"I sink a few more ships, it's true, than a well bred monarch ought to do" A Popular Pyrate KingSailing ships are complex creatures and these rules simplify somewhat. To do justice to the sailor's craft the glossary of all nautical terms alone would exceed the length of a small novel, (the expurgated version might be a slightly slimmer tome), and players would be obliged to suffer several years before the mast before they could play. Suffice it to say that experienced sailors had quite fine control over their speed, (bracing and backing yards and sails), so let us assume that they just do whatever it is that sailors do in the rigging and concern ourselves with the results not the minutiae of the mechanics.
Ships and Crew Ship ClassesShips are grouped into three simple classes:
- Large (Over 14" up to 18" measured at the waterline),
- Middling (over 10" up to 14"),
- Small (Over 6" up to 10").
Anything over 18" is a Special and requires its own rules and anything up to 6", (or submersible), is a Boat.
SpeedA ship might also be rated as Fast, Ordinary or Slow for its class. This reflects the responsiveness of the ship.
Generally large ships are faster than small ones – with better sail to weight ratios. This is reflected in the way
Movement Allowance (MA) points are translated into table distances. Roughly, four units of distance will be about a third of the length of the ship. This is shown in the game by scaling the distance / MA measurements as follows:
| Ship Size | Ship Speed | Slow | Ordinary | Fast |
| Small | 3/4" | 3/4" | 1" |
| Middling | 3/4" | 1" | 1+1/4" |
| Large | 1" | 1+1/4" | 1+1/2" |
Note that small ships don't lose out by being "slow". (We could justify this, but basically, it isn't really practical to make the units of movement any smaller than 3/4").
We suggest making rulers, to save the burden of continuous mental calculation.
A Fast ship that is carrying more than a quarter of its cargo capacity is laden down and becomes rated Ordinary. Ordinary rated ships become Slow when half the hold is full. The reasoning is that ships built for speed rarely handle cargo well. Slow ships on the other hand are usually built for cargo and suffer no extra penalty.
Ship's Strength PointsThe capacity of a ship to resist damage is measured in Ship's Strength Points. This measure is also used as a guide to the value of a Ship, (see
Prizes).
The simple way to do this is to by taking the length to the nearest inch, (waterline), and then multiply by four, so a twelve inch ship is worth 12 X 4 or 48 points.
The very simplest system would be to classify all small ships as worth 8 X 4 or 32 points, all middling ships as 12 X 4 points (48) and all large ships as 16 X 4 or 64 points.
A slightly more complicated scheme is to multiply length by the beam, and adjust up to a number divisible by four.
Sailing CrewThe crew required for sailing a ship is
| Ship Size | Minimum Crew | Bonus Hands |
| Small | 3 | 4 |
| Middling | 4 | 5 |
| Large | 5 | 6 |
In other words a small ship needs three sailors, but can designate up to seven, four of whom give a sailing bonus to the ship. This bonus is added to MA in the turn after the bonus hands are deployed, or deducted if the ship is trying to slow down.
Bigger ships require another sailor for every additional three inches of length or part thereof, so a 20" ship would need at least six dedicated sailors, and could deploy seven bonus hands.
Before moving each turn a Player should point out which figures are sailing.
A ship needs someone to steer it. One of the sailors should be a figure on the quarterdeck who is the designated helmsman, this should be made clear by e.g. standing the figure next to a representation of the ship's wheel or tiller. If they are engaged, or knocked down, then the ship cannot be steered until someone takes their place.
If a ship has already moved or turned before sailors were engaged or knocked down then the movement stands, but if for instance the helm is knocked down or otherwise distracted before movement, then a ship cannot turn and will not move under initiative, but move a momentum move in the it just happens phase.
If bonus hands are distracted then their MA bonus next turn is lost – remember that the extra sailor bonus is gained in arrears.
Sailing crew figures can be an be placed in the rigging if the ship model will bear them, or placed next to a mast, or set aside, (e.g. on a template), as being in the rigging.
Note that figures can be in the rigging but not sailing, e.g. musketeers in the tops or crow's nest. If a player has declared figures in the rigging as sailors during this turn, (bonus added next turn), then they cannot shoot as well, if they shoot the bonus is lost.
Shipboard MovementShipboard crew movement, (e.g. to engage in mêlée with boarders, moving below or going aloft), is carried out with no regard to obstacles, and a certain leeway over distances as:
- These are swashbucklers and sailors and this is their territory
- The model cannot usually reflect the scale and clutter of a real ship
As a rule of thumb allow any able figure to move upto c.12" horizontally in a turn, and upto masthead height, or one deck down, unless they are blocked by a deliberate obstacle, (a locked door for instance), or opposing figure.
Movement below decks will usually be on a template plan of the ship's interior unless very fancy modeling is involved.
Injured, incompetent, (landlubbers), and otherwise impaired figures may be limited to 6" lateral and when climbing they may risk a fall, (see
Shore Leave: Drop Table).
To StationsAs an initiative action, the Captain can order to stations and reposition any deckside crew that have not been given previous orders.
E.g. you've gone about, and now all your musketeers are on the wrong gunwale, tell 'em to shift over. Move any number of deckside figures around as a single initiative action.
This is a cautious move so figures can still shoot etc.
All Hands On Deck!!As an initiative action, a Captain can order "All Hands on Deck!!" which brings all figures that have not yet completed their action to the decks, e.g. spare sailors come down from the rigging, (this means that their bonus for next turn is lost), and all gun crew who have not fired, and rowers who have not rowed, (except the ones chained to their oars), up from below deck. The player can now re-position their figures as they see fit.
This may be an appropriate response to being grappled or rammed, if the boarding action has not taken place. This does include those ordered to the guns or aloft earlier in the turn. It effectively cancels the previous order, and they cannot be given any further orders this turn. If, however, gunners have already fired then they stay by their guns, too distracted to obey the All Hands order.
It also cancels other orders like fire fighting, (completes in the
It Just Happens:Fire phase),
boat lowering, (a Turn Action), etc. provided they have not already performed the action, (e.g. attempted an
ungrapple), in which case they are already occupied.
Moving Your ShipShip Movements are small but significant in this game in order to keep the feel of real navigation, while allowing a 28mm scale game on a fairly small playing area. Ships will generally only be moving about a foot in any turn. The scale of the game more or less assumes that long distance sea chases have all been concluded and that this is the end game where the ships are relatively close, within a nautical mile or two of each other. Things are happening very quickly and the subtlety with which the Captains can manœuvre their ships at short notice and close range is now decisive.
Basically, say what you are going to do and spend the Movement Allowance:
| "Steady as she goes" | Straight ahead |
| "To Port" | A point turn left |
| "To Starboard" | A point turn right |
| "Heave To" | Bring the vessel to a standstill using the sails or if beating by bringing her into the wind |
| "Go about windward" | A two point Tack |
| "Go about leeward" | A two point Gyb |
| "Make Sternway" | Go backwards |
| "Box Haul Port/Starboard" | Go backwards and turn |
| "Club Haul" | See below |
Ships may move more than once in a turn as you do not necessarily use all your
Movement Allowance (MA) in one manœuvre.
Each further move on a heading, or turn to a new heading is a separate initiative action. However, if the Action phase ends and there is MA outstanding then the ship is moved in the
It Just Happens : Momentum phase.
Movement Allowance (MA)MA or Movement Allowance here represents the mobility given to a ship by the available wind, and/or by oars. Ships and boats manœuvre by trading MA for units of headway/sternway. Oarpower, tides and currents, deploying extra hands to the rigging etc. all have an effect as detailed below.
How to Determine the Movement Allowance (MA) of your Ship - Take the raw MA derived from the Sail Setting, (see below), that the ship is presenting to the wind, or the Oar/sail combination. N.B. Rowed vessels choose their basic MA, (basically it's how fast the big fella beats the drum). See Oared Galleys.
- Subtract any MA penalties for damage to the ship.
- Adjust for wind strength and current and tide.
- Lose speed if you want to (by backing, bracing, reefing or brailing sails). See Losing Momentum & Sternway below.
- Adjust for bonus sailors.
- Add any other bonuses e.g. for using sweeps.
This gives the total MA for the ship this turn
. We find it convenient to put numbered tokens next to a ship to keep tally (e.g. toy pirate money) as MA gets spent.
Sail SettingsSails are used in different ways dependent on the attitude (or angle) the ship is presenting to the wind and the intentions of the Captain. But in our simple... but effective... system the ship is
- Running, if the wind is directly astern.
- Beating, if the heading a point off the wind.
- Reaching, when the wind is taken from any other point, (i.e. abeam or a little abaft), the ship is reaching.
- In the Eye of the Wind/Caught-in-Irons/Brought-To, if head on(in which case she can only back sails to make sternway).
So, say a ship is heading North. She would be running from a Southerly, reaching from a Sou'Westerly, Westerly, Sou'Easterly or Easterly, beating against a Nor'Westerly or Nor'Easterly and Caught in Irons by a Northerly.
The Sailing MAs, in fair winds, are as follows:
- Reaching 12
- Running 10
- Beating 8
- Sternway -4 (as in 4MA but backwards)(1)
Note that it is the initial angle i.e. at the beginning of the turn that counts. We assume that, due to inertia, any advantage gained from turning from e.g. running to reaching would not catch up with the ship until next turn. The exception is Head to Wind. If a ship is Caught-in-Irons or Heaves-To deliberately into the wind, then MA is straightway reduced to zero, all remaining forward momentum is lost.
Points of the CompassWe divide the Compass into 8 points, North, North-East, East, South-East, South, South-West, West, North-West. In this game, the wind always comes from a point and ships/boats are always heading on a specific point. One tip is to use a magnetic compass to establish a North line on the playing area, and to make it easy to check that vessels are aligned on the right heading.
[N.B. It would be nicer to divide the compass into sixteen points, but eight is much easier to play.]
Wind DirectionPrior to the first move, the wind direction has to be established. If unknown, Spin a bottle, knife or purpose made spinner and set the Wind Pointer to the nearest heading. Wind Changes are introduced by chance cards.
Wind StrengthRoll a d6: 6 = Fresh, 2...5 = Fair, 1 = Light.
Add 1d6 to movement allowance, (MA), in a fresh wind and lose 1d6 MA, (down to zero), in a light wind.
Calms, and
Sudden Squalls are introduced through chance cards. Winds don't otherwise "strengthen" beyond fresh and "lighten" below light.
Storms are an adventure in their own right, so most "action" will take place in light to fresh winds.
Currents and Tides"What do you mean, 'What fleet?' !?" Julius Caesar 55BCThese are scenario determined. If all or part of a ship is in a current shake a dice. If 1..3 then either forfeit one MA, (for compensation), or after moving, drift the craft an inch in the direction of the current, (maintaining heading). If 4..6 then the current is strong so two MA are lost or 2" drifted. If a Tide is running, (e.g. in an estuary), then add one to MA when running with it and lose a point when beating against it.
If possible, and relevant, coastline scenery should be provided with an adjustable shoreline allowing for changes in tide. E.g. a strip of shore a couple of inches wide, conforming more or less to the coast, that is exposed at "low tide" and removed at "high tide" (illustration to follow)
Shallow WaterMiddling and larger ships should sail at least half their length away from shore, except where river estuaries, harbours,
Accurate Charts etc. provide deep passage, or they run the risk of shallow water.
Small ships are susceptible only to specified shallows/reefs or the
Shallows chance card.
If a vessel does risk shallow water, throw a dice
- 4..6 no problem
- 2..3 aground on sand-bank. Either roll 1d6: 1..3 stuck fast try again next turn, 4..6 freed, or attach a line to another ship or to two boats with two rowers in each and let them pull you free.
- 1 keel strikes rocks/reef (2d6 damage points) 1d6: 1..2 stuck, treat as aground, 3..6 scraped free.
Boats only risk shallow water if a
Shallows chance card is played, and are automatically poled or pushed off banks by those on board - move at half rate this turn - but can be damaged by rocks/reefs.
Boats and ships can be deliberately beached.
- Boats can then be pushed off as normal.
- Small Ships beach by anchoring with part of the ship between the high and low water mark. Small ships are afloat at high tide and beached at low tide.
- Middling and large ships are deliberately run aground at high tide, place the prow between high and low water mark. They are beached at low tide and aground at high tide. They will need to be towed off. This might be done for Careening for instance.
SteeringTo change heading without the prow crossing the wind, move the ship on her current heading for four units, (generally about a third of a ship length), or - if in the eye of the wind - make sternway. Then rotate the vessel about its centre of rotation by one point.
The centre of rotation of a ship was roughly amidships but variable according to the arrangement of cargo in the hold, and the much more flexible arrangement of sails. As a rule of thumb the simplest solution is to hold the model amidships and rotate the ship around it to the new heading. An "angle" template makes the 45 degree rotation easier, or if you have used a fixed north line, a pocket compass lends an air of verisimilitude.
Hence a turn of one point that does not cross the wind will cost 4MA. A ship can make as many turns, one at a time, as MA permits, but remember to make the linear motion before rotations and to deduct the relevant MA. You can turn more than one point as a single initiative move if you Go About. This is quite a rapid change of direction with regard to the wind.
Going AboutGoing about will cost 8 MA, even if the manœuvre fails. This is when the bow (
Tacking) or stern (
Gybing) crosses the wind and sails have to be reset for the wind now coming on the opposite side. In point of fact, the closest most ships approached the wind was about 60 degrees, but we take a little license in allowing 45 degrees for simplicity's sake.
Tacking
To change tack (bow crossing the wind, changing facing from to as regards a wind blowing , i.e. from a "port tack" to a "starboard tack" or v.v.) :
- Be tacking, i.e. beating close-hauled, a point off the wind on a starboard or port tack.
- Advance the bow 8 units.
- Swing the ship round to head to wind
- Shake a d6: 1= the ship is Caught-in-Irons, involuntarily Heaved To. She remains stationary for this turn as MA is zeroed. A ship with a Navigator does not have to make this test. The usual way out is to turn while making sternway. The Captain will perform a "three-point turn" navigation, known as Box-Hauling.
- If not Caught-in-Irons then carry on turning until heading on the opposite tack.
- If the Ship has any MA remaining, then it can make a move on the new tack as another action.
Lateen RigsLateen rigged ships do tack despite having the yardarm interfering with the mast. Depending on which side of the mast the yardarm lies a lateen rig has a "good" and "bad" tack. The sail surface is pushed against the mast and so reduced on the bad tack. However they are more efficient at sailing close hauled than general square riggers, so we assume the advantages and disadvantages cancel out.
Gybing/WaringThis does not carry any extra risk in this game, though in reality throwing booms over can be risky. We are not talking about waring round from one tack to another here, (though obviously if a Captain wants to they can do so, perhaps over two actions), but just the part of the manœuvre where the ship's stern gybs across the wind.
If reaching with the wind a point off the stern then you advance the ship 8 units and turn through two points (90 degrees) as one move. The wind is now coming on the other quarter.
Club HaulingIf you really have to "about turn" fast, then a desperate sort of Captain can Club-Haul, dropping the leeward, (downwind), prow, (front of boat), anchor, about which you wish the ship to pivot. The idea is to force all the ship's momentum into a single driving of the stern around.
Two spare crew are needed to drop the lee prow anchor and stand by with a sharp axe. The ship swings round with the prow as the pivot point until the ship now heads on the opposite heading. When the sails catch up with what the wind is now doing the crew cut the anchor loose, otherwise the sudden stop will do nasty things to your ship. Obviously, unless you are carrying spare anchors this is not a manœuvre to be oft repeated.
Historically, it was usually the action of last resort if you were pinned on a lee shore with heavy swell, and couldn't ride out at anchor until the wind changed. It was a manœuvre that carried some risk attached, essentially this is a handbrake turn, with a ship, and although much discussed was rarely practised.
- Hold the prow and swing the stern round 180 degrees,(turning it with the wind), until on an opposite heading, at which point the Captain orders the anchor cut away.
- Assuming no collisions have occurred, roll a d6. On a d6:1..2, (d6:1 if there is a Navigator aboard), there has been damage to the rigging and/or at least one mast, the ship loses 1d6 MA now and each turn until repairs have been made, either by Running Repairs, a carpenter or in a port, or safe haven. A sailor has fallen and takes two wounds D6:5..6 to save, (player may elect to fall into the sea before rolling dice).
- Any towed boats have been lost.
- If successful, then the Captain can discard a Mutinous Dog point if they have any.
- If less than successful, a Captain can take a Mutinous Dog point.
- Any remaining MA is zeroed, as the ship wrestles with its new heading and fights the urge to make sternway.
To replace the anchor takes
chandlery.
It may seem that the ship has moved with unseemly haste, at least the stern parts of the ship have, but should any consider this sort of thing wholly unfeasible may we draw our reader's attention to an admirable and text-book demonstration contained in the film Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, where the intention was to turn and face a relentless pursuer.
Losing MomentumThe MA provided by the wind has to be accounted for. That is to say, has to be used up. It may not be desirable to use all the MA in movement and there are various ways in which a ship can ditch MA.
- Backing and bracing to lose speed.
- Heave To by deliberately turning into the wind, make the turn move and then the vessel comes to an immediate standstill. Any remaining MA is lost
- Grappling another ship will reduce both their MA to zero. (Not strictly accurate but easier than calculating all the vectors).
- Colliding with another Ship, (see above), or Land will reduce both their MA to zero.
- Sticking on rocks, reefs or sandbanks will reduce MA to zero.
Backing and BracingSailors can back and brace sails to bring a ship's speed down.
- Beating. As it is relatively easy to lose momentum so when close hauled, they can deduct 8MA. They will of course be making Sternway if they deduct more than 8 MA. If MA is reduced to zero then the ship is held to a standstill.
- Running. They may lose upto 6MA + bonuses. As it is much more difficult to bring a ship to standstill with the wind directly astern you need time and plenty of sailors in order to come to a complete standstill. Hence the occasional running onto the rocks.
- Reaching. They may lose upto 8MA + bonuses. It's easier to spill the quartering wind , but you are generally moving faster and you have to be more careful how you take the wind on the sail edges. (Optionally a ship held to a standstill while all in the wind, (side on), will actually drift slowly leeward if the wind is fresh).
SternwayA ship in the eye of the wind can claim -4MA for the purposes of making sternway. However, a ship can also make a
Stern Board, (i.e. go backwards whilst on a tacking heading), by backing sail while beating and reducing MA below 0. The actual MA will be eight minus whatever the Captain can lose by backing, bracing, deploying extra sailors etc. but no more, (where less is more), than -4MA.
AnchorsA ship at standstill can drop anchors if there is a free figure to do so, and will remain at standstill until they are raised. A moving ship, or one with momentum may still drop anchors but will move any outstanding momentum movement this turn, less d6/2 units for drag, and then be at standstill next turn.
Raising or weighing the Anchors is a Turn Action, with two figures dedicated to the capstan. The ship may move from the following turn, at half speed.
Momentum MovementThis happens in the
It Just Happens: Momentum phase. A ship under sail must use up any remaining MA she possesses when the action phase ends. The player who last had the initiative moves first. Any leftover MA is translated into Headway units - which may mean that the ship hits something.
DriftingDrifting vessels are moved in the
It Just Happens: Drifting phase after momentum movement. It is assumed that a drifting vessel has flapping, useless or contrary sails and may not be steered.
Drift the ship(s) or boat(s) d6/2 inches leeward, (maintaining heading), and then, if in a tide or current, one inch in the direction of the flow, and swing the stern a point down current, as drifting ships in a current tend to end up pointing upstream because the stern of a ship is generally deeper in the water.
Inertia and DragA ship makes headway at half speed, (2MA per unit moved), if she were drifting, grappled, anchored, held at a standstill or making sternway in the last turn.
When a ship tows or has been grappled by a boat the MA of the ship is reduced by 1, if the rowboat is laden or crewed reduce its MA by 2.
Sweeps (2)Crew can unship sweeps as a turn action, upto three pairs on a small ship, four pairs on a middling ship and five pairs on a large ship. From next turn the ship may add 1MA for each pair of dedicated rowers. However they will suffer sideswipe penalties in the event of a collision, like an
Oared Galley. Sweeps can also be used to propel a ship e.g. in a Calm, when Caught-In-Irons, or when wholly dismasted, (see
Aiming High in the Shooting section). Driven under sweeps alone a ship steers as per an oared galley. Only half the broadside guns may fire while sweeps are out, unless the ship has definitely got a "sweeps" deck and a "gun deck", which will usually only pertain to large or "special" ships.
(1) A landlubber might wonder why the ship makes better speed reaching than running. It's a bit technical but here are some of the reasons, as explained to our technical staff over several pints of rum, so please excuse asininities: 1) sails act a bit like wings filled with air and the pull on the leading face can have a big effect. 2) you can put on more sail when the wind isn't directly astern as when the wind's directly astern you have to brail some of the square rigged sails to relieve the strain on the mast & the fore and aft rigged sails are fairly redundant because drivers and spankers are brailed rather than run the risk of broaching-to, and jibs and other stays won't draw with the wind directly behind them. (2) Oars, not cheerful sooty cockneys.
© Baggins Wood Ltd. 2009
