Unlike Europe, which operates shipyards in the form of companies, the Daming Shipyard is family-based. At most, it recruits villagers and rarely recruits outsiders, because their shipbuilding craftsmanship is a secret that is not passed down for fear of teaching apprentices and starving the masters.
Not only could outsiders not learn it, but also the apprentices of the shipbuilders could not learn it. Shipbuilders built ships based on the ship's genealogy and regarded the ship's genealogy as a family heirloom. It has always been "passed down from male to female, from within to outside". You can watch the ship
The only people who know how to complete the shipbuilding craft are the shipbuilder and his direct descendants. There are also some terms that have been passed down for hundreds of years that can only be expressed clearly in Minnan dialect. They cannot be written into the ship's genealogy in writing. What if the shipbuilder suddenly has something?
Three long and two short, one or more unique skills may be lost.
Thinking of this, Huang Chen slowly shook his head. He asked William about the current shipbuilding technology in the Netherlands. When he learned that the designers of Dutch military warships were mostly architects and shipbuilding graduates from various universities and private schools in the Netherlands.
student. When he learned that the Fluit commercial ship type, the most widely used in the Netherlands, had unified specifications and standard designs, Huang Chen was speechless for a long time. One was still relying on experience, while the other was relying on science. The difference between the two
You can guess the difference with your buttocks.
There is no doubt that Chinese civilization is brilliant. China is one of the four ancient civilizations, and the ancient Chinese dynasties have always been among the best in the world. But it is already the seventeenth century. As European countries begin to make strides towards modern civilization, China
The ancient dynasties will be further and further left behind, and the only advantage may be their huge "physical bodies." Just like the Europeans used knowledge to conquer tropical diseases and conquered Africa, when the Europeans realized that the weapons they invented were enough to defeat the Asian
"Giants", all ancient Asian empires including the Chinese dynasty will completely fall without exception.
Fortunately, fortunately! The Europeans are just getting started at this time and there is still a chance.
As early as the Song and Yuan Dynasties, Yunxiao was famous for its developed shipbuilding industry. There are many shipbuilding families that have been passed down for centuries or even hundreds of years. Among them, the Zhang family is the most famous and the largest, with dozens of axes in the family.
Ten people accounted for a full 20% of Yunxiao's shipping business. The destination of Huang Chen's trip was Zhang's Shipyard.
It is said that the Zhang family built ships for Zheng He, and Huang Chen knew about Zheng He's voyages to the West. In order to become famous overseas and establish his authority, Zhu Di, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, ordered the eunuch Zheng He to make seven voyages to the South Seas. This was a unique feat in the history of Chinese navigation.
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However, he was quite skeptical about the recorded size of the treasure ship, which was forty-four feet long and eighteen feet wide. Not to mention whether it was possible to build a sea-going ship of more than one hundred meters in ancient times, the length-to-width ratio alone was inconsistent with common sense. He had previously
I once asked Zhang's shipbuilder in private whether the treasure ship was really that big? The Zhang shipbuilder who was asked was either talking about it or being unclear. He did not give a clear answer.
Huang Chen concluded that it must be the literati who were bragging. The literati's words were never trustworthy. They also said that the Hong Mao Fan had "a big ship thirty feet long, a big blunderbuss more than two feet long, and a cannon that could shake dozens of miles." This is the best thing Huang Chen has ever heard.
The joke is that one shot of the copper-haired cannon will shatter the ship. His fleet has many copper-haired cannons and more powerful red barbarian cannons, but he has never seen any ship being shattered.
Large ships and small boats lined up in Yunxiao Bay. Huang Chen's fleet sailed along the mouth of the Zhangzhou River, and saw only green trees on both sides of the bank. From time to time, wreckage of wooden boats could be seen, and some shipwrights were knocking around the unfinished ships.
Beating, beating, busy.
Within a moment, Zhang's Shipyard arrived.
Huang Chen was surrounded by his men and walked off the boat. The head of the Zhang family and a dozen shipwrights were already waiting on the shore. Of course, ordinary people are not worthy of these people personally greeting them. Huang Chen has this qualification and is currently the most popular person on the Fujian and Guangdong seas.
Who doesn't know about the powerful "Huang Liu Lao"? When the Zhang family heard that Huang Chen had brought a barbarian ship this time, they all wanted to take a look. That's why they mobilized troops and mobilized people.
"I'm here to pay homage to Mr. Six..." The head of the Zhang family opened his mouth. Huang Chen quickly waved his hand and said, "Last time, Mr. Zhang called me little brother Huang. Why did he change his title this time? Mr. Zhang is over sixty, so he calls me.
I'm not afraid of shortening Huang's lifespan? Besides, Huang has always been tired of being called "Huang Liu", and I feel unhappy when I hear that, so you still call me Brother Huang as before."
Zhang Shen's wrinkled face was startled, and he couldn't help but look up at Huang Chen. He had built ships all his life, what kind of maritime hero had he not seen? Huang Chen was successful at a young age, but he was neither arrogant nor impetuous. He was a decent man.
You should make good friends with these people. Zhang Shen’s face blossomed and he said, “Okay, I’ll call you Brother Huang.—Brother Huang is here to repair the ship?”
Huang Chen looked at several big blessing boats, bird boats, and eight-oared boats on the shore that were about to be launched, and said: "We are repairing the ships, and we are also preparing to buy some new ships." Since entering Fujian in February, Huang Chen has captured merchant ships and intercepted merchant ships, and his power has increased.
It is rising like a rocket, but such destructive development is now coming to an end. If you want to increase your strength, you must consider buying a ship.
After hearing this, Zhang Shen said with a troubled expression: "Brother Huang should know that we have a lot of work in our hands now, especially Master Zheng (Zheng Zhilong) and Master Li (Li Kuiqi). We can't waste even a moment. If Brother Huang wants to get the new
I’m afraid the ship will have to wait until after the new year.”
Huang Chen asked: "When will next year be exactly?"
Zhang Shen groaned and said: "To be honest with Brother Huang, it will be March or April at the earliest. This is the fastest speed."
Huang Chen frowned when he heard this. It's only September now. Doesn't it mean that we have to wait half a year to get the ship? Who knows what will happen in half a year.
Zhang Shen knew what Huang Chen was thinking and said, "If Brother Huang is in a hurry to use the boat, why not go to someone else's house and have a look?"
Huang Chen shook his head and said: "No need. At present, all the brothers at sea have money in their pockets and are vying to buy boats. I'm afraid other shipyards will not be free for a while. Is it better to wait at someone else's house? Besides, I can't trust other people's craftsmanship.
, if you want to talk about shipbuilding, you have to go to the Zhang family."
Zhang Shen Lao caressed his beard and was very happy. These words sounded to the ears. Who on the sea does not know that the Zhang family of Zhangzhou Yunxiao built the best ships? He asked: "How many ships are Brother Huang planning to hire?"
Huang Chen thought for a while and said: "There will be ten big bird boats of ten feet, horse boats of seven feet, and eight-oared boats of four feet, but I have additional requirements for the big bird boats."
With Zhang Shen's eyesight, he took a breath after hearing this, and said in his heart: "What a big spirit! What a big financial resource! After all, I still underestimated him. The next generation is to be feared, the next generation is to be feared...!" Matching the ten-foot-long bird boat
A small boat costs no less than eight hundred taels, ten of which are a full eight thousand taels of silver. A seven-foot horse boat costs two hundred and fifty taels, and ten of it costs two thousand five hundred taels. An eight-oared boat costs fifty taels, of which ten are five hundred taels.
, the total amount exceeds ten thousand taels of silver, reaching eleven thousand taels. This handiwork directly catches up with Zheng Zhilong and Li Kuiqi, the two great maritime tycoons, and the rest are inferior to them.
Tens of thousands of taels of silver might be an astronomical figure to others, but not to Huang Chen. His personal savings reached fifty thousand taels, not counting the goods worth two to thirty thousand taels. Since late April, the goods he looted
He neither sold it to Zheng Zhilong nor sold it to coastal profiteers. He accumulated it all and will put it to great use in the near future. This is the only way he can think of to break Zheng Zhilong's monopoly. Huang Chen saw Zhang Shen was a little stunned, and was obviously shocked by him.
He smiled and said: "Sen Gong Zhang, can you afford this deal?"
Zhang Shen said: "Brother Huang is joking. Since we are engaged in shipbuilding, naturally if you dare to do it, I will take it. I will accept this deal."
Huang Chen smiled and said: "Senior Zhang, please take your time and agree. I said before that I have additional requirements for the Big Bird Ship."
Zhang Shen subconsciously glanced at a slightly dilapidated Hongyi plywood boat that was more than ten feet tall and said, "Is this what Brother Huang means...?"
Huang Chen nodded and said: "I don't want to strangle my belly, I want to be restrained."
"Yizhen." Zhang Shen's mind moved. When it comes to shipbuilding, his Zhang family in Yunxiao may not be weaker than Huang family in Quanzhou Fengwei, but he is a little inferior to him. Huang family has an extraordinary relationship with "one official" Zheng Zhilong. From the latter
I learned a lot of red barbarian shipbuilding techniques there, especially barbarian ships, which are the most practical. Zhang Shen has been coveting this. He then said: "Brother Huang, I have never been exposed to red barbarian shipbuilding equipment, so I don't know how to make barbarian barges..."
Huang Chen said indifferently: "I have a barbarian ship, and I will lend it to Zhang Gonggong to take a look at it."
"This couldn't be better." Zhang Shen suppressed the joy in his heart and said: "I have spent my whole life building this boat. I don't dare to say anything else. As long as it is the things on the boat, there is nothing that I, Zhang Shen, can't see through or guess. Brother Huang, don't worry.
That’s it.”
Huang Chen ignored Zhang Shen's boasting, and said that in addition to Yizhen, he also needed such and such. The more Zhang Shen listened, the more he felt that his head was big, something shaped like a shuttle, something with small cloth sails on both ends of the head and tail, something like a double war tent.
, what are the wind (cannon) doors on the left and right...
"Is this a big bird ship?" Zhang Shen asked naggingly when Huang Chen finally finished speaking.
"Isn't it?" The big bird ship Huang Chen wants is like this.
Zhang Shen nodded helplessly, Huang Chen was the buyer, and whatever he said was what he said. He asked, "What kind of wood are you going to use, brother Huang? Pine or fir?" Generally, pine and fir are used in shipbuilding, first of all, Yanping and Tingzhou, Fujian.
The four prefectures of Shaowu and Jianning produce pine and fir, which are easy to obtain. Another reason is that they are cheap, which is very important. Western shipbuilding also mainly uses low-priced pine and fir, and the "Houston" is one of them.
Pine ships and even some warships were made of fir, not oak.
Huang Chen asked curiously: "Are there any better materials?"
Zhang Shen nodded and said: "Mainly made of pine and fir, mixed with camphor, nan, ironwood and other woods, it can make the hull more stable and reliable. Ironwood is the strongest wood in the world. Use it to build ships and ride the wind."
If you crush it, no ship will be broken, and it is infinitely powerful. However, I think if you want to build a gunboat, it is not suitable to use iron wood. The best wood must be Nanyang teak. Use teak to build a boat. It is carefully used.