That was a great post. I loved the giant crossbow, that could've done some damage i'll wager. But you couldn't pay me to be inside the armored boat when that thing was in a battle, it looks way to dangerous.
I had to follow the link and watch the video to convince myself that this was a real story. Really cool and a bit crazy lol. It sounds like something Karl Pilkington would dream up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLEA1BgJ6YQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrZ2hNZsCuE&feature=channel