The main types of Chinese sailing ships

Sand boat--The oldest type of boat with flat bottom and square bow and stern. In the Tang and Song dynasties, it has been molded and become the main sea ship sailing in the northern sea area of China. Because

The sailing ship which Emperor Kangxi of Qing Dynasty rode was suitable for sailing in the shallow water and sandy beach channel, so it was called sand ship in Ming and Qing Dynasty, also known as ''sand-proof flat-bottomed ship''. It is navigable on rivers, lakes and seas, and its seaworthiness is particularly strong, with wide, large, flat and shallow being its most prominent features. The longitudinal structure of the sand boat adopts "flat keel", which strengthens the longitudinal strength; the transverse structure adopts the process of watertight compartment. In this way, the sand boat is integrated vertically and horizontally, and has better anti-submergence property. At the same time, in order to improve the anti-submergence, there is a "peace basket" on the sand boat. When the wind and waves are big, from the boat in the appropriate position to put down the bamboo woven with stones in the bamboo basket, hanging in the water, can make the boat to reduce the swaying. But because the draft is too shallow, can not be used for long-distance sailing. Fukushima - ancient Chinese excellent ship type, also known as "big fortune ship". Fukushun is a kind of pointed-bottomed sea ship, famous for traveling

in the South China Sea and the distant sea. In the Ming Dynasty, it was a huge warship. Song people said: sea boat to Fujian is the top. The Ming Dynasty sailors used the Fukien ship as the main warship. Ancient Fukien ships are as tall as a building, the bottom tip is broad, the head and tail are high, and there are guards on both sides. The ship is divided into four layers, the lower layer of soil and stone ballast, the second layer of soldiers, the third layer is the main operation place, the upper layer is the place of combat, from above, bow and arrow artillery to the next, often can overcome the enemy to win. Fukushima head high, with strong impact device, ride the wind down pressure can plow sinking enemy ships, more than the ship to win. Fukushima draft four meters, is the deep sea excellent warship. Zheng He went to the West Ocean fleet of the main ship called the treasure ship, it used on the Ming Dynasty Fukuship is Fukuship this is suitable for long-distance navigation of the excellent ship type. The Ming Dynasty Fukuship is an excellent ship type suitable for long-distance sailing. Ming Dynasty History - Soldier's Records IV: "(Big Fukuship) can accommodate a hundred people. The bottom of the tip of the upper broad, the head of the tail high, the main beam is three times, sail masts two, alongside the protection of the board, set up a wooden wall and gun beds; in the middle of four floors, the bottom of the solid earth and stone, the next rest, the next about six doors, the center of the water closet, sails and cooking are all in the cooking. The uppermost is like a terrace, a cave ladder and climb, with a wing board in the side, which can be used to fight. Vector stone firearms are ambush hair, can travel with the wind." The lorcha - (also known as the duck's ass, lorcha) is a type of sailing ship developed in the Portuguese colonies in China around 1550. Having a traditional Chinese sail rig and a streamlined Western hull, it was faster than a traditional Chinese sailing ship, required fewer hands than a Western sailing ship, and was easier to build and maintain. The Yarrow, which sparked the Second Opium War, was a Lorcha.

When the Portuguese came to China in the 16th century, they quickly combined Chinese stiff sails with the leaner Western style of ship and invented a new type of ship, the Lorcha. Later, the Chinese also built this type of ship themselves and used it extensively for trade from Ningbo to Japan, as well as for transportation of goods along the coast of China, and also because of its superior seaworthiness, it was even used as a patrol ship by the Qing Dynasty government. Bird ship - is the coastal area of Zhejiang sea ship, which is characterized by the bow shaped like a bird's beak, so called bird ship, ancient Zhejiang people think it is the bird to the rice seed, only to create the land of fish and rice in Zhejiang, so the bow made into a beak shape. Due to the bird ship bow eye above a green eyebrow, so it is also named green eyebrow.

According to the history of shipbuilding researchers in the study, in the Zhenghe fleet there are bird ship this ancient ship type. Zhejiang newly built a bird ship "green eyebrows" number, the length of 31 meters, 6.8 meters wide, draught depth of 2.2 meters, displacement of 230 tons; the use of ancient wooden rudder, rudder length of 11 meters, width of 2.3 meters; there are three masts and five sails, of which the main mast is 24.5 meters high, the mainsail three, the use of the wind up to a speed of up to 9 nautical miles per hour.