Chapter 252 Trial voyage

At the end of the slide are two parallel trestles extending into the sea. After the test boat slides into the sea, it is between the two trestles, and its hull is kept balanced by several traction ropes and cables. This is because

The final artillery arrangement was hasty. The design department was worried about the ship's center of gravity being unstable, so they added an extra layer of insurance. However, judging from the launch process, the stability of the ship's hull has basically met the design requirements, and there is no imbalance in the center of gravity.

situation.

After Sun Changmi and Yue Zhiyun completed the ribbon-cutting ceremony, they immediately walked onto the trestle. The task they needed to complete today was not only to cut the ribbon, but also to take on the responsibility of the ship named by the executive committee.

The "Discovery" test ship's maiden voyage command mission. Under the gaze of many eager eyes, the significance of this trial is no longer just a scientific research activity, but a display of external strength no less than an armed military parade.

The sailors and crew members used on the "Discovery" are all elite personnel selected in advance from hundreds of naturalized civilian crew members. Only a few technical positions such as captain, first mate, and navigator on the ship are filled by time-travelers.

After Captain Sun Changmi and First Officer Yue Zhiyun boarded the ship, the crew began to untie the cables and traction ropes fixed to the sides of the ship on both sides.

"All departments are checking their equipment and getting ready to go!" Sun Changmi shouted loudly: "The observers will immediately report the wind strength, direction and sea surface conditions!"

"The current wind force is Level 3, the wind direction is northeast, and the channel ahead is clear!"

"The deck inspection is completed, everything is normal!" "The lower deck inspection is completed, everything is normal!" "The stern rudder inspection is completed..."

After feedback from various departments, Sun Changmi ordered the sails to be raised and set sail. The sailors on the deck shouted slogans and began to push the winches to slowly raise the sails. The new sails designed by the shipyard were

The main body is made of soft canvas, so the weight is much lighter than the traditional Chinese hard sail. However, because it does not use the fixed horizontal mast of a Western-style sailboat, but the curved arched bamboo spokes combined with the sail, its weight

It is also slightly heavier than a Western-style soft sail. However, the lifting method used in the new sail is an integrated lifting method of the Chinese hard sail, and the operation is much more convenient than a Western-style soft sail.

The "Discovery" adopted a layout of two masts at the front and rear. The front mast was slightly shorter and the rear mast was slightly longer. There was a soft triangular sail between the bow and the front mast. After the sail was slowly raised, the crew immediately followed the command.

Adjust the direction of the sail so that the sail can obtain maximum wind power. These crew members have received special training on pre-made boats and learned how to use this new type of sail. Although the crew members do not understand

What is the "Bernoulli effect", but the efficiency and convenience of this new type of sail in using wind power can be easily felt in practice. The crew privately called this magical new type of sail "Haihan Sail"

, to show their approval of this sail.

Several foreign guests who saw the ship in its entirety for the first time were a little dazzled by what they saw. They said it was a Chinese-style ship. It also used soft sails and tall masts from Western-style sailboats.

Let's call it a Western-style sailing ship. The shape of the ship clearly has the flavor of Fuzhou and Guangzhou ships, and the methods of raising, lowering and operating the sails are obviously still Chinese-style.

"Everyone, why don't we go out to sea together and have a look?" Tao Donglai came to the guest seat and invited him personally. The two catamaran sailboats moored on the shore have also unmoored and raised their sails and are ready to set off. Their mission is to sail the "Exploration"

The maiden voyage was escorted, and by the way, leaders of various departments were allowed to observe the new ship's navigation ability from the sea at close range, further confirming the superiority of the ship's seaworthiness at sea.

"Okay, okay!" As a maritime merchant, Zhan Gui stood up hurriedly. He was really curious about how this strange-looking sailing ship of the Haihan people would perform at sea.

Li Nai and Luo Shengdong, as stakeholders with Haihan, would naturally not reject Tao Donglai's invitation. Seeing Wei Ping looking at him eagerly, Tao Donglai nodded and said: "If Wei Ping is free, he will

, then let’s come together!”

"I'm free, I'm free!" Inspector Wei responded repeatedly, happily following behind.

After the "Discovery" sailed off the trestle of the shipyard, it first headed northeast downwind and took a brisk circle along the coastline in the harbor, arousing cheers from the onlookers on the shore. Although the vast majority of these people

Some people don't understand what the extraordinary capabilities of this new ship are, but today the executive committee gave a half-day holiday for this purpose, and everyone can get a special extra meal, which is already worthy of everyone's happiness.

.

"The current speed is nine knots." Yue Zhiyun excitedly reported to the two escort ships through the walkie-talkie: "The speed is still increasing!"

The "Exploration" took the lead, followed by two escort ships, one on the left and one on the right. After the three ships circled in the harbor, they quickly sailed towards the southern outlet. When passing the Yulinjiao post, the "Exploration"

The speed of the "Exploration" was already close to ten nautical miles, far exceeding that of the ordinary Fuchuan Guangzhou Ship. If it weren't for the speed of these two catamaran sailing ships themselves, an ordinary ship would really not be able to keep up with the "Exploration"

”.

Zhan Gui had been making a living at sea since he was a child. He was naturally extremely sensitive to the speed of sailing. He couldn't help but ask Tao Donglai: "Mr. Tao, the sailboat in front is so fast, but it has something to do with the style of sail it uses."

?”

Tao Donglai nodded and said: "There is indeed a certain relationship, but it is not the whole reason. In the process of building this ship, we used many new technologies that the Ming Dynasty did not have to achieve what you see now.

Effect."

The words "new technology that Ming Dynasty does not have" undoubtedly pricked the hearts of these Ming people, but they could not deny Tao Donglai's statement, because even the sails they saw in front of them,

Indeed, it has never appeared in the territory of the Ming Dynasty. And the speed displayed by this ship is indeed something that cannot be easily achieved by the ships of the Ming Dynasty.

"This ship... I'm afraid it has exceeded the upper limit of 400 materials, right?" Zhan Gui's eyes were vicious enough. Although the Haihan people claimed that this was just a ship with 400 materials, in his opinion, this ship

The actual size is more than what the Haihan people said.

Tao Donglai did not answer his question directly this time, but just smiled and said: "Maybe a little more, but not much. Boss Zhan, who has been running at sea for a long time, should also know that there are many civilian ships now, which are actually more than 400 pieces of material.

.”

Four hundred materials is the upper limit of tonnage stipulated by the Ming Dynasty for private sea-going ships. The displacement is generally around 150 to 180 tons, but there are also many ships with a displacement of 200 tons. Among the second-hand ships purchased by the Chuanchuan Group in the early stage, there are also several obvious

It has already exceeded the upper limit of 400 materials. According to the estimation of the Ministry of Shipping, the largest ship has a displacement of more than 200 tons. It is still officially registered with 400 materials in an official manner - it is nothing more than spending a few more registration fees.

That's all, I'll make two trips to load up some more seafood and come back.

At this time, the 400-ton civilian ship tonnage regulation is actually a bit in name only. The relevant departments of the Ming Dynasty are not strict in supervising this. They usually turn a blind eye and turn a blind eye after receiving the benefits. Of course, if there is any ungrateful person,

If you really build a ship bigger than the navy's Dafu ship, you are asking for trouble.

The "Discovery" was indeed designed according to the size of four hundred materials or two hundred tons of displacement at the beginning of the design. However, the problems encountered during the design process and the new requirements put forward by various departments also prompted the ship's design.

The tonnage is changing more and more. For example, the use of fine steel hollow masts and the arrangement of more than ten artillery pieces on the second deck require that the entire ship's hull structure must be further strengthened, and the direct consequence of this strengthening is

The displacement increased. So by the time the keel was laid, the design displacement of the entire ship had actually exceeded 300 tons.

Judging from the appearance alone, it is really not much larger than an ordinary seagoing ship with 400 materials. At least a dabbler like Li Nai can't see any flaws. But professionals like Zhan Gui and Luo Shengdong

, naturally he saw that there was something fishy in the data claimed by the Haihan people. Even if Luo Shengdong saw it, he would definitely pretend to be confused in such a public place and would not say anything. But the time Zhan Gui spent dealing with the Haihan people

Not long ago, Luo Shengdong didn't have as many worries as he did, so he asked directly. Although Tao Donglai's answer was a bit vague, it undoubtedly confirmed his guess.

Of course, the Ministry of Shipping will not be satisfied with the tonnage of the "Discovery". Although the trial of this ship has just begun, the shipbuilding plan of the Ministry of Shipping has been listed until next year, and a 500-ton cargo ship with a larger displacement has also entered the design stage.

.However, it is obviously not convenient for such a large cargo ship to sail to the commercial ports on the mainland. After all, the head is too conspicuous. Due to practical considerations, the construction of a sailboat of the tonnage of the "Discovery" will not stop here. After passing

After the trial period is completed, cargo ships of this tonnage class will be used as the main transportation capacity of the Transcontinental Group on sea routes to the mainland in the next few years.

Of course, the subsequent shipbuilding time will not be able to drag on for more than half a year like the "Discovery". After finalization, ships of this tonnage will enter the mass production stage. The Ministry of Shipping believes that as long as manpower and shipbuilding materials can be adequately supplied

, it is expected to shorten the construction time of such a ship from the current nearly seven months to three months. With the current scale of the Victory Port Shipyard, it is also problematic to build two or even three ships of this tonnage at the same time.

It's not big, but in terms of construction speed, it can definitely surpass the Ming Dynasty's counterparts by a lot.

But even so, the Executive Committee will not be satisfied with the speed of new ship construction at the Victory Port Shipyard - this kind of small ship of several hundred tons should only be used for short-distance offshore use in the future Haihan Republic, and only a few

How can a thousand-ton displacement engage in ocean transportation and crush the Western artillery fleet? You must know that the "Sea King" battleship built in 1637 during the reign of King Charles I had a displacement of 1,500 tons and was equipped with 104 artillery pieces.

There are as many as 60 heavy cannons of 18 pounds or more, and they are even equipped with 60-pound heavy artillery! The main firepower output of the "Discovery" only relies on ten small-caliber 6-pound cannons on both sides.

, compared to his opponents, he looks like a beggar.

Don't think that there will be no chance of confrontation between this kind of gunboat and the crossing group that has not appeared in history. In fact, the "Sea King" participated in several naval battles after it was launched. It was not destroyed by the French Navy until the arrival of the new century.

Its service life is long enough to last until the day it meets the warships of the Crossing Group at sea.

This kind of heavy-fired gunboat is still an elusive goal for the Crossing Group, and it is also a stumbling block for the Crossing Group to compete for maritime hegemony in the future. If it wants to defeat such an opponent, there is not much development time left for the Crossing Group. After all,

The construction of large ships with a real displacement of thousands of tons, especially warships, often takes an astonishingly long time. For example, the "Sea King" warship took as long as one and ten years from laying the keel to launching it.

months. Even if the large-scale sea-going ships to be built by Chuanchuan Group in the future can be shortened in terms of construction period and equipped with more sophisticated artillery equipment, it will not be able to catch up with and surpass the strength level of its contemporary competitors in a few years.

Not an easy task.

After the "Discovery" sailed out of the harbor, the wind on the sea increased significantly compared with before, and the commander and crew on the ship began to gradually become more proficient in their cooperation. The speed soon exceeded ten knots, and it quickly headed towards

Heading south. The scientific researchers of the Maritime Department on the ship have not been idle. In addition to constantly observing wind direction, wind force, sea surface conditions and speed, they must also monitor whether there are changes in the hull structure in real time, especially the steel masts.

The surrounding reinforcement parts are an important part that affects the balance of the entire hull. In addition, whether the ship's operation process is smooth and what aspects are worth improving during the navigation are also the focus of scientific researchers.

Compared with traditional Chinese-style sailing ships, "Exploration" requires much fewer deck crew than Chinese-style sailing ships of the same tonnage due to its lighter sails and easy operation. The rated crew is only more than ten people, which is less than the rated number of people on board.

One-third of the number of gunners. And due to the use of a steering wheel system operated on the rear deck and stern, the captain can conduct immediate command operations on the ship, and the operating efficiency is much higher than that of a Chinese sailboat.

After the "Exploration" drove south for about twenty minutes, it turned eastward and sailed to Yalong Bay according to the scheduled itinerary. After approaching the two small islands at the eastern end of Yalong Bay, Sun Changmi ordered the second deck

The artillerymen were ready to fire. For this sea trial mission, the Military and Police Department did not hesitate to send more than 30 naturalized civilian artillerymen who had just graduated a few days ago on board the ship.

The "Discovery" is designed as a maritime defense force. Its firepower strike capability at sea is also an important performance indicator. Although it is only equipped with a few small-caliber artillery, it is already considered to have very powerful firepower in East Asia.

gunboat. Of course, whether the design specifications can be achieved must be tested through practice.

Due to problems with the hull structure of traditional Chinese-style sailing ships, the ship's plates cannot withstand the recoil of large artillery. As a result, it is impossible to equip a large number of artillery on the ship. In order to equip the ship with artillery, the "Discovery" has made a lot of structural improvements, and

Many steel structural parts were used to strengthen the hull to withstand the recoil when the artillery fires. In addition, the mechanical retraction mount specially developed by the military industry department for the artillery to be mounted on the ship completed the firepower device part of the ship.

When the two ships behind saw the "Exploration" slowly slowing down and entering the waterway between the east and west islands, they also slowed down and kept a distance of a hundred meters. Just when Zhan Gui and others were confused,

Then we saw the side windows of the "Discovery" in front of us opening one after another, and the black muzzles of the guns were sticking out.

"It's coming, it's finally coming..." Luo Shengdong, the only one who knew the secret, turned pale and muttered to himself. He had almost visited the entire construction process of the ship. Of course, he knew early on that there was something hidden behind these portholes.

It's a big killer, and the Haihan people obviously didn't put so many artillery pieces on the ship just to show off.

"Prepare on the port side, fire as soon as you enter the firing range!" Sun Changmi's order was quickly transmitted to the second deck through the microphone on the poop. The gunners had completed loading at this time. After hearing the order, the gunners of each gun position conducted the final

One-time calibration and aiming.

"Fire!" Following the commander's order, the gunners of the five artillery guns on the port side pulled the ignition ropes in their hands in turn. Huge roars sounded continuously at intervals of 0.5 seconds, and the smoke and dust caused by the burning propellant immediately filled the air on both sides.
To be continued...