Sailing

Sails are SET, not held: Up sets one more step and Down takes one in, and she holds it with no key down. Left and Right are held — she turns for as long as you hold them.

The defaults. Every one can be moved in Options → Hotkeys → Ships, and they may share letters with your land keys.

One wind

The same over the whole ocean, for every captain and every monster ship

Running before it

Up to +20% way with it dead astern in a fresh breeze

Beating into it

Up to -20% dead into it; on the beam, about what she would make anyway

How hard

From a light air to a fresh breeze — the chevrons on the arrow count its strength

When it changes

It holds for about 10 minutes, then comes round to a new heading over 45 seconds

The arrow

Green with her, yellow against her, blue on her beam

Where they come from

They form in the open sea off the map, roll across it on the wind and blow out on the far side

How long

5 to 8 minutes to pass over a ship; about an hour on the water in all

Rough seas

25% less way at the heart of one

A rolling deck

Every gun throws 100% wider

Poor sight

Lookouts and spyglasses see 60% less — and monster ships see less of you

Lightning

A blue ring closes round her mainmast 1.5 seconds before it strikes, for 7% of her hull. It follows her — there is no outrunning it

Shelter

Any harbour. Monster ships are never struck

Every harbour has a lighthouse and a ring 42 cells round its anchorage. Inside the ring no monster hunts her and no gun fires, and — out of the fight — she may Dock. Docking at a town is travel: you step ashore in that town, and your ship lies at its quay until you set sail from there again.

Repair is always on. Wreckage from the hold is burnt first, then plain Wood planks stowed on the Shipyard's Timber tab. Both weigh against her hold, stay aboard from voyage to voyage, and go down with her if she sinks. Her carpenters keep only enough Wreckage to mend her hull 2 times over; the rest is left to drift.

Chosen as she sets sail and flown the whole voyage. Your guns never turn on another captain by themselves — click a ship to engage her, and Esc to stand down. A ship fired on may answer for 60 seconds whatever her colours.

The net

Space puts a seine over the stern; tow it round a shoal and close the ring by crossing your own float line

The line

Runs for 45 seconds; she makes 28% less way while towing

A ring

At least 3.5 cells across and no more than 70; up to 4 shoals at once

What you keep

Whatever your Fishing Pole reaches — a shoal shows its fish on the water, so you can see what you can land

Between casts

5 seconds

Shoals seen from

42 cells

The richer fish swim further from land.