I know many people like the magical story because they think it provides them with a powerful, loving protector who is perfect in every way. And many people don't like the amazing naturalistic story because it seems cold and loveless to them. They think that their lives would be meaningless if they weren't specially created to worship their creator and live forever worshipping the one who specially created them so they could live forever to worship him. But personally I find a being who commits genocide because his creatures aren't worshipping him to be less than loving or perfect. I also find the idea of existing forever to worship my creator a repulsive concept, but I've always had a problem with authority. Anger is an imperfection, but we're supposed to overlook that little imperfection in the story. Your real scholars and knowledgeable thinkers will not let such a contradiction pass unnoticed. Nor will they try to gloss over it. They will tell you that this story is false on its face because it portrays a perfect being as imperfect. Or, they will tell you that the story is false if taken literally, but true if understood allegorically. Real scholars will not waste their time trying to figure out how to explain the literal truth of every little detail in a story that is obviously false if taken literally.
__________
Problem is, regardless of size, that shape--what we would think of as a basic boat or ship shape--is about the worst shape you could have for an unpowered, unsteerable vessel at sea, in any weather condition, let alone the tempestuous weather presumably prevailing during the purported Flood episode.
'Broaching' it is called--the tendency of any vessel to be turned by wind and waves until it is broadside to the seas, where it is rolled violently and helplessly, frequently to the point of capsizing, swamping, or breaking up, and certainly to the point of severe structural stresses and extreme discomfort to the crew! The effect on hundreds of wild animals may be imagined....Loss of propulsion or steering during heavy weather is one of the greatest fears of the mariner [yes, I am one, a merchant marine officer], and is the reason that lifeboats are equipped with a simple device called a sea anchor, a drogue device of fabric shaped like a parachute, or in emergency, a simple bucket on a line, to keep the bow of the boat turned into the waves; and why modern inflatable liferafts are usually round [aside from ease of design of course]. I don't recall that the Ark specifications called for a sea anchor just in case the weather got rough, although I'm sure the diehards will adopt that possibility. I understand the word "Ark" itself signifies simply 'box'--verily, verily, I say unto you, a simple foursquare box design would have been much more seaworthy under the circumstances. Interestingly, the Greek flood myth--Deucalion taking the place of Noah, I believe--refers to him setting off in a simple wooden box, with his wife.
In conclusion then, the Ark was an extremely poor design for the job it was intended, which raises serious doubts about the wisdom of an Almighty God/Yahweh/Elohim who either is ignorant of, or completely disregards, some of the most fundamental principals of naval architecture. And you can't even work that up into a 'test of Noah's faith' dodge, as he wouldn't have known any better himself--at least not until about two hours into the voyage....
