The Legend of the Fishermen of Sicily

Chapter 116: Swordfish Dorsal Fin Discovered!

The boy left after showing the way.

There were only Leo and Peglerini in the small cabin.

Peglelini got straight to the point: "To thank everyone for their help, we will give back our sailing experience as a token of our gratitude, so let's not waste any time and get started."

Leo excitedly sat down opposite Peglerini.

Learning about navigation was his most important purpose for this trip, without a doubt, and he eagerly asked, "What can I learn?"

Peglerini sighed: "You have so much to learn, but I don't have time to teach you everything. You're quite skilled and very brave; you're actually a good prospect for a lookout. So I'll teach you some of the things a lookout should know."

"Okay!" Leo nodded.

He's like a sponge now, eager to be filled with knowledge, able to absorb anything.

Peglelini pointed to the sky: "The Mediterranean is an inland sea, with stable celestial phenomena and strong seasonal regularity. Our family has a method for correcting navigation by using the position of stars and the direction of sunrise and sunset to assist the compass. Those large ships equipped with advanced equipment no longer look at the stars, but our wooden boats can't keep up. If you want to learn, I'll teach you how to observe the sky."

"Leo immediately sat up straight, like a student in a serious class: "I'm willing to learn, I'm willing to learn."

My little wooden boat is even more outdated than your big wooden boat!

"In the Northern Hemisphere, Polaris is fixed on the extension of the Earth's axis to the due north, always pointing due north. By the way, you know Polaris, right?" Peglerini asked.

He could no longer fathom where this kid's limits lay.

"I know, that's Polaris." The stars were exceptionally easy to spot in this era. Leo pointed to the stars overhead, listing all the ones he knew. "This is Orion, this is Ursa Major..."

1

Leo participated in a space exploration interest group in junior high school!

Peglelini was somewhat surprised that Leo, who knew nothing about basic navigation, could talk about celestial phenomena that most people didn't understand.

I was prepared to overcome the difficulties... but now I can speed up the teaching process.

"Polaris is the anchor point overhead." Peglerini holds out a hand. "The angle between Polaris and the sea level is our latitude."

He started by stacking his fists horizontally, gradually increasing the height to the North Star: "Our ruler is our fist. You need to understand the scale of your own 'ruler.' One of my fists is 11 degrees."

Leo tried to measure the angle between Polaris and the horizon, just like Peglerini had done. He had assumed his ruler would have a larger scale than Peglerini's because the nobleman was too thin.

Surprisingly, when the two fists were put together, Leo's was actually a size smaller.

It was only then that he realized that Peglerini had extremely large knuckles, just like his uncle Solberto, and was clearly a diligent and hardworking craftsman.

After Pegrelini's measurement, Leo's fist was exactly 10 degrees: "Your ruler is easy to calculate."

While Leo was still familiarizing himself with his ruler, the teacher opposite him continued, "The Mediterranean Sea is about 3800 kilometers long from east to west and about 1800 kilometers wide at its widest point from north to south. As long as we know where we start, with this 'ruler,' we can calculate a lot of useful information."

At this point, he rubbed his face hard again.

Next, we will enter the most difficult teaching stage, which involves mathematical calculations.

Some people stayed in Messina for three days and still couldn't figure out a few numbers... because Sicilians, especially fishermen, generally don't have much education.

Unexpectedly, a student suddenly slammed their hand on the table and blurted out, "I understand!"

"You understand?" Peglerini asked before he could speak.

Leo drew some incantations on the table that Pegrelini couldn't understand: "The Earth's circumference is about 40000 kilometers, and one circle is 360 degrees, so 1 degree of latitude is approximately equal to 40000 kilometers divided by 360. Let me calculate, it's 111 kilometers!"

He suddenly raised his fist towards the sea: "So if you're sailing north-south, a 2-degree change in latitude means you've traveled approximately 222 kilometers. The Earth rotates around its axis, and Polaris happens to be on the extension of that axis, so it doesn't affect distance measurement. Similarly, revolution affects the stars you see overhead at the same time, but it doesn't affect distance measurement either. That's right, latitude can be used to measure distance!"

Peglelini's eyes widened in disbelief.

He couldn't understand the spell Leo drew on the table, nor did he comprehend his reasoning, but the answer was correct!

This student is quite interesting.

He scored 0 points in the basic courses, but scored high in areas that would leave others completely bewildered.

Peglelini pointed to the sky and continued his in-depth lecture: "Polaris helps us calculate latitude, but the weather is unpredictable. Even on a clear day, we can't see it every day. That's when the importance of constellations comes into play. They can indicate the exact location of Polaris. Let's start with Orion, which you are familiar with."

After half an hour.

"What if we can't see a single star?"

"Relying on the sunlight, the momentum of the clouds, and the direction of the wind and the surge of the waves..."

""

Another half hour passed.

"What about during the day? How do you determine direction during the day?"

"By the sun, by the color of the sea, by the birds flying overhead..."

""

Two hours later.

"Observing the sky is so interesting, tell me more about it."

"You learn too fast. This is something I planned to teach in two days, but you finished it in two hours."

"Stop resting, let's get going!"

More than 10 o'clock in the evening.

Peglelini, as if drained of all his energy, hunched over and wearily walked out of the cabin to the deck for some fresh air.

Seeing her father like this, Gatti said with heartache, "You've suffered so much, haven't you?"

The new guy here today is so stupid, so stupid, so stupid!

Rinaldi lay on the deck looking at the glowing statue of the Virgin Mary overhead: "This suffering is what we should endure; it is the Cumanso family's way of giving back to those who show us respect."

Peglerini pointed to the cabin behind him and said to the captain, "In the future, if anyone comes to help, be sure to ask them carefully about the situation. Never agree to help someone like that."

Rinaldi laughed and said, "Changed your mind so quickly? Didn't you secretly say a few hours ago that he's a promising lookout, and if we train him well this year, maybe he'll actually be able to fly high masts next year?"

Peglelini waved his hand, looking slightly weathered, and said, "If he comes another year, he'll have learned all the experience we have in our family."

"Huh?" Rinaldi sat up. "You're learning that fast?"

Peglelini optimistically remarked, "Perhaps it's because my teaching skills have improved."

"You just love lecturing people. If we don't educate these people, Rinaldi and I will be in trouble." Gatti stabbed his father in the chest with a knife.

Every year, dozens of fishermen from the east coast come to Messina to help hunt swordfish, and Peglelini will share his family's ancient sailing experience with each of them.

In the eyes of the younger brother, his father was just indulging in lecturing, because he had been listening to his father spouting those grand principles since he was born.

Peglerini and Rinaldi said in unison, "This isn't about educating people; it's our Cumanso family's way of giving back respect!"

Gatti turned his head away unhappily, his back to the two men: "Rinaldi, you've caught your father's bad habit too!"

Rinaldi wasn't like this before; he would stand firmly by his own side.

But ever since he became captain, he's no longer on my side and often sides with my father.

Rinaldi didn't argue with his younger brother and lay back down to continue looking at the holy image: "You're still young. When you grow up, you'll catch our influence too."

Peglerini strolled around the deck for a moment, then looked in the direction he needed to return to the cabin.

Gatti gazed at the sea and silently grumbled, "He's just a preachy person..."

"9

See? He's complaining, but he's gone back to teaching.

Rinaldi looked at his brother, shook his head, and continued his vigil.

There is a custom of staying up all night on the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, where people traditionally stay up all night outdoors to stargaze.

.

The reason is that the Perseid meteor shower peaks around the time of the festival, which the Sicilians call "the tears of San Lorenzo".

Legend has it that making a wish while looking into the tears of San Lorenzo is very effective.

But keeping watch doesn't mean staying up all night.

Everyone takes turns stargazing, and whoever sees the stars makes the same wish: for all the crew members to be safe and sound.

When Leo woke up the next day, he was worried that the fact that the crew had stayed up all night might affect their departure at sea that day.

Surprisingly, everyone seemed to be in good spirits. Judging from their appearance, the most haggard-looking ones were actually him and his teacher, Peglerini, who had been chatting for most of the night.

After explaining "observing the sky," Pegrelini taught Rio "how to observe the sea"—to judge underwater reefs, currents, and water depth by observing the color of the seawater, the shape of the waves, and the shape of ocean currents and eddies.

You can also predict the weather in the short term by observing the rhythm of the waves and the changes in the direction of the sea breeze.

Leo's harvest that night was beyond description; it elevated him to a whole new level.

Before this, he was probably an early-stage Foundation Establishment disciple who had just awakened his cheat ability.

At this point, one must be at least at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment!

The Cumanso family's ships usually leave port around 3 a.m. and arrive at the target area before 5 a.m.

However, since they did not return to Hong Kong yesterday, they arrived at their destination before dawn this morning—a strait in the Mediterranean called "Outer Cape".

All personnel on board are ready and waiting for Captain Rinaldi's orders.

The old captain, Peglerini, yawning, stood beside Leo, still having the time and inclination to give him a little extra advice: "Our working hours are only these few hours before noon. Firstly, because swordfish are used to surfacing to breathe in the early morning, making them easier to find. Once the sun is fully up at noon, the glare from the sea surface is too dazzling, and the lookout can no longer see the surface and underwater conditions. In the afternoon, the ocean currents are turbulent, and swordfish are used to diving to very deep depths, making the search twice as difficult. So we habitually arrive early because time is precious."

"It's really not easy," Leo exclaimed.

The hunting window for swordfish is only 3 months.

In early May, they migrate from the Tyrrhenian Sea across the strait to the Mediterranean Sea to mate. They appear in shallow waters near the coast in June and July, and leave at the end of August.

In just three months, and with only a few hours of hunting each day... no wonder the economic conditions of the "sea nobles" have never improved.

The ship was dilapidated, the equipment was outdated, and even the crew... had to rely on handouts.

That night, Leo spoke with many of the crew members, nearly half of whom were fishermen who had come from outside to help.

The Cumanso family didn't earn much from swordfish, and even less for the crew, while facing greater dangers than normal sea voyages, so they didn't have a fixed crew.

It can be said that the fact that various fishing villages on the east coast sent people to help is also to help them preserve this ancient fishing technique so that it can be passed down.

"Oarsmen, take your positions!" Captain Rinaldi of the Silverfin commanded his crew.

Before parting, Pegrelini told Rio, "When you have nothing to do, you can recall what I said last night."

Leo originally thought that this was just a polite remark from the teacher.

After teaching the material, it's time to reinforce it immediately.

Unexpectedly, the key to this statement lies in "having nothing to do".

From before the sun had fully risen until it was more than three fist-widths above the ground, Leo paddled less than 300 strokes.

All that's left is endless waiting.

Waiting, waiting, endless waiting...

This kind of waiting is different from the kind of waiting you do when fishing.

Throughout the entire process, no one could move, make any noise, or chat with those around them... Everyone tacitly agreed not to make a single sound.

Leo didn't know how the other crew members dealt with this aimless waiting, but he was mentally recalling and sorting through what Peglerini had told him the night before.

"Underwater reefs can obstruct the water flow and create waves, so the underwater topography can be discerned simply by observing the surface ripples."

'

"When a continuous long wave reaches a certain point, the ridge of the wave suddenly turns into a fork, indicating that there is a rock below that is blocking the wave and the wave path is forced to deviate."

"Long, parallel, slowly moving ripples appeared on the sea surface, contrary to the wind and wave direction. This was formed by deep undercurrents pushing the water surface, indicating strong currents. Extra caution should be taken when sailing..."

"7

Not far away, Peglelini saw Leo muttering to himself and knew that the student was reviewing the lessons he had learned yesterday.

The teacher muttered under her breath, "But today's lessons have already begun."

Extreme patience has been an essential quality for fishermen since ancient times, as they need to keep an eye on the sea for hours on end, regardless of the type of work they do at sea.

Of course, the additional demanding condition of remaining completely still further tests one's willpower.

In fact, one of the reasons why the "Silverfin Hunter" is so rare is because swordfish are not easy to find.

Sometimes you might go out for several days in a row and still not find one.

But they were exceptionally lucky today...

Just before the sun reached its highest point, the lookout on the lookout mast suddenly made a series of rapid flag signals.

Even Leo, who knew nothing about the local way of communication, could tell that something was unusual.

Rinaldi, who had been sitting on the ship's external platform for four or five hours, suddenly sat up.

The flag signal just sent by the lookout is that—

Swordfish dorsal fin spotted 400 meters to port!

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