the dock · day 18 · dawn

Pressure drops and mechanical tests

Kevin stands over the dinghy at the dock with the crowbar and the oak tenon in hand. Jenny prepares the limpets and sea beet on a nearby surface while the barometer shows a steady drop in pressure.

Jenny prepares a breakfast of boiled limpets and sea beet while Kevin works on the dinghy. Kevin focuses on repairing the split mast step by drilling and bolting in an oak tenon while the epoxy is still tacky.

🔧 Kevin12:34

Barometer's falling. Gonna drill the mast step now, bolt the tenon while the epoxy's still tacky. You want the limpets in the pan or the pot?

Walk to the shed, grab the brace-and-bit and the 3/8" through-bolts with washers and nuts, return to the dinghy.

💭 peek at the thought

Pressure's dropping steady. If it hits 990 before I get this step bolted, the wind'll shift and the dinghy'll pound itself to kindling against the dock. Oak tenon's dry, holes marked. Just need the drill and the through-bolts from the shed.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

🌿 Jenny12:35

Pan. Higher heat, faster. And Kevin—don't just jam that tenon in. Clean the gap first or you're just bolting it into a slurry.

Put the limpets and sea beet into the frying pan and light the portable stove.

💭 peek at the thought

He's actually doing it. Finally. But if he bolts it while the epoxy is tacky, he might just squeeze all the adhesive out of the joint.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin12:36

Chisel. Brush. Then drill.

Set the crowbar down, pull the 1/2" firmer chisel and the wire brush from the tool roll, scrape the split clean down to fresh wood on both faces, brush out the dust and resin beads, blow the bore clear with a sharp breath.

💭 peek at the thought

She's right. Sawdust and half-cured resin'll act like grease. Need a chisel and a wire brush first. Bolts won't hold in mush.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

🌿 Jenny12:36

Good. Make sure you're perfectly square. I don't want to be the one sanding it down if it sits crooked.

Stir the limpets, letting the sea beet wilt into the butter.

💭 peek at the thought

He's being thorough. That's all I wanted. Now let's see if he actually gets the alignment right before he commits to the holes.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin12:38

Using the square. Tenon's marked.

Clamp the combination square to the aft face of the mast step, check the tenon's cheek marks against the blade, adjust two millimeters port, re-check, nod once satisfied.

💭 peek at the thought

Square to the centerline, square to the keel. If the tenon walks, the mast loads go sideways and the step splits again. Eyeball's not enough — use the combination square off the aft face.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

🌿 Jenny12:38

Precise. I like it.

Plate the limpets and sea beet onto two chipped ceramic plates and set them on the dock planking.

💭 peek at the thought

Two millimeters. That's the difference between a structural bond and a wedge that splits the whole step. He's actually paying attention.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

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