Hit the rocks.
One of the dangers of night sailing is running aground on rocks.
In fact, during the entire sea voyage, running aground on rocks is something that may happen with a high probability. Because there are not only open reefs above the water surface, but also hidden reefs hidden under the water surface.
During the day, if the light is good, you can see the shadow of the underwater reef and avoid it in time. But it's not completely dawn yet, and the sea is dark. It's impossible to see where the reef is. If you run straight into it, you will hit the reef directly.
The result of running aground is that the ship gets stuck on the rocks.
To explain in detail, the bottom of the ship is lower than the reef. After hitting the reef, it continues to move forward under the action of inertia. Finally, the bow is lifted up, the displacement is reduced, the buoyancy is less than gravity, and it cannot continue to move.
And being unable to move means that... the ghost ship that was finally thrown away will catch up soon.
Thinking of this, everyone on the deck felt a chill in their hearts. Passengers in the bottom cabin were awakened by the violent shaking and ran to the deck to see the situation. Their faces were ashen after they found that they hit the rocks.
"Damn it, you bastard, how could you sail the ship!" First Mate Williams reacted and ran to the rudder in three steps and two steps at a time, raised his fist and was about to beat the helmsman.
"Williams, stop it, let go of Tomuya, we haven't failed yet!" Captain Morgan shouted.
"Well, Captain?" First Mate Williams subconsciously let go and looked at Captain Morgan. He saw that Captain Morgan's face was abnormally blood red at this time, with blood vessels bulging at his temples, and his expression was crazy and determined.
"Captain, we've hit a rock, can we be saved?" First Mate Williams said. Although it was a question, in his heart, he already had a negative answer. He has been following Captain Morgan for a long time and knows a lot of navigation skills. He really doesn't think he can get out of trouble quickly after hitting a rock.
"It's possible to be saved, it's possible to be saved." Captain Morgan said in a very firm voice, "Today is the full moon and there will be a big tide. If I remember the time correctly, it will be shortly after dawn. By then, the sea water will rise and the ship will be re-opened. Float. So... as long as we make the ship light enough, we can escape from hitting the rocks."
Williams was stunned, he really didn't expect such a method.
In fact, Captain Morgan did not expect that when he hit the rocks just now, he was desperate. But just when he was desperate, a voice suddenly reminded him from behind: "Wait for the tide!"
Captain Morgan suddenly realized that he was traveling offshore and had a high chance of hitting a rock. This was a disadvantage, but an advantage was that he would be affected by the tide. Although he didn't know the reason, he knew clearly during decades of sailing that the sea water would rise twice and fall twice every day. At the beginning and middle of the month, the sea water rises even more alarmingly.
Today is the middle of the month!
Thinking of this, Captain Morgan turned back to look for the person who reminded him, but couldn't find him at all.
Time was limited and there was no time to think too much. Captain Morgan quickly shouted to Williams, who was about to hit someone, and then began to issue orders, hoping to win the last chance: "Everyone, give me everything that can be thrown on the ship." Throw it into the sea! Quick! If you don’t want to die, just move!"
As soon as these words were said, the sailors and passengers on the deck were stunned for a moment, and then they all rushed into the cabin. In the next moment, countless debris was thrown out.
Tables, chairs, benches, pots and pans, iron hooks and broken buckets, boots and clothes, tattered bedding, wood for repairing ships, iron ingots...
After a while, the thrown debris filled the surrounding sea surface.
It's dawn, the sun is rising, the water is undulating and indeed rising.
Captain Morgan roared, constantly directing the sails to adjust the direction to adapt to the wind, so as to force the ship to reverse and escape from the reef.
"Squeak, squeak, squeak!"
The hull of the "Naru Rongguang Fisherman" made an incomparable sound, as if it would fall apart at any time, but it was indeed breaking away from the reef little by little.
Everyone cheered, and Captain Morgan also had a smile on his face.
At this moment, someone suddenly shouted: "Captain! Ghost ship!"
Everyone on the deck turned their heads and saw a dark ghost ship appearing on the sea in the distance. During the period of delay when it hit the rocks, the ghost ship obviously didn't stop at all and rushed to catch up.
But there is still some distance to go.
There is still some distance!
Everyone knew very clearly at this moment that as long as the "Nalu Rongguang Fisherman" got out of the rocks and resumed sailing before the Ghost had traveled this distance, the Ghost Ship would never be able to catch up with the lightened hull. of. But... if the Ghost travels this distance and catches up before getting out of the rocks, then everything will be over.
Who will be faster
Time of life and death! The most dangerous moment has arrived!
All of a sudden, everyone went crazy. Whether they were sailors or passengers, they all ran to the sail and helped maneuver the sail with red eyes so that the ship could accelerate away from the reef and move backwards.
"Squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak!"
The "Nalu Rongguang Fisherman" shook crazily, exiting the reef area little by little...
Victory seemed just around the corner.
But... suddenly!
"Crack, boom!"
The "Nalu Rongguang Fisherman" shook violently and suddenly tilted to the left!
"Da da da!"
A wet sailor ran up from the cabin, with despair on his face, and shouted: "Captain, Captain! The left side of the bottom of the ship is penetrated by a stone! It is leaking continuously! It can't be stopped!"
this!
Everyone on the deck was instantly petrified, and Captain Morgan's expression also froze.
"What, what did you say!" Captain Morgan seemed not to hear the sailor's words clearly at all.
The sailor wiped the sea water from his face and shouted: "The left side of the bottom of the ship has been penetrated by a stone! It is leaking continuously! It cannot be stopped! If we don't find a way to stop it, the ship will capsize!"
"Kakaka..."
Following the sailor's words, the ship tilted more and more to the left, and was about to capsize - obviously, the sailor's words were not exaggerated at all.
"Damn it!" Captain Morgan cursed and shouted: "If you can't stop it, you have to stop it, or you will die!"
"But it really can't be blocked!" the sailor shouted, grabbing his hair. "We have lost all the wood that blocked the ship. How can we block it!"
"Then let me cut open the right side of the bottom cabin, let the seawater completely fill the bottom cabin, and then seal the passage between the bottom floor and the penultimate floor."
"In that case, we can't leave the reef and can only stop here." Said the sailor.
"I know!" Captain Morgan shouted, his eyes were red, and he suddenly pulled out the long sword from his waist, turned to look at the ghost ship getting closer and closer on the sea, and said, "This damn luck, since we are so far away If we don’t leave, we can’t leave! I want to see what exactly this ghost ship is? And why it keeps chasing us!”
"Well… "