Alternative commercial shipping for T2K

[Mohoender]

I don’t want to talk about large shipping as I think we largely covered the subject. However, I don’t see any reason for the Twilight War to stop world shipping. He would change it more than put an end to it.

The Western (Modern) world would certainly find itself with the least seagoing capability as most people will find themselves lost without technologies. Still traditional fishermen and professional sailors could find their way around (at the time of T2K you would still find 10.000 traditional fishing ship in France alone).
This, on the other hand, would not be true in most of the world. Most of the world sailors didn’t and doesn’t have access to much technologies and the war would not really change anything for their daily life at sea. Many ship were and are still made without technology.

First, you’ll find several sailing ship in the Western World (fishing ships, leisure ships and vintage ships). Among them you’ll find several ship types in the Northern countries, along the US coast, in the Netherlands and England. Several will be pinnaces, yacht, ketch, pointu (Mediterranean)… Their size and capabilities will vary greatly but several should be capable of seagoing. With very little motor ships around they’ll soon become the lord of the seas again. What is described for the “Constitution” shouldn’t be an exception (outside it’s size). Of course, several of these ships will be destroyed but most are located in small ports and will escape the war.

Then, you’ll find several arabic sailing ship (sometimes motor ship) that are used in the Indian Ocean, in the Red Sea, in the Persian Gulf and in the Mediterranean for commercial shipping.
Among them, you’ll find Badans, Dhows, Sambuks…
They are capable of ocean travel and they are largely use for coastal shipping. In addition they are often built with no advanced technologies and little if any harbour facilities. They should see extensive use after the twilight war for commerce but also in the hand of pirates. Larger models such as the Baghla would be armed with ease and they would be capable of fairly long time on the high seas.

You’ll find also a large number of sailing ship in Asia with ships such as Junks, Praos, Sampans…A little more complex sometimes (the Junk) these ship will largely be around carrying good through various areas. In addition and unlike the Arabic models ships such as Junks are fully capable of going to the high sea.

Less well known in our regions you’ll find several type of ship built throughout Africa. However, despite limited high sea fishing, these ship will be more handy for coastal travel.

Of course, I’m not even talking of sailing ships in Latin America.

As a result, when canon states that international exchanges came to an end, it should be (IMO) a bit of an overstatement. Of course, international shipping as we know it disappeared but it must have been replaced by another form of more traditional shipping with piracy exploding. I think, that this can result in very interesting campaigns. When Jester made his campaign over Siberia, one of the main threats could have been Japanese, Korean and Russian small ships. Ship can cross the Channel on an almost daily bases. Shipping should remain well developped in the Mediterranean. Australia should have access to goods from all over South East Asia. Numerous ships should be travelling through the Carribean and along the American sea coasts... A sea captain willing to cross the Atlantic to pick up or bring operatives somewhere (or carrying sensitive cargoes even in small quantities) could make a huge fortune.

[dvyws]

If we are going back to sailing ships, think of it as an opportunity rather than a problem. Back in the early eighties I spent some time on a ship which, among other things, carried mail. I remember talking to a representative of the US post office, who was checking on the loading, who made the interesting comment that surface mail across the Atlantic was atually quicker during the Napoleonic wars...

This wasn't a big, fast container ship to Europe, though - it was a small, slow general cargo boat to North Africa. We didn't have Satnav or GPS, or even Loran, but relied on sun and star sights with our sextants (and I remember on one occasion after a particularly cloudy Eastbound crossing rather nervously approaching Africa - or was it Europe, and how far away was it anyway - dead reckoning got that name for a reason!).

Depending on the time of year and the route you choose, the Atlantic can be crossed by surprisingly small boats/ships.

And wooden vessels can be VERY hard to pick up on radar, stealth sailing ships to land your special ops teams?

[Fusilier]

Originally Posted by Mohoender

However, I don’t see any reason for the Twilight War to stop world shipping.

I don't think there is any reason. A couple of the books already mention trade such as you mentioned, including international. Small world trade/shipping does continue.

[Adm.Lee]

Something else to keep in mind is that there will still be boatyards capable of turning out yacht-size sailing craft in the West, and coastal fishing boats in the rest of the world. Quality timber, sails, rope, craftsmen, paint and so on... maybe those can be found, too. If one's in really good shape, and well-secured, they could try to expand themselves to making larger craft.

Someone that has the capability to assemble these can put themselves in good shape. I'm thinking the UBF and the Civgov brigade in southern New England. If they don't have this kind of stuff, some might be available farther north up the coast? Breaking into something like the Mystic Maritime Museum to grab plans might be a game.

IIRC, there is a Challenge article on sailing craft, with some stats. Somewhere in the low forties issues?

[Targan]

Originally Posted by Adm.Lee

IIRC, there is a Challenge article on sailing craft, with some stats. Somewhere in the low forties issues?

Challenge issue 60, page 6 "Sailing: An Unofficial Variant". Includes a basic weather generation system and a variety of sail craft (large sailing yacht, racing yacht, fishing boat, lugger, interisland schooner, junk, training vessel and restored antique).

[Mohoender]

Plenty of references I didn't have and live experience.

Thanks people.

[Fusilier]

Another example is in one of the American based modules. I can't remember which, but in the usual narrative "Getting there" it mentions a Brazilian schooner that trades along the eastern seaboard, carrying mostly timber or something. There might be some more info, but I can't recall.

[Legbreaker]

There is one vital thing that's been overlooked so far - skill.

Particularly in western countries, the skill to effectively pilot a sail driven boat has becoming increasingly rare. Most recreational "sailors" tend to use engines more than wind power.
Added to that, without high tech navigational aids such as GPS, many of these people will be restricted to "sailing" within sight of land.