Chapter 49

In just one day, Hong Tao and Wen Qi worked together to create the model of the boat he wanted to build. It was very beautiful, light, and also made Wen Qi scratch his head. Because he had never dealt with a boat of this scale before, he had to hold the model and seek advice from his grandfather.

"Why add a vertical piece of wood to the bottom of the boat?" Craftsmen have a common flaw: they are incredibly curious about similar crafts. If they don't figure it out, they can't eat or sleep well. Originally, Old Wen didn't think much of Hong Tao, this outsider, and didn't plan to get involved in his boat-building. Having his youngest son help was already a huge favor to Huang Haitian. However, after seeing the model, the old man changed his mind. This strange little boat seemed both reasonable and unreasonable, giving him a vague, uneasy feeling. He had to ask to feel at ease.

"This is the boat design from my hometown, suitable for long-distance voyages. I'm not sure why myself." Hong Tao wasn't sure if the Wen family could be brought into his circle of influence, so he didn't reveal too much. The stabilizer board has specific proportions and weight limits. Without knowing the exact proportions, even if it were installed, it wouldn't serve its purpose and might even be a burden. So Hong Tao wasn't afraid of others copying it. In this regard, it was similar to how the Wen family used the model boat as a blueprint—feel free to look, no fear of imitation!

"This kind of wood must be from a hundred-year-old tree, very precious. Using it on such a small boat is a waste!" Huang Hai relayed Old Wen's thoughts.

"I'm not afraid; pay whatever it costs!" Hong Tao felt that Old Wen was trying to outsmart him by using price to pressure him into revealing the stabilizer board's specifications. "I have the money! Over a hundred strings of cash! With the rolling hooks, traps, and crab cages, money will keep flowing in. We can't afford a 40-foot boat, but a 20-foot one should be doable."

"Hong Tao, Old Wen said the boat's hull is too thin, so the bulkheads need to be dense and made of high-quality oil-pine wood, which will cost 70 strings of cash!" Huang Hai and Old Wen discussed for a long time before giving Hong Tao a quote.

"Uncle Huang, will they rip us off?" Hong Tao thought 70 strings was a bit much. The small rowing boats used by the Dan people, which are about four to five meters long, cost around 30 strings. His boat was only a bit over six meters long, and aside from the keel, stabilizer board, and mast, it didn't require much material. Why was the cost double?

"They won't. The Wen family wouldn't do that. You get what you pay for! He said the thinner the material, the better the wood needs to be. Look at the wood stacked on the shore; some of it was bought by his grandfather from the Li people in the mountains and has been stored for years, even decades, to be usable. High-quality materials are rare, so the price is higher. Otherwise, we could build two pointed boats." Huang Hai trusted the Wen family, but he also winced at the price. 70 strings of cash could buy over 30 stones of rice, enough to feed an adult for ten years.

"Let's build one to try. If it succeeds, our future will be better. Trust me!" The 70 strings of cash weren't just Hong Tao's; it was a cooperative effort, and everyone had a share. He couldn't make the decision alone.

"Hong Tao, saying that makes me feel embarrassed. The money is yours, so you decide how to spend it!" Huang Hai was afraid Hong Tao would get annoyed, so he quickly reassured him. Although 70 strings of cash was a lot, compared to Hong Tao, he knew what was more important.

After setting the price and the model, it was time to select the appropriate wood and start building. Old Wen said they needed oil-pine wood, but Hong Tao didn't know what it was. The wood had been stored on the shore for years, with no leaves, making it hard to identify. However, Old Wen said that high-quality oil-pine wood doesn't deform or rot, making it excellent for boat-building. So Hong Tao was reassured and spent his days helping Huang Qi with the wood. Although he wasn't a carpenter, he was strong and good at moving things around.

"Uncle Huang, go back and bring the Roman guy over. I paid his ransom, so he should work for me. It's only right! He can't fish, and it's inconvenient to keep him at home." After moving wood all day, Hong Tao remembered he had a slave. Why not use him?

Thus, the beach west of Zhenzhou Port became lively. A Han person, a Roman, and a few Dan people worked from morning till night. Besides Dan and Han languages, there were occasional sounds of ancient Latin and ancient German. Nearby Dan children often came to watch, commenting on the large rat head tattooed on Hong Tao's back, wondering what it was and why it was so beautifully detailed, what kind of paint was used, and why the colors were so vibrant.

The keel was probably the most challenging part for Old Wen and his sons. It wasn't a strip but a board with pointed ends and a protruding middle, resembling a meat cleaver at first glance. The six bulkheads were embedded in the keel, with the ends bent and slightly inward-curving. To achieve this shape, Hong Tao had to pay Old Wen an additional 10 strings of cash, as it was very time-consuming. The wood had to be steamed and then fixed with wooden wedges, bent bit by bit, taking about a week to form.

It took 25 days to complete the keel and install the bulkheads. When it came to the secondary keels, Hong Tao had another idea. He insisted on adding two full-length secondary keels on both waterlines, each protruding a foot wide. Old Wen, with red eyes, argued with Hong Tao through Huang Hai's translation and even took a small boat to inspect Zhenzhou Port before reluctantly agreeing to Hong Tao's idea and installing the strange secondary keels.

This wasn't a sudden whim. These are called anti-rolling keels or water-blocking wood. They were already in use in the Song Dynasty, like on Luo Youde's large bird ship, to reduce side-to-side movement and increase stability. Don't underestimate the protruding wood; its practical effects are significant, and many modern ships use this technology. This technology might not be widely used yet, and small private workshops like Old Wen's haven't learned it. Advanced technologies are likely in the Song Dynasty's state shipyards, where craftsmen from all over the country, including southern and northern shipbuilders, are gathered, making it easier to invent new technologies.