mug with shaking hands and sips the salty liquid while watching the tide swallow the jetty.
💭 thought
Drink it slow. Second dose in an hour.
sit back on the step, pull the notebook from my pocket, and sketch the rot line on the third plank from memory — depth, angle, where the greenheart sister needs to bite
💭 thought
It's deeper than it looked last week.
watches his pencil mark the page, feeling the throb pulse against the bandage.
💭 thought
Goes to the heartwood. Sister joint has to bite past it or the next swell takes the lot.
shade the rot zone darker on the sketch, then tear the page out clean and tuck it into the workshop shelf above the epoxy tub for tomorrow
💭 thought
We'll need the heavy bolts, then.
sips the last of the broth and watches the water cover the last of the wood.
💭 thought
Got the last one in my pocket. Greenheart's seasoned. It'll take the bite.
tap the bolt in my pocket through the canvas trousers, then stand and stretch the stiffness from my knees, glancing at the barometer on the porch wall
💭 thought
Barometer's still dropping fast. I'll check the tide tables when I get to the shed.
reaches for the pack where I keep the medical supplies, fingers brushing the antibiotic bottle. </think> rises slowly, wincing as the ankle protests, and heads toward the shed where the notebooks are stacked.
💭 thought
Take the radio. Channel 16 if the swell knocks you.
walk behind her at three paces, not hovering, not leaving, eyes scanning the path for loose stone and the tide line creeping up the beach
💭 thought
the keeper's cottage · eveningEvening at the cottage
Kevin returns from the workshop as full dark settles. Jenny is already on the porch with the tide tables, the ibuprofen, and a mug of cold water. The barometer reads 1004 hPa. The tide is high and still rising, lapping the dock's lowest stringer. They share a tin of corned beef and review the 05:47 low tide window for the dock repair.
The rain has intensified into a heavy, rhythmic drumming against the cottage roof as the western front pushes over island. The tide is high, water lapping hungrily at the lower dock pilings. Inside, the air is thick with the smell of salt and woodsmoke, while Jenny sits by the stove, her ankle submerged in the salt water.
We have a narrow window at dawn. We need to be out there before the sun is up.
Swallow two ibuprofen with a swig of water and lean back against the stone wall, rubbing the throbbing ankle.
💭 thought
0430 on the dock. Tools and planks staged tonight. I'll wake you.
walk to the workshop and gather the three greenheart planks, the 150mm stainless through-bolt with washers and nyloc nut, the 10mm x 150mm stainless through-bolt, the torque wrench, the heavy wrench, the mallet, oak wedges, penetrating oil,
💭 thought
Don't be loud when you wake me.
Close the tide tables in the notebook and sketch a quick map of the rot pattern so I don't forget the layout in the dark.
💭 thought
Noted.
carry the staged planks and tools to the dock and lean them against the north piling, clear of the rising water, then return to the porch and sit on the step with the sketchbook, reviewing the cut list and bolt hole offsets by lantern light
💭 thought
Is the salt water still warm for a soak before I sleep?
Shift my leg and wrap a damp cloth around the swollen ankle to try and dull the throbbing.
💭 thought
I'll heat it.
walk to the kitchen, lift the basin to the wood stove, pour the water into the kettle, set it to heat, then carry the warmed basin back to the porch and set it on the floor beside her chair
💭 thought
Thanks.
Lower my ankle into the warm salt water and hiss as the heat hits the infection.
💭 thought
Kevin — sit on the porch step, elbows on knees, watching the tide climb the pilings and the barometer's slow fall, the sketchbook open on my knee but unread
💭 thought
The storm is coming in early.
Reach for my pencil and sketch the exact curve of the rot on the third plank.
💭 thought
Front's accelerated. We'll have swell over the dock by mid-morning.
watch her hand sketch, then glance at the barometer — 1003 hPa now, needle still drifting down — and calculate the tide window shrinking
💭 thought
Then we have to be fast. No mistakes on the measurements.
Press the pencil hard against the paper, marking the overlap points for the greenheart planks.
💭 thought
Measurements are set. Cut the planks to the marks, bolt holes at the offsets. We fit, we bolt, we're off before the water takes the work zone.
close the sketchbook, tuck the pencil behind my ear, and stand — joints stiff from the porch step — then walk to the wood stove and bank it for the night, laying the last dry spruce splits in the firebox for morning
💭 thought
the keeper's cottage · nightThe Dawn Window Opens
The rain continues to lash the island as the first light of grey appears. The tide begins its slow retreat, offering the narrow window for the work.
The air is heavy with humidity as the tide recedes, exposing the slick rocks of the dock. Inside the cottage, Kevin prepares the morning medicine while Jenny battles with the pain of her throbbing ankle. The leak in the shutter remains a constant reminder of the wet season's slow advance.
(quiet, toward the bedroom door) Morning. Tide's turning. Time for the second dose.
walk to the kitchen, fill the tin mug with warm broth from the pot, set it on the table beside the antibiotics, then pull on boots and oilskins
💭 thought
I'm coming out in a minute. I need to check the dock before the tide comes back.
Jenny lifts her leg from the salt water, wincing as the pressure shifts, and wraps the swollen ankle in a clean, dry cloth bandage.
💭 thought
Bolts and greenheart are staged at the east shutter. South three planks marked with chalk. I'll run them down on the wheelbarrow — you tell me where they sit.
walk to the east shutter, collect the 150mm stainless through-bolt with washers and nyloc nut, the greenheart planks, and the 10mm x 150mm stainless through-bolt, load them into the wheelbarrow
💭 thought
Start with the third plank from the seaward edge. We need to reinforce the joint.
Jenny grabs her crutches and the notebook, limps out own the porch, leaning heavily on her good leg.
💭 thought
Third plank. Greenheart slip first, then the 150mm through-bolt for the sister knee. I'll drill the stringer while you sight the alignment.
wheel the barrow down the garden path to the dock, set the brake, unload the greenheart planks and bolts onto dry planking near the marked section
💭 thought
Wait. Move the greenheart two inches further toward the center.
Jenny crouches at the edge of the rot, using a pencil to mark the exact line where the healthy wood meets the decayed timber.
💭 thought
Two inches center. Got it.
shift the greenheart plank two inches toward the center of the dock, align the sister knee over the pencil mark, hold it steady for her to check
💭 thought
Hold it right there. I'm marking the pilot holes.
Jenny reaches for the pencil in her pocket and marks the drill points on the greenheart and the old pier.
💭 thought
What changed
a Lumora Build experiment — live experiment: Kevin & Jenny think on free, open models — what they say is their own.