Re: The extent of Homeward Ocean

From: jorganos <joe_at_...>
Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2002 13:08:08 -0000


> I think about it that only hero like Arglath can do sailing
> like British tea clippers or steamships. Probably hero could
> be helped with Orlanth or Magasta and Undines.

The Maslo catamarans ("cheap" wooden replicas of the heroic Sendereven stoneships) appear to be designed for speed, much like the Artmali/Kareeshtan Warsails. The Wolf Pirate wolfships are basically magical Viking longboats. Both the Quinpolic League and the Kethaelans are said to be using triremes, although this doesn't correspond well to Dormal's initial design or sea conditions (see below).

> Or must do we identified Homeward Ocean with Mediterrenian Sea?

In my opinion the sailing conditions on the Homeward Ocean are more similar to the Atlantic Ocean with regards to wave action, wind strengths and weather conditions.

This assumption sort of rules out classic Greek or Phoenician triremes because of their fairly low freeboard, but it does allow for quite similar but more seaworthy Augustus' Roman biremes or Muslim era Byzantine dromons. (The latter were pretty much the equivalent of the huge Viking longships of Olaf Tryggvason in terms of speed, crew and seaworthiness, only bearing more sophisticated ranged weaponry.)

Vinking trans-atlantic traffic didn't use the military, sleek longships but more sturdy, slightly slower but a lot more seaworthy knarrs, whose successor (the nef of the French Atlantic coasts) competed with the Baltic Sea cogs (both of which probably are close to the tubby Dormal vessels which also fought the Alatan wars and formed the Kralorelan expedition).

Atlantic- and Mediterranean-style shipbuilding has a fairly short history in central and western Genertela and Jrustela. Apart from coastal vessels which were tolerated by the Waertagi, ships braving the high seas were developed only by the God Learners, or adapted from local craft (Yggites and Loskalmi, although the longboat development there may have made giant leaps recently when inheriting Errinoru shipbuilding ideas from the Winterwood aldryami).

Calm Water sailing has been an art on Lake Felster since there were cities on its shores, and lowboarded, sleek galleys may have had a strong tradition there, some of which may have been used in Seshnela and Slontos as well.

Indic Ocean shipbuilding (Arabian dhows, Malaysians...) is found in Pamaltela and the East Isles. I guess that the God Learner Free Men of the Sea who challenged the Waertagi used Artmali-inspired crafts, inheriting quite sophisticated shipbuilding technologies and supplementing these with local craftmanship traditions of Seshnegi origin. IMO they used Lateen Rigging, learned from the Artmali.

During the height of the Middle Sea Empire I picture their navies as a mix of deep sea galleys with auxiliary sails and elongated carrack-style sailing vessels (precursors of clippers) for routine speedy transport. Bulk transport used pretty much the same style heavy and sluggish brute oversized cogs which ply the Esrolian-Quinpolic grain trade now.

Potentially interesting bits of trivia:

Waertagi don't row, but paddle when they don't have sea creatures or waves for propulsion (Aftal the Wn'taertagi story). The Sofali with their ancestral turtle motherships have developed more sophisticated vessels than paddled canoes, either.

Oars seem to be used both by Eastern shipbuilders (c.f. tireless Zombie rowers on Kralori barges) and Western vessels - developed by the Yggites and/or Akemites? (Lake Felster's oars may originally have been used looking forward, much like Venice's gondoliere...)

Sails are in use since the Golden Age, on Artmali vessels, who spread them around the world (Melib, Fronela and Pelanda). The Sendereven are of later origin, but use sails from the beginning, too, as do the larger East Isles vessels. I suspect the Helerings would have used sails, too.

Catamarans are used by some East Isles cultures, and have been copied by the Masloi. Other Thinobutan-descended coast dwellers of Pamaltela appear to use ships similar to Artmali designs.

The Aldryami and Mostali ships portrayed in Missing Lands and TotRM 10 are generally heroic in character. Earlier Elf Sea aldryami ships may have resembled living rafts (like the one described in Griffin Island, which might be useful for a hidden Elf Sea ship).

The black Uz galleys of the Shadowlands occur after contact with the Slontos Marines and probably are influenced by Seshnegi or Ralian designs. Ordinary Uz boats would be dug-outs (e.g. from whale or dinosaur backs or beetle carapace) or curraghs (hides on frames).

Pelorian river crafts up to and including Anaxial's Ark have a long and largely independent history, although Vestendos (Blue Boatman of the West, from the Sweet Sea) may have brought Artmali influences.

East Isles war canoes (and larger ships) might use shark skin coatings for increased speed?

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