American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness

Chapter 360 The First Night at Sea, Piloting a Lonely Planet
Lin Yu'an and Mike looked in the direction she pointed and saw a huge column of water gushing out of the sea in the distance, forming a brief rainbow in the sunlight.

“It’s a humpback whale.” Mike’s voice was filled with awe. “They’re migrating this season. We’re lucky.”

The gentle behemoth simply rolled over lazily, revealing its enormous tail fin, and hovered in the air for a few seconds before slowly disappearing into the deep blue sea.

And so, in this near-perfect flight condition, more than three hours slipped by unnoticed.

As the western sky began to glow with its first warm orange hues, Raven turned off the music.

"It's sunset time," she said softly, her voice carrying a touch of reverence.

As the sun begins to set in the west, the colors of the sky begin to put on their most magnificent show of the day.

At first, it was a pure gold color, dyeing the entire sea surface into a flowing expanse of gold.

Immediately afterwards, the edges of the clouds were edged with a bright crimson, like burning feathers.

Then, purple, orange, pink... like God's spilled palette, splashed freely across the western horizon, creating distinct layers and unpredictable variations.

“Every time I see a view like this, I feel,” Raven murmured to herself, leaning against the ship’s railing, “that all the hardship and danger before were worth it.”

“Yes,” Mike remarked, “people on land can never understand this pure beauty; it is the sea’s most generous gift to sailors.”

Lin Yu'an didn't speak, but just watched quietly.

He had been to the summit of snow-capped mountains and witnessed the aurora borealis. But this vast, magnificent ocean sunset, changing every second, still brought him an unprecedented sense of awe.

This is a beauty that is so vibrant with life that it is full of dynamism and tension.

As the last rays of the sun disappeared below the horizon, darkness fell rapidly.

But darkness did not bring fear; instead, it made the world more pure.

The sky transitioned from deep blue to inky black, and one, two... countless dazzling stars, like awakened diamonds, began to shine on the velvety night sky.

After a long and arduous day at sea, and after bidding farewell to the magnificent sunset, the team finally welcomed their first peaceful and beautiful night.

“Alright, gentlemen,” Lin Yu’an glanced at the sky, “today’s voyage was completed perfectly. Now, it’s time for dinner.”

He switched the ship to autopilot mode, handed it over to Mike to monitor, and then smiled at Raven, who was looking at him expectantly: "First Mate, we can begin our 'secret mission' now."

"Yes, Captain!" Raven gave a playful sailor's salute and excitedly ran into the galley.

Soon, a peculiar scene unfolded on the spacious aft deck of the Polaris.

The small induction cooker was securely fixed on the teak dining table, and the pot contained a red tomato soup base, which was bubbling and steaming, emitting an enticing sweet and sour aroma.

The table was surrounded by chopped fresh vegetables, beef rolls, and various meatballs and mushrooms.

However, the tableware was not the familiar knives and forks, but three pairs of exquisite wooden chopsticks.

“Oh ho,” Captain Mike picked up his chopsticks and gestured awkwardly, “Lin, are you sure we’re going to use this to deal with those slices of meat? I feel like it’s harder to use than to tie a human knot.”

Lin Yu'an smiled and gave the two a demonstration, his fingers deftly opening and closing to easily pick up a piece of lettuce.

"It's very simple. Think of it as an extension of tweezers. The top one moves, and the bottom one stays still."

Raven watched from the side, eager to try it herself. She picked up her chopsticks and, with her excellent body coordination, imitated Lin Yu'an's movements.

Although his posture was a bit stiff, he actually managed to pick up a slice of beef with trembling hands.

"Hey! I did it!" she boasted to her father proudly, like a child who had achieved a small victory.

Mike, unconvinced, continued to struggle with his chopsticks, but failed several times in trying to pick up the slippery slice of beef.

"Damn it," he finally had no choice but to give up, using his knife to fork the meat slices and throw them into the pot.

“I admit, I’d rather fight a 300-pound marlin than touch these two little sticks again.”

"Dad, you're so lame!" Raven mocked him, while already clumsily using chopsticks to put ingredients into the pot.

Lin Yu'an pushed a bowl of dipping sauce made with sesame paste, minced garlic, and sesame oil in front of the two of them, saying, "The essence is here. Try this later."

Captain Mike had given up struggling. He simply picked up a slice of perfectly cooked beef from the soup with his fork, dipped it in Lin Yu'an's special sesame sauce, and put it in his mouth.

The rich aroma of the sauce, combined with the savory flavor of the beef, and the warm texture instantly won over his taste buds.

"My God... Lin, you're not only a born captain, but also a damn genius chef! This stuff is so delicious! It's better than any dipping sauce I've ever had!"

“This is just the beginner level,” Lin Yu’an said with a smile. “Once you get used to it, we’ll try something really exciting next time.”

Raven ate until her cheeks were bulging, like a happy hamster. She looked at the food bubbling in the pot and the two men beside her, her blue eyes filled with an unprecedented sense of warmth.

“You know what, Lin,” she said, as she struggled to pick up a slice of beef with her chopsticks, “this is the first time I’ve ever felt that eating at sea is such an… interesting thing.”

She paused, a hint of reminiscence in her eyes: "When my father and I went out to sea before, dinner was usually just some simple sandwiches, or heating up canned food in a pot. We rarely sat down like this, around a pot, to share food."

“Yes,” Mike said, taking a sip of beer. “At sea, efficiency and safety are always the top priorities.”

"We're used to simple food and a simple life. We never expected this..."

He glanced at Lin Yu'an and said, "It's amazing to have this kind of experience. This doesn't feel like work; it feels more like a family trip."

The word "family trip" made Raven pause for a moment. She subconsciously glanced at Lin Yu'an, her eyes becoming somewhat complicated.

Lin Yu'an sensed the subtle change in the atmosphere, picked up a piece of tofu with the serving chopsticks and put it in Ruiwen's bowl, then smiled and changed the subject.

"Then eat more. Long voyages require a lot of calories. Besides, didn't we agree that this voyage is not just about getting there, but also about the experience?"

He looked out at the dark sea and said, “When we anchor in the Exuma Islands, surrounded by turquoise waters that look like jelly, we can try a seafood hotpot. It will taste even better with fish that we catch ourselves.”

"Seafood hot pot!" This suggestion immediately reignited Raven's excitement; she had even begun to imagine the scene.

At this moment, all identities, secrets, and complex emotions seemed to melt away with this steaming hot pot.

They were no longer captain and crew, no longer instructor and student, but simply three partners sharing a meal on this vast ocean.

The clumsy chopsticks, the simmering food, and the lighthearted laughter infused this hardcore voyage with an incredibly warm and cozy atmosphere.

After dinner, Mike took over the cleaning duties, while Lin Yu'an and Ruiwen stood at the stern, watching the last glimmer of light on the distant sea being swallowed by darkness.

As night deepened, the stars in the sky became clearer and more dazzling than ever before, and the Milky Way stretched across the sky like a magnificent diamond belt.

"Alright, it's time to arrange the night shift." Lin Yu'an broke the silence.

"According to the plan, the three of us will take turns, each shift lasting three hours. I'll start the first shift, from nine o'clock to twelve o'clock. Raven, you'll be on the second shift, from twelve o'clock to three in the morning."

"Captain Mike, you are in charge of the most important Dawn Shift, from 3 to 6 a.m.

This is a very professional arrangement. The time before dawn is usually foggy, with the worst light and when navigators are most tired. It is safest to have the experienced Mike in charge.

"No problem." Neither of them had any objections.

When Mike finished cleaning the galley and came up on deck, he wiped his hands and looked at Lin Yu'an, asking, "Captain, what are the specific plans for our first stop, Nassau, after we arrive?"

Lin Yu'an nodded; he had already rehearsed this question countless times in his mind.

He pulled up the navigation plan on his iPad and pointed to the port marked "Stop 1".

"We expect to arrive at Nassau Port at dawn the day after tomorrow. The first thing we will do is hoist the quarantine flag, report to the port control center via VHF radio, and complete the entry and customs procedures." His thinking was clear and methodical.

“I have already booked a berth in Nassau Marina in advance. After the boat docks, I plan to rest there for 48 hours.”

"48 hours?" Raven's eyes lit up instantly. She leaned closer, her shoulder-length short hair gently brushing against Lin Yu'an's arm in the sea breeze.

"Then we'll have a whole day to move around freely?"

“Yes,” Lin Yu’an looked at her, a smile playing on his lips.

"We need to replenish some fresh fruit, check the condition of the ship, and most importantly, ensure the crew gets plenty of rest in preparation for venturing into the more remote Exuma Islands."

“All day long…” Raven’s voice was filled with uncontrollable excitement as she looked at Lin Yu’an, her blue eyes sparkling in the starlight.

"Captain, do you remember that challenge we had at the dive shop? Your crash course in scuba diving?"

“Of course,” Lin Yu’an met her gaze, “I was just about to ask my coach if Nassau is a suitable teaching location.”

"Perfect? ​​Absolutely perfect!" Raven immediately switched back to her confident coach mode and began to launch into a long-winded introduction.

"The waters around Nassau are known for their clear waters and have many calm areas surrounded by coral reefs, making them ideal for open water skills practice."

She emphasized, "Most importantly, it has the best diving services in the world! Top-notch dive centers like 'Stuart Bay'."

“We can easily rent gas cylinders of all sizes, so we don’t need to carry them ourselves, which saves us a lot of trouble.” She became more and more excited as she spoke, and had already begun to plan the teaching content in her mind: “We can complete all the basic skills teaching in the morning in the calm bay near the boat.”

"This afternoon I can take you to explore a shipwreck! There's a shallow-water shipwreck called Mahoney there, perfect for beginners, it'll definitely broaden your horizons!"

Lin Yu'an couldn't help but smile at her eagerness to show off her "home field" advantage.

"This is exactly the result he wanted, to make the voyage not just a boring journey, but full of the joy of exploration and learning."

“Then it’s settled.” He made the decision decisively. “Coach Raven, you’ll be in full charge of the teaching.”

"So, I have about 30 hours of sailing time left to finish studying the PADI Open Water Diver textbook you sent me."

"Haha, don't worry, feel free to ask me anytime if you have any questions." Raven proudly raised her chin.

Captain Mike, listening to the two young men enthusiastically planning their "fun" activities, smiled and shook his head, adding with the air of someone who'd been there all along:

"Alright, then I'll take care of the mundane matters on land. Clearing customs documents, checking the engine, refueling—leave all that to me."

"I guarantee that the Polaris will be restored to 100% optimal condition and ready to set sail for the Exuma Islands at any time."

"Thank you for your hard work, Mike," Lin Yu'an said sincerely.

"A perfect team should be like this. Some people are responsible for pushing the limits, and some people are responsible for logistics. They trust each other and each performs their duties."

"Alright, the plan is set." Lin Yu'an glanced at his watch. "It's about time. Mike, Raven, go and get some rest. Sweet dreams."

Raven and Mike nodded, then turned and walked off the deck. Lin Yu'an was left alone on the deck once more.

He turned off all unnecessary lights, allowing his eyes to adjust to the pure darkness.

The whole world seemed to disappear, leaving only the dazzling Milky Way overhead, the rhythmic sound of the waves in my ears, and the resolute "whoosh" of the North Star cutting through the waves.

Loneliness, but an addictive, all-encompassing loneliness.

Standing behind the helm, he felt as if he were not piloting a ship, but rather navigating a lonely planet in this boundless universe, heading towards an unknown future.

This is exactly the kind of life he wants to truly live!

When the digital clock struck midnight, Raven appeared on the deck right on time.

She changed into a professional Helly Hansen nautical jacket. Her short blonde hair was a little messy from the sea breeze, but her blue eyes looked exceptionally bright in the darkness.

"Captain, it's time for the change of shift."

"Thank you for your hard work." Lin Yu'an gave her a brief briefing on the sea conditions, radar scans, and autopilot parameters from the past three hours.

"Everything is normal. The wind is stable at around 15 knots. We are right on the edge of a high-pressure system, so the weather may be changeable. We don't expect much change during your shift."

“Received.” Raven confirmed all the information with practiced ease.

After the handover was completed, Lin Yu'an did not go to rest immediately.

He went back to his cabin, took a quick shower, and lay down in the passenger cabin. He took out his iPad from his backpack and pulled up the PDF file of the PADI Open Water Diver theory textbook.

The screen's light illuminated his focused face, and the title on the first page clearly read, "Chapter One: Becoming a Diver."

For the average person, this is a textbook that requires hours or even days to understand and memorize.

But for Lin Yu'an's enhanced brain, this was more like a high-speed data scan and logical reconstruction.

His fingers flew across the screen, rarely lingering on any page for more than ten seconds.

The first part is an introduction to diving equipment. Mask, snorkel, fins, BCD (buoyancy control system), regulator, air tank...

These devices, which seem incredibly complex to ordinary people, were quickly broken down into individual physical models in his mind.

He muttered to himself, "So that's how it is. The core principle of BCD is Archimedes' principle: by controlling the inflation and deflation of the airbags to change the displacement, neutral buoyancy is achieved."

"The regulator is a pressure reduction system that can reduce the high-pressure air in the cylinder, which is over 200 atmospheres, to a pressure that matches the ambient water pressure for people to breathe."

He even created a 3D model in his mind of the internal structure of the Atomic T3 regulator he had seen in the dive shop during the day, and he knew the function of each component perfectly.

The second part is diving physics, which is also the core of the entire theory. Pressure, buoyancy, changes in light and sound in water... these concepts are no challenge for him.

What he was really interested in was the physiological response of the human body in an underwater environment.

“Boyle’s Law… As pressure increases, volume decreases.” His gaze lingered on the chapter on “crush injuries.”

The textbook describes how, if ear pressure equalization is not performed in time, the air in the middle ear cavity will be compressed, leading to tympanic membrane retraction or even rupture.

He immediately connected this knowledge with his own body, simulating the action of pinching his nose and blowing air, and the pressure transmission process from the nasal cavity to the Eustachian tube and then to the middle ear.

He began to think that, in emergency situations, in addition to the Valsalva maneuver, it might be possible to use swallowing or jaw movements (Franzo maneuver) to achieve a gentler and more efficient equalization of ear pressure.

The third part, which is also the most exciting for him, is about the "dual personality" of nitrogen under high pressure!
Decompression sickness (DCS) and nitrogen narcosis.

His first research focused on decompression sickness, a dreaded disease for divers.

Henry's Law states that at a given temperature, the solubility of a gas in a liquid is directly proportional to the partial pressure of that gas.

He stared at the formula on the screen, his mind racing.

"This means that in a high-pressure underwater environment, a large amount of nitrogen from the compressed air inhaled will dissolve in the blood and tissues."

"If the ascent is too rapid, the pressure drops quickly, and the dissolved nitrogen will form bubbles in the body like an open soda bottle, blocking blood vessels and causing severe pain or even death."

He was not frightened by the terrible consequences, but instead became very interested in how the "diving watch" worked.

He immediately went online and looked up the technical documentation for the "Bühlmann ZHL-16C gradient factor algorithm" used in the Shearwater Teric digital watch he had purchased.

On the screen, complex mathematical formulas and human tissue models transformed into a clear, dynamic picture in his eyes.

He understood how the electronic watch calculated the nitrogen saturation in 16 different "interstitial compartments" in his body in real time, based on depth and time.

They also planned a safe decompression-free stay time and ascent speed for him, which solved the "physical" danger.

Then, his gaze shifted to another face of nitrogen: nitrogen intoxication. The devil known as "the ecstasy of the abyss."

"Martin's Law..." He looked at the description in the textbook, "For every 10 meters of descent, the anesthetic effect of nitrogen is roughly equivalent to drinking a martini."

"When the depth exceeds 30 meters, most divers will experience symptoms of varying degrees."

The textbook lists typical symptoms of nitrogen narcotics: euphoria, slowed reaction, impaired judgment, hallucinations, and even extremely foolish and dangerous behaviors, such as taking the regulator out of the mouth and sharing it with the fish in the water.

“I see,” a look of understanding flashed in Lin Yu’an’s eyes. “If decompression sickness is a slow poison that takes effect after diving, then nitrogen narcosis is a hallucinogen that can kill you at any time during diving.”

He immediately compared this concept with his own situation.

He possesses extraordinary mental strength and willpower, and can remain absolutely calm when facing harsh environments and psychological pressure in the wilderness.

"Can my mental resistance withstand the physiological anesthesia of the central nervous system by high-pressure nitrogen?" He posed a hypothesis in his mind.

"This anesthetic effect is more of a psychological effect on the signal transmission of nerve synapses. Even the strongest willpower probably cannot completely avoid it."

"The best way to deal with this is not confrontation, but identification and control."

He memorized the methods for dealing with nitrogen narcotics from the textbook.

Stay calm and focus on simple tasks (such as checking the gauges). If symptoms are detected, immediately move to a shallower depth until the symptoms disappear.

He even began to think about how he should safely guide his companion to ascend if she developed nitrogen narcosis during a deep dive, rather than forcibly dragging her up.

After thoroughly researching the physical dangers of nitrogen (decompression sickness) and its physiological anesthesia (nitrogen narcosis), Lin Yu-an truly understood the seriousness of scuba diving.

It is not just about equipment and skills, but a comprehensive science about physical, physiological and psychological control.

In less than two hours, he had completely "mastered" this nearly two-hundred-page textbook.

Not only did he memorize all the knowledge points, but more importantly, he understood the physical and physiological principles behind each rule and integrated them into a knowledge system.

He even mentally rehearsed dozens of times, based on the textbook content, the skills instruction he might give Raven the next day.

I have memorized every step and key point of the movements, including mask clearing, regulator retrieval, and controlled emergency swimming ascent (CESA).

On this deep sea far from land, Lin Yu'an completed his theoretical conquest of another blue world in just the time it takes to finish a meal.

Now, he just needs to wait for an opportunity to turn these theories into real muscle memory.

(End of this chapter)