Chapter 1415: Breaking the Blockade
Joseph continued along this line of thought. "Which ports do our nation and Spain have on the western coast?"
"Zeebrugge, Ostend, Le Havre, Dunkirk, Rouen..."
"Bilbao, Santander, Gijón... that makes at least twelve."
Marquis de Lessart immediately added, "Your Royal Highness, there's also Dieppe, Fécamp, Cherbourg, Jávea..."
These were all smaller ports, most of which Joseph hadn't even heard of, but as the Minister of the Navy, the Marquis was intimately familiar with them.
Joseph nodded. "That brings us to almost thirty seaports. And the Netherlands also has several ports."
'I truly hadn't realized before how many ports we could utilize.'
Previously, the seaports of Western Europe were largely under the threat of the British Navy, so he had only paid attention to major ports like Le Havre and Brest. Now, he was discovering that France possessed such excellent maritime resources.
If all these ports could be utilized, the British Navy, to effectively blockade Franco-Spanish maritime trade, would have to "chop their fleet into pieces" and scatter them across the Atlantic Ocean.
In reality, after subtracting ships used for defending the British Isles, as well as those undergoing maintenance and overhaul, there would likely be only one battleship patrolling outside each seaport.
This blockade density would be akin to a sheepfold with palings spaced ten meters apart; the "sheep" would come and go as they pleased.
The Minister of the Navy, hearing this, mused, "Your Royal Highness, while utilizing numerous ports can indeed distract the British Navy, I fear we still face two issues."
"I am very much in need of your valuable experience."
Marquis de Lessart bowed slightly. "Your Royal Highness, firstly, merchants cannot ascertain the probability of encountering British warships. As you know, even a single incident would lead to their immediate bankruptcy.
'It's possible that the number of merchant ships daring to sail to America won't significantly increase for one or two years.'
"Secondly, while we have many seaports at our disposal, only seven or eight of them handle a substantial volume of trade. As for the smaller ports, many can only accommodate single-masted sailing vessels. Even if larger ships could dock, the surrounding towns are not wealthy enough to sell off the transported goods."
Joseph nodded. "Your concerns are valid, but these can be entirely resolved through 'technical measures'."
"Regarding the first issue, I will issue a series of measures to incentivize maritime travel."
"For instance, increasing insurance payouts while simultaneously lowering premiums."
"Opening royal shipyards to assist merchant ships with repairs and maintenance at cost price."
"Even directly subsidizing merchant ships bound for America, with subsidies ranging from 5 to 20 francs per ton, depending on the type of cargo."
"Of course, propaganda is also crucial. Often, confidence stems from compelling narratives."
"As for the second problem, expanding the ports is indispensable."
"Concurrently, a 'stopover-transshipment' mechanism can be established."
The Minister of the Navy instinctively murmured, "Stopover, transshipment?"
"Precisely," Joseph affirmed. "Merchant ships will prioritize avoiding British warships and anchor at the nearest port."
"The Navy will deploy light warships to constantly scout for British warship movements near the ports."
"And the Postal Department will erect numerous Chappe signal towers along the coastline to communicate the British fleet's status to all ports."
"Those temporarily anchored merchant ships can then proceed along the coast to their true destination port when no British ships are detected outside."
"For any losses incurred during stopovers, the Ministry of Trade will provide compensation for up to fifteen days, including docking fees and food provisions."
"Furthermore, if merchant ships do not wish to delay, they can directly unload their cargo at smaller ports, entrusting it to 'transshipment freighters' to be transported to the target port. The Ministry of Trade will also cover half of the shipping costs."
"Transshipment will be handled by shallow-draft Steam Paddleboats, so the shipping costs will not be too high."
To enhance their seaworthiness against rough waves, ocean-going vessels typically feature deep "U"-shaped hulls, which significantly reduce internal cargo space.
However, ships designed for coastal navigation, including inland river cargo vessels, can be built with flat bottoms, multiplying their cargo capacity and reducing construction costs.
With Steam Paddleboat propulsion, transshipment between ports would be not only inexpensive but also swift.
Marquis de Lessart, however, frowned deeply. "Your Royal Highness, both subsidies and port expansion will incur substantial expenses..."
Joseph smiled slightly. "Port expansion can be entrusted to private capital—they invest funds and gain operational rights for several decades. Alternatively, ports can raise funds by selling shares. The Ministry of Finance won't need to commit too much money."
"As for the merchant ship subsidies, please trust me, they will absolutely be worth it."
"As long as trade volume with America can increase by 30%, the boosted tax revenue and port profits will be more than enough to offset the cost of the subsidies."
It's important to remember that, due to the current British trade blockade, sugar produced in Caribbean Sea nations like the Republic of Santo Domingo can only be sold cheaply to America first, and then transported to Europe by American merchant ships.
If French merchant ships were to engage in direct trade, the annual increase in revenue could easily exceed ten million francs.
As for goods like tobacco, cotton, and leather, they are also highly welcomed in the French market.
Even just a few dozen ship fulls could significantly stimulate the French economy.
Furthermore, French merchant ships would undoubtedly prioritize purchasing goods from the Saint-Louisiane colony and "junior partners" like the Republic of Santo Domingo, while also supplying them with urgently needed production tools, steel products, and the like. This would greatly accelerate their development.
Marquis de Lessart then discussed several detailed points with Joseph, finally confirming that this model, using merchant ships to leverage the Atlantic Ocean's dynamics, should be viable.
He had grown accustomed to the Crown Prince's various ingenious maneuvers, so he merely offered a brief compliment before preparing to meet with the Minister of Trade and others to draft the specific implementation plan.
Joseph, however, called him back. "Marquis de Lessart, the effect should be even better if the Navy also cooperates."
The Minister of the Navy stopped and bowed. "Your Royal Highness, please command."
Joseph pondered for a moment, then said, "You will need to go to Madrid personally."
"Arrange for the main Spanish fleet to rendezvous with our Atlantic Ocean fleet, forming a combined fleet."
Marquis de Lessart exclaimed in surprise, "Your Royal Highness, are you asking us to prepare for a decisive battle with the British?"
"Of course not," Joseph said with a dismissive wave and a smile. "You merely need to conduct large-scale exercises within the Bay of Biscay or near the Bay of Cádiz."
"The display must be as grand as possible, and you must ensure that British spies obtain information about it."
"Naturally, this opportunity should also be used to unify the command systems of both navies and enhance their coordination proficiency."
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