Reborn as King of South America

Chapter 445 Shipping Industry III
"Your Majesty, we have arrived at Songjiang Port."

As the warship approached the port, the captain of the Pioneer, Xu Zhixuan, walked into the cabin and reported: "Director Tong, Deputy Director Niu and others from the Xinghe Shipyard have arrived and are preparing to welcome Your Majesty near the port."

"They are quite well prepared."

Li Mingyuan smiled faintly and said to the others, "Let's go, let's get off the ship and see what the result of the hard work of all the technicians of Xinghe Shipyard looks like over the years."

"A 5000-ton ocean-going ship is considered a large vessel. I wonder how many immigrants such a ship can carry at one time?"

"It should be close to 2000 people. The 3000-ton transport ship owned by the Ocean Shipping Company can carry 1400 immigrants at a time. The 5000-ton ocean-going transport ship newly built by Xinghe Shipyard has a displacement tonnage that is nearly twice that of the former. The standard number of immigrants it can carry is definitely 3000 to more than the -ton transport ship."

The group got off the warship and chatted as they walked: "The 5000-ton ocean-going ship uses a triple expansion reciprocating steam engine as its propulsion power. Each ship is equipped with two triple expansion steam engines, each with 8000 horsepower, and a forced ventilation engine with 12000 horsepower. The total power of the ship is 16000 horsepower, the standard speed is 16 knots, and the maximum speed is 20 knots.

The standard displacement is 5200 tons, the full load displacement is 6400 tons, the standard number of immigrants carried is 2100, and the crew is 180 people.

Departing from Yishui Port (Puerto Montt) to the Far East at a speed of 16 knots, the total one-way voyage is about 1.9 kilometers and takes 42 to 45 days.

Long before leaving Chang'an, the technical data on the 5000-ton ocean-going ship submitted by Xinghe Shipyard was distributed to the heads of several core departments of the central government. Therefore, as one of the superior management departments of civil shipping enterprises, the Minister of Industrial Development knows more about the technical performance of the new ships than ordinary officials.

"One knot is 1.8 kilometers per hour. If the ship maintains a speed of 16 knots, doesn't it mean that it can complete the entire South America-Far East route in just 28 days?"

As the Director General of the Ministry of Transport Development, who was often in contact with maritime shipping management affairs, Mei Ruiying had always been very sensitive to numbers. Therefore, after listening to the introduction by the Director General of the Ministry of Industry, he quickly calculated the theoretical data for the long-term navigation of the new ocean-going ship.

"According to technical theoretical data, the entire South Pacific route can be completed within 28 days. However, since the fleet needs to carry out necessary material replenishment and repairs during the voyage, the total one-way voyage time will exceed 40 days if this part of time is included."

Chen Shen, the Minister of Industry, said: "Compared with ordinary ocean-going transport ships under the name of ocean-going shipping companies, the one-way sailing time of 5000-ton ships is 15 to 18 days shorter. However, compared with Western powers, ocean-going transport ships with a standard speed of 16 knots and a tonnage of 5200 tons are not considered to be first-class industry standards.

Last May, a 5-ton ocean-going ship named "City of Paris" owned by the British Inman International Shipping Company completed a one-way voyage from Europe to North America in 6 days and 29 minutes, with an average speed of more than 20 knots.
In April this year, a 4-ton ocean-going ship owned by the German Norddeutsche Company completed its transatlantic crossing in 1.4 days and 5 hours. The ship's average speed reached 13 knots, setting a record for the maximum sailing speed of a 22-ton ocean-going ship.

The civil shipbuilding technology of the United Kingdom and Germany is world-class. If the local civil shipbuilding industry can reach the average level of the two countries, the one-way sailing time of the two main immigrant transportation routes from the mainland to the Far East will be shortened to less than 35 days. The number of immigrants transported each time may also increase from 45 people per year to 70 or even 80. "

"The gap between China and the UK and Germany in civil ocean-going ship construction technology cannot be closed in one or two years. If China wants to reach the current level of ocean-going ship construction technology in the UK and Germany, it will take at least five years for China to catch up."

Li Mingyuan was able to face up to the gap between the local civilian shipbuilding industry and that of Britain, Germany and France, so he did not have the illusion of catching up with the level of the great powers in a short period of time.

“The local civilian shipbuilding industry does not have the technical reserves to build 10,000-ton ocean-going ships, and the local government is currently unable to bear the huge construction and maintenance costs of building ocean-going ships.

Introducing 1895-ton ocean-going ship construction technology and reducing the construction and maintenance costs of self-built 5200-ton ships are difficult problems that need to be solved in the next ten-year development plan. From now until , the task of the local civilian shipbuilding industry is to use the annually allocated civilian ship construction funds to control ship construction costs, complete the construction of -ton ocean-going ships within the next five and a half years, gradually eliminate old and technically backward ocean-going transport ships, and improve the overall risk resistance and transportation efficiency of ocean-going transport ships.

Although a batch of ocean-going transport ships with a displacement of less than 1000 tons have been eliminated before, and the number of ocean-going transport fleets has gradually increased to more than 170 ships, due to limitations in transportation funds and local civilian shipbuilding capabilities, the ocean-going transport fleet still retains a large number of old ships. Among them, the number of ocean-going transport ships that are not suitable for steam-powered conversion is close to 20.

These old, technologically backward ocean-going vessels are more dangerous than newer vessels and must be phased out.

The old ships that can be maintained and renovated will be sold to local private enterprises at low prices for use as offshore, inland river transportation, fishing and hunting vessels. Those that are not worth renovating will be directly dismantled and disposed of without mercy. "Most of the ocean-going transport ships owned by the locals are old ships sold to us at low prices by European countries. Although many of them have been renovated with steam power and their speed has increased a lot, among the more than 170 ocean-going transport ships, 20 are over 120 years old and 10 are 20 years old.

The service life of an ordinary wooden sailing ship is 30 years. The service life of a wooden steam engine ship that has been converted to steam power can be extended by three to four years, and the time it takes to be eliminated will be no more than ten years.

At the beginning, the local area lacked ocean-going transport ships. In order to increase the number of immigrants, it could only choose to buy old wooden sailing ships that were eliminated by Western countries. Now that the local government's finances are gradually sufficient and the development of the civilian shipbuilding industry can also basically meet the construction tasks of ocean-going transport ships, it is indeed necessary to conduct a thorough rectification and reorganization of the ocean-going transport fleet. "…………

The group chatted for seven or eight minutes on the road, and then they met Tong Longfu, Niu Shangzhou and others who were standing at the port to greet them. Then, under the greeting and escort of Tong Longfu and others, Li Mingyuan and his group came to the offshore dock of Xinghe Shipyard.

"The construction period of a 5200-ton ocean-going ship is one year and three months, and the average construction cost of each ship is 1 Han yuan (equivalent to about 57 taels of Kuping silver).

兴和造船厂名下有5000吨级军用船坞1座、3000吨级军用船坞4座。民用8000吨级船坞2座、民用5000吨级船坞4座、民用3000吨级船坞9座。

Among them, there are two docks capable of building new ocean-going ships. After the first year of construction, it is expected that the annual construction period of 5200-ton ocean-going ships will be shortened to one year. Starting from the second year, Xinghe Shipyard will be able to complete the construction of two 1-ton ocean-going ships per year.

Facing the direction of the dock, Li Mingyuan admired the huge white ship while listening to the introduction of Niu Shangniu, deputy director of Xinghe Shipyard.

"Based on the current technological level, there are only two civilian shipyards in the country that are capable of building 5200-ton ocean-going ships. One is the Xinghe Shipyard, and the other is the Hanguo Ocean Shipping Company under the name of His Majesty (controlled by the royal family).

远洋航运公司在全国总共拥有4个造船基地，183家配套相关企业、工业员工3100人（不包括船员），产业工人2400人。 1座8000吨民用船坞，3座5000吨级民用船坞，8座3000吨级民用船坞。

We have the capacity to build one 5200-ton ocean-going vessel every year.”

"Based on the construction capacity of Xinghe Shipyard and Ocean Shipping Company, how long will it take to increase the number of immigrants transported each year to more than 55?"

"Based on the 45 immigrants imported last year, the two shipyards will complete the construction of three 5200-ton ships each year. Each ship will carry 2100 immigrants. Each round trip will take three months. Each ship will travel between South America and the Far East four times a year. Each ship will transport 6300 people each year. The three ships will transport 18900 immigrants each year. Taking into account the reduced capacity caused by the elimination of some old ocean-going transport ships, it will take about seven years to increase the annual number of immigrants transported to 55."

"No, seven years is too long. The situation in the Far East is changing rapidly. The mainland is likely to usher in a larger wave of immigration around 7. In order to prepare for the immigration boom in the next few years, the construction plan of 1894-ton ocean-going transport ships must be accelerated."

Li Mingyuan thought of the war that would change Far East International five years later, and urged: "Xinghe Shipyard and Ocean Shipping Company have insufficient production capacity, so expand the dock and increase the shipyard's shipbuilding capacity. In addition, private shipping companies have developed rapidly for more than ten years, and there are also companies with basic technical talent reserves. You can't just focus on state-owned shipyards, you should also pay more attention to the development of local private shipyards.

Xinghe Shipyard and Ocean Shipping Company are not only state-owned enterprises responsible for shipbuilding, but also an important part of the country's industrial development strategy. You should shoulder more social responsibilities of state-owned enterprises, cooperate more with private enterprises, and help them improve their construction technology.

After all, private shipping companies are the main force in undertaking domestic inland waterway shipping tasks. Helping private companies to develop is beneficial to both the local shipping industry and the national economic development.”

"Your Majesty has taught us that there are many private shipbuilding companies in the mainland that are doing well. Companies like the South Pacific Shipping Company and Shengchang Shipping Company all have independent shipyards. If Xinghe Shipyard helps them expand and renovate their docks, I believe that within two years, the mainland will be able to add at least three private shipping companies capable of building 5200-ton ocean-going ships."

"The South Pacific Shipping Company is the business run by the Concubine's father. Although Mr. Zhang is the Concubine's father, you cannot be partial. When choosing a private company to undertake the construction of a 5200-ton ocean-going ship, you must judge it based on the company's comprehensive technical reserves. You must not abuse your power for personal gain."

"Yes, Your Majesty, the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Railways and Transportation Development will work with the two state-owned shipping companies to select suitable private shipbuilding companies in full accordance with Your Majesty's instructions and standards."…………

(End of this chapter)