Back to the small fishing village in 1982

Chapter 1546 Sailing
Ye Yaodong told the workers of Ocean No. 1 to set off, and everyone started moving.

The harbor at dawn was shrouded in a blue-gray mist. The salty and humid sea breeze blew in the face with the smell of diesel and fishing nets, blowing away the last trace of sleepiness.

He climbed up to the wheelhouse, stood in front of the cockpit of "Ocean One", took a deep breath, and his fingers unconsciously stroked the brand new steering wheel.

This is his ship, his fleet, and today they start a new voyage.

Behind him, five fishing boats, "Ocean No. 5" to "No. 40" and a -meter seafood collecting boat, were quietly moored at the dock. The dark shadows of the boats looked particularly small against the backdrop of the fishermen walking back and forth on the shore.

The boats are of the same specifications, so the rented berths are connected together, which is more convenient.

The ship rocked gently with the tide, and the ropes tightened and slackened, making a low creaking sound.

There were a few dim lights on at the dock, which had not yet been turned off. The crews on other ships were still busy, checking their fishing gear, cables and ice holds one last time.

"Brother Dong, everything is ready."

Second mate Chen Shi looked up and shouted on the deck, his voice was particularly clear in the quiet morning.

Chen Shi has been able to improve himself in the past few years. In the past seven or eight years, he has grown from a simple and stuttering young man into an honest and reliable young man.

He doesn't stutter much anymore, unless he speaks too fast, then he will stutter a little. He is also promoted every time there is a personnel change.

Ye Yaodong nodded, glanced across the sea, walked into the cockpit, grabbed the copper bell on the console and rang it three times.

This is the rule passed down by the older generation: "One shot to honor the Dragon King, two shots to ensure safety, and three shots to fill the cabin with fish."

At the bow, the first mate, Lao Xiao, was leading his men to pour half a bottle of liquor and a handful of rice into the sea.

The breaking waves quickly swept away the offerings, leaving behind only a few wisps of dissipating wine aroma.

"Coordinates locked!" The chief engineer leaned out of the cabin and shouted, "123 degrees 28 minutes east longitude. We follow the Kuroshio Current and we'll arrive in three days!"

"Weigh anchor!"

He gave an order in a deep voice and walked into the cockpit again, operating the maritime radio and starting to tune the frequency. His voice was transmitted into the channel in a steady and powerful voice.

"All ships report readiness."

"Ocean 2 is ready, the engine is working properly, and the fishing gear has been checked."

"Ocean 3 is operating normally and can depart at any time."

"Ocean 4 is ready."

"Oceanic No. 5 is in position, awaiting instructions."

"Everything is going fine on the fresh food ship, waiting for instructions to depart."

"Well, let's go."

He responded, tapping the steering wheel with his fingers, his eyes scanning the calm sea ahead.

The rattling sound of iron chains rang out one after another, drowning out the noise on the dock. The engines of six fishing boats roared at the same time, and black smoke rolled out of the chimneys and mixed into the morning mist.

The ship slowly left the dock, the sea water was split at the bow, surging into white foam and leaving a long wake at the stern, like six sharp knives, cutting open the sleepy sea surface.

Ye Yaodong looked back at the pier which was gradually moving away.

On the shore, his father and several familiar fishermen were still standing on the breakwater, watching them leave in silence.

Father Ye was also sighing at this time, "Hey, this child is too courageous, I can't control him, I can't control him, he is too troublesome..."

"Like Ah Dong, you can get rich by working hard. You should be happy."

"You should be proud. How old is your third child? He dares to take a few boats to the deep sea."

"How will we receive the goods later? Have you arranged it?"

Father Ye nodded, "Dongzi has made all the arrangements. Let's take one with us when we go out to collect seafood, just in case we go too far and the signal is not good, it will be inconvenient to receive, and we don't know the location."

"Take it out in advance, and wait until the destination starts operations. When the fresh-water ship receives the goods, it will return, and then it will keep going back and forth to receive and unload the goods."

"This is safer. After all, it's our first time going there. We need to decide on the location of the work first. Then we can have detailed coordinates later."

Everyone agreed, "That's good, it's safer this way. After all, we're going so far, and this is our first time."

"Adong is so amazing."

"He owns all the fishing boats, so it's good that they are all in his hands. He can get news every few days, which is convenient."

"Yes... I don't know when the seafood boat will come back..."

Father Ye was muttering to himself, but his heart was full of worry.

He will never feel at ease until she returns safely.

Raising a child for 100 years means worrying for 99 years.

Only after the fishing boat disappeared did he follow everyone back with great concern.

As the fleet sailed out of the harbor, the wind gradually grew stronger.

The sea was not calm in the early morning. Waves came one after another and the boat began to shake slightly.

Ye Yaodong adjusted the course so that the bow could cut across the waves and avoid being hit by side waves.

Then he ordered the fishing boat to sail normally according to the predetermined track. He took out a yellowed nautical chart and instructed the first mate who had just walked in. This was his cousin from his second aunt's family, who was a dozen years older than him.

"Old Xiao, check the sextant and compass again."

His finger moved slowly on the nautical chart and finally stopped at a location circled in pencil - the DYD sea area.

As for why he chose this sea area, it was because he worked in this sea area in his previous life and was quite familiar with it.

Now, if we bring a few ships here decades ago, we will of course choose this area as the first choice to reduce risks and put safety first.

If he didn't have the experience from his previous life, he wouldn't dare to go directly to the deep sea based on his experience in this life. He would rather stay comfortably near the coast, where he can make steady money.

"It's been adjusted early!" First mate Lao Xiao patted the magnetic compass fixed on the bulkhead.

"We sail southeast, 15 degrees east, following the Kuroshio tributary, saving fuel and time."

Ye Yaodong nodded, but he was still a little worried. In 1990, there was no GPS on ocean-going fishing vessels, and navigation depended entirely on experience, compass and sextant star positioning.

He unfolded the nautical chart and confirmed the route and coordinates again:

Shenjiamen, Zhou City (29°56′N, 122°12′E)
First turning point: East of Dongji Island (28°30′N, 123°45′E)
Second turning point: Entering the Kuroshio tributary (27°10′N, 125°20′E)
Target sea area: Fishing grounds near DYD (25°44′N, 123°28′E)
He picked up a pen and drew a thick arc on the nautical chart - this was their route for the next three days.

He felt relieved only after confirming the route again.

Lao Xiao said with a smile: "Before we set out, you have gathered everyone to discuss twice, and you are still not at ease?"

"Of course, I am not only responsible for myself, but also for you. I must double-check to ensure that everything is foolproof. After all, this is the first time, and everything is difficult at the beginning."

"That's right. Actually, I think there are quite a lot of fish to catch near the coast, and it's profitable enough. We can wait until we have caught everything before making any plans."

"You're still thinking you're going to catch everything? That's wishful thinking. Can the country watch so many of your fishing boats go to waste? There are only a few yellow croakers left, and the squid season is over. I think the hairtail will be gone soon."

"Oh, you're right... There are indeed fewer hairtail fish in recent years. I've been fishing here for three years, and this year I feel like the amount I caught is almost half of what it was in the previous two years."

"So many boats are fishing non-stop, but the fish are not growing as fast as you can catch them, and they are all still dead fish."

"That can't be helped, everyone is like this."

"This trip can also be regarded as a preliminary exploration. We will see how things go. Anyway, we will be back in July or August at the latest."

"Okay, you're the boss, you have the final say, everyone listens to you, we'll do whatever you say."

Ye Yaodong smiled and said, "Do you trust me so much?"

"Of course not. If I don't trust you, who else can I trust? You can make so much money and buy so many ships. You must have your reasons for doing things."

"Okay." Ye Yaodong was very satisfied.

Although there is some flattery in it, it makes people happy from the bottom of their hearts when they hear it.

"Go to the cabin at the back and rest for a while. I'll be watching over here too. The route has been confirmed anyway, so just follow the marked route. If everything goes well, you'll arrive in two or three days. I'll call you if there's anything else."

"Row."

Ye Yaodong closed the nautical chart and placed it on the operating table.

He did not go to the cockpit to rest immediately, but stood on the deck to get some fresh air. Now that the weather was getting warmer, the sea breeze felt comfortable.

It is about 180 nautical miles from them to DYD. Based on 10 knots, a 180-nautical-mile journey theoretically takes 18 hours.

However, they are definitely not going there. The waters there are highly controversial and may involve the control scope of the China-Japan Fisheries Agreement. They need to be careful to avoid operating in disputed waters.

What he said about fishing near DYD is actually quite a distance away.

During actual navigation, fishing boats will not travel in a straight line, but need to detour around some sea areas or adjust their course to avoid wind and waves.

We may also need to slow down at night to ensure safety, or if we encounter bad weather, such as strong winds or heavy fog, we may need to detour or suspend navigation.

This will take more than 18 hours, maybe more than two or three days. If it is a fast ship, such as a coast guard ship, it can arrive in one day.

The fishing boats were relatively slow, and they were a fleet of several boats, so they had to take several boats into consideration.

Ye Yaodong also lit a cigarette for himself.

Soon after leaving the port, a group of silvery little fish passed by on both sides of the fleet. They suddenly jumped out from the water as if whipped by an invisible whip, and then dived into the sea in unison.

A long-term worker on the deck also saw it and shouted, "It's a school of mackerel!"

"Looking at this situation, there must be a big guy chasing them!"

Ye Yaodong also looked towards the sea, and sure enough, a few seconds later, a blue-black dorsal fin broke through the water and quickly disappeared - it was a dolphin!

Immediately afterwards, three or four gray-white figures leaped out from the waves, drew a graceful arc in the air, and dived into the water. They chased the school of fish, making short chirs from time to time.

The corners of his mouth raised slightly.

The older generation of fishermen said that encountering dolphins at sea is a good sign, indicating that the fishing situation in the sea area is good.

It’s more than good, this is one of the four major fishing grounds.

After a while, the group of mackerels disappeared. It was not known whether they hid under the water, were swallowed, or were left behind by the fishing boat.

Ye Yaodong lit two cigarettes and threw the butts into the sea before returning to the cockpit to rest.

After passing Dongji Island, the sea water suddenly becomes deeper, almost ink blue, in sharp contrast to the turbid waters near the shore.

That's the edge of the continental shelf.

Going further ahead is the real deep sea.

The sunlight cannot penetrate the dark sea water, and the world under the ship becomes mysterious.

Occasionally, a string of fine bubbles would float on the water surface and then quickly dissipate.

Ye Yaodong had just come out of the rest cabin to get some fresh air when he saw a huge black shadow swimming slowly under the sea not far away. The shadow was almost half the length of the fishing boat.

The black shadow slowly swung its tail fin, appearing and disappearing in the deep blue water.

"Fuck me..."

His eyes widened and he reached for his binoculars.

The sailors working on the deck were also exclaiming.

"What kind of fish is this..."

"It must be a big whale, or a big shark..."

"Oh my god, I just got out and I run into such a big guy?"

Lao Xiao also came out of the cockpit to take a look. "Oh, it's such a big guy. No wonder everyone ran out."

Ye Yaodong looked at the big creature in the distance with binoculars and said, "It's a whale. Judging from its size, it looks like a humpback whale."

It has an arched back, a distinct hump, and extra-long pectoral fins, making it quite recognizable among marine creatures and easy to recognize at a glance.

"We just started out, not even a day has passed, and we've already encountered a big one." Old Xiao looked a little excited.

The boatmen below also ran out to exclaim in amazement, but they did not dare to lie over the side of the boat to watch, for fear of getting too close to the big fish.

You can't see humpback whales just because you want to. It depends on luck.

The black shadow lingered near the fleet for a while, and finally slowly dived and disappeared into the unfathomable sea, leaving only a few spreading ripples.

"Gone, gone?"

"Maybe he went under the water."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, it's so big, our boat can't catch it."

"think too much."

"Isn't this just a sigh of relief? If this can be towed back, it will really shock the entire dock and will be on the news and TV immediately. You have been in the newspapers and on TV many times. Those who followed you in the past few years were more fortunate and even won awards and were in the newspapers."

Hearing this, Ye Yaodong thought of his father again.

The old man is very regretful. He has no share in all the good things, but he is always responsible for all the bad things.

"This is a protected animal and cannot be touched. It is now expressly prohibited to catch any whales."

"I know. That said, it's still pretty spectacular. I've only seen fish this big a few times in my life."

Ye Yaodong changed the subject, "You must be tired after driving the boat for so long, let Chen Shi take over for you."

"Let's wait until after dinner, then change shifts. Let him come at night. It's a good thing that the boy's stuttering has gradually improved, otherwise there would be no way to promote him."

"He seems to have matured a lot in recent years and is quite calm."

Lao Xiao nodded, "He is capable, down-to-earth, has a keen eye for work, and is diligent and eager to learn. He is a good candidate."

"I'll go see if the meal is ready."

There is no chef on the ship. Each ship has a logistics staff who can cook. The staff does not have to do anything else but cook every day.

At this moment, everyone was still talking about the humpback whale they had just encountered.

After nightfall, the sea became pitch black, with only the lights on the ship swaying among the waves.

Ye Yaodong was standing on the deck smoking after dinner when he suddenly noticed that the sea water around the ship was flashing with blue-green fluorescent lights, like a handful of stars scattered into the sea.

"What's that thing around the boat?"

"I don't know, it feels like the Noctiluca scintillans in the water during the squid season."

"That's right. It's May now, and the squid season is coming..."

"If we cast a net here, we will definitely catch a lot of squids..."

"So soon, the squid season is coming again..."

"We heard that there has been no squid season in our area in the past two years, so there are more squid in the trawl nets, but there are fewer large-scale ones like in previous years..."

"Even the eggs are not spared and must be retrieved. The weeds have been eradicated and you still want the flood season?" Ye Yaodong came over and said with a stick.

"What are you doing with the stick?"

“Stir, stir…”

He stuck the stick into the water and stirred it. It became brighter, like a firefly in the sea, flickering.

"Oh, it's brighter this way."

Ye Yaodong smiled and said, "It's Noctiluca. It lights up when it vibrates, which means there are enough nutrients in the water, so there must be a lot of fish."

"It would be a shame if we don't drag a few nets here."

"Do you think you can get online anywhere?"

"Can't we do that here?"

Ye Yaodong explained, "There are many islands and reefs around Dongji Island, and trawling nets are prone to getting stuck, causing damage to fishing nets or even stranding of boats, which is not worth the loss."

"We haven't even started the investigation yet, and Dongzi already knows this?"

"What's so difficult about this? Dongji Island is still part of the Zhoushi Islands. Isn't that normal? Not all sea areas can be used to cast nets as long as you encounter a school of fish. Don't worry, when you reach the target sea area, the school of fish will not be less than this."

He thought that starting from tomorrow morning, maybe he could explore while sailing. If he encountered a school of fish that was suitable for setting nets, he could work while moving forward.

He was familiar with the entire route.

"We haven't driven very far yet. Let's drive overnight and then check again during the day."

The waters east of Dongji Island are affected by the Kuroshio tributary, and the distribution of fish is closely related to the ocean currents. Experienced ship captains will choose to set their nets at the intersection of ocean currents to increase their catches.

It just so happened that he was one of the most experienced ones, but he had to sail for a while longer and take another look early tomorrow morning.

Fortunately, it is only the 90s and some laws, regulations and marine fishing policies are not yet perfect, otherwise he would not be able to fish.

Generally, fishing boats need to apply for operating permits from the Zhou City Ocean and Fisheries Bureau in advance before going to sea.

There are also protected areas in various sea areas, where fishing activities are strictly restricted and a "sea fishing license" or "fishing license" is required to carry out legal operations.

There are not many fishing boats going to the deep sea now, and there are not many restrictions, but they must still avoid maritime military restricted areas, international waterways, and in the future, marine protected areas.

It is estimated that it will take less than one or two years for all the policies to be promulgated and implemented. Too many policies have been introduced in recent years.

When he goes out to sea for operations, he has to report in advance and handle a lot of information and documents, which is very complicated.

He is now considered the first person to take a bite of the crab.

"Brother Dong, lend me your stick to play with for a while, hehe..."

"What are you doing? The boat is sailing there, the wind and waves are strong, and it's pitch black everywhere. Aren't you afraid of being carried into the sea?"

Ye Yaodong retorted in disagreement, put the stick away, asked someone to put it away, and gave them some instructions.

"I'm just testing it to see what it is, not for fun."

"You must be careful. It's very dangerous in the dark. The boats dare not go too fast. Slow down. Don't keep leaning against the side of the boat, otherwise if a big wave hits you, you will fall off easily."

"It's pitch black here. If you fall, there's really no place to look for. You're doomed. Protect yourself. Safety comes first. Nothing is more important than your own life. I'm not kidding."

He said it with a serious face, and everyone followed suit with a serious attitude.

"Got it. We will definitely pay attention to it."

"We will be careful and won't get close to the edge easily."

Ye Yaodong thought for a moment and reminded: "Don't go to the stern to use the toilet. It's easy to fall. Safety comes first."

"That's for sure, who's that stupid?"

"Hey, we're not that stupid to run to the stern to pee. If we die, we'll die in vain."

"That's right, you can just pee on the deck, but you went outside to pee and got your head caught in the door."

"Don't worry, we won't do anything so stupid."

Ye Yaodong: "..."

He just turned around and left without saying anything to them, making himself angry.

You clearly care about them and give them instructions, so why are you cursing at them?

Too much.

Chen Shi was in the cockpit, watching Ye Yaodong coming up, and asked with a smile: "Brother Dong, what is that bright circle around the boat? It looks pretty."

"Noctiluca scintillans, there must be a lot of fish around."

"I thought there were fireflies in the sea."

"It does look like it. When the fishing boat moves, it stirs up the sea water and it becomes shiny."

"Look, there are quite a lot of them ahead, all over when the waves come up."

Patches of blue-green fluorescent light flashed and then went out, then lit up again under the washing of the waves, like a handful of stars scattered into the sea, which was quite beautiful to look at.

"It's quite similar to Blue Tears."

Chen Shi nodded in agreement, "Yes, it's quite similar to blue tears. Blue tears are when the waves hit them, there will be a blue halo, and this is a blue-green fluorescent color."

"Well, cheer up tonight, I'll leave it to you."

"Hey, no problem."

Ye Yaodong patted his shoulder and said, "Work hard, and I'll promote you to first mate in a few years."

Chen Shi smiled and said, "Okay, thank you, Brother Dong."

"Why thank me? This is all your hard work. Everyone can see your efforts. Just work hard."

"okay."

"You're already twenty-six or twenty-seven, right? Go back home for the New Year and quickly find a wife. Don't delay yourself."

"I have been away from home for the past few years and have not been back home for long..."

Ye Yaodong waved his hands, "These are all excuses. Others are away from home all year round and only stay in their hometown for a month during the Chinese New Year. They still get married and have children."

"Ha ha……"

"We are not in bad condition now, we can find someone who is young, pretty and young."

"I know, I know..."

"I tell you, get married first and then start a career. Before you get married, people will treat you as a kid. Only after you get married will you be considered an adult."

"Oh." Chen Shi just smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Otherwise, you can find one in Zhou City. Wang Guangliang and his kids can help out. Some even have one at home and one outside. Damn, they'd be so happy."

"hey-hey……"

"Okay, drive your boat."

Ye Yaodong patted him on the shoulder and said nothing more.

Entering the deep sea, the plot that makes me burn my brain begins. It's too brain-consuming. It has to start with climaxes and ups and downs.