Rowing Ports

Olympia: The Age of Gods PBEM (Oct 4 2000)

#### 4.3.2.1: Rowing Ports

Rowing ports are shuttered openings set into the hull of the ship and fitted with oarlocks. Alongside each rowing port is a bench on which the rower sits to pull his oar. With sufficient rowers, a ship can travel quickly regardless of wind conditions. In Olympia, sailors [19] double as oarsmen.

Each rowing port accommodates 4 oarsmen. (Each port is actually a matched pair of ports, one on either side of the hull, each seating a pair of oarsmen.) Each unit of hull may have a maximum of 3 ports, and each newly-constructed ship comes with one rowing port (not one per hull, but one total).

Adding rowing ports to a ship requires the Add Rowing Ports [1006] skill. Each additional port added to a ship requires 2 wood [77], 10 workers and takes 3 days. To add a rowing port to a ship, the shipbuilder should enter the ship and issue the order:

      use 1006

At the conclusion of the command, a new rowing port will be added to the ship.

To remove a rowing port from a ship, the shipbuild should enter the ship and issue the order:

      use 1097

Removing a rowing port requires 10 workers.

Rowing a ship at normal speed requires one fully-staffed rowing port per unit hull. For example, rowing a 3 unit hull ship at normal speeds requires that the ship have 3 rowing ports and at least 14 sailors (2 to man the hull and 4 each for the 3 rowing ports).

Each additional fully-staffed rowing port per unit hull cuts a ship's rowing travel time by one day. For example, a 3 unit ship with 6 fully manned rowing ports would cut its travel time by one day, crossing a 6 day ocean province in just 5 days.

Conversely, if a ship has less than one fully-manned rowing port per unit hull, it will travel more slowly. For each unit hull which does not have a fully-staffed rowing port, one day will be added to the travel time. For example, a 3 hull ship with 3 rowing ports and 7 sailors would only be able to fully man 1 rowing port (2 sailors to man the hull, leaving 5 sailors to row), and would add 2 days to any travel time.

Finally, a ship with less than one fully-manned rowing port for each four units of hull cannot travel at all. For example, a 5 hull ship with 7 sailors on board would only be able to man 1 rowing port, and would not be able to row at all.