Chapter 540 - 53: Life at Sea (Part 2)
Don’t be fooled by the fact that there are only three, but their longer barrels make them formidable. If encountered at sea, these long-barreled cannons will certainly give the enemy an unforgettable lesson.
Below the deck, on both sides of the cabin, are lined up 12 short-barreled cannons.
When the distance between two ships is reduced to a certain point, the Steel Bone will open its reserved firing ports, reveal the pitch-black barrels, and rain down cannonballs upon the enemy ship.
The short-barreled cannons lack the range and accuracy of the long-barreled heavy cannons, but they make up for it with their numbers, faster reloading speed, and both range and accuracy that far exceed cannons of the same period. When six short-barreled cannons fire simultaneously, they can completely suppress any armed merchant ship.
As for the mortars, also known as early howitzers, they are used as multipurpose cannons—
The ship has four mortars, equipped with wheels at the bottom, making them easy to maneuver between the deck and cabin.
The range of the mortars exceeds that of the short-barreled cannons but falls short of the long-barreled ones, making up for the Steel Bone’s mid-range firepower deficiency.
They can use solid balls, chain balls, explosive shells, or incendiary shells as needed, with the incendiary and explosive shells being particularly devastating.
These two types of shells, capable of causing fires, made their debut in 17th-century naval battles; against wooden sailing ships, they are like messengers from Hell.
Unfortunately, due to the limited quantity of TNT required to manufacture explosive and incendiary shells, along with the difficulty of making their casings and ensuring fuse safety, these shells are not abundant.
When sailors train, they are not allowed to use these types of shells but must practice their accuracy and handling with comparatively cheaper solid balls.
Explosive and incendiary shells cause area damage, requiring no precise targeting of specific parts of an enemy ship during combat. It’s enough just to hit the enemy vessel.
Of course, the parameters of these fuse-using shells differ from those of solid balls in many ways.
If it weren’t for being "financially strained" and unable to afford many special shells, Chen Zhou wouldn’t be so frugal as to deny the sailors practice opportunities.
...
On the day of the cannon installation, the weather was gloomy.
The brand-new cannons, covered with plastic sheets, and the shells packed in wooden boxes, were transported to their new home batch by batch along a gangplank.
On deck, some sailors were strenuously dragging and moving the heavy cannons, but the gangplank was not wide enough for most to help, so they stood straight along the ship’s side, watching the installation of the weapons with excitement and nerves.
Such an important event even brought Chen Zhou, that elusive leader, to make a rare appearance in person.
Though the sailors had seen the leader frequently during physical and professional training sessions previously, they had not seen Chen Zhou since boarding the ship.
They didn’t know if the leader was pleased with their recent training performance. Those working buried themselves in their tasks, putting in extra effort.
Those standing by the ship’s side stood straight and tried to widen their eyes; even in the dim light, and despite being soaked by rain, their high spirits could not be dampened.
...
The transportation and installation of the cannons began at dawn and continued until the afternoon, by which time all had been delivered to the Steel Bone and placed in their designated positions.
As the Captain of this warship, Sunday warmly welcomed Chen Zhou and showed him around the sailors’ quarters and explained how they lived aboard the ship.
Unlike the ship Robinson had been on, the Steel Bone, as a warship primarily engaged in combat, was designed from the start to provide the best possible living conditions for the sailors.
The sailors lived in small dormitories shared by four people, with bunk beds fixed to the floor and storage cabinets and small desks for personal items.
The interior of the Steel Bone employed a substantial amount of metal for fire prevention, so the control of oil lamps on board was not as strict as on other ships of the same era.
When returning to their quarters in the evening, the crew could light oil lamps, play a game of chess, or chat, enjoying their brief personal time in the dim light.
In addition to oil lamps, the Steel Bone also had two solar panels and a storage battery.
The pre-installed wiring allowed this storage battery to power LED lights in emergencies, providing exceptionally bright light to the Steel Bone’s cabin.
Even on stormy, pitch-black nights, the electric floodlights ensured sailors could clearly see details inside the cabin, offering them a unique sense of security.
The design of the Steel Bone provided conveniences for the crew that extended beyond the living quarters.
At sea, nutrition was another critical aspect not to be overlooked.
Inside the Steel Bone, there was an independent dining room equipped with fixed long tables and benches and metal cabinets for storing tableware.
Freshwater, filtered in the water storage room, was piped to the boiler, part of it heated and part circulated to the kitchen and dining room, allowing crew members to wash and sterilize their dishes with hot water after meals.
Of course, if they wanted hot water to drink, they could also fetch it from the dining room tap or the kitchen.
Freshwater boiled in the boiler to kill bacteria ensured that during the long sea voyage, the crew could always drink safe, non-toxic water, preserving their health.
Chen Zhou was not opposed to drinking but disapproved of sailing while intoxicated.
The wooden ships of the 17th century couldn’t always boil water, and Europeans at that time didn’t understand the importance of drinking boiled water. As a result, sailors onboard often contracted various illnesses, causing anything from mild discomfort to life-threatening conditions.
Ordinary freshwater couldn’t be stored for long aboard ships before growing moldy and algae-ridden. Even placing silver coins in water barrels for disinfection had little effect.
Out of necessity, those who lived off the sea "substituted alcohol for water," quenching their thirst with relatively stable rum.
Alcohol, being addictive, inevitably turned frequent drinkers into drunks, which was decidedly detrimental on discipline-focused warships.
In this regard, steamships had clear advantages.
The quality of life for sailors on the ship, compared to contemporaneous sailors, was not only reflected in access to drinking water but also significantly better in terms of food.
The spacious and clean kitchen, with chefs dedicated to preparing meals, could provide the crew with hot food, including staple foods like rice, wheat, and barley, as well as preserved meats and long-lasting vegetable products.
Such as dried chilies, sun-dried tomatoes, and potatoes.
Modern people know that a lack of vitamin C leads to scurvy.
In the 17th century, those making a living at sea only had a vague understanding of scurvy, so they often carried candied fruits or citrus fruits to alleviate or prevent it.
However, that was limited to the affluent, as most low-ranking sailors couldn’t access fresh fruits. After contracting scurvy, they could only pray incessantly, hoping "God" would pity them and spare them from descending into Hell.
Yet, these prayers were mostly in vain.
Once afflicted with scurvy, sailors progressed from initial fatigue, weakness, and appetite loss to joint pains, bruises on the body, gum swelling, eye protrusion, and unhealed wounds. Ultimately, even a small cut could cost them their lives.
Compared to those burdened with tragic fates, sailors aboard the Steel Bone were clearly fortunate.
The ship’s food storage room had not only rice and flour but bags of dried vegetables, fruits, and condiments like garlic, ginger, and scallions, as well as an independent refrigeration room.
The refrigeration room, using saltpeter cooling, stored some fresh chilies, potatoes, and citrus fruits, even containing two crates of Autumn White Almonds—
These were a new product harvested at the beginning of 1666.
The almond seeds Chen Zhou planted several years ago finally bore their first fruit that year.
With abundant food that could supplement various nutrients, the sailors needn’t worry about their health, whether they sailed close by or on long commercial voyages.
All told, except for the slightly bumpy sea life, the sailors’ treatment was even better than that of most island-dwellers.
At least, they could wear clothes made of fabric and leather shoes and not endure the odd looks of seasoned hands when ashore, while new islanders were envious of their jobs and yearned to become one of the "chosen ones."
Many female workers even found these dashing young men more appealing, hoping to start families with them.