While I do agree that scientific studies of 'how' to make a ship more stable have produced more stable ships, I think history shows that while a 1,000 years ago we didn't have those new modern building methods, ships did float and make it from port to port. What I also know is that because I'm sitting here at my computer typing this message, for me, that is living proof that the ark did not capsize which likely would have led to the loss of all life within its confines.
And I have often questioned these imaginary pictures that are drawn in the present day that the water surface of the flood was really as volatile as some of these seem to portray it. The springs of the deep opened and the rain came down and flooded the earth. Now, if one were directly on top of, or very near to, one of those gushing springs of the deep, the water at that place may have been tumultuous, but not for long. We do today have places in the bottom of the ocean where water is gushing from underground sources, but once the water gets to a certain depth over that source, we don't see any turbulence on the surface of the water. All the turbulence is way down below where the water is actually gushing out.
So, whether or not the surface of the water, which I think we can all agree is where the ark would have been, would have been particularly turbulent as this huge boat began to float on the water as it rose upon the earth isn't really a foregone conclusion to me. If the boat wasn't near one of the opening springs or wasn't near some madly rushing river as the rain caused it to swell and begin rushing, then the water just rose up over the dry land under the ark during a heavy rain. We don't even know if there was any thunder and lightning during this rain deluge. I've seen heavy downpours of rain from the sky without there being thunder and lightning accompanying such a downpour.
Since God was in control of all of this and it was His desire that the boat save some of the animals and mankind living on the earth, then I trust that God caused the earth to flood without all the drama that we associate with the act of flooding the earth. The ark was resting on dry ground and water began to rise and float it and it did float. We can thank Noah for being such a good ship builder.
I lived at one point in Huntington WV. They experienced a fairly massive flood in 1937 in which the river swelled and caused flooding one mile inland. But over most of the flooded inland, the water wasn't some rushing, raging gush of water. The water just came up and flooded basements and first floors of buildings. Here's a picture after the rains had stopped, but there wasn't some wild rushing white water crashing over rocks and boulders kind of effect during the rain. The water just rose up.
