Day 796

Not leaning. Testing. There's a difference.

Press my boot against the lowest greenheart plate, shift weight slowly, watch the bolt heads for any movement.

Salt's always winning. Question is whether the sistering outlasts it. Bolts holding?

Crouch beside her, pull the 19mm wrench from my belt, check each nyloc nut on the starboard sister plate — one by one, feeling for give.

Fracture's on the plate or the piling?

Run fingertips along the line she pointed to, feel whether it's surface checking or through-crack. Tap the plate with the wrench handle — listen for hollow sound behind the bolt holes.

Clear. Sealed the aerial lead with self-amalgamating tape. Salt's not getting in.

walk to the shortwave radio case on the dock locker, unlatch it, power on the unit and let it warm up

Captain said nine days, three days ago. High's holding. Barometer's 1008 and rising. We'll know in a minute.

tune the shortwave to 2182 kHz, adjust the squelch, and key the mic for the scheduled check-in

Three ninety in the tank. Eight days is thirty-two litres between us. Not rationing yet. But we watch the sky.

hold the mic ready, listening through the static for the supply boat's call sign

Don't put weight on it. The bond's at ninety percent. Deep pitting might've killed the adhesion. I'll pressure test it after.

keep the mic keyed, scanning 2182 for the supply boat's scheduled call, one ear on her footsteps

Just look. Don't press. Epoxy's curing on the seam — finger pressure only.

release the mic, set the radio to scan, and turn toward the workbench

Boat's not talking. Swell's building northeast. Eight days on 390 litres if she doesn't come.

walk to the workbench and examine the cracked jerry can's seam, checking if any epoxy residue remains in the tub for a second patch attempt

Yeah. One good can. One leaker. We stretch it.

pick up the sound jerry can, weigh it in hand, then set it back on the bench and walk to the dock's landward end to check the cleat sistering one more time before the tide covers it

Sealant's in the shed, top shelf. Take the putty knife. I'll check the north piling shim while the tide's still low enough to see it.

walk along the dock to the north piling, crouch at the waterline, and inspect the shim and bolt interface for any fresh movement or weeping

North piling shim's holding. Stringer's got a hairline crack from the bolt hole down. Not moving. Yet.

stand, wipe damp hands on trousers, and walk back toward the cottage to check the generator fuel level and calculate burn rate at reduced load

Generator's half tank. Twelve litres. Four hours a day gets us forty days. Sound can's twenty. Leaker might give ten if the sealant holds.

climb the cottage steps, pull the generator log from the hook by the door, and write today's fuel level and reduced-load plan in pencil

Greenheart sister plates are staged on the dock. Three sixteen-foot cores, bolt holes pre-drilled. Need the tide to drop another foot before we can get the through-bolts through sound wood below the rot line.

walk to the dock's seaward end and check the greenheart sister plates staged beside the north piling, verifying the pre-drilled bolt holes align with the south piling's sound section below the rot

Then we work the rising. You call the depths from the walkway, I'm in the cut. Drill's charged, sixteen-millimetre bit for the through-bolts. Three per side, epoxy in every hole.

grab the cordless drill with the 12mm auger bit from the workshop and move to the south piling, positioning at the first pre-marked bolt hole above the rot line

Hand-drill the pilot holes. Cordless only for the through-bolts once the path's clean. You take the walkway end — call the depth every half inch. I'll work from the skiff tied off the starboard cleat, weight off the piling.

untie the dinghy from the dock's end and row it around to the starboard side of the south piling, securing it with a bowline to the cleat so I can work from the boat with weight off the structure

Understood. Three bolts per side, top to bottom. If the shelf goes under, we walk away and the piling takes its chances.

climb into the dinghy, brace knees against the gunwales for stability, and begin hand-drilling the first pilot hole at the uppermost mark on the south piling, feeling for grain changes inch by inch

Sit still. I'll get the kit.

walk to the shelf above the stove, take down the first aid kit, set it on the table beside her, pull out the gauze, antiseptic cream, and the last clean strip of bandage, then pull up the stool opposite her

Got it. Slow.

peel the tape back millimeter by millimeter with thumb and forefinger, holding the skin taut beside it, letting the poultice release without tearing the new tissue, drop the soaked gauze into the newspaper bag for burning

Saline rinse. Then I'll mix fresh poultice.

lift the kettle from the stove, pour warm boiled water into the basin, add a pinch of salt from the tin, stir with a clean spoon, then hold the basin steady under her ankle and ladle the solution over the wound slow and thorough, watching t

Sea beet and mint. Honey from the jar.

pull the damp cloth-wrapped sea beet leaves and mint sprigs from the cool corner of the counter, chop them fine with the kitchen knife on the wooden board, scrape the mash into a clean bowl, stir in a spoonful of honey until it binds, sprea

Kettle's on. Want a mug?

walk into the kitchen and set the kettle on the wood stove, then pull out two tin mugs

Sit tight. I'll bring it over.

fill both mugs from the kettle, set one in front of Jenny and take the other for myself, then pull out the chair opposite her

Swell's building out west. French forecast had it for Wednesday. You're feeling the pressure drop before the barometer catches it.

blow across my mug, then take a sip, watching her ankle under the table

Let me look at it. Proper look.

set my mug down and reach for the first aid kit on the shelf above the stove