the dock · day 706 · midday

Low Tide Inspection

The tide has reached its lowest point, exposing the tide pools and the base of the pilings. Kevin is kneeling with the caulk.

Kevin used the low tide to inspect the dock planks, identifying deep-seated rot in the south-end section. Jenny stayed at the dock, managing her ankle with a saline soak while monitoring the swelling. The tide began to rise unexpectedly, cutting the repair work short.

🌿 Jenny16:20

The rot on that plank is deeper than it looks from the top.

Jenny stands up slowly, wincing as her weight shifts, and limps toward the kitchen to boil salt water.

💭 peek at the thought

My ankle is throbbing in time with the tide; I need to soak it before the water comes back.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin16:20

Kevin — probe the plank with the nail puller to find the sound wood boundary, then mark the cut line with chalk

💭 peek at the thought

She's right. The rot runs along the grain, not just the surface. I'll need to sister this one too, not just caulk it.

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

🌿 Jenny16:21

Make sure you cut past the soft spot, or the new bolts won't hold.

Jenny fills the basin with hot water and a heavy handful of salt, setting it on the table to cool.

💭 peek at the thought

If he doesn't replace that section now, the whole jetty will shear off in the next storm.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin16:22

Cutting to the first clean growth ring. Sister plank's greenheart — it'll outlast the rest of the dock.

saw through the marked rot line on the plank, remove the soft section, and fit the greenheart sister against the sound wood

💭 peek at the thought

She knows dock work better than she lets on. The bolts need solid timber, not the sponge this has become.

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

🌿 Jenny16:23

Just make sure the fit is tight; the salt will find its way into any gap.

Jenny sits on the kitchen stool, dipping her way ankle into the salt water and watching the steam rise.

💭 peek at the thought

The greenheart is heavy, but it's the only thing that'll survive the surge.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin16:24

Epoxy's thin. I'll pack the joint with oakum first, then epoxy over. Bolts go through sound wood both sides.

drive oakum into the joint with the caulking iron, brush mixed epoxy over the seam, and drill pilot holes for the through-bolts through the greenheart sister into the sound dock stringer

💭 peek at the thought

Salt finds everything. The greenheart's dense but the joint's only as good as the epoxy and the clamp pressure.

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

🌿 Jenny16:25

Don't over-torque the bolts or you'll crack the greenheart.

Jenny leans her head back, eyes closed, as the salt water begins to sting the angry skin of her ankle.

💭 peek at the thought

If the way bubbles, the water will just rot it from the inside out.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin16:26

Torque wrench set to 35. Stop when it clicks.

thread the 150mm stainless through-bolts with washers and nyloc nuts, torque each to 35Nm, and wipe excess epoxy from the joint before it skins over

💭 peek at the thought

Greenheart's tough but brittle under compression. She's watched me split enough timber to know.

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

🌿 Jenny16:27

Clean the edges well, it's a nightmare to scrape off.

Jenny shifts her leg in the basin, watching the salt crystals form in the water.

💭 peek at the thought

It looks solid for now, but the tide is already turning back.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin16:28

Kevin — scrape the squeeze-out with the putty knife while it's still tacky, wipe the joint clean with a rag dipped in acetone, and check the bolt heads sit flush in their countersinks

💭 peek at the thought

Epoxy on the plank face is a bitch to clean once it kicks. Better to catch it wet.

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.