Zheng He and his lost Chinese treasure ships ?

: Michael-Robert.

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Feb 2, 2013
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Yang Hao

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Interesting theory... The article states Zheng He's boats (Ming treasure ships) were over 400 feet long. Here is the quote from the article:

"After several months of searching with Google Earth, during 2017, two almost identical ships were located, each being about 450 ft. (150 meters) in length. Since then, several other equally large ships, seemingly intact, have been found resting on the ocean bottom. The only ships that fit the circumstances are those of the Chinese of the early 1400s."

However, In a recent book by Michael Wood called The Story of China that claim does not seem to be true. Here is the quote from the book:

“Modern theories that the Ming ‘treasure ships’ could have exceeded 400 feet in length are rejected by all experts in naval technology, as the size of wooden ships was always limited by the length of trees available for the keel. For sailing in heavy seas, a single strongly protected scarf-jointed keel is the most that shipwrights judge acceptable for safety. According to today’s traditional shipbuilders in Fujian, this would allow a boat, in Chinese junk style, to be between 200 and 240 feet long, a size that would fit with the find in one of the Nanjing basins, of a 35-foot stern rudder post.”

Excerpt From: Michael Wood. “The Story of China.”
 

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