sbdcsierra Chapter 1911 Seagull
Chapter 1911 Seagull
Chapter 1911 Seagull
"The compass is malfunctioning!"
Ye Yaodong's heart tightened, and he looked down at the dashboard.
The compass needle was spinning wildly, pointing east one moment and west the next, it just wouldn't stop.
Other fishing boats also discovered that their locators were malfunctioning, and everyone panicked, frantically asking questions on the channel.
He should have realized that volcanic eruptions would affect the magnetic field and cause compasses to malfunction.
It's not just compasses; electronic compasses, which ships rely on, also use magnetic fields to determine direction and location.
Now, due to the underwater volcanic eruption and the resulting magnetic field anomaly, the ship's positioning instruments will malfunction.
He couldn't help but feel a little flustered, but he forced himself to calm down, took a few deep breaths, and then pressed the VHF button.
"Listen up, all ships! The compass has malfunctioned! Hold on! Don't panic! Wait for the storm to pass!"
"I can't see anything..."
"Mine isn't working either..."
"The rain is too heavy..."
"Everyone stay calm! Don't veer recklessly! Maintain course! Don't crash! Stop talking nonsense and just report the situation."
The channel was noisy, with all sorts of voices mixed together. Ye Yaodong shouted a few times to tell them not to panic and that they could still communicate, and then everyone quieted down.
A huge wave crashed in, and the ship tilted violently.
Ye Yaodong lost his balance and fell backward, crashing into the bulkhead. He winced in pain, but got up and grabbed the door handle tightly to steady himself.
The world outside the window had gone completely mad; the wind was howling, the rain was pouring down, and the waves were surging.
The sky and the sea merged into one, all black, making it impossible to distinguish which was where the sky ended and which was where the sea began.
Only under the ship's lights did the waves appear frighteningly high, pressing down like a wall.
The boat looked like a leaf in front of this wall.
Another huge wave came, tossing the ship to the crest and then crashing into the trough. In that instant, Ye Yaodong felt his heart was about to jump out of his throat.
"Boss, are you alright?" the captain called out.
"It's okay! Hold on tight, don't let go!"
"Boss, what do we do now?" The captain's voice trembled with nervousness as he gripped the helm tightly, completely unsure of where to steer the ship.
Without direction, without coordinates, not knowing where I am or where to go, I can only drift along in the storm.
The international public rescue channel also broadcast the anxious cries of other vessels, all cargo ships and fishing boats in this area.
They also encountered this sudden storm and geomagnetic anomaly, all their instruments malfunctioned, and they were completely lost at sea.
They couldn't understand the shouting of the people on the channel, but they could still be infected by their emotions.
Ye Yaodong took a deep breath, suppressing his anxiety, and pressed the VHF radio button to respond to the captain and also to issue instructions to the other fishing boats.
"Activate the emergency plan! All crew members reinforce the hull, close the waterproof doors, and ensure the ship's buoyancy and balance."
"The captains of each ship should keep their ships stable and sail with the wind and waves. Do not make any sudden turns. As long as everyone sails with the wind and waves, they will not drift too far apart."
"The positioning equipment malfunctioned due to the magnetic field, but the communication equipment is still working normally. Everyone is staying at their posts, waiting for the storm to subside and for the geomagnetic field to return to normal!"
"Once the storm passes, everyone can calm down. We are not in the eye of the storm, but just on the edge. For now, we should just go with the flow."
The worst thing is when people are like headless flies, with no one coordinating the whole situation. With his orders, everyone has a leader to rely on, and everyone immediately gets to work.
I don't know how much time passed, maybe an hour, maybe two hours, maybe longer, but the storm continued, and the fishing boats swayed with the wind and waves.
Their bodies also swayed and collided inside the cockpit.
The thermos and ashtray had long since been smashed to the ground, and no one cared.
The boat was still rocking, the waves were still crashing, and the rain was still falling. Ye Yaodong had lost track of time; he only knew to cling tightly to the things around him and stare out the window.
Inside the cabin, the crew members looked somber, and no one spoke.
The warmth and homesickness from eating dumplings on the Winter Solstice have been completely washed away by this sudden disaster.
Everyone was silently doing their own thing, their eyes filled with worry. But there was no time for others to think too much. They could only grab onto whatever they could find to keep themselves from getting hurt.
The storm lasted all night.
As dawn broke, the sky remained shrouded in thick, dark clouds, obscuring the sun. The sea was still raging with storms and towering waves, and the geomagnetic anomaly showed no signs of abating, leaving all navigation devices malfunctioning.
The compass needle was still spinning wildly.
Due to the volcanic eruption, volcanic ash clouds, and torrential rain, the radar remained noisy, and satellite signals were intermittent.
Fortunately, VHF doesn't rely on satellite signals, so we can still contact everyone and hear reports from time to time.
"Each ship should report on its safety status."
"Ship No. 1 is safe for the time being."
"Ship number 2..."
None of them have lost contact, and they are all safe for the time being.
Ye Yaodong breathed a sigh of relief and said, "As long as everyone can keep in touch, it's fine. Right now, we're just affected by the magnetic field and can't tell which way to go. As long as the fishing boats and people are safe, everything is alright."
"The boss is right. As long as we can communicate, everything is still under control."
"It's light now, but the storm hasn't stopped yet. This volcanic eruption should have a wide impact. Let's just continue to go with the wind and waves. Once the magnetic field is restored, we'll be able to locate ourselves and find our way."
Everyone echoed their agreement.
Communication is still normal, which is a blessing in disguise. Being able to talk to each other and know each other's situation can alleviate anxiety.
As long as the fishing boats and crew are safe, the storm will eventually pass.
If they hadn't lost their way, they wouldn't have been drifting with the wind and waves, afraid to sail recklessly. If they had a direction, they would have definitely left this storm area last night and wouldn't have been affected by the magnetic field for so long.
Several boats drifted with the current, but at least they could maintain the same course of navigation, so they wouldn't get separated and lose contact in the vast ocean.
They have sufficient food and fresh water reserves to last for a while, so there's no need to worry too much in the short term.
On the second and third days, the storm showed signs of gradually weakening, and the waves were much smaller, but the geomagnetic anomaly still existed.
Radar satellite signals have been restored, but the geomagnetic field is abnormal, the magnetic compass/electronic compass is malfunctioning, and the ship does not know which way to sail.
Even if the GPS recovers occasionally, it can't keep track of the course, so they can only drift along or go around in circles, unable to find any direction.
Ye Yaodong had barely slept for the past three days, only managing to doze off briefly.
At this moment, he was unshaven, his eyes were bloodshot, and his eyes were dark circles. He stared at the constantly jumping compass and continued to reassure the other fishing boats.
"The storm has passed, which means things are getting better. Everyone just needs to wait for the magnetic field to recover. We still have cargo ships to collect fresh food, and we have plenty of food and fresh water."
"Fortunately, the communication equipment has always been able to connect and has not been affected."
"Yes, thankfully our ships have never lost contact or strayed too far apart."
Some fishing boats drifted away in the wind and waves and could not be seen, but as long as they could be contacted, they were within communication range, which was not a big problem, indicating that they were not far away.
"Shall we just drift around for now and wait for the magnetic field to recover?"
"That's all we can do. We've lost our fishing nets and the equipment is malfunctioning. We can't do anything."
"If we run around aimlessly, we might run into some hidden reef or something, which would be even worse. We don't have radar or sonar to help us detect things anymore."
"It's raining right now, and since everyone's just sitting around doing nothing, we can collect some rainwater."
"Everyone can relax a little and get some sleep. I bet nobody has been sleeping well these past few days."
"That's right, I feel like I haven't slept much for three days, I can only doze off for a short while at most."
Seeing that the wind and waves had subsided and it was just a light rain, Ye Yaodong relaxed, his eyelids were almost closed, and he was exhausted.
"Boss, go and get some sleep. I'll keep an eye on things here. I'll call you if anything comes up."
"it is good."
The captain could at least get some sleep while he was watching the ship, but he barely closed his eyes for three days; he was under more pressure than anyone else.
I haven't eaten or slept much these past few days. As soon as I got back to my resting place, I closed my eyes and couldn't care about anything else.
He was the one who was most exhausted, but after this ordeal, he was also the one who earned everyone's respect the most.
Ye Yaodong didn't sleep for long before waking up again. He wasn't completely out of danger, so he couldn't sleep peacefully and could only take a short nap.
But at least I regained my energy, and my muddled mind became much clearer.
After eating a bowl of hot porridge, I felt much better.
It was already afternoon, and the sky was still overcast with a light drizzle, but the wind and waves were less intense than before he went to bed.
"The magnetic field hasn't recovered yet?"
"Not yet, but the rain is about to stop and the storm is about to pass. We should wait patiently and things will recover."
Ye Yaodong nodded. "Go get some sleep. I'll keep watch."
"Okay, I'll come to work the night shift after I wake up."
The other fishing boats were still chatting there, but they were talking much more relaxed now, without the tension and panic of the previous two days.
They just need to wait for the magnetic field to recover. Once the instruments are back up, they can determine the direction and return immediately.
On the morning of the fourth day, he stood on the deck as usual, staring blankly at the sea. There was no sun during the day and no stars at night, and he couldn't tell which way was which.
Four days have passed since the storm, but the magnetic field has not yet recovered.
Suddenly, several black dots appeared on the horizon.
He squinted and looked closely; it was a bird, a seagull.
Several seagulls flew in from a distance, circled above his head a few times, and then flew off in a certain direction.
Ye Yaodong stared at the seagulls, and a thought suddenly flashed through his mind, making his eyes light up.
Seagulls are near-shore birds; their habitat is always on the shore of land and islands, relying on fish, shrimp, and shellfish for survival. They would never fly far from land for an extended period.
Unlike albatrosses, which don't fly over the sea indefinitely, seagulls have to find places to land and find food.
They fly towards either islands and reefs, or areas not far from the mainland that are considered safe.
Instead of drifting aimlessly at sea waiting for the magnetic field to recover, they might as well follow the seagulls; that would be the safest course of action.
Once we leave this area of the sea, the magnetic field will probably recover.
When instruments malfunction, rely on biological instincts and natural laws to return to the most primitive form of seafaring.
After observing the direction the seagulls were flying, Ye Yaodong immediately issued instructions.
"All fishing boats, immediately adjust your course and follow the direction the seagulls are flying! Full speed ahead!"
"Whether we can escape this chaotic magnetic field depends on them."
Everyone was invigorated by the sight of seagulls soaring over the sea.
“Yes, we can try to follow the seagulls. It’s better than sailing aimlessly or drifting in place.”
(End of this chapter)