Chapter 687 - 301: Z-Type Wave Avoidance Navigation Method

The island intermittently appeared and disappeared in the fog and waves, and the black-tiled fishing village was outlined in a hazy silhouette.

At this moment, the Zhoushan Archipelago, originally known as Immortal Mountain, gained a touch of wildness.

From afar, giant waves crashed against the reefs, splashing white walls of water several meters high, creating a stark contrast with the gray-blue sky.

In the cockpit, Li Younan placed the cup of hot coffee he brought up on the countertop, his gaze focused ahead.

The bow cleaved through the surf with a V-shaped white wave.

Qin Yue, standing by, said, "During this period in the Zhoushan Archipelago, high winds are frequent; in December, due to cold air, strong cold fronts, and the narrow channel effect of the Haidao Bay, such strong winds are quite normal."

As Qin Yue spoke, his gaze remained fixed on Li Younan.

Actually, his first instinct was that Li Younan might be worried about such huge waves—after all, it was Li Younan’s first time at sea.

From a psychological perspective, Qin Yue certainly didn’t much trust Li Younan’s abilities, but he was constrained by the fact that Li Younan was the ship owner, so he showed sufficient respect.

But regarding capability alone, with a newly appointed captain encountering winds of this magnitude, Qin Yue felt it necessary to guide him psychologically.

"These kinds of waves are quite common at sea," Qin Yue added.

He was actually bolstering Li Younan’s confidence.

However, he clearly misjudged Li Younan’s understanding of the waves—Li Younan’s maritime skills naturally lent him experience in handling such waves.

Facing this level of waves, Li Younan wasn’t worried at all.

"Need me to arrange crew movements?" Qin Yue asked.

Li Younan glanced at Qin Yue, smiled and shook his head, "No need, this is my first time as captain, let me handle it myself first."

And then he issued commands methodically.

First, he instructed Xue Yong to close the deck passage hatch.

Then, he directed Chen Xinrui to reinforce the anchor windlass, connecting boats, and other movable equipment with fastening straps.

Next, he ordered Chen Tiefeng to check the main engine, auxiliary engine, and cooling water circulation system.

After completing these tasks, Li Younan contacted the vessel traffic service center via VHF to report the navigation plan adjustments and apply for temporary deviation clearance.

Hearing "deviation clearance," Qin Yue was momentarily stunned, but quickly looked at the chart and understood Li Younan’s intent—the deviation route precisely avoided the surge overlap zone between Dongji Island and Qingbang Island.

"Do you have any additional input?" Li Younan asked.

Qin Yue snapped back to reality, shook his head, "No... nothing."

His gaze again turned to the chart, feeling somewhat conflicted.

Every command from Li Younan seemed uncomplicated, something a seasoned captain would instantly think of, but to be so methodical and clear-headed on his first boarding exhibit qualities required of a mature captain.

Even he couldn’t find any faults.

The highlight was the adjustment of the navigation plan reporting, to be honest, it was a detail he hadn’t yet considered—this indicated that Li Youlan was extremely familiar with the sea conditions in this area.

"Qin Yue, switch to manual helm," Li Younan said.

Qin Yue nodded, complying with the command.

Afterward, Li Younan stood beside the helm station, gazing into the distance, with his eyes focused on the radar echoes, swiftly adjusting relevant parameters.

His gaze fell onto the sea, combining the sea wave conditions observed through the naked eye and information from the military-grade radar onboard, his mind racing.

Soon, he made a judgment.

"Short-cycle waves are around two meters, combined with long-cycle swells, the wave height is approximately three meters."

Li Younan murmured to himself, then silently calculated, "60 degrees..."

"Continuing straight would lead directly into the swells."

Upon hearing Li Younan’s judgment, Qin Yue hesitated, glancing at him—such a quick conclusion.

Li Younan rubbed his chin, acknowledging that with the yacht’s structure, even directly hitting the swells wouldn’t damage the hull, but it certainly wouldn’t avoid deck waves and hull pitching.

At this moment, the wind speed rapidly increased from level 5 to level 7, with the fixed cables on the deck beginning to creak.

He quickly made a decision.

Li Younan directly commanded a course adjustment to 315 degrees, reducing the speed to 8 knots.

He focused on the roll angle meter, beginning to give instructions.

Qin Yue looked at Li Younan with surprise, a few words suddenly popped into his mind—Z-pattern sailing method.

This is a professional navigation skill.

Many countries include this skill in the advanced captain’s certificate evaluations, belonging to the category of advanced skills.

The so-called Z-pattern sailing method involves the bow approaching waves at an angle for a distance, then turning to the opposite side at the same angle, forming a Z-shaped trajectory operation method.

Though it is a standard navigation procedure, mastering it during actual operation is not so easy.

Because waves are deceitful, with the actual sea waves not uniformly arranged, especially in complex waters like the Zhoushan Archipelago, where terrain causes wave refraction and overlay, locally leading to sudden increases in wave height, making judgments more difficult.

Using this Z-pattern sailing method here is more challenging compared to other waters.

At this point, Li Younan rapidly calculates and makes judgments in his mind with the information gathered from eyes and instruments, delivering instructions clearly and decisively.

Qin Yue couldn’t help but be influenced by Li Younan’s professionalism and confidence, meticulously operating the manual helm.

Bear in mind that, despite being a 55-meter class yacht, while its stability is good, the rolling period being more suitable for Z-pattern operations compared to smaller vessels, it has greater turning inertia and response delay, with correction actions needing anticipatory judgment.