Chapter 902： Nickel steel skin wraps the bottom of the ship

It is said that you can start at any time, but that is actually a statement made by Amerigo. If you really want to set off to find the Ming Dynasty, there are many difficult problems to be solved.

Of course, the only thing that is not a problem is the exploration of air routes. Because, Marin has chosen routes for Amerigo. This route is the route of the Manila galleon trade in later generations. This is the Spaniard's years of hard exploration to determine a good route, naturally the most suitable route.

As long as Amerigo brought the fleet to the port of Panama City, after the supplies were replenished, it could continue to sail forward. Moreover, the journey from America to East Asia was very smooth.

Not to mention that the easterly wind belt on the north side of the equator is downwind. The warm north equator on the north side of the equator can definitely push the ship forward. In addition, along the east wind, the route from America to East Asia is simply a smooth wind. It should be noted that as long as this road is not used during the typhoon season.

According to records of later generations, the Manila sailing ship traded from Manila to Acapulco in southern Mexico, because it was necessary to follow the Kuroshio northward to Japan, then to the northwesterly wind belt to the north, and to the east along the warm North Pacific. Such a big circle takes 6 months of sailing time.

However, from Acapulco to Manila, follow the north equatorial warm current directly to the west, and the wind and water will flow smoothly. Therefore, it only takes 3 months.

Therefore, this time Amerigo took the fleet to Daming, it was smooth sailing. Only when you come back will it be more troublesome.

The main trouble when returning home is that the Spaniard's Manila galleon trade needs to wait until the summer monsoon before going north along the Kuroshio.

But this trouble does not exist in Marin, why? Because Marin made the upper edge slant sail that was popular in later generations. Unlike the sails of Spanish galleons, you need to wait for the monsoon. Marin's modern upper-edge slanted sails, similar to China's hard sails, can make use of the eight sides of the wind, and there is no need to wait for the monsoon to start at any time.

Moreover, summer is a period of high typhoons. If the summer follows the monsoon north and encounters a typhoon, the ship must be destroyed.

So, here in Marin, the problem of the Spaniard is not a problem for him. And the ocean-going ships of Marin generally prepare two sets of sails-horizontal sails and upper edge skewer sails.

When walking on the north-south route that frequently changes the wind direction, naturally use the upper edge slant sail that is not afraid of upwind. When walking in the downwind zone for a long time, you will put on a horizontal sail to make full use of wind power.

Judging from the Manila sailing route, from the Americas to East Asia, it was a smooth sailing all the way, naturally using horizontal sails. To return to East America from East Asia, it is necessary to make a big circle and switch the wind belt. Most of the time, it is more appropriate to use the upper edge slant sail.

Marin explained these issues to Amerigo in detail, which surprised the nautical champion Amerigo. So he couldn't help but ask:

"Duke, how did you know this route? Actually the wind and ocean currents are so clear ..."

Marlin paused and then lied indifferently:

"Nature is my teacher-Daxian Einstein told me ..."

"His old man is also a navigator?" Amerigo was even more curious.

"It's not clear, anyway, he just knows this route!" Marin didn't know how to explain it, he just played the rogue.

...

"Well, Grand Duke, I now have a very important problem to solve!"

"Say!"

"Overhaul of the ship!"

"How to say?" Marin asked curiously.

After organizing the language, Americano said:

"That's it. Dagong should know that when sailing on the sea, the lower part of the ship's waterline is often eroded by maggots. Or, it is hit by wind and waves and corroded by sea water. Therefore, every time the voyage, the ship needs to be repaired. "

"But the problem is that on the chart you gave me, Grand Duke, there seemed to be no port along the way and no dock for repairing the ship. If in the middle of the ocean, the bottom of the ship was suddenly eroded by the maggots, the people on the ship would have no way. But go. "

"Are you worried that the ships of your fleet cannot be repaired halfway?" Marin immediately understood Amerigo's concerns.

If you are navigating along the edge of the land, there is no such problem. If you want to expel the maggots, the boat can run to the inland freshwater area for a period of time, and the maggots will automatically run. Just like the current route to India and China, most of the time, it is still on the coast of Africa. Only the section across the Arabian Sea is purely salt water. However, the duration is not very long.

However, according to the marine chart given by Marin, this time the American fleet was going to cross the huge Pacific Ocean, and there was basically no freshwater area along the way. In other words, the maggots can be attached to the bottom of the ship, and they can nibble for a few months ...

If there is no port and dock repairing ship along the way, once the ship is gnawed out by the maggots in the middle of the sea, it will be dangerous ...

As a navigator and explorer, Amerigo is not afraid of death. However, they cannot die worthlessly.

As far as Amerigo knows, although Panama City has already been built, it is only a small town. Moreover, the shipyard and dock there have not yet been built. This time he took the fleet with him, apparently in the new town of Panama City, there is no service for ship repairs. If the ship is not repaired, go to China hurriedly ...

Moreover, after arriving in China, the Ming Empire may not allow his fleet to dock. In other words, the ships of his fleet could not be repaired by then. If you run another return trip, it will be another 6 months ...

That is to say, the ships of the Americo fleet may run on the ocean for half a year without maintenance service ... so long in the ocean in the salt water area, it is difficult for the boat to go wrong what……

...

Marin thought about it, and Amerigo's worries were really a big problem. After all, after sailing from the North Sea country, the fleet may face the problem of being unable to repair. After all, the dock in Panama City has not been repaired. When the ship reached Panama City, it stopped at most in the Tamsui area to drive away the maggots. However, the erosion caused by the maggots along the way to the bottom of the ship cannot be repaired. Then continue to go to the Taiwan Island to find Keelung Peace Island ... another return journey around the big circle ... it is indeed very easy to accident ...

How to solve it? Marin first thought of wrapping copper skin under the waterline of the ship. After all, this is the trick of an 18th-century British warship.

In the 18th century, some British warships were cruising on the sea for a long time and could not go to the base for overhaul. In order to ensure long-term activities at sea, to protect the British navigation line. British craftsmen invented the method of wrapping navy copper under the warship's waterline, which made the problem that the ship difficult to sail on the ocean for a long time. As long as it does not hit the reef, or is bombarded, the warship can fully operate at sea for a long time. Only when the supplies of fresh water and other food are insufficient, you need to find a military port to replenish it. Then, the ship does not need to be overhauled, and it goes directly to the sea to continue its mission ...

However, Marin thought about the current copper price and immediately counseled ...

Nowadays, when 15 pounds of copper can be exchanged for 1 pound of silver, 15 copper skins are equivalent to 1 silver skin. It would be too extravagant to wrap all the ships of the Americano's fleet under the waterline with copper skin ...

So, Marlin just thought about it a little bit and then abandoned it ...

Then, it is galvanized tinplate. Tinplate has a strong anti-corrosion effect, but tinplate also has a problem-fear of touching the galvanized layer and scratching ...

If the galvanized layer is intact, the tinplate can last for a long time in the sea water. But if it is scratched, or if the galvanized layer is touched off, it will quickly corrode when it encounters seawater ...

It is inevitable that you bump into your way while sailing. Then, nail the tinplate to the bottom of the ship, and the nails will inevitably scratch the tinplate. Many accidents can reduce the service life of tinplate.

Therefore, in the end, the tinplate was also abandoned by Marin. Americo ’s fleet cannot be repaired for half a year at sea. There are too many uncertainties such as tinplate and it is difficult to be trusted.

...

What should I use? Is it really necessary to use expensive copper skin? Marin was in trouble ...,

But suddenly, he snapped his head:

"Oh, how can I forget nickel!"

Marin suddenly remembered that he seemed to have a lot of nickel in his hands ...

"If nickel and iron are remelted to make nickel steel ..."

Malin thought about it. If you do this, the nickel steel skin obtained will not be as corrosion-resistant as the chromium-nickel alloy stainless steel doped with chromium, but it is at least much stronger than the galvanized white iron skin. At least, this kind of nickel steel white iron skin is not afraid of bumps and scratches ...

In this way, the iron skin made of this nickel steel containing only nickel and no chromium is wrapped around the lower part of the waterline of the ship ~ www.novelhall.com ~ The stability is definitely better than that of galvanized white iron. At least, a few years is not a problem.

It's better to wait until Marin's men find chromite and get authentic chrome-nickel alloy stainless steel. By that time, the ship will probably not need to be overhauled for decades (mainly the main body of the ship).

Thinking of this, Marin ordered the use of some nickel blocks and sent them to the iron and steel plant to remelt into nickel steel together with the iron ingots. Then, nickel steel skin was poured and beaten to wrap the lower part of the waterline of the Amerigo fleet.

Even, even with iron nails, Marin decided to use nickel steel. After all, nickel steel nails are much cheaper than copper nails.

However, considering that there are not many nickel blocks in his hand, Marin decided to abandon the dispatch of 500-ton warships and use 4 new 250-class armed merchant ships (because the 500-ton warships cost nickel steel More). These new 250-class armed merchant ships have a displacement of about 250 tons. However, the hull was thinner, and the aspect ratio reached about 4 to 1, which was similar to that of the later Galen.

The four 250-class armed merchant ships are also sufficient for the adventure activities of Amerigo. After all, Amerigo did not go to war, but to find a route. In the vast Pacific Ocean, there were no pirates at this time, and four 250-ton armed merchant ships were enough to go sideways. Even if they encounter Japanese pirates, the artillery on board is not vegetarian ...

Of course, in order to prevent others from thinking that he used silver skin to wrap the lower part of the ship's waterline, Marin decided to paint the nickel steel skin with black paint as usual to hide its brilliance. Moreover, it is claimed that the bottom of the ship is wrapped in tinplate (tinplate). If other countries follow suit, the price of tin is not so high. Tinplate is not as good as galvanized tinplate in anticorrosion, whoever uses it will die ... 8) More exciting novels, welcome to visit everyone's college