Chapter 144: Follow-Up Shipbuilding Plan
TL: Etude
While Paul and Navy Commander Austin were whispering to each other, Quik was observing the new ship with a sense of emotion. Although he had taken over the ship two days ago, he was still in a state of excitement.
The Southern was not only larger than the Hope in terms of size and equipped with more cannons, but it also improved upon various shortcomings discovered during the usage of the Hope. After all, the Hope was a trial ship, and this new ship, in Quiks eyes, was near perfectat least among ships of its level.
Under Allens somewhat incredulous gaze, Quik hugged the mast of the Southern, speaking to himself in a tone as if confessing to a lover: I will always love the Southern.
Allens face was filled with disbelief. He remembered when he first became a naval cadet, and Captain Quik proudly showed them around the Hope, saying then, I will always love the Hope.
It had only been a few days, and the captains object of affection had changed. Oh, perhaps for men, this was not a contradiction.
After visiting the Southern, Paul and others went to a conference room in the shipyard, where Ship Master Ruben and the old shipwright Benjamin presented a new model of a sailing shipa model of a two-masted schooner.
After building three single-masted ships, we have gained a wealth of design and construction experience. Its time to take our technical achievements to the next level, so we have created this model of a two-masted sailboat, which is our shipyards next target, said Ruben.
Paul carefully observed the ship model from all sides, feeling vaguely familiar with it.
Suddenly, he clapped his hand to his palm, startling everyone around, Isnt this the Jackdaw?
Although there were some differences in the details, the overall structure was indeed very similar to the Jackdaw in Assassins Creed.
Ruben and Benjamin were puzzled: The Jackdaw?
Paul shook his head: I just thought of an excellent name. The first ship of this kind we build should be called the Jackdaw.
Great name! What a great name! Ruben clapped continuously, The Count truly has a way with words!
Benjamin cast a disdainful look at Ruben. Such flattery over a name he found unimpressive. But since the lord had spoken, he could only agree silently.
The old shipwright said discontentedly, My Lord, I believe we are fully capable of building even larger ships, like the model you gave us beforethe Stockholm, that three-masted sailing ship.
He did not understand why the lord named that ship the Stockholm, which seemed to be a place name. The other large ships nameVictorywas more understandable. However, even with his confidence, he did not dare to rashly start building a giant ship like the Victory.
Imagine the scene. She could be equipped with cannons on two decks, carry more cargo. With her, your navy could completely dominate the seas, and your merchant fleet could easily bypass the Horn Bay, directly trading with the distant countries of the East. Along the way, I guarantee no other ship could threaten her.
Paul had previously asked the shipyards upper management for subsequent development suggestions. During the discussion between Benjamin and Ruben, the old shipwright wanted to leap forward and build a real sailing battleship, while Ruben insisted on a steady approach, building gradually from small to large.
In the end, Ruben, as the shipyard manager, prevailed over the old shipwright and adopted a conservative approach in designing the new ship, resulting in the model of the two-masted schooner.
Benjamin grumbled to himself: Really, even though hes younger than me, hes not as bold as this old man.
Hmm! Actually, I still agree with Manager Rubens approach, said Paul after hearing both sides of the argument. He felt that Rubens strategy was more prudent.
Building ships gradually from small to large might be slower, but it had a higher success rate. The ships produced would at least be usable. Jumping directly to building something ambitious was tempting, but the risk of failure was high. A failure would not only mean a significant loss of money but also a waste of manpower and labor hours, which Paul could not afford.
He was reminded of Swedens Vasa, which was an utter tragedy.
The foolishoh no, the Swedes, after joining the Protestant side in the Thirty Years War, urgently needed to develop their navy to ensure dominance over the Baltic Sea. This led to a series of ambitious shipbuilding plans, of which the Vasa was a product.
The reigning Swedish King at the time was Gustavus Adolphus, known as the Lion of the North, a military genius who had turned the tide of the war on land by decisively defeating the Catholic League. Many of Pauls military reforms were inspired by this renowned king.
However, in naval matters, he was completely an amateur. Ignoring reality, he ordered the quick completion of the Vasa to join the war against Poland.
Under the pressure of time, the ships designers and builders had to accelerate the construction. The King, far away in Poland, kept proposing new requirements that overturned the original design. Under Gustavus Adolphus orders, the Vasas design was changed from a single-deck to a double-deck to accommodate up to 64 cannons.
The Swedish shipyards had no experience in building such large, double-decked warships and failed to properly address the issue of the raised center of gravity due to the taller hull.
Influenced by courtiers eager to please the King, the upper structures were designed to be imposing and ornate, with many exquisite celebratory wooden sculptures hung high on the ships sides, further weighing down the upper structures. This raised the Vasas center of gravity even higher.
Then, on its maiden voyage, it sank, capsized by a gust of wind in front of everyone, having traveled only 1300 meters. The Vasa sank to the bottom of the sea, 32 meters deep, taking the lives of 30 crew members. Hundreds of civilians, officials, and foreign envoys witnessed the entire event.
In Alda now, the pirates have been eliminated, and the threat from the sea has greatly diminished. Large-scale overseas trade had not yet started, and there was no immediate need for such large ships.
Therefore, it was better to be prudent and avoid risks wherever possible.
Youre the lord, so what you say goes, Benjamin shrugged, feeling somewhat deflated.
Paul reassured him: Haha, dont be disheartened, old master. There will be bread, and there will be milk. We will eventually build bigger ships, and they will get bigger and bigger. Once the southern route opens, even if I dont need them, our merchants will push you to build larger ships.
This brought some spirit back to the old shipwright.
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