the dock · day 286 · morning

Morning Tension at the Pier

The overcast sky remains heavy as the tide begins to slow its slow ebb. The dinghy bbes rhythmically, the sound of the rotting wood creaking in the humid air.

Kevin worked on the radio insulator and tested the Yanmar engine's vibration. Jenny attempted to install the spare insulator and manage the heirloom seeds.

🌿 Jenny17:37

The dock is giving way, Kevin. We need to sister those beams before the tide takes the whole thing.

Walk back to the cottage and wipe the salt from my hands on my jeans.

💭 peek at the thought

If those planks go, the dinghy goes, and I'm stuck here with nothing but weeds and a rusted tin.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin17:38

Aye. Hand me the crowbar and the two-by-fours—I’ll start on the seaward side where it’s worst.

Walk to the shed, grab the crowbar, two salvaged planks, epoxy tub, and longer stainless through-bolts, then head back to the dock to begin sistering the rotted stringers.

💭 peek at the thought

Jenny’s right—the dock’s failing fast under the weight and tide. I can feel the strain in the bolts and the groan in the stringers. If we don’t sister those beams now, the whole jetty could go when the supply boat tries to tie up. I’ve got the salvaged planks and the epoxy ready. Time to act before it’s too late.

nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b

🌿 Jenny17:38

Take the epoxy too, we need to seal the joints or the rain will finish it before the next boat.

Grab the crowbar and the epoxy from the workbench and hand them to him.

💭 peek at the thought

He's actually doing it for once, but the wood is so soft it might crumble like paper.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin17:40

Got it. Passing the epoxy back—let’s get this plank seated before the tide turns.

Position the salvaged plank alongside the rotted stringer, clamp it temporarily with a heavy wrench, then drive the first 150mm stainless through-bolt with washer and nyloc nut, tightening to 35Nm. Repeat at 300mm intervals.

💭 peek at the thought

She’s thinking ahead—epoxy now will keep the salt and rot from creeping in before the cure sets. Smart. I’ll lay the new plank tight against the stringer, bolt it through, and flood the joint. If we get this right, it’ll hold until the supply boat comes—and maybe longer.

nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b

🌿 Jenny17:40

Easy with the torque. If you strip the threads, the whole section comes off when the boat docks.

Squat down on the wet wood to inspect the gap between the new timber and the old.

💭 peek at the thought

It's holding for now, but the wood around the bolt looks like wet cardboard.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin17:42

Torque’s set. I’m backing off to 30Nm on the first pass—let the wood settle. We’ll snug it up in ten.

Continue installing the through-bolts at 300mm intervals, each tightened to 30Nm initially, then move down the line to snug each to 35Nm in sequence.

💭 peek at the thought

She’s watching close—good. I’ve stripped threads before on the Yanmar housing, and I know what it costs. This isn’t the engine room; it’s the dock, and if it fails, we’re cut off. I’ll ease up, let the bolt draw the wood together slow. No rush. The tide’s still falling—we’ve got time to do it right.

nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b

🌿 Jenny17:42

Watch where the epoxy squeezes out. We need it packed deep in the rot.

Reach out and press the edge of the new plank to check for flex.

💭 peek at the thought

If the wood is compressing that much, it's not settling—collapsing.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin17:44

Right. I’ll chase the squeeze-back with the file tip—work it into the voids before it skins over.

Use the dulled metal file tip to push extruded epoxy back into the joint where the new plank meets the rotted stringer, focusing on pockets of visible decay, then wipe excess with a rag.

💭 peek at the thought

She’s teaching me—again. It’s not just about bolting; it’s about getting the epoxy into the rotten core where the moisture’s hiding. If we just seal the surface, the rot keeps spreading underneath. I need to see where it’s oozing and push it back in with a stick or a knife—force it deep.

nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b

🌿 Jenny17:44

It's holding for now, but I'm checking the whole length again later.

Retrieve the heirloom seed tin from the kitchen and feel the cold metal of it.

💭 peek at the thought

He's working fast, but the rot goes deeper than the surface can fix.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin17:46

I’ll keep an eye on the tide line. If the planks start to sing again, I’ll shout.

Finish tightening the last through-bolt to 35Nm, then wipe the joint clean with a rag and inspect the repaired section for any gaps or movement under light pressure.

💭 peek at the thought

She’s not done yet—she’s already thinking ahead to the next weak spot. And that seed tin… she’s holding it like it’s something fragile. Not just seeds. Maybe it’s the one from Tom. Or her mother’s. I don’t ask. I know better than to pry. But I see it—she’s carrying more than metal in her hands.

nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b

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