The Shipyard

Copyright © 2001 Ken St-Cyr. All rights reserved. This is a work in progress.

Watercraft Index

• Barges
• War Galleys
• Merchantmen
• Small Boats

Ship Attributes

Estirian vessels are lateen-rigged, carvel-built, and based upon Maletrian designs that are in turn a hybrid of Porellian and Zulin ships. The designs given here are bare-boned and featureless. Most ships in service will have additional features such as superstructures, towers and engines, variant oar bank arrangements, variant sail arrangements, and so on. Adding these feature increase the weight of the ship, decrease its capacity to carry cargoes, and change its oar and sail ratings.

Size

Given first is the enclosing volume in kilolitres (cubic meters) and the weight in metric tons (tonnes) of the watercraft when unloaded with crew, cargo, and passengers. Next are the dimensions: length, beam (width at widest point), and the draft and freeboard. Draft is the depth of the watercraft underwater. Freeboard is the height of the deck above the water. These values would differ when the watercraft is loaded.

Propulsion

If the watercraft has them, the number of oars is given, as well as the number of oar banks. For craft with sails, the number of sails is given, as well as their total surface area. Estirian watercraft are lateen-rigged, that is with triangular sails, one sail per mast. To get an idea about the size of a triangular sail, take the square root of twice the given area. That will be the approximate height and width of the sail.

Following the description of each propulsion mechanism is a performance rating, described below:

OAR: The standard cruising speed factor of the vessel under oar. Rowers can increase this speed by exerting more effort, but the amount depends upon the quality of the rowing crew.

SAIL: The speed factor of the vessel under sail, with a good wind. To determine actual velocity of the craft under other conditions, multiply the wind factor by the SAIL attribute. The result is speed in kilometers per hour for a vessel running in the wind direction. The wind factor is the square root of the wind speed, rounded to the nearest integer, as summarized on the table below.

Cargo Capacity

Cargo capacity is given in terms of maximum volume of the vessel's hold and the maximum weight the ship can carry before losing buoyancy (i.e., sinking). Craft types with no hold are only given the maximum weight. Any cargo not fitting into the hold but still under the weight limit is considered to be carried on deck.

Ship Gear

Ballista: A spear-throwing engine.

Boarding Plank: A gangway to a grappled enemy ship.

Barbotte: Hides placed along the sides of a ship intended as protection against incendiary materials.

Catapult: A stone-throwing engine.

Corvus: A spiked boarding plank.

Falx: A spear with a cutting head, used for destroying rigging.

Greek Fire Projector: A tube mounted in the bow of the ship and used for spraying Greek fire.

Ram: A hull-piercing device mounted at the bow of the ship.

Superstructure: Any housing built onto the ship's deck. A superstructure might hold crew, passengers, or fighting men.

Tower: A superstructure mounted at the stern, the bow, and possibly the mizzen, from whence archers may attack enemy ships or personnel. Also called a turret.

Watercraft Descriptions

Watercraft are classified into one of four types: barge, boat, merchantman, or galley, and range in size from very small to huge.

Barges

Barges carry their cargo on deck, rather than in a hold, and so have no volume limit.

Raft

Size: 2.8 kL, 0.21 tonnes unloaded; 5 m long, 1.7 m beam, 0.3 m draft, 0 m freeboard.
Propulsion: 2 poles (OAR 7)
Crew: 2 total; 2 polemen.
Armament: None.
Cargo Capacity: 800 kg max.

Small Barge

Size: 37 kL, 1.6 tonnes unloaded; 10 m long, 3.3 m beam, 0.6 m draft, 0.6 m freeboard.
Propulsion: 6 oars (OAR 6); 1 sail, 25 m² area (SAIL 12).
Crew: 7 total; 6 bargemen, 1 officer.
Armament: None.
Cargo Capacity: 24 tonnes max.

Mid-Sized Barge

Size: 125 kL, 3.5 tonnes unloaded; 15 m long, 5 m beam, 0.8 m draft, 0.8 m freeboard.
Propulsion: 10 oars (OAR 6); 1 sail, 55 m² area (SAIL 12).
Crew: 11 total; 10 bargemen, 1 officer.
Armament: None.
Cargo Capacity: 87 tonnes max.

Large Barge

Size: 296 kL, 5.6 tonnes unloaded; 27 m long, 6.7 m beam, 1.1 m draft, 1.1 m freeboard.
Propulsion: 12 oars (OAR 5); 1 sail, 98 m² area (SAIL 12).
Crew: 14 total; 12 bargemen, 2 officers.
Armament: None.
Cargo Capacity: 200 tonnes max.

Galleys

Galleys are the most commonly seen military vessels on the sea, employed by every Estirian dominion. Each shipbuilding port introduces its own modifications to the basic ship type, adding towers, rams, fire-throwers, catapults, ballistae, and various types of armor. Marines are often added to the crew complement.

Very Small Galley / Dispatch Boat

Size: 66 kL, 4 tonnes unloaded; 18 m long, 3.1 m beam, 2 m draft, 2 m freeboard.
Propulsion: 22 oars on one bank (OAR 10); 1 sail, 79 m² area (SAIL 17).
Crew: 33 total; 22 rowers, 6 sailors, 5 officers.
Armament: Ram.
Cargo Capacity: 9.5 kL, 45 tonnes max.

Small Galley / Skirmisher

Fast under sail but slow under oar, the skirmisher is a favorite of pirates, who will ambush merchantmen when the wind conditions are right.

Size: 138 kL, 6 tonnes unloaded; 25 m long, 3.8 m beam, 1.3 m draft, 1.3 m freeboard.
Propulsion: 28 oars on one bank (OAR 9); 1 sail, 153 m² area (SAIL 19).
Crew: 45 total; 28 rowers, 11 sailors, 6 officers.
Armament: Ram; Up to 2 towers.
Cargo Capacity: 54 kL, 97 tonnes max.

Mid-Sized Galley

This common war galley is the standard of most navies, because it is fast under oar — making an effective rammer — and fast under sail as well.

Size: 218 kL, 13 tonnes unloaded; 32 m long, 4.2 m beam, 1.4 m draft, 1.4 m freeboard.
Propulsion: 72 oars on two banks (OAR 13); 1 sail, 251 m² area (SAIL 22).
Crew: 101 total; 72 rowers, 17 sailors, 12 officers.
Armament: Ram; Up to 2 towers.
Cargo Capacity: 40 kL, 150 tonnes max.

Large Galley

Size: 394 kL, 20 tonnes unloaded; 39 m long, 5.1 m beam, 1.7 m draft, 1.7 m freeboard.
Propulsion: 100 oars on two banks (OAR 13); 2 sails, 286 m² total area (SAIL 19).
Crew: 136 total; 100 rowers, 20 sailors, 16 officers.
Armament: Ram; Up to 2 towers.
Cargo Capacity: 135 kL, 275 tonnes max.

Very Large Galley

Size: 646 kL, 30 tonnes unloaded; 46 m long, 6 m beam, 2 m draft, 2 m freeboard.
Propulsion: 136 oars on two banks (OAR 12); 2 sails, 397 m² total area (SAIL 19).
Crew: 184 total; 136 rowers, 27 sailors, 21 officers.
Armament: Ram; Up to 3 towers.
Cargo Capacity: 280 kL, 450 tonnes max.

Huge Galley

Size: 988 kL, 40 tonnes unloaded; 53 m long, 6.9 m beam, 2.3 m draft, 2.3 m freeboard.
Propulsion: 160 oars on two banks (OAR 12); 3 sails, 674 m² total area (SAIL 19).
Crew: 232 total; 160 rowers, 45 sailors, 27 officers.
Armament: Ram; Up to 3 towers.
Cargo Capacity: 500 kL, 700 tonnes max.

Merchantmen

Round-bodied vessels of various quality, these ships are a common sight on the waters of every country from Lancesor to Marazai.

Very Small Merchantman / Coaster

Size: 72 kL, 2 tonnes unloaded; 18 m long, 4.5 m beam, 1.7 m draft, 0.6 m freeboard.
Propulsion: 1 sail, 79 m² area (SAIL 11).
Crew: 8 total; 6 sailors, 2 officers.
Armament: None.
Cargo Capacity: 47 kL, 50 tonnes max.

Small Merchantman

Size: 192 kL, 4 tonnes unloaded; 25 m long, 6.3 m beam, 2.3 m draft, 0.8 m freeboard.
Propulsion: 1 sail, 153 m² area (SAIL 11).
Crew: 13 total; 11 sailors, 2 officers.
Armament: None.
Cargo Capacity: 135 kL, 135 tonnes max.

Mid-Sized Merchantman

Size: 400 kL, 9 tonnes unloaded; 32 m long, 8 m beam, 3 m draft, 1 m freeboard.
Propulsion: 1 sail, 251 m² area (SAIL 11).
Crew: 20 total; 17 sailors, 3 officers.
Armament: None.
Cargo Capacity: 297 kL, 290 tonnes max.

Large Merchantman

Size: 730 kL, 14 tonnes unloaded; 39 m long, 9.8 m beam, 3.7 m draft, 1.2 m freeboard.
Propulsion: 2 sails, 286 m² total area (SAIL 9).
Crew: 24 total; 20 sailors, 4 officers.
Armament: None.
Cargo Capacity: 567 kL, 530 tonnes max.

Very Large Merchantman

Size: 1195 kL, 23 tonnes unloaded; 46 m long, 11.5 m beam, 4.4 m draft, 1.4 m freeboard.
Propulsion: 2 sails, 397 m² total area (SAIL 9).
Crew: 35 total; 30 sailors, 5 officers.
Armament: None.
Cargo Capacity: 945 kL, 870 tonnes max.

Huge Merchantman

Size: 1827 kL, 34 tonnes unloaded; 53 m long, 13.3 m beam, 5 m draft, 1.6 m freeboard.
Propulsion: 3 sails, 674 m² total area (SAIL 11).
Crew: 55 total; 48 sailors, 7 officers.
Armament: None.
Cargo Capacity: 1450 kL, 1330 tonnes max.

Small Boats

Rowboat

Size: 0.8 kL, 240 kg unloaded; 3 m long, 1.2 m beam, 0.75 m draft, 0.25 m freeboard.
Propulsion: 2 oars (OAR 5).
Crew: 1 total; 1 boatman.
Armament: None.
Cargo Capacity: 400 kg max.

Ship's Boat

The ship's boat is both oared and sailed, and carried on larger craft as a lifeboat or for shore parties.

Size: 3 kL, 530 kg unloaded; 4.5 m long, 1.8 m beam, 1.125 m draft, 0.375 m freeboard.
Propulsion: 4 oars (OAR 5); 1 sail, 8 m² total area (SAIL 5).
Crew: 4 total; 4 boatmen.
Armament: None.
Cargo Capacity: 1.5 tonnes max.

Sailboat

Size: 7 kL, 280 kg unloaded; 6 m long, 2.4 m beam, 1.5 m draft, 0.5 m freeboard.
Propulsion: 1 sail, 15 m² total area (SAIL 5).
Crew: 1 total; 1 sailor.
Armament: None.
Cargo Capacity: 4 tonnes max.

Small Coaster / River Boat

Size: 23 kL, 730 kg unloaded; 9 m long, 3.6 m beam, 2.25 m draft, 0.75 m freeboard.
Propulsion: 1 sail, 26 m² total area (SAIL 5).
Crew: 2 total; 2 sailors.
Armament: None.
Cargo Capacity: 14 kL, 16 tonnes max.

Known Bugs and To-Dos:

• Draft/freeboard values have no relation to loaded/unloaded status
• Because of the above, most of the SAIL/OAR factors are off, sometimes by a lot.
• No stats for ship gear, weapons, defenses, etc.