Canals save time as well as fuel and labour, so their loss changes the design problem for both merchant ships and warships. Navies serving distant empires would want faster ships with greater range and fuel capacity. More hull volume would have to be devoted to endurance, affecting the balance of machinery, protection, armament, and stores. Growth in merchant hulls and marine engineering could in turn feed into naval construction and produce a race for size.
Notable Point · 30:42-33:22
Longer routes reward larger, faster warships
Longer routes around Africa would place a premium on fuel capacity, endurance, speed, and eventually larger hulls.