Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World

Chapter 40: Naval Discussion 3

Paul Grayman, whenever he found some spare time, delved into studying the shipbuilding atlas he had borrowed from the shipyard manager.

He discovered that even in the southern regions, the prevalent ships were oar-and-sail vessels, similar to the galleys of the Mediterranean on Earth. These were long, narrow, low, and agile ships primarily propelled by oars. Although equipped with sails, these were mainly used to conserve the rowers energy during long voyages.

Each side of the ship had only one row of long oars. The larger oars could be up to several meters long and weigh as much as 300 kilograms, requiring 3 to 8 men to operate each. Some of the bigger ships were manned by hundreds of rowers.

In the southern countries, criminals and slaves were often used as rowers, crammed into the confined spaces of the ships like sardines in a can.

While sailing, the rowers, under the threat of the whip, would exert their muscle engines in rhythm with the drumbeat.

Theres a saying that describes the life of a galley slave: If there is a hell on earth, its on a galley ship, where rest is an unknown concept.

Rowers spent their days intertwined with their oars, adrift at sea, subject to the whims of the whistle, sometimes bolstered by alcohol, sometimes enduring lashes.

What a merciless era! The evils of an old society, Paul mused, feeling fortunate about his own circumstances after his transmigration.

These oar-and-sail ships had been around since the ancient Gubera Empire. Their continued use was mainly due to the calm seas of Horn Bay, where the strong power and agility provided by human-powered oars were advantageous in that marine environment. This was crucial for the southern countries for naval battles and for merchants to evade pirates.

Other nations, with less developed maritime trade, lacked the incentive to innovate in shipbuilding. Thus, they generally imitated the ships of the Horn Bay region, leading to the worldwide prevalence of Horn Bay oar-and-sail ships or their variants, like those Paul had seen in the shipyard.

These galleys were flat-bottomed, shallow-draft vessels, advantageous in shallow waters but unsuitable for the deep sea. The large number of crew members, including rowers, and the issue of supplies posed significant challenges.

Paul needed ships capable of traversing oceans, fully powered by sails. By his estimates, transporting goods by sea to the south, from the Northwestern Bay to Horn Bay, would span over 2,000 nautical miles.

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If he bypassed southern merchants and went directly to the East to trade, the distance would be even greater. Covering such distances solely by rowing seemed unimaginable to him.

Moreover, he harbored a small wish: to sponsor explorers for a Magellan-like circumnavigation. The world is so vast; I too want to understand it.

The concept of a round Earth was widely accepted in most countries, yet direct, effective evidence was still lacking. If his sponsored expedition could prove that the Earth was round, it would indeed be a significant historical milestone.

For now, though, this ambition remained unfulfilled. He had carpenters construct two scale models of full-sail ships based on his memories from his previous life.

One model was based on the Swedish Gotheborg, featuring a wide-bottomed, U-shaped hull with a narrow top, and three decks lower, upper, and open decks.

It boasted three masts, each with square sails. The main and foremasts were equipped with top, middle, and main sails, while the mizzenmast had a mizzen topsail and a large triangular spanker.

At the bow, there was a bowsprit with a jib boom, carrying two more square sails: the flying jib and the outer jib.

The use of triangular sails was to better utilize the Bernoulli effect, enabling the ship to sail against the wind. The U-shaped hull would allow for a greater cargo capacity, deeper draft, and more stable sailing. However, this also meant a higher risk of running aground or striking a reef.

In Pauls vision, if such a ship could be built, it would become the mainstay of the early naval forces. Once armed with cannons, it would dominate the worlds oceans.

The other model Paul had constructed was of a clipper ship. These ships featured low freeboards and minimal upper structures, not only improving stability but also maximizing the effectiveness of the sails.

Nearly skimming the waters surface, clippers were designed for minimal resistance underwater to enhance speed, while maintaining a sufficient lateral resistance profile. Their waterlines were especially graceful, with an inward curve at the bow. The long, sharp, scissor-like bowspurs appeared ready for a race, cutting through waves to minimize resistance, hence the name clipper.

Compared to the Gothenburg model, the clippers bowspur extended the length of the ship, allowing more staysail triangles to be hung along the jib boom, expanding the sail area.

The hollow bow allowed the ship to lift more easily in waves, enhancing its directional stability in rough seas. The stern gradually narrowed down in a sleek, angled waterline, smoothly transitioning to a rounded stern, harmoniously blending with the elegant bow.

However, clippers sacrificed cargo capacity for speed and werent suitable for heavy armament. Paul planned to use these ships for transporting small but valuable goods or to equip future maritime police forces for combating piracy and smuggling.

When shipyard manager Rubin saw these two models, he was almost bug-eyed with astonishment.

Indeed, regardless of whether these designs seemed practical to the natives of this world, their aesthetic appeal far exceeded that of contemporary oar-and-sail ships. Their novel and graceful design left Rubin itching to try his hand at them.

Works of art! he exclaimed.

Rubin shamelessly begged the Count to leave the models at his shipyard, aligning perfectly with Pauls intentions. He was eager for this shipbuilding expert to study them further.

Paul had initially wanted to create a model of the Victory, a ship from the age of sail, for Rubins reference. However, considering the rudimentary conditions of his own shipyard, creating such a behemoth seemed overly ambitious, so he settled for these smaller vessels.

He asked eagerly, Is it possible to build full-scale versions of these two models?

But even this wish seemed to be unattainable. Rubin scrutinized the models and, after much deliberation, admitted that given the shipyards current technical capabilities and craftsmens experience, disregarding material issues, it would take a very, very long time to build them.

Paul sensed his implication: this very, very long time probably meant an indefinite future.

Why not just say its impossible?

The disappointment in the Counts voice was evident. Rubin grew anxious, having just earned the Counts attention, even at the expense of his painstakingly compiled ship atlas.

Then, a lightbulb went off in his head, and he offered Paul a suggestion: Dont worry, my lord. Didnt you recently save some important person from the Horn Bay Alliance? Maybe we can bring in some craftsmen from the south through him. Ive heard that southern shipbuilders have built all kinds of strange vessels.

The Count looked at him with a playful smile and said, Arent you afraid that these new craftsmen might outshine you and take your place?

Ah? That that Rubin was flustered, not having considered this.

Paul laughed at Rubins unease and reassured him, patting his shoulder: Dont worry. As long as you old-timers study hard, strive to improve, and keep progressing, I wont forget you. Blood is thicker than water, after all!

Yes, my lord! I will diligently study and not let down your expectations, Rubin promised, relieved.

Paul gazed out at the sea, thinking to himself, Its time to have a talk with young Master Foster.