Fleet of Oceans limits the active battle fleet partly because Spain would have finite money and trained crews. Officer education, regular exercises, and better treatment of sailors would also draw on the proposed budget. Corruption and money diverted to nominally naval purposes are further reasons to leave financial room. Clarke counters that refitting older ships can develop dockyard repair capacity and that a wealthy noble might endow an estate for an officer academy. The disagreement concerns how much fleet strength can be retained while paying for the institutions that make it usable. The conservative proposal allows four active battleships, two in reserve, and two in mothballs, with periodic refits before their status changes.
Notable Point · 20:10-23:34
Spain would need trained crews and dockyards as well as ships
The fleet proposal reserves money for personnel reform and exercises, while the debate tests whether refits and private patronage could stretch the budget.