Hull Study for Chinese Treasure Ship of Admiral Zheng He

Last crawled date: 1 year, 7 months ago

Thought to be among the largest wooden ships ever constructed, the treasure ships of famous Chinese explorer Zheng He were reputed to be over 400 feet long, with up to nine masts! Modern scholars don't think this length is possible in a wooden ship, due to hogging and sagging at the keel. I've made this hull 300 feet long, which is more realistic and still 2-3 times as long as most ships of the period. The shape is based on woodblock prints from the period and some study of other Chinese junk designs both modern & ancient. Anyone with any knowledge of Chinese ships, please rate as to how realistic this hull-form is. After I get the basic hull-form down, I'll be doing a full model. Features I've researched and included are watertight compartments, a rudder with holes in it to increase maneuverability & junk rigged sails. The superstructure is guesswork, I've seen various models & pictures of the ships, but they are all contradictory. #Chinese #junk #Ship #treasure_ship #Zheng_He