novelraw Chapter 344 Blue Water Sailing Academy
Chapter 344 Blue Water Sailing Academy
Chapter 343 Blue Water Sailing Academy
In the early morning, Fort Lauderdale shed the heat and ambiguity of the night, and the air was as fresh as if it had been washed by the sea, with a slight coolness.
A jogger passed by him, nodding in a friendly gesture, while the early-rising fisherman's boat engine sputtered, breaking the tranquility of the canal.
Following the navigation, we arrived at our destination. Blue Water Sailing Academy did not have an impressive gate or a luxurious sign.
Its entrance is just an ordinary ramp leading to the floating dock, next to which stands a weathered wooden sign with the words "BlueWaterSailing Academy" handwritten in faded white paint, and a simple anchor drawing below.
This contrasts sharply with its illustrious reputation throughout South Florida's yachting scene.
Expensive and luxurious decorations would be extremely costly to maintain in such a high-salt, high-humidity, and high-sunlight environment, and would be pointless.
A wooden plaque, weathered by the sea breeze, resembles a medal, proving that it has withstood the test of time here.
In a truly functional dock, all facilities are designed with practicality and safety at their core.
More importantly, top-tier institutions like Blue Water Academy don't rely on flashy street signs to attract attention to their clientele.
Its reputation comes from word-of-mouth within the yachting community and from the earnest recommendations of boat brokers to top clients.
The target customers are old-money elites who seek a truly professional experience; they consume the top-notch service itself, not the ostentatious external presentation.
Therefore, this simple wooden sign did not diminish the academy's status; on the contrary, its understated nature revealed a powerful confidence that needed no boasting.
As I walked down the slope, I could feel the floating dock swaying slightly with the waves. A dozen or so sailboats of varying sizes were moored on either side of the dock.
From daytime sailing boats of about twenty feet suitable for beginners to keel-cruising sailing boats of about forty feet capable of long voyages, each one is kept spotless, with the sails and cables neatly arranged, like a troop of soldiers awaiting inspection.
The air was filled with a unique smell of the dock, as well as the faint resin smell of the fiberglass hull under the sunlight.
All I could hear was the continuous, crisp sound of sails striking the mast, like the ceaseless chimes of a wind chime.
At the end of the dock is a single-story wooden house built on the water, which serves as the college's offices and classrooms.
When Lin Yu'an pushed open the door, a muscular man was standing with his back to him in front of a huge nautical chart, marking something on it with a pencil.
Hearing the door open, he turned around. He was in his fifties, wearing a polo shirt with the college logo and quick-drying shorts. His tanned skin, tanned from years of life at sea, looked even healthier in the morning light.
She turned to look at Lin Yu'an, her eyes focused and professional. "Lin, before we begin, I need to make you clearly aware of what you will be facing today."
"Learning sailing is a systematic project. We will break down the content of a whole day into several modules and tackle them one by one."
She began to clearly list out the complete plan for the day on the whiteboard, and after writing each item, she would look up and explain its core purpose to Lin Yu'an.
"Onshore Theory Class (1 hour)"
"This is the foundation. I'll have you build a 3D model of a sailboat in your mind. Learn its language, understand its skeleton and muscles, and most importantly, understand how it interacts with the wind."
"Dock Drill (1.5 hours)"
"After theory comes the beginning of muscle memory." Her tone became more specific. "We spend a lot of time on knots because knots are a sailor's second language."
"Then, I'll have you touch every rope and every winch on the ship until you can find them with your eyes closed. My father would guide me through this process; he was almost obsessive about the precision of the movements."
Engine Practice (1.5 hours)
"Many people neglect the engine, which is a fatal mistake." Raven's expression turned serious. "In the narrow harbor, the engine is your master."
"My father will teach you how to tame a docile wild beast, and how to precisely maneuver the ship away from port using the engine's power."
Forward, backward, turn. This part will be tedious, but extremely important.
"We will have a short lunch break on the ship at noon, about 45 minutes."
"First sail raising (2.5 hours)"
"This is the real focus today," Raven's eyes sparkled. "We'll connect everything you've learned so far. Raise the sails, feel the wind, and learn the most basic wind direction."
"Then we will do a lot of turning practice, both upwind and downwind. It's like dancing ballet at sea; it requires elegance, but even more so, power and precise timing."
"Return and Stop (30 minutes)"
"Finally, and most importantly, the part that tests our comprehensive abilities. We will lower the sails and use the engines to safely and smoothly bring the boat back to its small berth. Many people can sail a hundred nautical miles, but they can't bring it back perfectly."
She put down her pen, turned around, and saw the whiteboard filled with plans, like a battle map for today.
"This is all you need to conquer today," Raven said, looking at Lin Yu'an. "Each step has a standard; if you don't meet it, we'll practice again until you do. Any questions?"
"No, the plan is very clear." Lin Yu'an nodded.
"Great, you can prepare for your live stream now. My class will start on time."
Lin Yu'an quickly set up the live streaming equipment and politely handed a clip-on microphone to Ruiwen. She skillfully clipped it to her collar and even winked playfully at the camera, seemingly quite excited about teaching in front of millions of viewers.
The live stream started promptly at 8:30 a.m. local time (8:30 p.m. Beijing time).
"Good evening, good morning, friends." Lin Yu-an said to the camera, "A new journey officially begins today. Now, let me introduce my theoretical coach, Ms. Raven."
The camera then pans to Raven, who waves generously with a confident smile that is incredibly infectious.
[Holy crap! A beautiful coach! I'm instantly wide awake!]
[That charisma! That figure! So beautiful and cool! I love it!]
[Oh no, Lin Shen hasn't even started learning to sail yet, and I feel like my heart is already setting sail.]
"Before we begin, there is one thing I need to clarify: in order to ensure the professionalism and efficiency of the teaching, my communication with the coach will be conducted entirely in English."
"I knew there would be a language barrier, so I specifically embedded a real-time translation plugin in the live stream."
For those using the Douyin platform in China, you should see a "Subtitles" option at the bottom of the screen. Clicking it will enable real-time bilingual (Chinese and English) subtitles. For TikTok users, this feature should be enabled by default; you can adjust the settings yourself.
"This way, everyone can join me without any barriers and experience this top-notch introductory sailing course. During my learning process, if conditions permit, I will also select some questions from the live chat and ask the instructors for clarification."
"Alright, monster student," Raven teased with a smile, then turned serious and entered teaching mode, "Let's begin. Everyone in the live stream is welcome to audit what may be the world's most-watched introductory sailing class."
He fixed the main camera in a position that could capture the entire classroom and the whiteboard, and then sat down at the table like a real student, taking out his nautical notebook.
Her opening remarks (and appearance) were full of youthful energy and modernity, immediately winning over the comments section.
"The theory class is divided into three parts," she said, picking up a pen and writing three titles on the whiteboard: "First: The Language of Ships; Second: The Body of Ships; Third: The Rules of Ships."
"Let's start with the language. Many people don't understand port and starboard because on a ship, port and starboard are relative terms, which is very dangerous."
Instead of giving a direct answer, Raven first set up a scenario: "Imagine you're at the bow of the boat, and I'm at the stern, back to back. If I yell 'Throw that thing to the left,' will we throw it in the same direction as the boat?"
"No," Lin Yu'an replied immediately.
“Absolutely right. So we need absolute directional words.” She held out her left hand, palm down, making an L shape. “This is ‘Left,’ right? Now, imagine it as the shape of a port.”
"Therefore, the port side of the ship is always called the port side. Always remember this rule: there's a port on the port side."
"And the right side of the ship is called the starboard side. This term has an ancient origin, because rudders used to be mounted on the right side. Therefore, port and starboard will never change."
This simple and intuitive memorization method prompted a barrage of "I learned something new" comments in the live stream.
[Comment: Got it! Port is on the port side! I'm practically a sailor now! (doge)]
"Very good, you've grasped the basic orientation. Now let's look at the ship's hull." Raven wiped the whiteboard, took out a simple diagram of a sailboat, and began to introduce its skeleton and muscles as if in an anatomy class.
"This is the mast, the spine of the ship. This is the mainsail, the large sail behind the mast, which provides the main propulsion."
"This is the foresail, the small sail in front of the mast, which helps with swaying and steering. The ropes that control their angle are called sail rigging. And the ropes that raise them are called hoisting rigging."
"And there's the fore-boom line connecting the top of the mast to the bow, and the aft-boom line connecting the top to the stern—"
After explaining the dozen or so core components in detail, she moved on to the most crucial part: the physical principles.
"Now, let's talk about how this body comes to life. Force is how it sails in the wind." Instead of drawing a complex diagram of the body's dynamics, she drew an airplane and a sailboat on the whiteboard.
"The upper surface of the wing is curved, where the airflow is fast and the pressure is low; the lower surface is flat, where the airflow is slow and the pressure is high."
So the plane was sucked into the air.
"Our sail is like a flexible wing. When the wind blows on it, it creates a pressure difference, forming a huge lift that pulls our ship sideways and forward, allowing it to fly in the wind at sea."
[Holy crap! Flying in the wind! This metaphor is so manga-like and hardcore!]
[I wasted my time learning physics—this beautiful teacher teaches it a million times better than my high school physics teacher!]
A comment popped up: [Comment question: Since it's about absorbing tons, wouldn't a bigger sail be better? Wouldn't a super-giant sail make it invincible?]
Lin Yu-an relayed this question.
Raven laughed; she seemed to really enjoy these intriguing, provocative questions.
"Good question! Theoretically, yes, the larger the sail, the greater the lift. But in reality, a ship is a balancing system."
"You have giant wings in the sky pulling you to the side and forward, which at the same time causes the ship to tilt violently."
"So you need something equally powerful underwater to counteract it, or you'll capsize. That thing is the keel."
She quickly drew a huge fin and object below the boat.
"The keel serves two core functions. First, it acts like a knife stuck in the water, providing tremendous lateral drag to prevent the boat from being blown sideways by the wind."
"Secondly, its bottom usually has several ballasts, providing a strong restoring torque, just like the bottom of a roly-poly toy. The more the ship tilts, the more it tries to right itself."
"The size of the sails, the width of the hull, and the weight and depth of the keel must be calculated with extreme precision to achieve a perfect balance. It's not about the sails being as big as possible, but rather the perfect fit. A good sailor is a master of balance."
This answer once again opened the eyes of Naoto's audience.
"Okay," Raven put down her physics pen, her expression turning serious. "We've already discussed language and the body. Now, let's move on to the most important part of today's theory lesson, the driest part, but the part that concerns our lives—the rules."
"Remember, the sea is not a wilderness; it's not a place without rules. On the contrary, its rules are stricter than traffic rules on land because on water, there are no brakes, no streetlights."
She drew two sailboats about to meet on the whiteboard.
"These are the so-called rules of avoidance, which are universally applicable and constitute the law among sailors. Today we will only learn the two most basic ones."
"Rule 1: If two sailboats are being sailed from opposite sides, the boat with the wind on its port side must give way to the boat with the wind on its starboard side."
She explained, "The ship on the starboard side with the wind on its side has the right-of-way, which allows it to maintain its course and speed. Why is starboard priority given?"
This is a historical tradition; there's no reason why you must remember it.
Holy crap! This is the theory test for driving on water!
[Take notes! Take notes! Starboard is the boss! Starboard is awesome!]
"Rule 2: If the wind is blowing from the same side, the leeward vessel has the right-of-way and the upwind vessel must give way."
Raven continued, "Simply put, the boat further out of the wind and lower in the water is the leader. Because it's more difficult for it to turn. The rules always protect the boat that's more difficult to maneuver."
[Comment from viewers: What happens when a sailboat and a motorboat meet? Who gives way? It always seems like the yacht driver is more domineering!]
Lin Yu-an raised the question again.
"—An extremely important question!" Raven's expression became even more serious. "Remember this avoidance hierarchy: out-of-control boats > boats with limited maneuverability > deep-draft boats > fishing boats > sailboats > motorboats."
"Do you understand? In this chain, motorboats are at the lowest level! In the vast majority of cases, as long as a sailboat is sailing, all motorboats, regardless of size, must give way to it!"
"Because sailboats rely on the wind and are limited in their operation, while sailboats have engines and can move freely. The law protects the vulnerable."
She paused, then changed the subject: "But! There are always exceptions. If a sailboat is traveling by engine and the sails are lowered, then legally it is a motorboat, and the rules for avoiding it change."
"Furthermore, if you want to overtake the bow of a giant cargo ship, even if you have the right-of-way, don't do it, because the laws of physics are more powerful than navigation rules. A good navigator must first learn to respect, not abuse, their rights."
This explanation, full of dialectical and practical wisdom, gave the audience a completely new understanding of the complexity and seriousness of navigation.
"Finally, regarding Florida's Hengli laws," Raven added, "remember that anyone born after January 1, 1988, operating a motorboat of 10 horsepower or more must hold a boat safety education card."
"In addition, you must strictly adhere to speed limits in the manatee sanctuary, or you will receive a hefty fine that will cause you a lot of heartache. We will explain these in detail in later lessons."
The one-hour theory class ended amidst an explosion of information and the audience's lamentations of "my brain can't keep up."
Raven closed the textbook, let out a sigh of relief, and her face regained a relaxed smile: "Good job, the theoretical knowledge has filled your brain. How does it feel?"
"I've learned a lot," Lin Yu'an said sincerely. This lesson transformed the sailboat from a simple means of transportation into a complex entity that needs to be navigated with wisdom and rules.
"That's good," Raven said with a smile. "Now let's go to the dock. My father is preparing to etch these rules and theories into your muscles in the most realistic way possible. Good luck and don't actually fall into the water."
The barrage of comments instantly surged.
【Hey beautiful teacher, don't go! We want to hear your lectures again!】
[Exactly! Let's keep that tyrannical father away, we want to see Raven!]
[Waaaaah, my flight lessons are over, my youth is over.]
Hey Lin, ask her on Twitter or TikTok! We have to follow this amazing coach!
[Yes, yes, yes! Lin Shen, ask quickly! This is our request!]
Lin Yu'an looked at the barrage of comments that instantly flooded the screen, and smiled helplessly before still bringing up the question that reflected the "will of the people": "Uh—Coach Raven, the audience is asking if you have any personal social media accounts, like Twitter or TikTok?"
Raven stopped in her tracks as she was about to leave. She turned around, crossed her arms, leaned against the doorframe, and looked at Lin Yu'an with a leisurely air.
She didn't answer immediately. Instead, she raised a beautiful eyebrow, a sly glint in her blue eyes, and asked with a faint smile, "Is it the audience who wants to know—or you who wants to know?"
This question, with a touch of just the right amount of teasing and probing, instantly made the air in the room feel a little warmer.
Lin Yu'an was slightly taken aback, never expecting the other party to throw the question back at him so directly. A hint of nonchalance appeared on his face, which could remain calm in any dangerous situation.
[Holy crap! Holy crap! Has Brother Lin met a real female player?!]
[So far! The segment I've been most looking forward to has arrived!]
[Quickly answer, Brother Lin! Say it's what I want to know! Hurry! Go ahead and answer!]
[Stop joking around, upstairs! Brother Lin has kids who are sick!]
[@Aria, come quick to the chaotic scene! It feels like the air is filled with pink bubbles!]
Under the cheers and gazes of millions of viewers, Lin Yu'an, meeting Raven's amused look, ultimately chose to speak the truth, his tone frank and sincere: "Yes, I have. Your lectures are very good, and I hope to learn more from them."
The answer was frank yet tactful, and Raven seemed quite satisfied with it, her smile deepening.
"I'll take your money." She straightened up. "My TikTok account is very simple, it's just called 'Captain'."
Raven's Boat.
She paused, then added, "No, there aren't many beautiful women to film there. There are only videos of me braving various storms and ugly photos of me cleaning plastic bags for sea turtles."
These words, far from deterring the audience, actually made her image even cooler and more authentic.
[Holy crap! I love it even more! I've found it! I'm following right now!]
[A beautiful woman swaying on a boat during a storm? Why am I being rewarded like this?!]
"Alright, my mission accomplished." Raven waved to the group that had started their voyage. "I'm going to prepare lunch and supplies, and also enjoy watching your maiden voyage."
"Lin, good luck. Don't actually fall into the waves, or you'll only be able to drink seawater porcelain for lunch today."
After saying that, she turned around and left the classroom decisively, leaving Naoto with a lively back view and endless room for imagination.
Lin Yu'an walked out of the office; the midday sun was a bit dazzling.
When Hao arrived at the dock, he saw Mike standing next to a training sailboat, waving to Hao.
"Come on up, trainees!" Mike's voice was devoid of any emotion, filled with the seriousness of someone about to begin their individual work. "The theory class is over. From now on, your brain can rest, but your body cannot."
Lin Yu'an leaped onto the ship, feeling a slight sway beneath his feet. The ship was named the Liu Sanzhe, a classic J/24...
Ren keelboat. Approximately 24 feet long, with a simple design, devoid of any unnecessary luxury decorations; everything is designed for teaching and competition.
This type of boat is highly responsive and requires a high level of skill to operate; any minor error will be immediately magnified, making it an excellent choice for training beginners to develop a feel for the boat.
"Before you untangle the cables," Mike pointed to the tangled mess of ropes in the cockpit that looked like a tangled mess to a novice, "you have to recognize them, not with your brain, but with your hands."
"Raven should have taught you your name; now I need you to match the name with the actual object."
Hao began issuing commands like a diviner, speaking rapidly and urgently, giving Lin Yu'an no time to think. He intended to use this high-pressure method to personally test the true nature of the monster Scout had spoken of.
"Raise the mainsail ropes!"
Lin Yu'an's hand moved almost without hesitation, accurately reaching for the thick rope extending from the base of the mast.
Mike raised an eyebrow slightly. Most trainees would need at least a few seconds to hesitate and identify this pile of "pasta".
"What is its purpose?" Mike's voice was like a roar, trying to intimidate the other party with his imposing manner, to see if it was just rote memorization.
"Raise the mainsail," Lin Yu-an replied.
"Say it all!"
"It raises the mainsail to its highest point along the mast's rails!"
"Very good! Remember, it's the throttle pedal of the boat! Your big boat may be electric in the future, but if the circuit fails one day and a storm is imminent, you will have to rely on your own hands to raise or lower it as quickly as possible!"
slow!"
"Faster! Your current is too weak; by the time you find the rope, you'll have sunk to the bottom!"
Mike's roar seemed to be right in his ears, causing Lin Yu'an to subconsciously quicken his movements.
"Foresail rigging!"
Lin Yu'an immediately turned and grabbed the ropes connecting the corners of the foresail on both sides.
"Which one?!" Mike demanded. "There are two! The one facing the wind or the one with the wind? You must tell me which one you're operating! Inaccurate instructions and operations can kill at sea!"
"—Downwind side." Lin Yu'an quickly determined the direction of the simulated wind.
Mike's heart skipped a beat; this kind of detail is usually an intuition that trainees develop after practicing on the water for several hours.
The man in front of me, after only an hour of theoretical lessons and before even leaving the sea, has already begun to think like a sailor.
"Correct! This one is in operation, and the other is resting. They are the ship's steering wheel!"
"Every time you turn, you must deftly loosen one strand while tightening the other, like dancing! Hesitate for a second, and your boat will go out of control in the wind!"
"A cable-stayed bridge!"
Lin Yu'an's hand once again precisely reached for a device with a pulley system connecting the spade and the bottom of the mast.
"What's this for?"
"Control the vertical angle of the spars to change the curvature of the mainsail."
"Be more specific!" Mike persisted, increasing the difficulty to test a deeper level of understanding.
"When the wind is downwind, it prevents the spars from being lifted too high and becoming inefficient! When the wind is upwind, it flattens the mainsail, reduces roll, and lets you go faster!"
"It's part of the race car's suspension system, used for precise tuning! The difference between a novice and a master often lies in whether or not they know how to use this rope!"
Lin Yu-an's answer was almost an extension and deepening of Rui-wen's explanation in class, and she even used her own metaphors.
Mike was utterly shocked! The school had thousands of students, ranging from gifted teenagers to wealthy tycoons.
I've never seen anyone with a good memory or strong hands-on skills. But I've never seen a student like Lin Yu'an who could perfectly combine abstract theoretical knowledge with the real objects in front of him within two hours, and who could also apply what he learned to other situations and understand the application level.
Now I finally understand what Scout meant by "monster." It wasn't about physical abilities, but rather Xi Jinping's terrifyingly abnormal learning and comprehension abilities.
Mike took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and used a sterner tone to mask his surprise.
"Rope twisting!"
Lin Yu'an found a track and two control cables on the cockpit floor.
"What is this now?!"
"Control the position of the mainsail slider on the track to adjust the mainsail's windwardness."
"That's right! It works in tandem with the mainsail and foot ropes! One controls left and right, the other controls forward and backward! Together they determine the efficiency of your wing! You must learn to operate them simultaneously to keep your sail in perfect shape under any wind conditions!"
Under Mike's storm-like indoctrination, Lin Yu'an's forehead began to sweat. He had to keep up with Mike's pace in terms of reaction speed and depth of thought.
Mike became increasingly alarmed as he asked questions, realizing that the tricky questions he had prepared to stump newcomers were completely useless against this young man.
This is no longer a simple identification, but a high-intensity simultaneous oral and practical assessment.
"Not bad," Mike finally stopped, and had to admit that he was completely convinced.
Hao's tone softened, revealing a hint of appreciation he himself hadn't noticed. "At least you're not just a bookworm who only talks the talk; you're now a sailor's basic skill."
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