Alternative commercial shipping for T2K

[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.

[Targan]

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

Added to that, without high tech navigational aids such as GPS, many of these people will be restricted to "sailing" within sight of land.

True 'nuff. Accurate, modern charts would become very valuable.

[Mohoender]

I tatally agree with you Leg. Therefore, I think that third world sailors and traditional fishermen will find themselves with a tremendous advantage.

Something else will have to be manned again and that will be difficult and always realized on a very limited scale or so I think: find people to man lighthouses again.

[Abbott Shaull]

Problem with lighthouse on manning them, they would make themselves targets for marauders or pirates.

[kalos72]

Anyone have a good source for information about these sailing style ships? I have been using the USS CONSTITUTION as a sample but I know there are many variations to those sailing ships.

[Mohoender]

Originally Posted by Abbott Shaull

Problem with lighthouse on manning them, they would make themselves targets for marauders or pirates.

Right for the one on land but not that right for the one at sea. Landing on the sea light house is tricky and most pirates would die trying. In addition, if you don't have what it take to blow it up and if the two or three guys in it have enough ammunitions, you don't have a chance to get on top.

[Mohoender]

Originally Posted by 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.

I remembered that someone was adressing the problem of high tech navigational aids.

However, if the point is fair when it comes to recreational sailors, it becomes a non sense when talking of military commanders and officers sailing the high seas.

If you travel to the Indian ocean, most captain now how to use a tool name "Kamal" and designed for navigational aid. However, this is a limited tool and you can count that these captains from the Indian Ocean would not be able to run a boat outside of this ocean.

When, you talk about navy officers (civilian and military) they are still taught how to use a sextant. At least that is valid for the French Naval Academy but I'm convinced that this is equally valid for most western navies. Their knowledge might be a bit rusty but i'm convinced it will come back fast (navy officers are also the only one still largely knowing Morse code). After all the old sextant remain the only way to find out what your location is when your computer is failing you (computers running under microsoft they must be failing all the time. Minor failure for most of the time of course.)