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Day 795

Dock Repair and Ankle Care

Dawn broke heavy and still over Sorrel Island. Jenny sat on the cottage steps with her ankle propped, watching epoxy cure on the jerry can repair while Kevin scanned the empty horizon for the supply boat, nine days out. The tide retreated fully, exposing the northern shelf where dense sea beet grew. "Look, there's a cluster of sea beet seedlings right where the tide just pulled back. I'll get a sample," Jenny said. Kevin moved further out along the break line. "Stay on the inner shelf. I'll work the break line," he called back. They gathered what they could before the water returned.

Dawn broke heavy and still over Sorrel Island. Jenny sat on the cottage steps with her ankle propped, watching epoxy cure on the jerry can repair while Kevin scanned the empty horizon for the supply boat, nine days out. The tide retreated fully, exposing the northern shelf where dense sea beet grew. "Look, there's a cluster of sea beet seedlings right where the tide just pulled back. I'll get a sample," Jenny said. Kevin moved further out along the break line. "Stay on the inner shelf. I'll work the break line," he called back. They gathered what they could before the water returned.

Midday found the tide lapping the dock's lower planks. Kevin worked the south piling with a 19mm auger bit, searching for sound wood. "Test drill first. Find the hard wood," he said. Jenny watched from the cottage wall, ankle throbbing. "The rot is deeper than I thought. We need to sister those pilings before the boat comes." The rot ended exactly at the mid-tide line. "Sound wood at mid-tide band. Sister plate sits there." They bolted the greenheart sister plate with three stainless bolts. "Solid. Three bolts, torqued. Come on — let's get you inside."

Evening brought careful debridement. The old bandage stuck to raw skin. "Just... be careful with the bandage. It sticks," Jenny said. "Got it. Saline first. Won't rip it." Kevin applied a fresh sea beet-mint-honey poultice. As tide fell fully, exposing barnacle-encrusted pilings, Kevin returned with heavy greenheart plates for the north piling. "North piling's worse than the south was. Rot's past the mudline." Jenny readied the drill and epoxy. "Bring the heavy plates. I'll get the drill and the epoxy."

Scenes

the keeper's cottage · dawn

Morning Humidity and Inspection

Jenny sits on the steps with her ankle propped up, watching the epoxy on the jerry can cure. Kevin stands by the railing, checking the heavy, still air for any sign of the supply boat approaching.

The heavy morning air hangs still over the cottage as the tide begins to recede. Kevin checks the epoxy cure on the jerry can repair while Jenny monitors the swelling in her ankle under the oppressive dry season heat.

🔧 Kevin15:39

Radio check at noon. If the captain's running early, he'll call it in on 2182.

Walk to the shortwave on the kitchen shelf, power it up, and set it to scan 2182 and the working channel.

💭 thought
Air's too still. Barometer's steady but the sky's wrong — that flat grey ceiling means something's building offshore. Supply boat's due in nine days but the last two trips she showed up early when a front pushed. Should check the radio schedule, see if the captain's broadcasting.
🌿 Jenny15:43

I'll check the pH of the north beds after I finish this sketch.

way picks up her pencil and begins detailing the salt way on the sea beet leaves.

💭 thought
The ankle is throbbing again; I need to debride it before I can't walk to the ridge tomorrow.
🔧 Kevin15:43

North beds were holding 6.8 to 7.0 last week. If the rain's leached them, we'll know by lunch.

Turn the radio's squelch knob, listening through the static for any voice traffic on 2182.

💭 thought
She's steady. Ankle's healing, she's working, not favoring it the way she was three days ago. The sketching's good — means she's seeing detail, not just surviving. I'll let her be.
🌿 Jenny15:45

I'll need more lime if the pH has dropped below 5.5.

Jenny opens her notebook to the garden log and begins sketching a new transect map.

💭 thought
The soil is too acidic for the grandmother's seeds; I can't let them rot now.
🔧 Kevin15:45

Two sacks in the shed. Half a sack per bed on the ridge, that's four beds covered. Rest of the garden waits.

Keep one ear on the radio static, walk to the porch rail, scan the horizon south toward the mainland.

💭 thought
Two burlap sacks in the garden shed, half-damp but usable. That's maybe forty kilos if the clumps break clean. Enough for the north ridge beds if we're careful, not enough for the whole garden. Should've asked the supply boat for more last run.
🌿 Jenny15:47

I'll start with the north beds; the soil there is most unstable.

way stands up, wincing at her ankle, and heads toward the garden shed.

💭 thought
If the boat doesn't come, we'll run out of lime before the next cycle.
🔧 Kevin15:47

Take the handheld. Channel four. Check in at the first cairn.

Lift the VHF from the charger by the door, clip it to my belt, and lean against the doorframe watching her path up the slope.

💭 thought
She's pushing it. Ankle's not ready for the ridge climb — loose shale, wet clay, the new tension crack we flagged. But she'll go anyway. Stubborn's the only way she's survived this long. I'll give her twenty minutes, then follow with the radio off.
🌿 Jenny15:49

Jenny — way limps own the shed, her weight heavy on the good leg, she reaches for the

💭 thought
He thinks the radio is the lifeline, but I'm the one actually Reading the island. continuedSAY: I'll check on it once I hit the ridge.

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the dock · morning

Low Tide Foraging

The tide has fully retreated, exposing the slick rocks and tide pools. Kevin and Jenny meet at the waterline to check for forage.

The tide is at its lowest, exposing the northern shelf of the tide pools where a dense stand of sea beet grows. The air is warm at 25°C with a steady trade wind blowing, while Kevin and Jenny stand at the dock planning their morning tasks ahead of the supply boat arrival in nine days.

🌿 Jenny15:49

Watch out for the slip on the lower shelf, the algae is like glass today.

Limps toward the first pool, shifting weight to the good leg while scanning the kelp for limpets.

💭 thought
My ankle is screaming with every step, but the tide pools won't stay open forever. I need those sea beets.
🔧 Kevin15:51

Careful with those rocks, they're like mirrors under the water.

Step carefully toward the first tide pool, checking footholds before committing weight.

💭 thought
She's still limping from yesterday's climb, but she won't say if it's the ankle or just habit. The algae's slick as she says - better watch my step too.
🌿 Jenny15:53

Look, there's a cluster of sea beet seedlings right where the tide just pulled back. I'll get a sample.

Wades carefully into the pool's edge, feeling for stable rock, and scoops some of the salt-stressed seedlings into my bucket.

💭 thought
He's actually watching his footing this time—maybe the heat is getting to him too, or maybe he's seeing what I've been seeing all season: this place is teaching us to be careful.
🔧 Kevin15:53

Nice. Let me get the ones further out while you work the edge.

Move to the next pool down, testing each step on the kelp before shifting weight, bucket in hand.

💭 thought
Sea beet at the lower margin — salt-tolerant stock. Good find if the roots held. She's moving careful on that ankle but won't let me carry the bucket.
🌿 Jenny15:55

Don't go too far out, the shelf looks loose where the current breaks.

Kneels slowly to reach a cluster, gritting teeth as pain hits the ankle, and carefully gathers the sea beets from the rock.

💭 thought
He's actually helping for once, but my ankle is throbbing with every movement—I need to get these samples before the tide turns back.
🔧 Kevin15:55

Stay on the inner shelf. I'll work the break line.

Move outward along the stable rock shelf toward where the current breaks, testing each foothold, bucket ready.

💭 thought
She's pushing through it again. The shelf's undermined at the current break - I've seen the scour marks. She won't stop, won't ask. I'll take the outer edge and keep her on the stable rock.
🌿 Jenny15:57

Keep an eye on the horizon, the wind is picking up slightly.

way plucks the last** from the crevice, avoiding the sharp edges, and places them gently in the bucket.

💭 thought
He's taking the lead for once, but the salt air is making me dizzy—I need to finish this before my leg gives out.
🔧 Kevin15:57

Got them. Watch the edge, might shift.

Inspect the current break line for any new scour, bucket in hand.

💭 thought
Wind’s picking up—good for the tide, bad for the shelves. Keep my footing steady.

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the dock · midday

Morning tasks at the low tide

The tide begins to slow its retreat, and the trade wind remains steady as Kevin and Jenny gather their tools to prepare for the day's work.

Kevin and Jenny stand by the dock as the tide begins to climb against the pilings. The air is warm, and the light onshore breeze carries the scent of the drying vegetation. Jenny shifts her weight, wincing as her ankle pulses while Kevin checks the water level in the main tank.

🌿 Jenny15:59

The pH is still too low in the north; we need to find more lime before we plant anything.

wipes the scalpel on a cloth and winces as she presses the edge to the swollen skin.

💭 thought
My ankle is throbbing, and if I don't get this infection out, I won't be able to reach the ridge.
🔧 Kevin15:59

Lime's in the shed. Two sacks, damp but usable. You're not cutting that again today.

walk toward the garden shed

💭 thought
She's doing it again — treating herself like a machine that just needs the right adjustment. The ankle's been angry for days and she's still poking at it. Need to check the north ridge lime stores anyway, but the real work is getting her to stop.
🌿 Jenny16:01

It needs to be clean, or I won't be able to walk the garden beds tomorrow.

shears the scalpel into the kit with a sharp click, watching him walk away.

💭 thought
He thinks he can just dismiss the pain with an order, but the heat is already spreading.
🔧 Kevin16:01

I'll get the lime. You sit.

turn back toward the cottage porch where she's sitting

💭 thought
She'll cut whether I watch or not. Better to be there when she does. The lime's a real problem — north ridge beds won't take seedlings at 5.5 — but her ankle's the limit on everything else.
🌿 Jenny16:03

Don't take too long, the sun is already getting high.

leans back against the rough wood of the porch, watching the pulse in her ankle.

💭 thought
He always thinks he knows the best way to fix everything, but the infection is still growing.
🔧 Kevin16:03

Back before the kettle boils.

jog down the path toward the garden shed

💭 thought
She's measuring the day in what she can't do. The lime run takes twenty minutes there and back if I don't stop. Twenty minutes she'll spend picking at the wound. Need to make it shorter.

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the dock · afternoon

Midday preparations for the supply boat

The tide is now lapping the lower planks of the dock. The breeze has picked up slightly from the sea.

The tide is high, pushing against the dock as the rotten planks soak up the salt water. Kevin works on the south piling, using the 19mm auger bit to find wood that can still hold a bolt. Jenny leans against the cottage wall, rubbing her throbbing ankle as she watches the rot line, noting the depth of the decay in the wood.

🔧 Kevin16:04

Tide's pushing up the dock. Rotten planks are taking water.

walk along the dock to inspect the sistered cleats and rotten planks at waterline

💭 thought
Tide's coming in faster than I expected. Those lower planks are already wet — the rotten ones will take on water quick. Should check the sistered cleats while I can still see them.
🌿 Jenny16:05

The rot is deeper than I thought. We need to sister those pilings before the boat comes.

way traces the rot line on the wood with her pencil, wincing as she shifts her weight.

💭 thought
If those planks go, the whole jetty becomes way and I can't get the dinghy out for the next survey.
🔧 Kevin16:06

Greenheart's on the dock. Bolts too. South piling first — it's the worst.

grab the 150mm stainless through-bolt, washers, and nyloc nut from the east shutter staging area and bring them to the south piling

💭 thought
She's right. The rot goes past the planks into the piling ends. Supply boat in nine days — we need the dock solid enough to take lines and load. Greenheart cores are staged. Through-bolts staged. Need to get the south piling sistered proper this time.
🌿 Jenny16:07

Right. The wood is like a sponge, we have to be careful where the bolts will actually hold.

Jenny leans against the cottage wall, watching him work while rubbing her throbbing ankle.

💭 thought
If the south end fails, the whole structure will shear in the next big surge.
🔧 Kevin16:07

Test drill first. Find the hard wood.

take the 19mm auger bit on the cordless drill and drill test holes at different heights on the south piling to locate sound timber for the through-bolts

💭 thought
She's not wrong. The piling's punky clear to the mudline in spots. Blind bolting won't hold. Need to find sound wood for the through-bolts — might have to drill test holes first, or drive the sister plate deeper where the grain's still tight.
🌿 Jenny16:08

Look for the resistance. If the drill just slides through like butter, we need to sister a new post first.

Jenny crouches low, sketching the pattern of the decay in her notebook as she watches the tide rise.

💭 thought
If it's all soft gounk, we're going to have to replace the whole beam.
🔧 Kevin16:11

Sound wood at mid-tide band. Sister plate sits there.

position the greenheart sister plate against the piling at the sound wood level, mark the bolt holes through the pre-drilled plate, then drill through the piling at those marks with the 19mm bit

💭 thought
Drill's biting soft at the first two heights — barely any resistance. Third hole, halfway up the tidal band, the bit grabs. That's the band. Sound wood starts there. Sister plate needs to land on that.
🌿 Jenny16:13

Good. Make sure the holes are clean, or the bolts will strip the wood when you torque them down.

Jenny shifts her weight to her good leg, watching the drill bit bite into the timber.

💭 thought
At least there's a core left. We can work with that.

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the dock · evening

High Tide and Hard Work

The tide continues to rise, lapping the lower edges of the dock as Kevin prepares to bolt the greenheart plate into place while Jenny monitors the progress of the rot.

The dock repair is partially complete, with the greenheart sister plate bolted to the south piling using three stainless bolts. Jenny's ankle is raw and inflamed; the old bandage was stuck to the skin, requiring careful saline debridement before applying a fresh sea beet-mint-honey poultice. The tide is falling, exposing more of the rotting wood beneath the dock.

🔧 Kevin16:13

Hold the plate steady on the marks. I'll start the bolts.

Position the greenheart sister plate against the south piling at the marked alignment, insert the first 150mm stainless through-bolt with washer, and begin threading the nyloc nut by hand.

💭 thought
Tide's coming up faster than I'd like. Need to get this sister plate bolted before the water gets to the bolt holes. The greenheart's pre-drilled — just need to hold it true and drive the through-bolts home.
🌿 Jenny16:15

"Watch the alignment. If it's off, the bolts won't catch." continuedDO: way leans her weight against the timber to stabilize the plate, wincing as the movement sends a sharp spike through her ankle.

💭 thought
The wood is soft, like wet cardboard; if we don't sister this now, the whole jetty will shear in the next surge.
🔧 Kevin16:15

Got it. Plate's flush. Starting the first bolt.

Drive the first 150mm stainless through-bolt through the aligned plate and piling hole, seat the washer, and thread the nyloc nut. Tighten with the 19mm wrench to 35Nm using the torque wrench.

💭 thought
She's right — if the plate shifts even a millimetre, the bolt holes won't line up with the pre-drilled piling. Her ankle's bad but she's holding it steady. Good.
🌿 Jenny16:17

Jenny — jenny pulls out her notebook, sketching the specific pattern of the decay to track how much wood actually needs to be replaced.

💭 thought
The torque is holding for now, but the wood around the bolt is weeping under the pressure. storiesSAY: "Don't over-torque it or you'll just strip the remaining fibers."
🔧 Kevin16:17

Second bolt going in. Hold it.

Insert the second 150mm stainless through-bolt through the aligned plate and piling hole, seat the washer, and thread the nyloc nut. Tighten to 35Nm with the torque wrench.

💭 thought
She's documenting the rot pattern while I work. Smart — gives us a record for the trust report and tells us exactly how much timber to order or salvage. The tide's licking at the lower bolt hole now. Need to move.
🌿 Jenny16:19

Keep it level. The tide is shifting.

Jenny presses her palm against the greenheart to keep it from slipping, breathing through her teeth as her ankle throbs in the heat.

💭 thought
Two bolts won't be enough for this much rot; the decay goes deeper than the surface shows.
🔧 Kevin16:19

Last bolt. Then we're off this dock.

Insert the third 150mm stainless through-bolt through the aligned plate and piling hole, seat the washer, and thread the nyloc nut. Tighten to 35Nm with the torque wrench.

💭 thought
Water's rising up the piling fast now. Third bolt hole will be underwater in minutes. She's white-knuckling that plate with a busted ankle. Get the last one home and we're done.
🌿 Jenny16:21

Check the fit. It needs to be solid.

Jenny lets go of the plate and leans back against the cottage, watching the water lap around the new hardware.

💭 thought
Three bolts, but the wood is still weeping. It's holding by a thread.
🔧 Kevin16:21

Solid. Three bolts, torqued. Come on — let's get you inside.

Offer a steadying arm and walk Jenny back toward the cottage, moving slowly to match her pace.

💭 thought
Three bolts home, torqued to spec. Plate's not moving. She's done her part holding it — now she needs to get off that ankle.
🌿 Jenny16:23

I need to sit. The ankle is throbbing.

Jenny accepts the arm stiffly and limps toward the kitchen, her eyes fixed on the uneven floorboards.

💭 thought
My leg feels like lead, and the air is still thick enough to swallow.
🔧 Kevin16:23

Sit. I'll get the poultice and the meds.

Guide Jenny to the kitchen chair, pull it out for her, then go to the medical supplies for the sea beet-mint-honey poultice, clean gauze, and the metronidazole blister pack.

💭 thought
She's masking it but that ankle's bad. Heat, infection, and now standing on it in the salt spray. Needs elevation, fresh poultice, and the rest of the metronidazole.
🌿 Jenny16:25

Just... be careful with the bandage. It sticks.

Jenny sinks into the chair, stretching her swollen ankle out and watching the pulse in the tight skin.

💭 thought
He's trying to be helpful, but the silence between us is heavier than the heat.
🔧 Kevin16:25

Got it. Saline first. Won't rip it.

Retrieve the saline bottle, soak a clean cloth, and gently dab the bandage edges to loosen the adhesion before carefully unwrapping the old gauze and poultice residue.

💭 thought
Bandage stuck to the wound bed. Means it's weeping. Need saline to loosen it slow, then debride what's dead, fresh poultice, and wrap it clean. She's watching me work — doesn't trust anyone else to touch it.
🌿 Jenny16:29

Watch out. It's raw.

Jenny winces, her fingers gripping the edge of the table as the bandage finally pulls away from the inflamed skin.

💭 thought
The salt in the air is making it sting. Every movement is a hot needle.

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the dock · night

NIGHT

The tide continues to drop, revealing the mud flats beneath the dock structure. The air remains heavy and still.

The tide is fully out, exposing the slick, barnacle-encrustedings of the dock. Kevin returns from the cottage with the heavy greenheart plates and bolts, while Jenny prepares the drill and epoxy on the dock, her ankle throbbing as she shifts her weight to stay off the rotting wood.

🔧 Kevin16:29

Kevin — walk along the dock to the north piling, crouch and probe the shim line with the nail puller, checking for movement or crush

💭 thought
Mud flats exposed. Good. Can see the full extent of the piling rot now. The south piling sister plate is holding, but the north piling's still soft at the mudline. Need to check the shims I drove yesterday before the next tide covers them.
🌿 Jenny16:31

The wood is like wet cardboard, Kevin. Don't push too hard.

sketch the cross-section of the rot in the back of the notebook.

💭 thought
If that way gives way, the whole jetty goes into the surf, and I'm stuck with the dinghy.
🔧 Kevin16:33

North piling's worse than the south was. Rot's past the mudline.

pull back from the piling, wipe the nail puller on my trousers, and walk back toward the cottage to get the greenheart sister plates and the 150mm through-bolts

💭 thought
She's right. The nail puller sinks in with almost no resistance. The rot goes deeper than I thought. If the north piling goes, the whole seaward corner follows.
🌿 Jenny16:33

Bring the heavy plates. I'll get the drill and the epoxy.

stand up slowly, wincing as the ankle throbs, and head toward the cottage.

💭 thought
I need to sister that thing before the next tide comes in, or the current will Take it.

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What changed

3 intentions for today.
plan · dawn
×2
Jenny made a sketch: "New transect map".
made · dawn
jerry can repair is finished.
project_done · dawn
dock repair (landward cleat sistering): 40%.
project · morning
jerry can repair (salt contamination on seam): 60%.
project · morning
dense sea beet stand on northern shelf of tide pools, accessible only at low tide
discovery · morning
Kevin and Jenny ate.
meal · morning
dock repair (landward cleat sistering): 50%.
project · midday
jerry can repair (salt contamination on seam): 70%.
project · midday
The trust letter confirms the necessity of lime for the northern garden soil pH.
discovery · midday
Jenny made a sketch: "Pattern of the decay in her notebook".
made · afternoon
dock repair (landward cleat sistering): 60%.
project · afternoon
Found: greenheart sister plate.
item · afternoon
The rot extends exactly to the mid-tide line, but structural reinforcement is possible.
discovery · afternoon
Jenny made a sketch: "Specific pattern of the decay to track how much wood actually needs to be replac".
made · evening
dock repair (landward cleat sistering): 70%.
project · evening
jerry can repair (salt contamination on seam): 80%.
project · evening
Kevin and Jenny ate.
meal · evening
Jenny made a sketch: "Cross-section of the rot in the back of the notebook".
made · night
dock repair (landward cleat sistering): 80%.
project · night
jerry can repair (salt contamination on seam): 90%.
project · night

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

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