The Fleet

October 8, 1866, Venice.

Hechingen Shipyard.

This was Ernst's second visit to Venice. Unlike his last trip, it was now October, but the weather was transitioning from hot to cold, making the temperature pleasantly cool.

He had received news two days prior that the fifth new ship was complete. The ships Ernst had ordered were now finished in the drydock, awaiting their launch.

So, Ernst was here this time to attend the launch ceremony for his fleet. The Hechingen Shipyard had always been taking other orders, so they couldn't dedicate all their resources to building ships for Ernst. Each cycle, only one drydock could be allocated to Ernst's company, which was necessary for the shipyard's stable operation.

This time, Ernst, led by the Hechingen Shipyard staff, familiarized himself with the shipyard's drydock, accompanied by the ship's designer and technical lead.

A massive sea vessel was docked by the drydock. The surrounding wooden scaffolding had been removed. As the waterway was sealed, water flowed from the pipe channels on both sides towards the center. Slowly, the large ship floated up as the water level rose.

"We now have five ships of this kind. They are all sailing ships with wooden hulls, equipped with steam power, and their structure was designed by experienced naval architects..."

Ernst stood on the shore, listening to the technical personnel's explanation. These five wooden ships were technically quite sound, benefiting from mature experience and ease of operation for the crew at sea.

"If these ships are to travel to the Far East and sail the seas year-round, how reliable is their safety?"

"Boss, rest assured, our workers have made a living with this craft for years. We dare not be negligent in our workmanship or material selection. As for the design, we've adopted the most mature and stable solutions, with only minor improvements that won't compromise the ship's structural integrity."

Although the staff's assurances might be worth nothing, they still provided Ernst with some comfort. He worried they might cut corners, as there were ship accidents every year due to designers' bold innovations.

As long as the shipyard staff operated stably based on the mature experience of the current era, safety would be somewhat better.

Now that the ships were ready, it was time for them to enter operational mode and generate revenue. The first step was crew recruitment for the fleet.

Ernst instructed his new assistant, Erik.

"Erik, start the recruitment process for our first ocean-going commercial fleet in two days. You can post job advertisements in the Venice area."

"Make sure to find experienced masters who have sailed on ocean routes to lead the way. Recruit the rest of the sailors from the local population."

"Yes, boss!" Erik replied.

"Also, these five ships will be used to transport a batch of instruments to East Africa. You need to coordinate this task."

Ernst planned to order a set of machines for the colony: sisal processing machines, threshing machines, and some basic machinery.

Processing some materials locally before exporting them would yield higher profits and make cargo loading more convenient.

While Ernst was planning his ocean-going fleet, Prince Constantin was leveraging his connections to search for a marriage prospect.

On Prince Constantin's desk lay profiles of various families, many of them belonging to German nobility. In this era, Germany was an incubator for European aristocracy, with many European nobles originating from the region. Therefore, Prince Constantin's focus was primarily on Germany.

Besides Germany, he was also considering nobles from Sweden in Northern Europe, as well as from France and Russia.

"This one won't do; too young. This one is too old. This family's status is too low. This one has an illness..."

After much deliberation, Prince Constantin finally narrowed it down to three families. He decided to wait for Ernst's return before making the final decision.

After attending the launch ceremony, Ernst registered the five ships under the Hechingen Overseas Trading Company.

The primary focus would be trade between Europe, East Africa, and the Far East. Profitability was secondary; the current objective was to reduce costs, as the Dutch charged quite a bit. Most importantly, it would facilitate better control over the colonies.

The Suez Canal had not yet opened. For now, the sailors would familiarize themselves with the ocean routes, and the fleet's size would continue to expand, awaiting the opening of the Suez Canal.

Once the Suez Canal opened, the distance between Europe and East Africa would be significantly shortened.

From the Mediterranean, ships could pass through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea, and then through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait into the Indian Ocean. Following the coastline south would lead to East Africa.

In the Gulf of Aden, the fleet could decide whether to head east to the Far East or south to the colony. Fleets returning from the Far East or the East African colony could dock at ports along the Mediterranean coast. Goods could then be transported overland from Austria to Prussia.

Currently, they could only continue along the long coastline of West Africa. This was fine, as it would allow the newly recruited sailors to become familiar with their work and environment.

"Erik, one more thing. Investigate the market for any used ships for sale. Five ships are still too few. We need to speed up the process and see if we can expand the fleet to over ten vessels."

"Yes, boss."

Erik recorded the tasks, preparing to complete them one by one.

The five sailing ships were undergoing sea trials on the Adriatic Sea. Ernst stood at the bow, feeling the sea breeze. Ships came and went on the Adriatic, the sounds of various horns constantly ringing in his ears.

The sea was relatively calm, with small waves gently lapping against the ship's hull. Ernst didn't feel any strong vibrations; his first experience on a seagoing vessel was quite comfortable.

In the future, this fleet would sail for extended periods on the route to the East African colony. Europe and East Asia would merely be the two ends providing human and material resources for the development of the East African colony. East Africa was the true focus in Ernst's mind.

My apologies, everyone. I was so disheartened by the trolls yesterday that my state today is not good. This chapter took hours to grind out and the result isn't great. I really don't have the mood to revise it further.