the dock · day 366 · morning

Dawn at the dock

The tide remains high and the air stays heavy. The Yanmar engine sits silent, awaiting the final load test.

No narrator was available, so nothing about this stretch was recorded.

🌿 Jenny00:57

The water's high. Are you finished with that pump yet?

rub the ankle and wince, then return to the sketch of the sea beet leaf.

💭 peek at the thought

My ankle is throbbing in time with the rain; if this infection doesn't break soon, I'll never be able to walk to the north ridge.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin00:58

Done. Bolts at 35 Newton metres. Ready to test.

walk to the dinghy, check fuel line connections, prime the Yanmar, pull the starter cord

💭 peek at the thought

Pump's seated. Housing bolts torqued. Just need to fire her up and put load on — see if the vibration's gone or if the prop shaft alignment's still out. Tide's high enough to run the dinghy off the dock without grounding.

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

🌿 Jenny00:59

Don't pull too hard, the cord is frayed.

lean forward against the railing, watching the engine for any sign of life.

💭 peek at the thought

If that engine doesn't catch, we're stuck on this rotting rock until the boat comes.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin00:59

Cord's got one good pull left. I'll nurse it.

ease the starter cord out slowly until resistance hits, then give a controlled sharp pull

💭 peek at the thought

Cord's frayed from the last pull. Should've replaced it when I had the crate open. Nothing for it now — ease it out, feel for compression, then snap it. She'll catch or she won't.

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

🌿 Jenny01:02

Come on, you piece...

hold my breath, eyes fixed on the Yanmar housing.

💭 peek at the thought

Please just cough to life, I can't handle another day of silence.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin01:02

Kevin — brace a foot on the gunwale and snap the starter cord with a smooth, hard pull

💭 peek at the thought

Compression's there. Fuel's primed. Come on, you bastard.

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

🌿 Jenny01:03

Jenny — grip the edge of the dock, fingers white, waiting for the roar.

💭 peek at the thought

If it doesn't turn over, I'm going to lose my mind.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin01:03

She's alive.

step back, let the engine warm, hand on the throttle lever ready to advance slow

💭 peek at the thought

Caught. She's running. Rough at first — cold cylinders, salt air. Let her settle. Listen for the miss at idle. Watch the exhaust for smoke colour.

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

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