Chapter 37: Visit the shipyard
After the public trial meeting, Paul Greiman did not return to Huxin Town immediately, and there were still many matters to be dealt with, so he decided to stay in Fulan Port for a few more days.
For example, in terms of administration, the original old mayor obviously cannot continue to hold this position due to physical reasons. According to tradition, local famous people should be called together and a local person should be elected as the new mayor again. This is also the rule of the northern territories. As a general practice, as long as the lords can collect enough taxes, collect enough corvee and military service, they are more than happy to give some small powers in their eyes to the localities. This evades some due responsibilities and obligations. However, Paul does not intend to continue this tradition. He has to designate his own candidates, and the power to appoint and dismiss officials in the territory must be firmly in his own hands, so that his will can be relatively effectively implemented, paving the way for a series of expected reforms. good road. Of course, in view of the old mayor's rich experience, Paul still left him a consultant position, and the salary was paid by him, which was included in the financial expenditure of the Lord's Mansion.
So he wrote a letter to Manager Ford, asking him to immediately send two experienced and trustworthy people to Fulan Port as the chief and deputy mayors.
What surprised him was that there was a small shipyard in Port Fulan, and it was still his family's property. The first time he learned of the existence of this shipyard, he led Schroeder, Bryce and others All the officers came to visit.
After the public trial meeting, the shipyard continued to work. Paul and others stood near the dock, watching the craftsmen busy from a distance, and the person in charge of the shipyard carefully accompanied the gangsters.
"Do we only build this type of ship here?" Paul asked with a frown. In his opinion, the ships in the docks and docks are a bit similar to the Nordic Viking longships in the Middle Ages on Earth, with a single mast and one side. The mainsail, and it's still a stiff sail. The wind is only auxiliary, and most of the power comes from the oarsmen on board.
Rubin, the person in charge of the shipyard, replied respectfully: "Yes, my lord, we only build this kind of ship at present in our shipyard." The little Earl seemed dissatisfied.
Paul was indeed not very satisfied. In his mind, even if he couldn’t build a steam-powered ironclad ship, he must be able to build a sailed battleship like the HMS Victory of the British Royal Navy. This kind of single-masted galley seemed to him like Toy.
He shook his head and said, "This is impossible! The navy we are going to form cannot go out to sea on such ships."
A group of landlubbers around were puzzled: "My lord, don't all ships look like this?"
"We need a warship with a larger hull and more sails, with a longer endurance and the kind that can cross the ocean, instead of having to go back to the dock for resupply after staying at sea for less than a week."
He turned to Rubin, the person in charge of the shipyard: "Are similar ships used all over the world?"
Rubin thought for a while and replied: "The whole world dare not say, as far as I know, it is basically the same. The details may be different, but the structure is similar. Some large ships have two to three masts."
"Do they all use this kind of hard sail?"
"Soft sails are also used. For example, it is very popular in the Jiaowan area."
"What are the pros and cons of these two sails?"
"Generally speaking, hard sails require less manpower to operate, and can be windy from all directions, adapting to changing wind directions and complex sea areas, but they do not make full use of downwind wind power, and the speed is relatively slow, so they are not suitable for deep sea sailing. And soft sails The weight is lighter, the mast can be made taller, the wind-receiving area of the sail surface can be increased, and it is suitable for long-distance sailing, but the operation is complicated, and it is cumbersome and dangerous when stowed, and the requirements for the quality of the sailors are relatively high.”
Rubin paused, then continued: "Maritime transportation in our northwest coast is not very frequent, and we generally sail along the coastline, and can go ashore at any time for supplies, so this kind of easy-to-operate hard sail is popular. Those countries in the south, For example, the Horn Bay Alliance, their maritime trade is relatively developed, and their shipbuilding technology is more advanced than ours, so they generally use soft sails and their hulls are also larger."
"The Horn Bay Alliance... I see." Paul thought of the unlucky boy who was captured by pirates. Isn't he a member of the Horn Bay Alliance?
Rubin suddenly remembered something, and apologized: "My lord, please wait for me a moment." Then he hurried back to his office, and hurried over again, with a thick tome still under his arm.
He handed the book with both hands: "This is the information on various ships that I have compiled since I entered the industry. Since the Earl is so interested in ships, I may gain something by looking at it."
Paul took it and roughly flipped through a few pages, only to see that it was full of pictures and texts, recording every type of ship that the person in charge of the shipyard had learned since he entered the industry. The information was very rich, including load capacity, draft, staffing and quantity, voyage, and materials and many more.
"Amazing!" He sincerely praised, this Rubin is really a talent.
After being praised by the lord, Lu Bin was a little shy: "Hey! My lord's praise."
Paul immediately announced that he would be rewarded with 10 silver coins. Rubin couldn't believe his ears. A little hobby in his daily life made him a little rich.
"How many big ships have you built here?"
"The largest ever built is a long ship with a length of nearly 30 meters and a load of 70 tons."
"How long does it take to build a boat?"
"Different ships require different construction periods. UU Reading www.uukanshu.com assumes that the main materials are ready and available, not to mention small ships, which can be completed within a month if they are in a rush. The interior is similar, but if it is a durable large ship with particularly high quality requirements, after the keel and ribs are built, it must be air-dried on the berth for a year before the laying of the interior and exterior of the hull can continue, and subsequent construction can only be done. Slowly and methodically, it will take a long time."
"How many years have you been working in this shipyard?"
"I have been working here with my father since I was a child, and it has been nearly 20 years."
"This place is always 'patronized' by pirates. Didn't they make things difficult for you?"
"Pirates also want to build and repair ships, but they don't make things difficult for us, and they will give some money. After all, they still need to buy shipbuilding materials, tools, etc. Sometimes they send them ready-made. As for how to get it, You understand."
…
Everyone looked at Paul and Rubin's question and answer, and murmured in their hearts: "It seems that the Earl is determined to develop the navy. I'm afraid this Rubin will be used a lot."
After visiting the shipyard, Paul bid farewell to Rubin, and was about to lead everyone back to the temporary station in the church in the center of the town. Before leaving, he patted Rubin on the shoulder and encouraged him: "Work hard, this shipyard is of great use to me." Although It seemed funny to others that a half-grown boy made such an action to a middle-aged man, but the director of the shipyard was still moved to tears, and he patted his chest and swore to the sky that he would never disappoint the Earl's expectations.
In the end, Paul asked Rubin to use the weight of the sea water displaced by the ship to measure the size of the ship in the future. He still likes to use the concept of displacement. As for how to calculate it, it is up to the director of the shipyard.
