Wasteland Survivalist: A Scientific Guide to Post-Apocalyptic Survival

Gu Lang piloted his yacht southward along the winding coastline of Shandong Province.

They always maintained a delicate distance that allowed them to keep an eye on land navigation towers while also being able to retreat to the open sea in a timely manner.

Be constantly vigilant for any potentially dangerous targets that may appear in your vicinity.

He received numerous radio calls along the way and encountered various fleets of ships.

They even saw helicopters fly by and land on a warship in the distance.

To avoid danger, he chose to conceal his presence and that of the yacht.

Since all supplies have been replenished, the yacht's carrying capacity is limited.

There's no need to risk landing again and venturing into the perilous city to gather supplies for the time being.

Since entering the southern waters of the Shandong Peninsula yesterday, the sea breeze has noticeably increased in strength.

The gale whipped up salty, briny waves that pounded against the yacht's windows again and again, making a teeth-grinding thud.

The sea surface was no longer gently undulating, but began to churn.

As noon approached, the yacht arrived at the sea off the coast of Nissho City.

The white crests began to increase, forming what is known as "white crests".

The wind increased to about force six or seven, and the ship began to sway noticeably.

As the ship became more difficult to maneuver, fuel consumption also increased dramatically.

"No, we can't stay on the open sea any longer!"

Gu Lang watched as a wave, as large as a mountain range, rushed towards him from the southeast.

Alarm bells rang in my mind, and I immediately began looking for a suitable shelter nearby.

Small yachts weighing tens of tons sail in these sea conditions.

Like a leaf falling into a whirlpool, it could be torn apart at any moment.

Based on the nautical chart, there should be an uninhabited island not far ahead.

Gu Lang decided to go there to find a place to anchor and take shelter from the wind.

He struggled to adjust his course and searched with great difficulty against the strong winds.

Finally, through the gaps in the surging waves, the dark outline of the island came into view.

Gu Lang carefully moved to the leeward side of the island's northwest side, where the wind and waves quickly subsided.

As we approached the island, a crescent-shaped bay came into view.

Large swathes of exposed, dark mudflats are jagged and rugged, with rocky reefs completely exposed to the air, stretching all the way to the edge where the waves can barely reach.

"That's it!" He made the decision instantly.

This vast, exposed beach means that it is currently low tide.

Without hesitation, Gu Lang stepped on the gas.

Aim at that narrow waterway between the mud and the rocks.

Using the wind, waves, and the yacht's momentum, it surged towards the shallows.

The hull scraped against the silt with a dull, piercing sound, the yacht jolted violently, and then came to a stop.

The bow rose slightly, signaling a successful beaching.

After the engine was turned off, the world fell silent.

Although the wind and rain still howled outside, the threat had completely disappeared without the support of the deep-sea giant waves.

"It's safe now, but only temporarily."

Gu Lang slumped in the driver's seat and let out a long sigh.

After resting for a while, he put on the thermal suit he had obtained from the life raft.

He slowly walked out of the cabin and arrived at the aft deck.

Although the yacht continues to move south, the temperature continues to drop.

The wind and humidity are high at sea, and the perceived temperature is already below 8 degrees Celsius.

The outer layer of the thermal suit is made of waterproof fabric, and the inner layer is made of aluminum foil.

Waterproof and moisture-proof, it's more than enough to be used as a sailor suit.

After a thorough inspection of the stern, the hull, rudder, and propeller were found to be intact.

For a small boat like this, running aground is not a big deal.

I used binoculars to observe the watermarks on the coastline not far away, as well as the upper limit of the barnacles attached to the reefs.

Gu Lang determined that the water level difference between high and low tide here was at least 2 to 4 meters.

The tidal zone is of moderate intensity; once the tide rises, the yacht will float smoothly.

After confirming that the situation was correct, Gulang immediately lowered the anchor.

Back in his cabin, he turned on his phone and started calculating the time of the next high tide.

Tides are mainly caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun on Earth's oceans, with the moon's influence accounting for about two-thirds.

Most of the coastal areas of China experience regular semi-diurnal tides, meaning there are two cycles of rise and fall each day.

There is a classic "eight-part method" estimation formula for calculation.

That is, the tides are high on the first and fifteenth of the lunar month, and low on the eighth and twenty-third.

The first day of the lunar month and the fifteenth day of the lunar month are the days with the strongest tidal forces.

The "high tide" usually occurs during these two days, reaching its highest point and its lowest point.

The first climax usually occurs around midnight or noon.

It can be roughly considered that midnight and midnight on the first and fifteenth of the lunar month are the first and second climaxes.

Because a lunar day is 24 hours and 50 minutes long, which is 50 minutes longer than a normal day.

Therefore, a fluctuation interval is 12 hours and 25 minutes.

The interval between a climax and the subsequent trough is 6 hours, 12 minutes, and 30 seconds.

The tide times each day are also delayed by about 50 minutes compared to the previous day.

Gu Lang opened his phone and saw that today was August 13th, the 8st day of the sixth lunar month.

There are 6 days, or 300 minutes, between June 15th and the date of the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is equal to 5 hours.

因此高潮时间为5点和17点，低潮时间为11点12分和23点12分。

Considering the safety concerns of sailing at night, the departure time can be set for after 5 a.m. tomorrow.

"It's 11:30 now, which means I can rest for about a whole day. Hopefully, the weather will improve by then."

Gu Lang wrote the calculation results in his notebook and adjusted his schedule for the next day.

Traditional mnemonic estimation methods, while requiring no tools, have significant errors.

The exact timing of tides is actually affected by multiple factors such as location, topography, and weather.

However, he lacked electronic versions of historical tide data, and the yacht was not equipped with professional software that covered a global tide database.

We can only roughly determine the tide times using traditional methods.

The stranded yacht is tilted slightly to the right.

However, Gu Lang felt much more comfortable after the shaking stopped.

The feeling of being grounded makes you feel completely relaxed.

During the previous big waves, he even got his pants wet just from stopping to use the restroom.

After cleaning up the various items scattered on the ground, the yacht was put into sentry mode.

After recovering from seasickness, Gu Lang soon felt hungry.

When I got to the rice cooker, the claypot rice with dried bear meat was already cooked.

He took out the inner liner and sat down at the dining table.

Scoop up a large spoonful and put it in your mouth. The aroma of rice and meat blend together, instantly awakening your taste buds and whetting your appetite.

Outside the cabin, the wind howled and the waves surged, while rain pounded wildly against the glass.

Inside the cabin, it was quiet and peaceful, with warm air constantly blowing out from the air conditioning vents.

Gulang kept the yacht's heating system running the entire way, so no extra electricity was needed.

The residual heat from the diesel engine can dispel the cold.

He brewed himself a steaming cup of tea and held the warm cup in his hands.

Sitting on the sofa, listening to the roar of the storm.

The warmth and satisfaction in my stomach, combined with the feeling of dizziness, quickly brought on drowsiness.