Greetings.
I am a man in a suit who has fallen into the world of Minecraft.
Today, I am at the river port landing.
Last time, I built a five-span bridge and added a warehouse and teahouse at the river port.
Now I would like to build a Japanese wooden ship with a big white sail.
Building the Hull and Cargo Hold at the River Port
I look out over the water beside the warehouse.
A ship here would make this place feel much more like a port.
I will point the bow toward the sea and make it possible to board from the bank.
From the northwest hill, the five-span bridge fills the view.
The ship will stand on the water beyond it.
I am looking forward to returning here when it is finished.
The Kotohira Maritime Museum exhibit guide describes the large central square sail as a feature of a bezaisen, or traditional Japanese cargo ship.
That shape inspires my own wooden ship, designed to fit this Minecraft river port.
The hull takes shape, but river water still fills the inside.
There is no deck or cargo hold floor yet.
Lights glow beneath the water, and dark wooden railings surround the hull.
With the deck above and a floor below, the cargo hold becomes a room lined with wood.
Chests and barrels along both sides give it space for belongings.
There is no mast yet, but simply walking inside a ship is rather pleasing.
A White Sail Above the Port: Views by Boat and a Walk Aboard
The white sail is up, and the ship is complete!
From a small boat out in the bay, I see its single large sail and upturned bow with the bridge beyond.
The small boat is what moves; this larger ship is a stationary build at the river port.
I bring the small boat alongside and look up at the railings, lanterns, and projecting beam ends.
The middle of the white sail bulges slightly.
Vertical strips of white wool and concrete give it a fabric-like texture.
The small boat can still pass beneath the central bridge arch and come back.
Adding the large ship leaves that little boat route open.
Back on the same hill as before… a white sail rises beyond the bridge!
The bridge hides the hull, but even the sail alone catches the eye.
There is another reason to visit the far side of the river now.
From the top of the bridge, I look south over the port.
The warehouse, pier, and wooden ship sit together, with a path from shore to deck.
Seeing it from above makes me want to go aboard.
On the pier, the ship railings, mast, and stern roof rise behind me.
That roof shelters a stern cabin, called a yakura.
Looking at the outside is not enough; time to step aboard.
Up on deck, the warehouse and bridge appear beyond the mast.
Standing here makes the size of the ship much easier to appreciate.
I can walk from the deck into the hold and cabin and out to the bow, so there is more to enjoy than the view from shore.
Loading the Hold, Then Enjoying Evening and Later Visits
I open a chest in the hold and put in spruce slabs, wheat seeds, stone bricks, and steak from my inventory.
The storage works as part of the ship.
With food aboard too, even this stationary build gives me that getting-ready-for-a-trip feeling. Ha!
As the sun sinks, the ship becomes a silhouette against the red sky.
Lanterns dot the railings, with the white warehouse wall to the right.
The port has a different face in the evening, and I stop to look.
After dark, I return to the bridge.
Lights mark the pier, and the white sail remains visible over the dark water.
Both the ship and bridge offer lovely views; I keep turning back before leaving.
On a later day, I visit the port again in the rain.
Inside the stern cabin are a plank floor and doorway, with rain and deck lights beyond the front windows.
Having a room aboard makes even a rainy visit inviting.
The following morning, I stand on the sunny pier for a picture.
The two rows of wooden steps to my right lead up to the deck.
The river port now has a white sail and a ship I can explore on foot.
I suspect I will be dropping by the port more often on my walks around town.
That is all for this time.
Greetings.