"Can't use it?!" Many people looked disappointed. The gorgeous armored multi-turret armored battleship cargo ship just disappeared into thin air?
"Why sit on the beach?" Someone raised an objection. "Once the ship is stranded on the beach, wouldn't it be difficult to float it again? There are not enough crew members now, so it can't be driven temporarily. Doesn't that mean it can't be used in the future?"
"Just wear it and then use it as a hotel? What a waste! How can we, the time-travelers, fight against the pirates if we don't have an invincible warship?"
"With this ship, Zheng Zhilong, Liu Xiang, Holland, and Britain are all scum!"
"Can we not sit on the beach?" Wen Desi asked, "There are many good ports in the west of Hainan, and there are several deep-water port openings in Guanglingao. Is it called Jinjin Port? We have also engaged in investment promotion in Guangzhou. There should be one there Plenty of deep water berths.”
"not that simple."
Mond knew that everyone’s understanding of shipping and port facilities was basically blank, so he gave a brief explanation.
Before modern times, except for a few ports with particularly advantageous geographical and hydrological conditions, where large ships could berth directly on the shore, in most ports around the world, large ships had to anchor in deeper waters in the harbor, and then use barges and small boats. Transfer the cargo and passengers on board to the shore one by one. Until modern times, many large ports were equipped with in-port ferries and cargo barges for passengers to board and disembark large cruise ships. This efficiency is of course very low. Therefore, a variety of terminal supporting facilities must be built in modern ports. Even the simplest equipment requires several trestles.
Crossing Lingao, which many people plan to climb, is located in the northern part of Hainan Island, the port of Qiongbei area, starting from Mulantou in the east and ending at Bingmajiao in the west. There are a series of harbor sections recessed inward from the east to the coast. To the west are Puqian Bay, Haikou Bay, Chengmai Bay, Dongshui Port, Huachang Port, Majiao Port, Hongpai Port and Houshui Bay.
Along these bays, there are countless ports, large and small. However, most of them are small natural ports, with only some fishing boats berthing. Although Hainan Island was an important stopover for Sino-foreign maritime trade in the Ming Dynasty, many merchant ships would stop here to take shelter from the wind and replenish water, but its own maritime trade was not developed, and the main Concentrated in Shenying Port in Qiongshan. Almost all the harbors in Lingao retain their original appearance.
"These Hainan ports in the Ming Dynasty did not have any port facilities. Moreover, the water depth of the ports in Qiongbei area was generally not large. The Gold Medal Port opening mentioned by Mr. Wen is actually the Red Card Port. The port area has undergone the first phase of dredging. , and has just formed the berthing capacity of 5,000 tons of general cargo ships."
These words caused everyone to whisper, and many people always thought that the red card was a natural harbor. This is not the case. The Hongpai Peninsula protrudes to the north in the open sea. The headland shore section is strongly eroded by wind and waves all year round, forming wave-eroded cliffs and sea-eroded platforms. The eroded lava debris moved to the west side of the peninsula with wave currents and accumulated, forming a gravel beach, while the relatively fine sand moved into Hongpai Harbor, and the bay became a beach where medium and coarse sand accumulated. Hongpai Island on the west side of the peninsula is a basalt sea erosion platform, and its front waters have good water depth conditions, mostly waters with a depth of 5 meters. The Hongpai Harbor is silted up by drifting sand along the coast, and the water depth is only 2-4 meters.
Originally, the executive committee planned to choose Gold Medal Port (i.e. Red Card Port) as the port for berthing of ships. Mond's words completely canceled their plan. The water depth conditions of 2-4 meters, let alone 10,000-ton ships, 2,000-3,000-ton ships, etc. The boats are very difficult.
"And the large amount of beach land formed in the port will make our unloading work very difficult."
"Among the ports in Lingao, the Houshui Bay area has the best hydrological conditions. On the east and west sides of Linchang Island in the bay, there are deep troughs with a water depth of 10 meters extending into the bay. The wave shadow area in the south of the island is sediment accumulation. The water depth of the shoal is still 7-8 meters deep. There are coral reefs along the coast, which have strong resistance to erosion. There are fewer sources of sediment in the bay, and the erosion and siltation of the beach has tended to be stable. It should be said that the Houshui Bay area is Lingao is the best natural deep-water port. For travelers, Houshui Bay has Linchang Island as a natural port barrier. Building forts on it can effectively defend against sea attacks, which is stronger than small reefs like Hongpai Island. Much more.”
What is professional? This is professional! Whether it is an excellent military organization or an efficient social production organization, a reasonable division of labor and the deployment of professional personnel at work positions are the foundation and prerequisite. The Executive Committee deeply understands this. There was an atmosphere of awe in the conference room.
"It seems that things in this world cannot be taken for granted!" Ma Qianzhi sighed.
"We chose Houshui Bay as the port base? Since the conditions here are superior."
"No, no," Wen Desi shook his head repeatedly, "Houshui Bay is very good as a port, but the conditions are not suitable as a landing base - there is no water."
The Houshuiwan area in Lingao did not have any large natural rivers in ancient times and was a relatively arid area in the county. The villages near this area have been plagued by water shortages for a long time. It was not until after liberation that deep wells were drilled and many wells were dug. An irrigation canal solved the water shortage problem in the area.
Without enough fresh water, it would be inconvenient to do anything. Moreover, this place is too far away from Lingao County and the main foundation of future travelers. It is not convenient to contact and transport.
"What about your suggestion?" The tone of the inquiry at this moment has changed from casual to respectful.
"Where will the main base be located in the future?"
"Bairentan. In the lower reaches of the Wenlan River."
"If you want the closest one, Bobu Port is the best." Mond thought for a while, "Bopu Port is actually the estuary of the Wenlan River. In terms of port classification, it is a estuary port. It has long been the entrance and exit point for Hainan Island and the mainland. Tianjin is also a natural haven. The deep water channel in the center of the port can be 6-7 meters deep, but there are sandbanks crisscrossing the port and the anchorage is very small."
"Is this depth enough for a 10,000-ton ship? I remember the draft is about 7 meters."
"Yes, if it is a shallow-draft coastal general cargo ship, it can be shallower. The problem is that I don't have local hydrological data - no, there is no hydrological data from the Ming Dynasty. And even if there is no pilot, if the engine crew can make do, even if Even a modern port cannot dock - when many modern ships enter the port and dock, they also use push boats to 'push' them to the dock. With my level of boat handling, if the ship does not sit on the beach or run aground after entering the harbor, it will be a big deal. exploded."
"The ship probably cost tens of millions at least. Spend tens of millions to build a Yamato Hotel?"
"Actually, my suggestion is to use a barge. Either a flat deck or an open barge will do." Mond boldly made a suggestion that was not flashy at all and was despised by everyone. But he turned a blind eye. At least in his professional field, he has yet to find anyone who is an expert, which greatly strengthens his courage - he won't be slapped down if he says anything wrong.
"It was dragged by a tugboat? Wasn't it the one that ran in the river?"
"I'm talking about shipping barges, which are generally used in coastal areas. The deadweight tonnage ranges from 1500 to 8500 tons. Some barges are powered and can sail short distances along the coast. This kind of ship has a very shallow draft, with a draft of 1500 tons. It’s only 2 meters.”
The performance of a typical self-propelled deck barge is as follows:
Actual load capacity: 15oo tons
Total tonnage: 1411 tons
Net tons: 342 tons
Total length: 61 meters
Width: 13.6 meters
Molded depth: 3.2 meters
Draft: 1.832 meters
Navigation area: Coastal navigation area
Host power: 33ok
There is no problem in transporting all kinds of dry groceries and containers. The disadvantages are that it is very slow, has short endurance, and has poor seakeeping. It can only be used for short-distance coastal freight. Of course, this is not a problem for the time travellers.
However, after comprehensive consideration, the decision was made to use general cargo ships as the main choice, and only purchase self-propelled barges as a backup when the budget is insufficient. The reason is simple. Self-propelled barges do not have lifting and loading equipment - they completely rely on the port's loading and unloading equipment. For those who travel through time, it is basically a myth to unload thousands of tons of materials with bare hands, let alone some items that weigh tens of tons or hundreds of tons. No matter how many people there are, they can't carry them. Grocery trucks are generally equipped with booms and various loading and unloading equipment.
"I have an idea." Zhao De from the sports team also participated in this ship selection meeting because he once served in the Marine Police District and belongs to the navy team that traveled through the future.
"Even if the cargo ship doesn't run aground, it's not practical to use a cargo ship as a warship." Zhao De dusted off his sleeves. "A large cargo ship has a deep draft and is complicated to maneuver. It may not be much faster than a sailboat when turning around. No matter how powerful the ship is, Will your opponent come to fight you head-on after having suffered once? They have a numerical advantage and can carry out maritime harassment wars on the routes and along the coast. If we fight, we will lose sight of one. Even if we go to sea and destroy a few of its ships, the rest will disperse and escape. What can you do to him if he goes to a shallow water place to hide? Hoist a lifeboat and chase him? What we want is sea control. Such a lonely ship that consumes fuel and manpower is too wasteful."
The gorgeous armored multi-turreted battleship was criticized, and everyone felt sad, but when they thought about it, the former naval officer was right.
"I am a fisherman myself. I drove a fishing boat when I was in the production team. When I was serving in the army, I saw that the navy also used fishing boats. The 200-400 ton boats have long endurance and are resistant to wind and waves. They are not used as the main force of the navy. Is it better than an armored, multi-turreted battleship cargo ship? Not to mention other things, it is much faster and uses less fuel."
“You can also fish!”
"Yes, you can also fish. These boats are usually trawlers and are very durable."
"Fishing boats are not easy to buy." Mond objected. "The procedures for fishery administration are too complicated."
"It doesn't matter. We just don't declare it for fishery use after buying it. We can wear it and do whatever we want with it anyway."
There are different views on this issue in the Executive Committee; it is considered that it only adds to the complexity of the operation. However, the majority of the executive committee still expressed support - Hainan, which is being used as a base for development, has rich fishery resources in the surrounding waters - Beibu Gulf is still an important fishing ground, and fishery disputes arise between Chinese and Vietnamese fishermen every year. I think it would only be more abundant in the 17th century. There would be one or several fishing boats that could enrich the protein source for travelers. Modern fishing boats are light, flexible and easy to operate. It can completely serve as an early inshore maritime force for crossing the sea - you must know that the narrowest point of the Qiongzhou Strait is less than 18 kilometers, and a very small ship can easily pass through it. There are no ships at sea to provide early warning, and I am afraid that the enemy will not be discovered until the enemy enters the shore's field of vision, which is very passive.
So the plan was finalized. Zhao De was entrusted with selecting fishing boats and proposing a purchase list of relevant spare parts and materials. After the meeting, at Mond's suggestion, a group of people with good physical condition and a certain interest in sailing were selected to participate in the training. Mond took advantage of the convenience of work and found a man who ran several coastal cargo ships at home. Friends, send people on board for one-to-one direct training on relevant skills.
