Navigator: I Have a Legendary Exploration Log

"The keel is the backbone of the entire ship, and it is of utmost importance and cannot be compromised. Exploration ships basically all use full-length keels."

Old Wright looked very serious. "The Homecoming's current keel is made of oak and spruce, which is decent for a cargo ship, but as you said... you want the better quality materials for an exploration ship!"

"Explorer keels are designed to be both flexible and strong, so based on your budget, I have two suggestions."

"Firstly, it offers good value for money with a combination of spruce core and iron birch, providing sufficient strength and good toughness. Crucially, the price is quite affordable, leaving ample budget for other upgrades."

"Secondly, there's Dragon Blood Wood plus an alloy. Don't be fooled by the name; it's not an extraordinary wood made from real dragon blood, but rather from the blood of a deep-sea giant lizard."

"It weighs about the same, but its toughness is almost three times that of spruce wood. Moreover, it has an alloy inlay for reinforcement, which also ensures its rigidity."

Chalice nodded thoughtfully. "I think I've seen Dragon Bloodwood in the association's materials catalog before... it's really not cheap..."

"A one-meter-long dragon blood wood plank, including materials and processing, costs eight gold coins."

Old Wright readily quoted a price: "Since the Homecoming is to be converted into an exploration ship, considering the composite structure of the entire keel, at least forty meters of plank will be needed."

"Four-eight..."

Chalice instantly came up with a number.

It's just an upgrade to the keel.

He used up most of his budget of 500 gold coins...

That's an exaggeration...

No wonder there are almost no cases of exploration captains abandoning ship and returning alone.

A real exploration vessel is practically equivalent to half a lifetime's savings for the captain.

Faced with the sudden loss of their accumulated wealth over many years.

Almost no one can remain rational and decisive in cutting their losses.

Chalice knew he couldn't do it either.

Old Wright noticed Cherry's hesitation and offered a compromise with a smile.

"Actually... you can eat one bite at a time, and walk one step at a time. If you take too big a step, oops! Your pants might tear!"

"The keel and side keel of the Homecoming are still made of dragon bloodwood and alloy, but the ribs, tendons and bilge keels can be completely replaced with hemlock wood."

"As for the hull plating, there's no need to waste money on it. With external armor protection, the priority of the internal hull can be slightly delayed."

This experienced and extraordinary craftsman did not ridicule Chalice, but simply offered his advice in a straightforward manner.

"When you have more money in the future, it will be easy to replace these non-core keel bones."

"According to my plan, upgrading the dragon bone should only cost a little over two hundred yuan. What do you think?"

"That would be perfect!"

Chalice beamed, "However, I need to consider the overall plan for a few more days before I can place an order immediately."

"Of course, that's your prerogative."

Old Wright continued listing the next item.

"Naval guns are divided into two parts. The main gun is a 76mm medium caliber, which is the smallest medium caliber, but it is also the most commonly used standard medium caliber for warships."

"I recommend the 'Seahawk III' standard naval gun, which is a naval gun that the Gran Island Navy just retired. Its firepower, operability, durability, and parts compatibility are all very good."

"Now that you're a core captain, you can check the association's warehouse to see if there's any brand-new cargo that hasn't even been loaded onto a ship yet and has been phased out. If you want to save money, I also know an old friend who specializes in dealing with old equipment."

"If you apply for an Armed Merchant Ship License, you can legitimately install these cannons that have already had their secrecy lifted. If you buy old cannons from my friend... one cannon comes with three loads of shells, and the package price should be around 120 gold coins."

This price is cheaper than Cheryl had expected.

Naval guns are industrial products and are not particularly scarce.

What's scarce is the qualification to buy cannons.

Gun smuggling poses limited harm.

Turn a blind eye.

Artillery is a different story...

After all, nobody wants to be sleeping soundly when suddenly the governor's mansion is blown to bits by a cannonball...

Although Chalice isn't qualified yet, as the core captain, he can simply ask Jack for a word when he has some free time.

"What about the secondary cannon?"

"A smaller caliber of 20 millimeters would be even easier."

Old Wright casually said, "Stark Industries is currently promoting the 'Sea Serpent VII' rapid-fire cannon, designed specifically for patrol boats and armed cargo ships."

"Rate of fire is 100 rounds per minute, and it also has a row of gun turrets that act as a protective shield. Each gun delivers a belt of 500 rounds and costs 50 gold coins."

"Secondary gun installation and hull reinforcement plan..."

Old Wright picked up a pencil and drew a diagram on a piece of scrap paper, sketching out a simple and easy-to-understand illustration with just a few strokes.

"These two things need to be considered together, because the secondary guns in the gun duct need to be embedded in the hull structure, and the armor also needs to be designed around this."

He drew a simple cross-sectional diagram of the ship's hull.

"The Sea Serpent has gone through seven iterations, and its integration and completion are quite high. Its weight, recoil and handling are also perfect. However, its disadvantage is that it requires a stable gun mount and enough space."

"I suggest placing the gun mount in the middle of the deck, where the hull is widest and the visibility is also the widest. The bulkhead is made of double-layered oak with iron plate lining, and the gun mount is welded directly to the reinforcing ribs extending from the keel, so it is best to reserve the corresponding connection points when upgrading the keel."

Chalice leaned closer for a closer look.

"Will this modification affect the ship's cabin capacity?"

"That's inevitable..."

Old Lai nodded, "But this is a necessary sacrifice, and besides, you probably don't need to make money by running a transport business anymore, right?"

"The exploration vessel's hold is filled with ammunition, tools, and supplies, and has even been converted into temporary workspaces. Apart from rarer materials, nothing else is allowed to be brought back by the exploration vessel."

"That makes sense; it's just that my mindset hasn't changed yet."

Chalice readily accepted good advice.

So old Wright went on to talk about the hull.

"The hull reinforcement mainly includes the waterline, the gun positions on the sides, the bow ram, and the stern."

"The waterline is the most critical part. The Homecoming currently only has one layer of oak planks, which are easily damaged by collisions with reefs or sea monsters. I suggest covering the existing hull with another layer of rolled steel plates, secured with rivets, extending from the bottom of the ship to a full wrapping one meter above the waterline."

He estimated, "These armors will definitely add a lot of weight, but didn't the Homecoming just get its Brilliant Turbines installed?"

"The power is sufficient, and the speed is not significantly affected. However, the defensive capabilities are almost completely improved!"

"The modifications to the bow, gun emplacements, and stern are also quite simple... The bow ram is made of steel plate wrapped around hardwood. Anyway, you wouldn't actually use the Homecoming as a speedboat, would you?"

"The gun emplacements and stern are also reinforced with rolled steel plates for defense, but the hull has already been strengthened, so adding a few more steel plates will be sufficient."

Chalice's eyes lit up. "And the price?"

"This kind of armor, which doesn't have much craftsmanship, is naturally not as expensive as keel."

Old Wright casually gave a quote.

"Comprehensive hull reinforcement, selective reinforcement of the bow, gun emplacements, and stern, all for just over a hundred gold coins. How about that? Pretty reasonable, right?"

After a moment's thought, Chalice quickly calculated the total price.

"The keel is two hundred... the main gun and two auxiliary guns are two hundred and twenty in total... the hull is one hundred... it can be done for a little over five hundred!"

"Five hundred gold coins! The Homecoming can be transformed from an ordinary cargo ship into an armed ship with the qualifications of a half-step exploration ship!"

"This money... was well worth it!"

……