Song yards could produce large numbers of ships and were capable of excellent construction when good materials were available. The deeper constraint was sustaining a timber programme large enough to season wood for the whole fleet. Hulls built from inadequately seasoned material deteriorated much faster than carefully maintained European warships used for comparison, helping explain how an apparently vast navy could disappear quickly despite formidable launch figures. Britain's timber planning, begun under Henry VII and matured over centuries, shows why durable naval construction cannot be improvised quickly.
Notable Point · 2:42:55-2:44:34
Song shipbuilding totals concealed a timber-quality problem
Question impressive annual ship totals by asking whether the state could supply enough seasoned timber for durable hulls.