Chapter 804 - 362: Arrival at the First Stop—Nassau (3)

Chapter 804: Chapter 362: Arrival at the First Stop—Nassau (3)

Riven and Mike both looked at him curiously.

Lin Yu’an was using a spoon with extreme patience to meticulously scrape the remaining bright red fish meat from the spine and ribs, quickly gathering a full bowl in a large bowl.

"The texture of the mackerel is so good; it would be a pity not to make fish balls out of it. For lunch’s hot pot, we can add a dish of hand-made fish balls."

"Hand-made fish balls?" Riven’s eyes instantly lit up.

Mike also laughed, "Lin, your spirit of making the most of everything is just like an old sailor!"

Lin Yu’an smiled, placing the bowl of fish meat in the refrigerator for chilling. Mike picked up the already cleaned fish head and bones, heading to the stern.

"Alright, now these are the parts that should really be taxed." He tossed the fish bones into the sea, and those remnants rolled a few times on the dark blue sea surface before quickly sinking out of sight.

After dealing with the mackerel, Mike looked at his own rod, which had been motionless from start to finish, displaying a complex expression, both happy for Lin Yu’an and helpless about his own lack of catch.

"The competition isn’t over yet, Dad!" Riven reminded him with a smile, "The rules are about who has more fish; what if you catch a lot of fish next?"

"Ha, you’re right." Mike waved his hand but there was still a hint of defiance in his eyes, "The competition is not decided until the very last moment. Lin, don’t get too happy too soon, the really big fish usually have the most patience!"

Holding onto one last hope, Mike re-arranged his fishing gear and even switched to another "killer bait" he had cherished for years.

Meanwhile, after a simple rest, Lin Yu’an also cast out his fishing gear again.

However, it seemed all the good fortune had been used up on that earlier mackerel.

In the more than two hours that followed, the boat sailed swiftly onward, getting closer to Nassau, but the rods of both men seemed to have been cast under a magic spell, never ringing with the sharp whirr of the reels again.

The audience in the live room also calmed down from the previous excitement and began to talk with interest about the "new rod mysticism" that Lin Yu’an emphasized in the Alone in the Wilderness show.

[LOL, Captain Mike may deny it with his words, but his body honestly switched baits.]

[Is this the fisherman’s last stubbornness? As long as the rod is in the water, there’s always hope!]

[Feels like old man Mike is about to break down.]

[Guys, don’t underestimate Anzi’s "new rod mysticism"! He used a stick as a rod in Alone in the Wilderness and still caught fish!]

[Really? Is the new rod mysticism true? I have a bold idea!]

It was already past eight in the morning when they’d finished everything. As they returned to their posts, a blurred outline began to slowly emerge on the distant horizon.

"Land ahead!" Riven pointed forward, "Nassau! We’re almost there!"

Mike let out a long sigh, slowly reeling in his line, taking down his "old mate" from the rod holder—his last hope.

"Alright, I admit it." He approached Lin Yu’an, his face carrying a trace of regret but more so an inner openness.

He patted Lin Yu’an vigorously on the shoulder, "I lost! Sometimes, new weapons are indeed better than old ones! Well done! Your first offshore fish is a top-notch mackerel! Tonight’s deck... is on me!"

Mike accepted his defeat graciously, displaying the demeanor of an old sailor.

At 10:15 AM, as the ship drew closer, the contours of Nassau became clearer and clearer.

The first sight was the Atlantis Hotel on Paradise Island, connected to Nassau by two long bridges, like a pink fairy tale castle.

Its grand arches and towering spires looked exceptionally luxurious in the Caribbean sun, forming a stark contrast with the surrounding environment.

"Alright, mates, prepare to dock." Lin Yu’an’s voice broke the distant stares, officially switching back to captain mode, "From now, we start the docking procedures. Riven, prepare to lower the sails. Mike, prepare to start the engines."

"Roger!" The two immediately sprang into action.

Lin Yu’an turned off the autopilot, took over the wheel, and picked up the VHF radio handset from the console, tuning it to the internationally common channel 16.

"Nassau Port Control Center, Nassau Port Control Center, this is the sailing vessel Polaris, over." His voice was steady and clear.

After a brief burst of static, a male voice with a thick accent came through the radio: "Copy, Polaris, this is Nassau Port Control. Please report your position, intention, and the number of people onboard, over."

"Port Control, Polaris is approximately three nautical miles southeast of the port entrance, requesting entry and heading to Nassau Yacht Marina. We are a 45-foot US-registered sailboat with three people on board, no health issues, over."

"Copy, Polaris. There are currently large cruise ships departing the port, please maintain a slow speed in the approach channel and watch for wake turbulence. Additionally, before reaching your berth, raise the ’Q’ flag at the right shroud of your mast, over."

"Understood, will wait in the approach channel and raise the ’Q’ flag. Polaris, over."

"Quarantine Flag (Q Flag)." Mike had already taken out a solid yellow square flag from a storage locker.

"It means ’My vessel is healthy and requests entry clearance.’ In theory, we cannot disembark, nor come into contact with anyone onshore until customs officials board and complete the formalities."

[Learned something! The yellow flag means requesting entry!]

[Feels so ceremonial! Like ancient ships coming into harbor!]

[Are all quarantine flags the same? Doesn’t seem very pretty!]

During the ten-odd minutes waiting for the cruise ships to depart, Riven and Mike had already cooperatively lowered and tidied up the main and jib sails completely.

Lin Yu’an started the engine, the deep rumbling of the diesel engine replacing the tranquillity of the sails, marking their temporary transformation from a "Child of the Wind" back into a "Steel Body".

When the directive to enter the port was issued from the port control center, Polaris slowly steered into Nassau Port’s primary channel.

Inside the port, several enormous cruise ships stood as though they were moving mountains, quietly docked, with thousands of tourists waving from their decks, filling the island that was supposed to be serene with clamour.

"Welcome to the tourist Disney." Riven’s tone carried a hint of the locals’ mockery towards the touristy area.

Lin Yu’an didn’t respond to her jibe, fully concentrating on navigating the vessel through the busy channel.

Here, not only were there enormous cruise ships, but also water taxis passing by, high-speed sightseeing boats, and local fishermen’s small boats; the sea conditions were far more complex than the open water.

He picked up the VHF handset again, switching to Nassau Yacht Marina’s internal working channel.

"Nassau Yacht Marina, Nassau Yacht Marina, this is the sailing vessel Polaris. We have reserved a berth and are currently approaching from the main channel, requesting guidance, over."

"Copy, Polaris, welcome to Nassau!" A warm and cheerful female voice responded, "I’m Mary, please turn left at buoy number 2. We have sent a guide boat to meet you at the channel entrance; your berth is B12."

"Copy, B12 berth. Polaris, over."

Sure enough, at the channel entrance, an orange inflatable speedboat was waiting for them. A young man with dark skin on the speedboat smiled and waved at them, then made a "follow me" gesture and started leading the way ahead.

Polaris followed the guide boat, slowly navigating into the maze-like yacht marina.

Both sides were lined with various luxurious yachts of immense value, masts stood like a forest, their white hulls gleaming in the sunlight.

Bikini-clad beauties lay sunbathing on their decks while the yachts’ owners leisurely sipped champagne on the aft decks, it was an intoxicating scene of indulgence.

The young man on the guide boat had already brought them to the front of berth B12 and began expertly helping them prepare the mooring lines.

Lin Yu’an was fully focused, using the "boat’s reverse launch" technique to precisely maneuver Polaris, slowly backing into the narrow berth.

At this very moment, Riven suddenly exclaimed, looking at a nearby vessel as they were nearing their berth.

It was a super sailboat, a size larger than Polaris, at least 350 feet long, entirely black-painted, its lines full of futuristic and aggressive style.

"Damn it," Mike’s brows furrowed instantly, muttering a curse under his breath, "How did we run into them here?"

————

(It’s about to be the next month, don’t forget next month’s Sheep Draw event.)