Chapter 14: 'Starboard Ten, Change Course' (Part 1)
Manager, Section Chief Murata says there is about two meters of free water in No. 1 hold. I'll get the drainage pump ready.
No. 1 hold— Ogata said, turning back to look at Shimomura, and was left speechless.
The dockmaster apparently went down there saying he forgot to close the hatch—
Mr. Arita... that man, I believe he had a heart condition...
Having said that much, Ogata regretted it.
His conversation with him at Cape Irago... that unnecessary remark— there was no need to say it at the time. But it was too late. He stopped himself from feeling regret, telling himself that he absolutely had to get to Funamura Shipbuilding by tomorrow, or rather, by the end of the day, because the schedule was already behind as it was.
But the time that followed felt long.
The rough seas grew even more intense, with rolling and pitching—.
It was as if the Ocean Lion was charging through the storm of its own volition— he fell into that illusion.
However, as the hull swayed like a leaf and was enveloped in a roar, a sound that pierced his ears suddenly rang out.
Thud, thud-thud-thud-thud,
a sound like something collapsing from behind assaulted the bridge.
It was a sound accompanied by a dull impact, followed by the continuous thumping of something clearly hitting something else.
Ogata immediately rushed to the ship's side, leaned his body against the sliding door to step outside, and looked toward the rear. Fortunately, there was a windshield there, which softened the wind blowing up from the bow.
Even so, as he looked toward the stern while being buffeted by the wind, there was only the empty hatch, and the deck beyond it was not visible.
(I'm sure there were drums of finishing paint there...)
Before the ship left the quay, they had loaded paint for the dry dock onto the mooring deck at the stern. There were nearly fifty of those drums—.
If those moved, he shuddered to think what would happen to the stern. But the sea no longer had any shape.
Black masses surged, shattered, and rose again. Just when it seemed they had risen with the force of a raging sea, their crests would instantly shatter, and the sea would boil as if it were boiling over.
When Ogata returned to the bridge, soaked to the bone, Shimomura shouted at him.
Manager, the clinometer has gone off the scale—
Ogata looked at the inclinometer on the front of the bridge.
The needle indicating the ship's lateral tilt was pinned to the limit.
(No way— that can't be...)
The limit angle of the inclinometer was 45 degrees— the needle was pinned and wouldn't return.
The hull had tilted further than that.
The marine radio communication equipment installed on the sideboard on the opposite side had already cut out. He couldn't even send a distress signal, let alone contact the company.
All the while, strange sounds could be heard from the stern.
The drums loaded on the stern are going wild.
Hearing that, Shimomura tucked his chin in again, spread his legs, and braced himself with his knees bent. Then, while watching the anemometer in front of the radar, he shouted to Ogata.
Manager, the wind direction is changing...
Even if they could confirm the eye of the typhoon on the Ocean Lion's radar, they didn't know its path. But the wind direction was certainly shifting to the south.
Ogata was lost in thought.
He spurred his exhausted mind on.
(A southerly wind... the typhoon is shifting north and heading our way.)
The wind spirals counter-clockwise toward the eye of the typhoon.
In other words, if the east wind shifts to a south wind, the ship will be pushed back north.
We can no longer fight the storm.
"We're escaping to the Kii Channel. We'll have to avoid the following seas now."
"...Aye aye, sir. I'll do my best."
Saying this, Shimomura changed the radar distance range to gauge the gap. Meanwhile, Ogata made a report to the engine room via the console phone, then hung up and called Murata in the bow storage room.
"We are changing course now to enter the Kii Channel."
"Wait—hold on a second."
Murata said something to the crew on-site, then replied immediately.
"The water has stopped, so let's start the drainage pump first—"
Shouting over the noise, Ogata made his decision.
"There's no time. We'll turn the rudder at the same time as we drain the water—"
After hanging up the phone, Ogata leaned into the console and, fully prepared, gave the order to Shimomura.
"Activate No. 1 drainage pump—starboard ten—"
(To be continued)
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