He said that he could go at any time, but that was actually just a statement by Amerigo. If you really want to set off to find the Ming Dynasty, there are many problems that need to be solved.

Of course, the only thing that is not a problem is the exploration of the route. Because, Marin has chosen a good route for America. This route was the route of the Manila galleon trade in later generations. This is the route that the Spaniards have determined after years of arduous exploration, and it is naturally the most suitable route.

America only needs to arrive at the port of Panama City with the fleet, and after being replenished with supplies, he can continue his voyage. Moreover, the journey from the Americas to East Asia was very smooth.

Not to mention that the easterly wind belt north of the equator is downwind, and the warm current of the north equator north of the equator can definitely push the ship forward. In addition, the route from the Americas to East Asia is simply smooth sailing. It should be noted that as long as you do not take this road during the typhoon season.

According to later accounts, the Manila galleon trade, from Manila to Acapulco in southern Mexico, had to follow the Kuroshio Tide north to Japan, then to the northerly wind belt, and then to the north of the Pacific Current. It took 6 months to sail in such a big circle.

However, from Acapulco to Manila, it is just a direct trip west along the North Equatorial Current, and it is a smooth ride. So, it only takes 3 months.

Therefore, this time America took the fleet to Daming, and it was a smooth journey. Only when you come back, it will be more troublesome.

The main trouble on the return voyage was that the Manila galleon trade of the Spaniards had to wait until the summer monsoon to travel north along the Kuroshio.

But this trouble doesn't exist here in Marin, why? Because Marin made the upper-edge jigss that were popular in later generations. Unlike the sails of Spanish galleons, it is necessary to wait for the monsoon. Marlin's modern upper edge diagonal truss sail, similar to the hard sail of Huaxia, can take advantage of the wind from all sides, do not need to wait for the monsoon at all, and can set off at any time.

In addition, summer is the time when typhoons are high. If you go north along the monsoon in the summer and encounter a typhoon, the ship will inevitably be wrecked and people will die.

So, here in Marin, the problem of the Spaniards, for him, is not a problem at all. Marin's ocean-going vessels generally have two sets of sails - a crosssail and an upper rim boom.

When walking on a north-south course that often changes wind direction, it is natural to use an upper edge jisg sail that is not afraid of headwinds. When walking downwind for a long time, change to a crosssail to fully borrow wind power.

Judging from the Manila galleon route, from the Americas to East Asia, the journey was smooth, and it was natural to use a sail. Returning to the Americas from East Asia requires a big detour and a switch of wind belts. Most of the time, it is more appropriate to use an upper edge jigger.

Marin explained these problems to America in detail, which surprised America, the great sailor. So, he couldn't help but ask:

"Grand Duke, how did you know about this route? Even the wind belts and ocean currents are so clear......"

Marin paused, then lied without changing his face:

"Nature is what my teacher, the great sage Albert Einstein, told me......"

"He's a navigator too?" Amerigo was even more curious.

"I don't know, he just knows this route anyway!" Marin didn't know how to explain it, so he simply played the scoundrel.

……

"Well, Grand Duke, I have a very important problem to solve now!"

"Say!"

"The problem of overhaul of the ship!"

"How?" Marin asked curiously.

Amerigo organized the language and said:

"That's right, the Grand Duke should know that when the sea is far away, the part of the ship below the waterline is often eaten by sea maggots. Either that, or it is corroded by wind and waves and sea water. As a result, the ship needs to be overhauled after each voyage. ”

"But the problem is that on the charts you gave me, there seems to be no harbor along the way, and there is no dock for repairing ships. If in the middle of the vast ocean, the bottom of the ship is suddenly eroded by maggots, and the people on the ship really have no way out. ”

"Are you worried that your fleet's ships won't be able to be repaired halfway through?" Marin immediately understood Amerigo's concerns.

If you're sailing along the edge of land, you don't have any of these problems. If you want to expel ship maggots, you can run to the inland freshwater area to stay for a while, and the sea maggots will run away automatically. Just like the current route to India and China, most of the time, it is actually off the coast of Africa. Only the section that crosses the Arabian Sea is purely saltwater. However, it didn't last very long.

However, according to the navigation chart given by Marin, this time Americago's fleet had to cross the huge Pacific Ocean, and there was basically no fresh water area along the way. That is, sea maggots can attach to the bottom of the boat and gnaw at it for months with peace of mind......

If there are no ports and docks along the way to repair ships, it will be dangerous for ships to be gnawed out by sea maggots in the middle of the sea......

As a navigator and explorer, Amerigo was not afraid of death. However, you can't die worthlessly.

As far as America knows, although Panama City has already been built, it is still only the size of a small town. Moreover, the shipyard and dockyard over there have not yet been built. This time he came with a fleet of ships, apparently in the new town of Panama City, which was not served by ship overhauls. If the ship is not repaired, go to sea for China rashly......

Moreover, after arriving in China, the Ming Empire may not allow his fleet to dock. In other words, the ships of his fleet will not be able to be repaired at that time. If you run back, it's another 6 months......

In other words, the ships of the Amerigo fleet may run on the ocean for more than half a year without maintenance services...... After soaking in the saltwater ocean for such a long time, it is difficult for the boat not to have problems......

……

Marin thought about it, Amerigo's concern was really a big problem. After all, after sailing from the North Sea Country, the fleet may face the problem of not being able to repair. After all, the dock in Panama City has not yet been repaired. When the ship arrives in Panama City, at most it stops in the freshwater area to drive away the sea maggots. However, the erosion of the bottom of the ship caused by sea maggots along the way cannot be repaired. Then continue to go to sea to Taiwan Island to find Keelung and Peace Island...... Another return trip around in a big circle...... It's really easy to get into trouble......

How to solve it? Marin first thought of wrapping copper under the ship's waterline. After all, this was the trick of 18th-century British warships.

In the 18th century, some British warships cruised on the sea for a long time and could not go to the base for overhaul. In order to ensure long-term activity at sea, in order to protect the British navigation lines. British craftsmen invented the method of wrapping naval copper under the waterline of battleships, which solved the problem of the difficulty of ships to sail on the ocean for a long time. As long as they do not hit a reef or are shelled, warships can operate at sea for a long time. Only when the food and other supplies of the Tamsui River are insufficient, you need to find a military port to replenish it casually. Then, the ship did not need to be overhauled, and went directly to the sea to continue the mission......

However, Marin thought about the current price of copper and immediately coaxed......

Now is the era when 15 pounds of copper can be exchanged for 1 pound of silver, and 15 copper skins are equivalent to 1 silver skin. It would be too extravagant to wrap the ships of Americago's fleet under the waterline in copper......

So, the idea of wrapping copper skin, Marin only thought about it a little and abandoned it......

Then, it's galvanized white iron. The white iron sheet has a strong anti-corrosion effect, but the white iron sheet also has a problem - afraid of touching the galvanized layer and scratching......

If the galvanized layer is intact, the white iron sheet can also last for a long time in seawater. But if it is scratched, or the galvanized layer is touched off, it will corrode quickly when it encounters sea water......

During the voyage, it is inevitable to bump and bump. Then, nail the white iron sheet to the bottom of the boat, and the nails will inevitably scratch the white iron sheet. Many accidents can lead to the reduction of the service life of the white iron sheet.

So, in the end, the white iron sheet was also abandoned by Marin. Amerigo's fleet could not be repaired for more than half a year at sea, and there were too many uncertainties such as white iron sheets, which were difficult to trust.

……

What should I use? Is it really necessary to use expensive copper skin? Marin fell into a distressed ......,

But suddenly, he slapped his head:

"Oops, how did I forget about nickel!"

Marin suddenly remembered that there seemed to be a lot of nickel in his hand......

"If nickel and iron are remelted and made into nickel steel......

Marin thought about it, if he did this, the nickel steel skin obtained, although the effect was not as corrosion-resistant as the chromium-doped chromium-nickel alloy stainless steel, but at least it was much stronger than the galvanized white iron sheet. At least, this kind of nickel steel white iron sheet is not afraid of bumps and scratches......

In this way, the iron sheet made of nickel steel containing only nickel and not chromium is definitely more stable than the galvanized white iron sheet after being wrapped in the waterline part of the sea vessel. At least, it's not a problem to use it for a few years.

And it will be even better when Marin's men find chromite and get authentic Inconel stainless steel. By then, the ship will probably be able to do it for decades without major repairs (mainly the main body of the ship).

Thinking of this, Marin ordered that some of the nickel blocks be used, sent to the steel mill, and remelted into nickel steel along with the iron ingots. It was then poured and hammered into a nickel steel husk that was used to wrap the waterline portion of the Amerigo fleet.

Even, even the nails that drove the iron sheet, Marin decided to use nickel steel. After all, nickel steel nails are a lot cheaper than copper nails.

However, considering that he did not have much nickel in his hands now, Marin decided to abandon the dispatch of 500-ton warships and use 4 new 250-class armed merchant ships instead (because 500-ton warships cost more nickel and steel skins). These new 250-class armed merchant ships still have a displacement of about 250 tons. However, the hull was thinner, with a length-to-width ratio of about 4 to 1, which was about the same as that of later Galen ships.

And 4 250-class armed merchant ships are enough for America's expeditions. After all, America is not going to war, but to find routes. In the vast Pacific Ocean, there are no pirates at this time, and 4 armed merchant ships of 250 tons are enough to go sideways. Even if they encountered the Japanese pirates, the guns on the ship were not vegetarian......

Of course, in order to prevent others from mistakenly thinking that he was using silver skins to wrap the waterline part of the hull, Marin decided to paint the exterior of the nickel steel leather in black paint to conceal its brilliance. Moreover, it is claimed that the bottom of the ship is wrapped in tinplate (tinned iron sheet). If other countries follow suit, not to mention that the price of tin is so high. The anti-corrosion ability of tinplate is inferior to that of galvanized white iron sheet......