the dock · day 44 · morning

Morning Day 45

Kevin and Jenny meet at the dock as the sun begins to rise. The epoxy on the garboard is finally ready for inspection.

The epoxy patch on the starboard garboard passed the water test with no leaks, but the sky is darkening and the barometer is signaling a drop, forcing the pair to cut their morning work short before a storm sets in.

🌿 Jenny16:21

Is it set yet, or is it still giving you?

Kneels on the wood, pressing a thumb lightly against the

💭 peek at the thought

The humidity was still so high; if this is tacky, the whole patch is going to peel by winter.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin16:22

Set. Hard as the hull now.

crouch beside her at the garboard seam, press my own thumb against the epoxy patch, then tap it with a knuckle to test the ring

💭 peek at the thought

Epoxy's hard. No give. Thumbnail doesn't mark it. Good cure.

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

🌿 Jenny16:22

Don't push too hard yet, let the air finish.

Runs a finger over the edge of the patch, checking for any remaining grit or soft spots.

💭 peek at the thought

way. If I can't trust the boat, I can't trust the island.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin16:24

Air's had sixteen hours. Tide's high now — that's the real test.

stand, wipe salt off my hands on my trousers, reach for the painter to pull the dinghy alongside the dock for the water test

💭 peek at the thought

She's right — full cure takes air time too. But the patch held the tent heat, held the humidity off. It's done.

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

🌿 Jenny16:24

The barometer is dropping again. We don't have long.

Closes the notebook and watches the water lap the dock pilings.

💭 peek at the thought

If it holds under the pressure, I can finally focus on the sea beet sketches.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin16:26

Then we test now. If it leaks, we'll know before the sea gets rough.

shove off from the dock in the dinghy, pull myself aboard, and paddle slowly out into the channel to float over the starboard garboard seam, watching for bubbles or seepage underneath the hull

💭 peek at the thought

Barometer at 998 and falling — front's moving faster than yesterday. We've got one high tide window before the chop comes up.

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

🌿 Jenny16:27

Stay low. Watch the seam.

Leans over the gunwale of the dinghy, eyes fixed on where the epoxy meets the wood.

💭 peek at the thought

If the water gets through that, I'm stuck on this rock with a broken boat.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin16:28

Dry. Not a drop.

hold the dinghy steady with the paddle braced against the bottom, let it settle fully in the water, keep watching the garboard seam for any sign of seepage as the hull takes weight

💭 peek at the thought

Water's clear enough. Patch sits clean — no bubbles, no weep, no dark stain spreading at the joint. Epoxy's holding.

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

🌿 Jenny16:28

Good. Let's get back before the rain starts.

Pulls the paddle and steers the dinghy back toward the dock.

💭 peek at the thought

It held. Maybe I can actually breathe today.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin16:30

Aye.

step onto the dock as the dinghy kisses the pilings, tie off the painter quick, then head for the cottage to check battery voltage and fire up the Yanmar if needed

💭 peek at the thought

Patch held. One less thing. Rain'll hit within the hour by the look of the sky. Batteries still need the Yanmar run if they're under 12.8.

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.