1850 American Gold Tycoon.

The San Francisco Shipyard's tribute on Statehood Day was big.

Accompanied by a sharp and piercing siren sound, today's protagonist officially sailed out of the dock of the shipyard through the wind and waves.

The San Francisco shipyard's statehood tribute was two newly launched steamships.

One is the already named Yongle-class cruise ship, which is a large cruise ship with a displacement of up to 5000 tons.

His designer, Jeremiah, positioned the Yongle class as a large civilian cruise ship, mainly to meet the needs of immigrants in California.

The ship is 85.3 meters long and 21.4 meters wide. It is equipped with two walking beam steam engines from the Allaire factory to drive two propellers. The maximum speed can reach 11 knots and the maximum cruising range is 4800 nautical miles/8 knots.Using Hawaii as a transit point to supplement coal combustion can cross the Pacific Ocean.

Paradise-class cruise ships are also a big jump in passenger capacity compared to the old guy that World Line inherited from Vanderbilt.

The ship can carry 65 first-class passengers, 106 second-class passengers and 980 steerage (third-class) passengers, as well as 110 crew members.

As for the other ship launched, it is a warship with a displacement of 3300 tons. The ship was designed and manufactured by Jeremiah and his shipbuilding team based on the design and manufacturing experience of the Bold, which took two years and three months.

The ship is also powered by a walking beam steam engine from the Allaire factory.

Allaire Factory is the most famous steam engine manufacturer in New York State. The marine steam engines produced by this factory represent the highest level of American marine steam engines.

The reputation of the Allaire factory has always been very good. When Vanderbilt was still a shipping tycoon, the Allaire factory was Vanderbilt's exclusive steam engine supplier.Even the steam engine used by Vanderbilt's private yacht, the Polaris, came from the Allaire factory.

In order to meet the growing shipbuilding needs in California, the Allaire Works opened a branch in California in 1852.

Equipped with a steam engine from the Allaire factory, the ship has an endurance of 4900 nautical miles/8 knots and a maximum speed of 13 knots.

As for the weapon system of the ship, it is the Armstrong naval gun specially customized for it by the Sacramento Armory.

Behind the two new ships, there are two types of ships built by the San Francisco Shipyard since its establishment, following the Loach Boat and the Bold.

Jeremiah is an expert in shipbuilding, he is also a ship merchant, and is the second largest shareholder of the San Francisco Shipyard.One of the partners in the Allaire factory.

He is a person who is very good at events. Taking the opportunity of presenting the sixth anniversary of the establishment of California, Jeremiah not only invited political and business celebrities from Britain and France as much as possible, but also invited some Chinese businessmen from Guangdong, Fujian and Zhejiang.

Jeremiah hopes to take advantage of this opportunity to obtain foreign orders and then open up the international market.

This is not because the San Francisco shipyard is in economic crisis, in fact, the San Francisco shipyard is doing very well. In 1855, it was already profitable.

However, since the establishment of the shipyard, Liang Yao’s Global Shipping Group provided valuable orders for the shipyard in the early days of its establishment, as well as the subsequent orders provided by other local shipping companies in California to the shipyard.

The shipyard's performance in the international market has been lackluster.

After all, California is a small place. Although the life of the shipyard is relatively prosperous at present, the local market will always be saturated one day.

If the shipyard wants to continue to grow bigger and stronger, it must open up the international market, otherwise the ceiling of the San Francisco Shipyard will not be too high.

Furthermore, the prices of large cruise ships are not affordable for small local shipping companies.

On the Yongle-class cruise ship, Jeremiah carefully introduced the Yongle-class cruise ship to potential customers on board, hoping to sell the cruise ship.

At first, wealthy businessmen from various countries on board showed a very strong interest in the Yongle class.

After all, the parameters of the Yongle class are very good-looking, there are no false marks, and the ride experience is also very good.

When they learned the price, the attitude of most people became indifferent.

The selling price of the Yongle-class cruise ship is US$43, although this includes the training costs of the crew and mechanics, as well as the cost of ship maintenance for the first 5 years of purchase.

But the price of 43 US dollars is really too expensive.This price can buy a battleship.

We must know that sailing ships still had a high market share in the middle of the 19th century. Philadelphia just auctioned a sailing merchant ship launched in 1851 with a load of 1060 tons and in good condition last year for $28000.

Even taking depreciation into account, the price of the new ship will not exceed $4.It is only less than one-tenth of the Yongle class.

What's more, as a merchant ship, sailing ships have an advantage that steam ships do not have, that is, sailing ships do not need to burn coal, and the cost of use is lower.

It is not easy for a rich man to spend 43 US dollars to try something new. The cost of trying something new is too high.

Liang Yao was chatting with the guests on the front deck of the Yongle class, and the fleet of the shipyard was cruising along Jinshan Bay.

The [-]-ton displacement of the Yongle class is also huge in San Francisco where there are many giant ships. It is very dazzling and attracts the crowds and cheers from the citizens on the shore.

Liang Yao also smiled and waved to the citizens on the shore.

The Governor of British Columbia, Elliot, sometimes looked at the Yongle-class cruise ship under his feet, and sometimes looked at the steam warship not far away.

Elliot's bitter face showed mixed feelings in his heart.

Since becoming an empire on which the sun never sets, British bureaucrats are particularly sensitive to sea power issues.

Elliot knows what it means to have a large cruise ship with a maximum cruising range of 4900 nautical miles and the capacity to carry more than 1000 people.

This means that if Liang Yao is willing, he only needs this ship, and Liang Yao can send an entire regiment of troops to any place within 4900 nautical miles, and there is no need for any supplies in the middle.Includes British Columbia.

What's more, in addition to transport ships, Liang Yao also owns a rather impressive fleet in the name of Umbrella Corporation, as well as a steam warship that looks relatively advanced.

Compared with the British, the French are much more open-minded.

"California's shipbuilding technology is progressing really fast. If it continues at this rate, you won't have to buy ships from France in a few years." Tromo, who came from Sarawak to cheer, said with a smile.

"It's not that California's shipbuilding technology is fast, but that Europe has long underestimated the industrial strength of the United States. I heard that your country is building a brand-new warship. Who can say what will happen in the future, France is one of the world's leading shipbuilding countries. "Liang Yao took out a Havana cigar, cut it and handed it to Tromeran, and asked casually.

"I heard that you moved the base of the French Navy's Pacific Fleet to Sarawak? Has it been going well in Sarawak recently?"

California's shipbuilding industry was able to achieve relatively bright opportunities in a short period of time, largely based on the original foundation of the United States.

Liang Yao just pushed the American shipbuilding industry forward on this basis.

After taking over Vanderbilt's shipping empire and recruiting shipbuilding experts headed by Jeremiah.

Liang Yao almost has the most advanced shipbuilding resources in the United States in his hands.

Strictly speaking, California's shipbuilding industry started not from zero, but from 60.

It is definitely easier to improve from 60 points to 70 points than from 0 points to 70 points.

Of course, it is another difficulty for France to catch up with Britain's 80 or even 90 points in the shipbuilding industry with 100 points.

France and the UK, although on good terms right now, are in the honeymoon period.

However, there are conflicts of interest between the two countries, and Napoleon III's dream of making France great again dooms the honeymoon period between Britain and France to not last long.

The French are now building the first ironclad ship. After this ironclad ship is launched, the naval arms race between the great powers in the second half of the 19th century will officially kick off, until it reached its climax around World War I.

"Barely, it's better than being on a small island in the Pacific where it's hard to drink fresh water even if the birds don't shit." Tromoran took the cigar that Liang Yao handed over.

However, regarding the new ship, this is a state secret, and he does not want to talk too much about this issue before the new French warship is launched.

The fleet finally returned to the shipyard after circling Jinshan Bay.

Jeremiah returned to the shipyard in a very good mood.

Liang Yao smiled and asked, "I just saw you having a great conversation with King Kamehameha III on the ship. Hawaii also wants to buy a Yongle-class cruise ship?"

"There is no such demand in Hawaii. The king of Hawaii wants us to help him build a private yacht." Jeremiah said.

"Big boats are not easy to sell. I have spent all my time talking, and only one French merchant is willing to buy a boat to test the waters. Others are interested in it because of the price."

"It's always good to have a breakthrough." Liang Yao comforted, "If they think the price is too high, we can give them a discount in disguise."

"If the initial positioning is too low, it is easy to label manufacturing in California as cheap. American products, especially industrial products, are synonymous with cheap in Europe." Jeremiah shook his head and said.

"Besides, our boats are of good quality and advanced, and they are worth the price."

"It's a disguised form to give them a little discount. The price remains the same, but you can give them some kerosene so that they can realize it themselves." Liang Yao said.

"As long as you enter the European market, let the Europeans know that the shipyards in California can build commercial ships as advanced as theirs, or even better. I think subsequent orders will be easier to win."

Jeremiah's considerations are not unreasonable. The steamship is the largest, most complex, most sophisticated, and most expensive industrial product in the world, and it is one of the representatives of high-end manufacturing.

Setting the price too low will not only compress your own profit margins, but also give the impression of being cheap.

"This is a good idea. I will fight for it again and make these potential customers become loyal customers of San Francisco Shipyard." Jeremiah thought for a while and said.

"By the way, the battleship hasn't been named yet. We specially waited for you to come back to name the battleship. This steam battleship is the largest steam battleship in the United States. Even the Navy doesn't have such a large steam battleship."

What's your name?Liang Yao looked at the battleship that followed the Yongle-class cruise ship into the shipyard, the bow of which split a huge wave on the water, and said after a moment of meditation.

"Let's call it the Julang class."