Wasteland Survivalist: A Scientific Guide to Post-Apocalyptic Survival

The next morning, the tide came in as expected, and the previously tilted yacht gradually floated up.

After resting for more than ten hours, Gulang, full of energy, shifted into reverse and drove away from the mudflats.

The weather had improved, so he continued south as planned.

A few hours later, the coastline changed from winding to smooth.

Gu Lang realized that he had sailed out of the waters of Qilu Province and entered the coastal area of ​​Bulk Province.

As is customary, he opened the list of nuclear weapons.

「散装省49枚，其中楠惊27枚、吴锡5枚、酥粥4枚、洋粥3枚、正姜3枚、绪粥3枚、尝粥2枚、联云岗2枚。」

Upon seeing this result, Gu Lang drove directly past Lianyungang.

By the afternoon, the yacht had traveled more than 450 nautical miles, or about 840 kilometers.

The color of the seawater also began to change, gradually transitioning from a deep blue-green to a murky yellowish-brown.

After sailing south for several hours, a huge sandbar appeared on the sea that stretched as far as the eye could see.

The nearshore area between the land and the open sea seems to have suddenly become a piece of land.

"We've finally arrived at the South Huanghai Radial Sand Ridge Group." A slight smile appeared on Gu Lang's lips.

The Dragon Kingdom is a vast country with virtually all types of landforms found on Earth.

The West Breia region was lost in modern times, resulting in the absence of its fjord landscape.

At the same time, China also has many unique landforms that are unique in the world.

The Nam Hoang Sea Radial Ridge Group, located in the northern part of the Bulk Province, is one of them.

Although sand ridges are located in the sea, they can actually be considered a type of landform.

Because most of it is located in the intertidal zone, which is the area between land and sea.

It is a sand dune in the sea, mainly composed of sediment from the Huanghe and Huaihe rivers flowing into the sea.

In particular, the Huanghe River once flowed into the sea from Huaihe River, carrying a large amount of silt from the Huangtu Plateau, which was deposited on the continental shelf.

More than 70 sand ridges of varying sizes have formed, radiating outwards, and forming a natural boundary between Huanghai and Donghai.

It is about 200 kilometers long from north to south and about 90 kilometers wide from east to west, with an area of ​​3 square kilometers.

This area is not static; every year these sand dunes, which are half-submerged in the sea, slightly change position.

Tidal ridges and tidal channels intertwine and merge within them.

Its internal terrain is complex and varied, earning it the nickname "sea labyrinth".

Large ships cannot navigate this area, but small ships can move freely.

This region is also the source of many people's claim that "the bulk province has no real sea," as its land area changes constantly with the ebb and flow of the tides.

Beneath the sea lies the "Three Seas Plain" from the Ice Age 3 years ago, and possibly even the ruins of the earliest city-state of the ancient Dragon Kingdom.

Although you can't see the blue sea and golden sand, but only the yellow mud and marshes, this place is actually a paradise for all kinds of creatures.

The fertile silt washed down from the land and the ebb and flow of the tides have created a network of harbors and sandbars, making it suitable for the breeding and habitat of various fish, shrimp, crabs and shellfish.

Most importantly, the land west of the sand ridges belongs to the city of Rock and consists entirely of large agricultural areas.

The area has a low population density, is far from radiation zones, and is very safe.

The sand ridges at sea are close to the land, yet difficult to reach.

Sandbars themselves can reduce wind and waves, and coupled with the secluded waterways, they are ideal sheltered areas and places of refuge.

Therefore, before sailing south, Gulang designated this place as one of his temporary refuges.

After observing the terrain, he chose a narrow waterway and slowly steered the boat into it.

The sand ridges on both sides appear as shallow sandbars on the water's surface, but their underwater sections are quite impressive.

He chose a suitable location as a temporary base and moored within the natural barrier.

This area, rising a few meters above sea level, forms a miniature "island" with several alternative evacuation routes to choose from.

After a day of vigilance and confirming that he was completely safe, Gu Lang began to build a small boat.

Yachts are large and have a deep draft, so he needs a lighter, shallower motorized platform.

In order to reach the shallow waters and mudflats along the mainland coast that are inaccessible to yachts.

As for the necessary raw materials, they had already been prepared in advance.

Gu Lang went to the stern deck of the yacht and threw the spare white cylinder into the sea.

Pull the cable, and the familiar orange life raft automatically inflates and floats up.

The power unit is an outboard single-cylinder diesel engine salvaged from a small fiberglass fishing boat.

Because inflatable life rafts lack rigid stress points, they cannot have engines installed directly like rigid ship hulls.

So Gu Lang cut two pieces of plastic cylindrical shell to make a rigid load-bearing frame.

The frame is shaped like a "door," with a bottom crossbeam for securing the engine and side legs for bridging and securing it to the life raft.

After the modifications were completed, Gu Lang put on a life jacket and began conducting manned still water tests in the shallow water area.

Tests revealed that the flexible hull had extremely poor maneuverability.

He attempted a sharp turn and nearly overturned under the high force.

Furthermore, the flat-bottomed life rafts have extremely poor wave resistance and can only sail with the waves.

The maximum speed of this small boat is only about 10 knots.

Fortunately, this temporary solution is sufficient to meet the requirements, and it is much less strenuous than rowing with oars.

For the next two days, Gulang focused on yachts.

A brief survey of this large sand ridge complex was conducted using small boats and drones.

Surveying hydrology, assessing resources, and searching for all resources that may extend lifespan.

The biggest problem now is the yacht's long-term power supply capability.

The yacht is equipped with two sets of batteries, one of which is a starter battery specifically used for controlling the system and starting the main engine.

It can provide a huge current in a short time, but its capacity is extremely small.

Daily storage batteries supply power to all DC electrical appliances.

Such as lighting, air conditioning, water pumps, refrigerators, navigation equipment, radios, televisions, winches, etc.

It is equipped with an AGM lead-acid battery pack with a rated voltage of 24 volts.

With a capacity of only 300 amp-hours, it can store approximately 7.5 kilowatt-hours of electricity.

The 220-volt ordinary AC power supplied by the ship's sockets is converted using an inverter, which has a maximum output power of only 5000 watts, not enough to power many high-power appliances.

The yacht was designed to use excess power to generate electricity while it is in motion, and it was not originally intended to maintain a long-term power supply when it is moored.

This means that Gulang needs to frequently start the main engine to drive the generator to charge the battery pack, consuming precious diesel resources.

Therefore, he must find other sources of electricity as soon as possible.

After investigation, Gulang discovered that about 20 kilometers from the shore, there were not only large sandbars exposed above the water, but also some offshore wind turbines built nearby.

Unfortunately, a large number of ships are scattered around the wind power control platform, which have probably been occupied by other survivors.

Considering the enormous size of offshore wind turbines and the potential for danger, he decisively abandoned this option and instead looked for other possible alternatives.