No Act of Parliament or other firm rule barring teak-built East Indiamen from British ports could be found in the research behind this discussion. A teak-built East Indiaman bought by the Royal Navy and brought back to Britain casts doubt on the claimed prohibition. The more plausible explanation is route specialization: some ships worked between India and China, while others made the longer journey between India and Britain. This remains a provisional conclusion based on a few weeks' research, with the possibility that a restriction has been overlooked.
Notable Point · 5:45-7:24
Teak construction and specialized East India routes
A supposed ban on teak-built East Indiamen returning to Britain is questioned, with route specialization offered as a provisional explanation.