Chapter 757 - 349: Plan to Cross the Bahamas Islands

Chapter 757: Chapter 349: Plan to Cross the Bahamas Islands

"Watch closely, Lin," his voice echoed throughout the live broadcast room through the microphone.

"Riven taught you the theory, but the ocean only recognizes experience. Docking without power relies not on calculations but on intuition, the feeling of becoming one with the boat!"

His words were clearly directed at Lin Yu’an’s theoretical calculation model.

Mike didn’t rush towards the dock. Instead, he performed an elegant ’S’ shaped maneuver far away, constantly fine-tuning the sail and rudder angles.

Riven, beside him, took on the role of the live commentator, her voice low, filled with professionalism:

"Look, he’s ’carving.’ Just like top skiers use S-turns to control speed before descending a steep slope."

"He is using continuous small-angle windward turns to very precisely dissipate the boat’s excess kinetic energy. Each turn sheds a bit of speed."

When the boat slowed to what Mike considered a perfect, minimal speed, he calculated the resultant forces of wind and current and set the rudder at just the right angle ahead of time.

The boat glided like an elegant dancer, carving a perfect arc visible to the naked eye, its bow aimed squarely at the narrow berth.

"Now, the final step, ’water brake,’" Riven’s voice held a hint of excitement.

Just before the bow entered the berth, Mike quickly turned the wheel hard in the opposite direction!

This action used the rudder’s immense resistance in the water, acting like an invisible underwater parachute, instantly negating the boat’s last bit of forward inertia.

Under the gaze of all, the "Wanderer" slid into the berth like a Netherworld Ghost. When it finally stopped, the distance between the hull and the dock was no more than ten centimeters.

Throughout the process, there was no roar of engines, no collision with the dock, just a silent waltz where wind and water currents were utilized to the fullest.

After a brief silence, the chat in the live broadcast room erupted with the highest respect for the veteran captain.

[Every profession creates its masters!]

[I finally understand why Captain Mike is top-notch! This experience, this feel for the boat, invincible!]

[Now, this is a real expert! Back to basics! I give this 101 points, one more so he won’t get complacent!]

Mike straightened up and turned his gaze to his daughter, his eyes filled with pride that seemed to say, "Look, sweetheart, this is the essence of your dad’s decades of skill."

Then, he slowly turned to the still-pensive Lin Yu’an and the camera, a calm smile appearing on his face.

He cleared his throat, and his deep voice filled the entire broadcast room, like a university professor delivering a lecture on his life-long research:

"What you just saw is called undriven docking, a silent waltz, a beautiful name. But in my eyes, it’s more like the ultimate gamble with experience and intuition."

"Why do we learn this?" he asked and answered himself, raising a finger.

"First, for the inheritance. Before engines existed, all captains for hundreds of years returned home this way."

"This is an ancient skill ingrained in sailors’ bones. It represents the purest understanding of the wind and ocean. To forget it is to forget where we came from."

"Second, for survival. Your engine could fail at any time—dirty fuel, blocked cooling pipes, a broken drive shaft..."

"When that day comes, and you must dock to escape a storm, this skill becomes your final line of defense between you and the Death God. It’s a practical survival skill."

He began to pace, like a Monarch inspecting his kingdom.

"The challenge of this skill lies in quickly handling all the variables. Today’s wind is 12 knots, coming from 115 degrees. How much lateral push will it exert on my boat?"

"The harbor’s current is 0.5 knots, flowing outwards. How much forward inertia will it cancel out?"

"My boat, the Wanderer, weighs 1.5 tons. Sailing at 2 knots, how much kinetic energy does it store?"

"From how far out do I need to start the ’S’ shaped deceleration to precisely use up this energy before reaching the berth?"

"And finally, timing, when to execute that last reverse rudder for the water brake."

"One second early, you awkwardly stop outside the berth; one second late, and you’ll hear the sound of your wallet breaking."

His words, simple yet profound, full of imagery and tension, gave all the spectators in the live broadcast room a new understanding of the difficulty and importance of this skill.

[Wow! A moment with a sage, worth ten years of reading!]

[So there were so many intricacies behind that mere minute of operation!]

[Can’t imagine how impressive those historical captains’ skills must have been!]

Mike basked in all the admiration and praise, knowing his demonstration achieved its perfect purpose.

He turned to Lin Yu’an, transforming his masterly air into the most direct challenge for the trainee:

"Alright, trainee. The theory class, I’ve finished. The demonstration, I’ve completed. Now, take it out there. Then, bring it back the same way."

Lin Yu’an took a deep breath, knowing this was the hardest part of the day and Captain Mike’s challenge.

He maneuvered the boat to the same position, mentally replaying each of Mike’s movements, every rudder angle, every minute exploitation of wind.