I do research in ancient times

The boat is the inspiration that humans discovered from the fish.

The streamline of the fish body creates the shape of the hull, the structure of the sealed chamber under the boat comes from the swim bladder, the rudder that controls the direction comes from the tail fin of the fish, and even the boat with one oar and three oars is modeled after the fins on both sides of the fish body. make.

In terms of performance, the maneuverability of Chinese sailboats is no worse than that of European sailboats. Because of the different hydrological conditions, hard sails and soft sails have their own advantages.Because of the time and geographical distance, there is no reference to the real confrontation between the two in history, and which one is better can only be the mouthpiece of various fans, without any hammer or evidence.

But it is undeniable that the multi-mast and multi-sail technology has achieved the basic conditions for the opening of the era of great voyages, and has also achieved endless "maritime supremacy".Of course, the operation of multiple masts and multiple sails is cumbersome, and the requirements for sailors are higher.However, Donghu Sanbu is full of experienced hands who can go to sea, and it is not difficult to sail boats. It should not be difficult to accept mast sails.

Ning Fei has checked three nautical charts.The Amur River, which Donghu relies on for his livelihood, is named "River", but it is a very large fjord similar to the Baltic Sea.

Navigating the Amur River is not an easy task, especially for small boats.

Therefore, the area that the Xihu Clippers can snipe is limited, and they are mostly distributed in river sections with gentle currents.Once the big ship enters the torrent or submerged reef area, the risk of sailing will suddenly double if the other party wants to continue chasing it.

"Black Dragon Beach, Chicken Claw Cliff, Red Leaf Forest, these three places have a fleet of Xihu people ambushing. Last time we were besieged at Chicken Claw Cliff."

The Nanshi tribe who led the way looked resentful.

"It's not that our boat is bad, it's that those bastards are too shameless. They rushed out of the reeds while it was dark, and shot rocket torches at us to attract attention, and secretly sent the speedboat to stick under the boat."

"Their bows have iron spikes, which are specially designed to deal with the oarsmen on the lower deck. Several of our brothers were injured like this!"

Having said that, Nanshi youth clenched his fist.

"If you have the ability, don't play tricks, Guangming will stand up and go to the turbulent Hongshiling to compete together! Let's see who is afraid of whom?!"

Hearing what he said, Ning Fei smiled.

Nanshi's youth is still pure and passionate, who cares about being upright when he has to fight. Naturally, he chooses a place where he has an advantage as a battlefield.

Hongshitan is a narrow mouth on the Amur River. Nanshi's navigation chart also marked the reef area, which is very dangerous due to strong wind and high waves.

It is also the last point of the sniper line of the Xihu Clippers. Once the Red Rock Beach is passed, the Amur River will flow into the East China Sea.The waves in the East China Sea are much bigger than those in the Amur River, and the Xihu people's fast boats can't handle it.

So for the whole voyage, there is nothing wrong with using the big ship idea.They are the defensive side, starting from Nanshi Wharf all the way to the east, there are no supply points along the way.The Xihu people can attack in batches and play wheel battles, but the Donghu can only grit their teeth and persist. A ship with more stability and endurance has an advantage.

But relying on Nanshi's current large ship is not enough. Although it can continue to sail smoothly, Nanshi's ship lacks maneuverability and speed is not fast. During the relatively stable voyage in the early stage, it is easy to be besieged by Xihu people. I can't hold on to Red Rock Beach at all.

Fortunately, Nanshi Shipbuilding also has two brushes, flat scull and stern rudder are all available, and the shape of the hull is well designed. As long as some improvements are made, there should be a significant improvement in performance.

The first thing Ning Fei thought of was the caravel sailboat.

Back then when Ning Fei drew the carrack galleon on paper, Liu Tong was astonished when he saw it.Karak symbolizes the peak of European shipbuilding technology, but it is not omnipotent.The Spaniards and the Portuguese Karak ran rampant along the coast of Africa and the Atlantic Ocean, but they could not adapt to some narrow and long waterways in the Mediterranean, and accidents often occurred when they ran aground in shallow water.

So the Portuguese designed the caravel sailboat, which is specially used to deal with offshore and river navigation areas.The caravel is lighter and more flexible than the carrick sailboat, and the waterline is shallow. The three-masted jib can make the steering performance stronger, the sail is easier to wind, and the speed is also greatly improved.

It will be out in a few days to find that it is definitely too late to build a ship, and can only be modified on the existing basis.

Ning Fei told Nanshi clan leader Tuhan about his thoughts, but the other party was skeptical, but he still took Ning Feng and two to visit all the ships of Nanshi clan.

Tuhan did not question Ning Juzi's ability.

Ever since the blood came out of the pool of salt, the Three Divisions of Donghu almost regarded Ning Fei as their standard and believed everything he said.

But three masts?soft sail?Mixed jib sails without battens?Why bother? !

And the boneless sail, won't it be blown off by the wind?

"Try it, and then you'll know."

Ning Juzi smiled and pointed to a somewhat old medium-sized ship.

"I think this one is about the same. The size is not too big or too small. The existing topmast doesn't need to be moved. It can be lengthened and strengthened. After I measure the size, I will add two auxiliary masts."

Tuhan looked in the direction of his finger, his face full of doubts.

He thought for a while, and persuaded cautiously.

"There is nothing wrong with this ship, but it can only transport goods. It will suffer a loss if it meets the Xihu people's fast boat."

"fine."

Ning Fei shook his head.

"UI."

"As long as they are fast and flexible enough, they can't catch up with me."

Chief Tuhan didn't understand what martial arts was, but he understood shipbuilding.

When he really sees Mr. Ning's mast map, he will know that he has met a real expert this time!

This picture... is drawn too clearly!

It is not an exaggeration to say that it is a smart eye to draw the structure of Nanshi Dachuan with just a single eye shot!

Tail rudder, mast, deck, oarway are all available.

There is no need for craftsmen to rely on experience to analyze and adjust, as long as they work honestly according to the drawings, a three-masted soft-sailed ship can be completed without thinking about it at all.

"There is no batten in the sail, and I only use the canvas I brought from Baike before. The canvas is strong and light, and it is most suitable for a ride."

Ning Juzi introduced seriously.

At that time, he was standing in the cabin in front of Nanshi Dock, surrounded by shipbuilders.

After the news of Ning Fei's plan to change the ship came out, the three departments of Donghu sent their best craftsmen to Nanshi, for fear that they would not be able to do their part for the benefactor's return home.

Originally thought that the experience and craftsmanship of the craftsman could help the benefactor to check and perfect the structure; but now, looking at it now, the benefactor’s idea is amazing, but it is full of exquisiteness, and there are only three seas with the oldest and most senior qualifications. A craftsman can see a thing or two.

"It's convenient to install the sail like this, but whether it can withstand the strong wind on the Amur River..."

"OK."

Ning Fei nodded.

"The cloth is woven according to the strength of the sail. We were washed into the Tuotuo River Valley by the flood before, and it was this sail that stabilized the boat."

Having said that, he paused, then continued.

"The reason for using the jib is that the jib can make a large turn in the lateral displacement of the boat until the long axis of the sail and the boat itself coincides. In this way, the sailboat can first turn to one side when sailing against the wind, Then turn to the other side, borrow the wind to move forward in a zigzag line, and sail against the wind.”

"Because it was a remodel, I didn't move the part below the deck. I only added the mast and sails, so the performance is still far from that of a real three-masted sailing ship."

After speaking, the audience fell silent.

Everyone in the Donghu tribe's shipwrights headed by Haina had incredible expressions on their faces.

Sailing against the wind is not impossible, but it requires human assistance!

Is it possible to make the ship go by turning the sails alone?

Seeing that everyone looked suspicious, Ning Juzi was not angry.

Facts always speak louder than words, as long as they see the benefits of spinnakers with their own eyes, all doubts will be transformed into awe, and the effect cannot be better!

The young man Moko tapped the blueprint with his slender fingers, smiling brightly.

"It doesn't matter if you don't believe it, uncles, you just need to modify it according to the marks on this picture. Let's go to test the ship together when the results come out."

When he said this, the craftsmen of the third department did not hesitate, and immediately threw themselves into the intense transformation work.

Because Ning Fei was asked to change the ship, the date of departure to return to Jiuling Lake was postponed. Tu He and Bai Ke were also closely watching the movement of Nanshi Dock in addition to intensive training.

I heard that it was a kind of boat that had never been seen before. Everyone was very curious and looked forward to the launch of Mr. Ning's boat.

Although I heard about the benefits of the triangle sail from the craftsman, but sailing against the wind, I don't need to paddle the oars manually... How is this possible?

As the sound of hammering nails in the dock gradually disappeared, everyone's curiosity was hoisted to the highest point.

Every day, there are always people who intentionally or unintentionally "pass by" the dock, poke their heads inside, and want to see the true appearance of the dhow.

There is no boat runner who does not love boats, just like modern people are obsessed with cars. Owning a good boat is really the lifelong dream of many sailors.

Seven days later, the three-masted sailing ship was completed, and Mr. Ning personally accepted it and made the final inspection.

Ning Fei inspected very carefully, not letting go of any details on the ship, and did the best possible tests for possible extreme situations.

This is the means of transportation that will carry him and his reward home in the future, so he can't be too careful.

After confirming that everything was correct, Ning Juzi finally let go and said that he could go into the water.

As soon as the voice fell to the ground, bursts of cheers immediately sounded in the dock.All the cheerers were shipbuilders, and everyone had expressions of relief on their faces, as if they had finally escaped from the guillotine.

There is no other reason, Mr. Ning is too strict!

Mingming can greet each other with a smile when he meets him every day. Although he speaks Yechao dialect that he doesn't understand, his expression and tone are very gentle, sincere and soft, and he looks like a good-tempered boy.

But as soon as the young man entered the dock, he immediately became stern and cold, absolutely not allowing any mistakes that deviated from the drawings.If anyone does something wrong, he must correct it immediately. If Mr. Ning finds out, he will point it out very sternly, without showing any mercy.

This time, all the three well-known sailors came here. Everyone wanted to save face, and they felt a little bit embarrassed when they were picked on in public.

But what Mr. Ning said is really correct. It is because of his own mistakes in work, he always wants to estimate based on old experience, and committed the problem of "almost enough".

For many years, Sanbu shipbuilding has been relying on craftsmen. The ship owner only gives a general idea, and the rest is all done by the craftsman. The dimensions and standards are not uniform, so the experience of the craftsman is very important.

Mr. Ning's ship is different from the ones they built before, and the requirements for various data are extremely strict.Before building the boat, he made it very clear that the modified spinnaker is mainly used for steering, so the angle and firmness are very important.When a ship is sailing in the water, the shipbuilders must not be careless, otherwise they will deceive the sailors who run the ship and increase their debts.

As I worked, I got used to this high-precision working mode. Fewer and fewer problems were pointed out, and my work was getting better and better.

But habit is habit, and it is inevitable to be nervous when it is really checked by Mr. Ning, and no one wants to have an accident with the part they are responsible for.

This collective customs clearance is really a joy for everyone!

Ning Juzi looked at the sky, felt the wind direction again, and nodded.

"Then tomorrow at noon, at noon sharp, we will depart from Nanshi Wharf and sail upward against the current and wind. Everyone is welcome to watch!"