Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 545 The Rear (Part Six)

On an autumn morning in Huichuan Port, a thin mist, like gauze, gently shrouded the surface of the Qiongjiang River (now the Weilamite River).

As the sun rises, it paints the eastern sky orange-red, and the light pierces through the thin mist, casting shimmering golden light on the water's surface.

The dock was already bustling with activity as workers chanted as they loaded bags of grain and barrels of liquor onto the ship using steam cranes.

The air was filled with the smells of grain dust, river water, and sea salt.

Among the many sailboats moored, the "Yunjiao 12", which arrived ten days ago, stands out from the crowd.

This 400-ton motor-sailboat retains the elegant silhouette of a traditional three-masted sailing ship. Its teak hull gleams with an amber luster in the morning light, and its prow is carved with a dragon soaring through the clouds.

But what is most striking is the massive iron chimney at the rear of its deck, standing black between the masts like an abrupt industrial manifesto.

The base of the chimney connects to the boiler room in the lower compartment, and occasionally a few wisps of steam escape from the joint, making a hissing sound.

"Look at that monster!" a young dockworker shouted, pointing at the chimney. His work slowed down. "You don't need such a big stove to cook on a ship, do you?"

The older foreman wiped his brow and chuckled, “Haha…you really have no experience! That big smokestack is for the ship’s engine to vent smoke, and its hold is full of ‘movable iron lumps.’ Ten days ago, when this ship came, I saw it sailing against the current without sails, its smokestack belching black smoke, faster than a fast boat with the wind at its back! The sight was…tsk tsk…”

"Moving on its own without wind?" The young porter clearly overlooked the phrase "there are moving iron lumps in the hold," and his eyes widened. "Could it be some kind of sorcery performed by some shaman sitting on the ship?"

"Witchcraft?" Upon hearing this, the foreman chuckled. "Damn it, this isn't witchcraft. It's... that science, yes, science! A word my son learned from his teacher when he was in school."

"Our Xinhua has science; we can build all sorts of amazing things... This ship that doesn't rely on the wind was also made by science. Okay, I wouldn't understand even if I told you! Hurry up, we still have a lot of work to do."

On the deck, Luo Desheng, the project leader of "Yunjiao" and a senior engineer at Xinhua Heavy Industry, was enjoying a cucumber he had just bought from the dock market.

He glanced at the loading and unloading situation at the dock, then turned to the captain: "Old Zhao, how much longer?"

"At most half an hour," Zhao Qingfeng replied. "The grain has been loaded, and the liquor has been stored. The first mate is leading men to inspect the hold and cover it with tarpaulins. The autumn fog is damp, so we need to make sure the cargo doesn't get wet."

Rodsen nodded, his gaze involuntarily falling on the chimney, his eyes filled with an indescribable tenderness and...expectation, as if he were looking at his own child.

"Engineer Luo, can this steam engine really replace sails in the future?" Zhao Qingfeng followed his gaze and looked over, a hint of doubt on his face.

As a veteran sailor with fifteen years of seafaring experience, he was both excited and skeptical about this "iron monster".

Since his grandfather's generation, the concept that sails are the wings of a ship has been deeply ingrained in his mind.

Could this iron contraption truly change all the rules of the sea, as the engineers on board claimed?
"Old Zhao, don't you believe in steam engines?" Luo Desheng took a big bite of cucumber and chewed it.

“I still believe in the wind and the current. Our ship needs to burn coal and has a bunch of machines to maintain. If we break down on the sea, we’ll still have to rely on the sails on the ship in the end.” Zhao Qingfeng patted the wooden railing next to him. “For the past ten years or so, we’ve relied on the wind to make a living at sea. As for steam power… I think it can never replace wind power.”

"Believe me, steamships will eventually replace sailing ships; it's an irreversible trend." Rodson said with certainty. "Our ship has already undergone four sea trials, and you've seen its speed against the wind and current. Isn't it more efficient than a sailing ship?"

“Look, this time, we’re going from the mouth of the Ziwu River (now the Columbia River) to Qiming Island, against the wind and current. Ordinary sailboats would take six or seven days, or even ten days. But our Yunjiao, I estimate, will be able to get there in two days.”

Zhao Qingfeng laughed: "What if the machine breaks down on the way?"

"I can guarantee there won't be any problems this time."

"What if?"

"In case of any breakdown, once we reach Shaowu Naval Port (now Esquimort, Vancouver Island), I'll treat you—no, I'll treat all the sailors on board—to a grand feast! At that 'Wanghailou' restaurant in the port area, I'll let you taste the real dishes prepared by Ming Dynasty chefs!"

"Then it's a deal," Zhao Qingfeng laughed. "After we return to Qiming Island, all forty of us on board will eat you out of house and home!"

Luo Desheng frowned and looked at him with feigned seriousness: "Old Zhao, as a participant in the 'Yunjiao' project, aren't you a little biased? You know, if this sea trial is successful and we return, each of us will receive a substantial bonus!"

"You think I don't want the bonus?" Zhao Qingfeng said with a wry smile, "Since this ship was built and launched in March, it has experienced various malfunctions during every sea trial, and then it has to be towed back to the shipyard for a major overhaul. Although there haven't been any problems so far this time, I've been worried sick!"

“This time it won’t be like that!” Rodson said confidently, stuffing the last bite of cucumber into his mouth. “We’ve inspected the cabin several times over the past few days and haven’t found anything unusual. I have a strong feeling that this fourth sea trial will be a perfect voyage.”

An hour later, the "Yunjiao-12" experimental motorboat set sail, heading down the Qiongjiang River to its confluence with the Ziwu River, and then speeding along the rushing waters.

The northeast wind filled the sails, and the current propelled the boat forward at a speed of ten knots.

Zhao Qingfeng stood at the stern, enjoying the familiar rhythm of the river breeze and feeling the power of the water flow transmitted through the rudder.

The crew members performed their duties, and everything proceeded as smoothly as ever, sailing with the wind.

At 1 p.m., the "Yunjiao-12" arrived at Zhaoyebao (now Astoria).

This port, located at the mouth of the Ziwu River, is an important node on Xinhua's northern shipping route.

The wooden dock was piled high with various goods, and workers were busy loading and unloading them.

Several traditional sailing ships were moored nearby, and the sailors on board curiously examined the conspicuous smokestack of the Yunjiao.

After the ship docked, the workers quickly loaded replenishment supplies, mainly fruits, vegetables and fresh water.

Zhao Qingfeng and Luo Desheng stood side by side on the bridge, looking at the busy dock.

“The smooth journey is over,” Zhao Qingfeng said, gazing at the azure surface of the Pacific Ocean in the distance. “Next, our real test begins.”

Rodsen nodded: "I've already prepared the engine room for startup. We'll start the engine and build up pressure once we're out of the river mouth."

"Relying entirely on your iron contraption?" Zhao Qingfeng asked half-jokingly.

“That’s right, all thanks to the iron machine!” Rodson nodded. “We need to verify the machine’s continuous operation. Hmm, let’s sail it all the way back to Qiming Island without the aid of sails.”

Two hours later, the "Yunjiao-12" completed its cargo loading and unloading and slowly sailed out of the river mouth, facing the vast and boundless Pacific Ocean.

As Zhao Qingfeng said, the wind and ocean currents are all southward, and the northward return to Qiming Island is a completely reverse journey.

"Lower the sails!" Zhao Qingfeng ordered, then turned to Luo Desheng, "Engineer Luo, it's up to you now."

The engine room boiler had been preheating for half an hour, and the pressure gauge showed that it had reached the working pressure. "Open the main steam valve!" Rodson went down to the bottom deck, personally checked all the valves, and then nodded to the engine room engineer.

As the valve turns, high-pressure steam rushes into the cylinder, and the piston begins to reciprocate regularly, driving the crankshaft to rotate via the connecting rod.

At the stern underwater, the three-bladed propeller began to churn the seawater.

On the deck, Zhao Qingfeng felt an unfamiliar vibration coming from the hull.

This vibration is different from the natural rhythm of a sailboat drifting with the waves; it is a continuous and powerful mechanical pulse, as if a huge metal heart is beating deep inside the hull.

Even more surprisingly, despite the sails being half-furled, the boat's speed increased instead of decreasing.

"Speed ​​test!" he ordered.

The sailor threw out the speed measuring rope and counted the knots: "Four knots! Captain, four knots against the wind and current!"

The crew burst into cheers. Under such unfavorable sailing conditions, it was considered lucky for a traditional sailboat to maintain three knots, and it often had to take a zigzag route to move forward.

Zhao Qingfeng walked to the stern and looked at the white wake created by the propeller, indicating that the ship's speed was still increasing.

Rodson climbed out of the cabin, his face covered in coal dust: "So, Old Zhao? Do you still think sailboats can last forever?"

Zhao Qingfeng did not answer directly, but simply asked, "How long can this machine work continuously?"

His gaze remained fixed on the churning wake.

“If there is sufficient coal and fresh water, theoretically it can operate continuously for 100 days,” Rodsen said. “However, in reality, we need to stop for a while every ten days to two weeks to inspect the machinery and replenish fuel and fresh water. Although the boiler water can be recycled, there is still some loss. We have designed a condenser to recover some steam, but this aspect still needs further improvement.”

"What's the speed now?" Zhao Qingfeng shouted to the sailor who was still measuring the speed.

"Seven knots!" the sailor shouted in response. "Captain, the speed is increasing, we're almost at eight knots!"

Zhao Qingfeng breathed a sigh of relief and finally turned around, his eyes sparkling with new light: "If we sail steadily at a speed of ten knots, it will probably only take us a month and a half to travel from the New Continent to the Ming Dynasty."

“With the aid of sails, ships equipped with steam engines should be able to reach speeds of 15 to 17 knots,” Rodson said with a smile. “In the future, a trip to the Ming Dynasty will probably only take about 30 days.”

"Committee Member Zhang once told us that a steamship is not simply a 'steam engine + ship' model, but a powerful tool that can break through the limitations of wind and waves. With it, the ocean is no longer an obstacle, but a thoroughfare for Xinhua!"

As night fell, the "Yunjiao 12" was still sailing against the wind.

Inside the engine room, Rodsen was checking the boiler's operation.

The workers took turns working to ensure the coal in the boiler burned continuously.

New water-tube boilers are much more efficient than older fire-tube boilers, but they still require careful maintenance.

"Temperature is normal, pressure is stable." Rodsen looked at the data in the logbook and nodded in satisfaction.

After running continuously for several hours, the machine still performed perfectly, something that had never happened in previous sea trials.

Windproof lanterns were hung on the deck, their dim light dancing on the waves and reflecting the starry sky.

On deck, two sailors stood at their posts, responsible for monitoring the sea conditions.

By the light of an oil lamp, they ate their dinner—biscuits, dried salted fish, and a fresh citrus fruit.

“In the past, it would have taken at least seven or eight days to travel this route against the wind and current,” a sailor mumbled, taking a bite of his biscuit. “Now that we have steam engines, I reckon we can get there in two days. I can’t believe it.”

“Absolutely!” Another older sailor pulled his woolen overcoat tighter around himself; the North Pacific was already getting chilly in September. “The craftsmen at Xinhua Heavy Industries say that once the technology is more advanced, they’ll build bigger ships and equip them with more powerful steam engines. By then, whether we’re going to fight the Spanish in the south or recruit immigrants from the Ming Dynasty, we can just set off without having to worry about monsoons and ocean currents.”

"Hey, that would be perfect." The sailor opened his canteen, took a sip of hot water, and his eyes were full of anticipation. "In the future, Xinhua's goods will be transported more and faster, and immigrants will be brought back all year round, regardless of the season. Before long, Xinhua will be able to gather 500,000 people, or even 1 million people!"

On the bridge, Zhao Qingfeng was checking the nautical chart.

Luo Desheng walked up and said, "Everything is normal, Lao Zhao. The machine is running even better than expected. At this rate, we should be able to see the coastline of Qiming Island by tomorrow afternoon."

Zhao Qingfeng looked up, a relaxed smile finally appearing on his face: "Looks like you can skip that big meal at Wanghailou."

"Saving is good, saving is good," Rodson laughed. "When the bonus is paid out, I can really treat all the brothers on the ship to a meal to celebrate."

The following afternoon, cheers erupted on the deck as the coastline of Qiming Island came into view.

After nearly two days of continuous sailing, the "Yunjiao-12" is about to complete this historic sea trial.

In the distance, at the Shaowu naval port, two warships flying the red flag of the five-starred navy were quietly moored, their masts soaring into the clouds.

Signal flags have been raised on the port's lookout tower, indicating that the returning test ship has already been spotted.

The steam engine of "Yunjiao 12" gradually slowed down, and the ship smoothly entered the port. The dock was already crowded with people who had rushed over after hearing the news.

There were officers from the Navy, experts from the Ministry of Science and Technology, and engineers from the Qiming Island Shipyard.

As Luo Desheng stepped off the gangplank, Zhang Ruosong, the deputy head of Xinhua's decision-making committee (this is the only title he can use) and chairman of the Science and Technology Commission, greeted him with a smile: "How did the sea trial go?"

His gaze held both expectation and caution.

"Very smoothly!" Rodsen was overjoyed and, disregarding formalities, immediately reported, "The steam engine has run continuously for 58 hours without any problems. The average speed against the wind and current is 9.5 knots, with a maximum speed of 11.2 knots. Coal consumption is 15% lower than expected, and the mechanical stability far exceeds expectations!"

He rattled off all the data in one breath, then took a deep breath and solemnly declared, "I suggest that the 'Cloud Dragon System' can be mass-produced!"

Zhang Ruosong nodded, a satisfied smile on his face: "Very good! The success of this experimental ship is not only a victory for a single ship, but also the beginning of a technological breakthrough for Xinhua."

He turned to the officials and engineers who had gathered around him and raised his voice, saying, "From now on, Xinhua's ships will no longer be bound by wind direction and ocean currents, and the vast Pacific Ocean will become Xinhua's 'inland sea,' allowing us to sail freely!"

"It can be said that we have opened a new chapter in the history of navigation. From now on, the rules of the ocean will be rewritten and established by Xinhua!"
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(End of this chapter)