The Dock
Karl was standing on the shore of Amber Bay.
Before me lay a vast urban ruin, the broken stone foundations and charred timber telling tales of its former prosperity and the calamities it had suffered.
There is no pier in the bay, only natural beaches and reefs.
At this moment, two rather dilapidated but carefully repaired medium-sized sailboats were slowly approaching the shore in a very primitive and laborious manner.
Because there was no pier, the process of bringing the ship ashore was very complicated. First, several local fishermen who were good at swimming rowed three small wooden boats to approach the sailboat that had already lowered its sails, threw thick ropes onto the large ship, and tied them to the mast and other sturdy parts.
After the sailboats weighed anchor, the people on several small wooden boats rowed together, like boat trackers, laboriously dragging the two sailboats step by step toward the shallows.
As they approached the shore, the wooden boats untied their ropes, and the people on board jumped ashore first. Then, together they pulled hard on the remaining ropes, while the sailors on the sailboats used long bamboo poles to brace against the rocks and adjust their direction. It took a tremendous amount of effort to finally get the two sailboats to a barely stable stop on the shore.
The people on the ship disembarked one after another. The leader quickly walked up to Karl, bowed excitedly, and reported, "My Lord! We're back! We've arrived safely in Fran City and completed the transaction!"
He handed over some of the purchased goods as proof of purchase. Karl examined them carefully and confirmed that they were indeed products unique to Fran City. He nodded, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.
These two sailboats were abandoned vessels discovered by fishermen in the ruins of Amber Bay. After several months of careful repairs, they were finally restored to their ability to navigate inshore waters.
This time, they sailed south along the coastline for over 100 kilometers and successfully arrived in Fran City.
Although this voyage was arduous, it was of great significance.
This proves that although Amber Bay was abandoned, its geographical location was of great strategic value. It faced Field Territory Landing across the sea, and to the south of Field Territory was Franklin Territory, Karl's hometown.
As Karl gazed at Amber Bay, a desolate area with the potential to become a natural harbor, he envisioned a future for it.
If the port and docks here can be rebuilt in the future to accommodate large merchant ships, then Carnford will have a low-cost sea trade route directly to the wealthy southern regions.
Goods can be loaded onto ships here and transported directly to Fran City and even further afield, or close trade ties can be established with Field Territory on the other side of the river.
More importantly, through the Field Territory, Carnford's connection with the Schmidt Family headquarters will become more direct and closer, making personnel exchanges, material support, and information transmission more convenient than ever before.
He summoned the engineer Morr to his side, pointed to the bay in front of them, and explained his idea in detail.
Morr listened attentively, his gaze sweeping back and forth across the bay's topography as Karl described it. As an experienced engineer, he immediately grasped the crux of the matter.
He nodded in agreement. "Sir, your idea is very visionary! Amber Bay has an excellent geographical location, and rebuilding the port is crucial for the long-term development of Carnford."
He then changed the subject and proposed a pragmatic and quick-results preliminary plan. "However, sir, building a permanent stone wharf and breakwater is a massive and time-consuming project that requires professional marine engineering technology and a huge amount of money."
"Given our current situation, it's difficult to achieve this overnight. I suggest we adopt a transitional solution: build a few pontoons to serve as temporary docks."
"A barge?" Karl frowned slightly upon hearing this unfamiliar technical term, looking somewhat puzzled. He had no prior knowledge of this concept from his previous life.
Seeing this, Morr immediately explained in the simplest language possible, "Sir, a 'pontoon' is essentially a large, square, flat-bottomed boat. It is not used for sailing, but is anchored on the shore for a long time, serving as a 'floating dock'."
As he spoke, he gestured with his hands. "We can build this sturdy flat-bottomed boat with thick timbers, and secure it firmly in the selected near-shore waters. One side of the pontoon is connected to the shore via a sturdy gangway, while the other side can directly moor coastal merchant ships of the size we see today."
"Merchant ships can easily dock at the pontoon, and crew and cargo can be boarded and disembarked via the gangplank, completely avoiding the primitive and dangerous operation that requires small boats to tow and manual pushing with bamboo poles. This greatly improves the efficiency and safety of loading and unloading cargo."
Upon hearing the explanation, Karl's eyes lit up. This plan was both ingenious and practical, perfectly solving the most pressing problem of docking, and was clearly much faster and more economical than building a fixed pier.
"Great! That's a good idea!" he praised. "Let's do it your way. First, build a few pontoons to solve the most basic problems of berthing and loading/unloading!"
However, Morr looked somewhat troubled and said frankly, "My lord, although I know the structural principles and uses of pontoons, the specific shipbuilding techniques, especially the construction of sturdy pontoons that can withstand wind and waves and be used for a long time, are not my expertise. This requires professional shipbuilding craftsmen."
Upon hearing this, Karl was neither surprised nor disappointed, after all, Morr mainly studied castle construction techniques and could not possibly be proficient in everything.
He pondered for a moment, then a calm expression appeared on his face. He was no longer the lone commander with no one to rely on when he first arrived.
He looked at Morr and said calmly, "It's alright. We've already established a basic talent selection and recruitment mechanism. This matter is a good opportunity to test the effectiveness of our new system."
He decisively issued the order, "Morr, you immediately do two things in the name of the Lord's Residence and your Department of Public Welfare. First, issue a notice among our existing inhabitants of Carnford, especially among these fishermen who are familiar with the water, to find people with experience in shipbuilding and repair, regardless of their level of experience, and register them."
"Secondly, send people to Fran City and the surrounding Sea City to post recruitment notices, offering generous compensation to openly recruit experienced shipbuilding craftsmen, especially those who have participated in the construction of dock pontoons or small cargo ships!"
"Yes, sir!" Morr accepted the order, a confident look on his face.
He knew that with Carnford's growing reputation and tangible benefits, it was entirely possible to attract some professionals to join them.
Karl gazed at the shimmering bay, his heart filled with anticipation.
Karl stood for a moment longer in the slightly salty sea breeze of Amber Bay. The early summer sun shone on the sparkling sea, and the warm sea breeze caressed his cheeks, allowing his tense nerves, which had been strained by the busy days, to relax slightly, and he felt a rare sense of refreshment.
Gazing at the two weathered sailboats and the busy figures of the fishermen, his vision for opening up sea routes became even clearer.