Day 83

Right.

step back onto the sound plank aft, weight off the rotten section, watch her hands on the mooring ring

Line's fast on the aft cleat. Take your time.

hold the mooring line taut from the cleat, stance braced on the sound plank, eyes on the ring where it bites the hull

Feel how much it's moving?

keep the line steady, shift weight to my left foot to ease strain on the plank, watch her leverage with the crowbar

Aye. I’ll ream the holes and drive the bolts through with washers both sides. You keep the line taut and watch for chafing.

Grab the crowbar and start prying the rotted dock planks loose to access the mortise from underneath, then clear out debris so I can ream the bolt holes true.

Twenty-five on the torque. No more. I’ll use the through-bolts with the doubler plate—spreads the load.

Slide under the dock with Jenny, flashlight in my teeth, and start reaming the mortise holes with the taper bit to clean out the rot and get them round and true for the bolts.

Got four fender washers in the roll. Three-inch OD. They’ll cover the soft grain. You see any white on the iron—flaking, scale—call it.

Pull the fender washers from the tool belt, thread them onto the two 10mm stainless through-bolts, and start driving the bolts up through the reamed holes from below, working by feel and flashlight.

Yeah. Grab the pepper tray first — those seedlings are tender.

walk to the porch and help carry the remaining seed trays inside, setting them on the kitchen table near the wood stove

1004 and dropping. We've got hours, maybe less. Secure the porch tarp first — wind'll shred it if it gets loose.

step out onto the porch and check the tarp lashings over the generator and seed tin, tightening the lines where they've slackened

I'll stow the oarlock bracket and spare rope below deck. Nothing left out to fly.

go inside, grab the oarlock bracket and coiled spare rope from the porch, and carry them down into the cottage to stow under the kitchen table

Shut the south porch door and dog the hatch — wind's gonna come from that quarter.

close and latch the south porch door, then slide the wooden hatch bolt across to secure it against the frame

Call it in. If they're turning back, I'd rather know now.

move to the kitchen table and start sorting through the tools laid out there — file, penetrating oil, torque wrench — putting them back in the tool roll so nothing shifts if the cottage shakes

Pressure's still dropping. Wind'll shift northwest by dark.

Walk to the porch rail, glance at the barometer on the shelf through the kitchen window, then lean against the porch post facing the north ridge.

Aft cleat'll take it. Ring's the weak point. Meant to ream those bolt holes today.

Cross arms, gaze tracking the cloud line lowering over the north ridge, weight shifting to back foot.

Two hours. Maybe less.

Push off the porch post, step down into the yard toward the dock path, hand brushing the crowbar leaning by the door.

Won't be long. Just the ring and a quick check on the mast step lashing.

Stride down the dock path, crowbar in hand, eyes on the mooring ring where it sits in the mortise, testing for play with my boot toe before I even reach it.

Seen it. Epoxy first, then ream. Won't hold otherwise.

Drop to one knee at the mooring ring, probe the mortise cheeks with the crowbar tip — feeling for the soft spots, marking the bad wood with a thumbnail gouge.