弁才船
今、小原鉄心の小説を執筆している。江戸末期（１８３８年）大垣藩は洪水に見舞われ、村人は飢えに苦しむ。運悪く、藩の備蓄米が足らない。鉄心は３０００俵の米俵を安濃津藩（今の津市）に買受に行く。鉄心と従者は弁才船に乗り、米俵を積んで大垣に帰る。
弁才船のことが分からなければ執筆できない。図書館に行って弁才船関連の本を１０冊ほど読み、ネットやユーチューブでも調べた。名古屋港の海洋博物館に行き、弁才船の模型を見た。お陰で執筆ができた。
大型弁才船の長さは２９メートル、幅８メートル。帆柱の高さ２０メートルある。
本帆、帆桁、表車立、航、轆轤、矢倉、矢倉板、舵柄、身縄、帆柱、筈緒、手縄、烏頭、艫矢倉などの役割が分かるようになった。
弁才船については何も知らなかったが、かなり分った。求めよさらば与えられんだ。
Bensai-boat
I am writing a novel
about Ohara Tesshin, the chief retainer of Ohogaki Domain in the Mino District
(present-day southern Gifu Prefecture). Near the end of the Edo era in 1838,
the Ohogaki Domain was devastated by a flood, leaving farmers on the brink of
starvation. Unfortunately, the stockpiled rice was insufficient to sustain
them. In response, Tesshin embarked on a waterborne journey to the Anozu Domain
(present-day Tsu City) to purchase 3,000 rice bags. Tesshin and his men
traveled by Bensai-boat, returning to Ohgaki with their precious cargo of 3000
ricebags.
To accurately
portray the Bensai-boat, I delved into extensive research. I visited libraries,
scoured the internet, watched YouTube videos, and even made a trip to the
Marine Museum in Nagoya Port to examine a Bensai-ship model.
A large Bensai-boat
measures approximately 29 meters in length and 8 meters in width, with a mast
towering 20 meters high. I familiarized myself with various tools used on the
boat, such as the Honho (main sail), Hogeta, Omote-shadate, Rokuro, Yakura, Minawa,
and others.
Although I initially
knew nothing about Bensai-sen, my research has provided me with a deeper
understanding and appreciation of these remarkable vessels.
Ask and you shall receive.
