Does There Seem To Be Enough Sails To Power A Ship Of This Size?

[sandyRoe]

This is only a model of the Chinese navigator,Zheng He's, ship, so maybe the sails aren't properly to scale.


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e4/Zheng_He%27s_ship_compared_to_Columbus%27s.jpg/350px-Zheng_He%27s_ship_compared_to_Columbus%27s.jpg

[woofgang]

Depends how fast you want to go. For a slow moving cargo ship with minimal crew, this looks fine.

[tonyav]

I can see what you mean sandy, doesn't look enough does there.

[Octavius]

I think that is bye design. See here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junk_(ship)#Sail_plan

[McMouse]

I think it's being funded by the sale of junk bonds.

[tonyav]

Oi, pack that in, McMouse. unless you want a Chinese burn. ;-)

[McMouse]

Me no lichee the idea of that tonyav. Lol.

[tonyav]

LOL.

[humbersloop]

morning (sandy), difficult to tell from that photo because it shows the sails turned, but imo yes.

It's a very beautiful vessel; depending on what weight it's been rigged to carry and where it's sailing, it won't go tearing about but it'll chug you steadily from here to there. Same for the European one next to it, which relatively looks like it's flying the tablecloth.

Models are deceptive as they -obviously- show you the entire hull. You need to draw a mind's eye waterline, because it's only the hull's wetted area that the sails' effort actually has to shift at any given time. That needs to be balanced against what's left of the hull out of the water ("freeboard") and the weight and height of the rigging itself to avoid toppling over.

Junk rigging can be very efficient. This is about modern rigs, but the principles apply
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junk_rig

[sandyRoe]

I note that Admiral Zheng He was a eunuch. Probably done to help him keep his mind on the job of sailing. You can't help thinking that Brittania would never have ruled the waves if that had been part of the price of becoming a naval officer in the RN.

[humbersloop]

yes sandy, as Anthony Montague-Brown pointed out, Britania's naval tradition only required rum, sodomy and the lash