Firearms in a Fantasy World

Chapter 40: Naval Affairs 3

Translator: Cinder Translations

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Paul Grayman recently found time to study ship diagrams "acquired" from the shipyard supervisor.

He discovered that even in the southern regions where row-sail ships were prevalent, similar to the Mediterranean galleys on Earth, there were narrow, long, low-built and agile vessels primarily propelled by rowing, albeit equipped with sails to conserve the rowers' stamina during long voyages.

Each side of these ships had only one row of long oars, with the larger oars reaching over ten meters and weighing up to 300 kilograms. Therefore, each oar was typically operated by 3 to 8 individuals, with some larger ships often having hundreds of rowers.

Southern countries mostly used criminals and slaves as rowers, packed tightly in cramped spaces like sardines in a tin can.

During navigation, under the threat of whips, rowers labored strenuously to the rhythm of drums, powering their "muscle engines."

There was a saying that captured the life of rowers on these ships: "If hell exists in this world, it's on a row-sail ship, where rest is an unknown luxury."

Rowers spent their days bonded to their benches, drifting at sea, subject to arbitrary commands signaled by whistles, seeking solace in alcohol during tense moments or enduring lashes.

"What a barbaric era! The wicked old society," Paul lamented, simultaneously grateful for his relatively decent upbringing since crossing over.

This type of row-sail ship existed since the days of the ancient Belar Empire. Its enduring popularity stemmed from the calm seas and strong advantages in power and maneuverability generated by manpower-driven rowing in that maritime environment, crucial for naval battles and merchant vessels evading pirates in southern countries.

In contrast, maritime trade in other countries was less developed, lacking the impetus to innovate shipbuilding technology. Consequently, ships resembling those from the Angle Bay region were replicated worldwide, including the recent type Paul had seen at the shipyard.

Row-sail ships were mostly flat-bottomed, advantageous in shallow waters but unsuitable for deep seas due to their large crew size, including rowers, and logistical challenges.

Paul required ships capable of trans-oceanic voyages powered solely by wind sails. According to his estimates, transporting goods to the south from the Northwestern Bay required covering over 2000 nautical miles.

If not relying on southern merchants as intermediaries and venturing eastward to trade goods independently, the distance would be even greater. Such distances were unimaginable to traverse solely by rowers, at least from his perspective.

Moreover, he harbored a "small" desire: recruiting explorers for a circumnavigation akin to Magellan's expedition. "The world is vast, and I too wish to explore it."

The notion of a spherical Earth had gained widespread acceptance among most countries, yet concrete and compelling evidence remained elusive. Should his sponsored expedition confirm the Earth's roundness, it would undoubtedly leave a significant mark in world history.

However, under current circumstances, this aspiration lacked the necessary conditions. He sought out a carpenter and, based on memories from his previous life, constructed models of two full-sail ships.

One model was based on the Swedish Göteborg, featuring a broad-bottomed U-shaped hull with three decks: a lower deck, upper deck, and open deck.

TL Note:

Three masts stood tall, each adorned with square sails. The mainmast and foremast were equipped with topgallant sails, middle sails, and mainsails, while the mizzenmast sported a mizzen topsail and a large triangular mizzen sail.