                                Command : SAIL

NAME
   sail - Give sailing orders to a ship

Level: Expert

SYNTAX
   [##:##]% sail <SHIP/FLEET> [<PATH>|q[uery]|-]

You use the sail command to give a sailing path to  ships.   At  each  update,
ships  with  a sailing path autonavigate along the path that was set for them.
Telegrams notify you of arrivals or problems encountered while  attempting  to
follow the path.

Radar operates continuously as the  ship  moves  along  the  path,  constantly
adding sector information to the known world map.

Ship movement is performed before mobility is increased.   This  insures  that
after  the  update, ships with a sailing path will still have some mobility so
that you can always manually navigate to some extent.

Note that ships sailing can encounter exactly the same interdiction  as  ships
navigating.

   [##:##] Command: sail <SHIP/FLEET> q[uery]

sail, with the query parameter, shows the current sailing  path.   The  report
indicates:

        shp#          ship number
        ship type     type of ship (cargo ship, destroyer, etc)
        x,y           ship's current position
        mobil         ship's current mobility
        mobquota      mobility available per update to sail
        follows       ship that is being followed
        path          the current sailing path

   shp#     ship type       x,y    mobil mobquota follows path
      1 cargo ship        -27,19    44      32          1 jjjuujj
     12 cargo ship        -27,19    40      32          1
     34 fishing boat       15,32    58      32          3 ggbbgyyg
     58 cargo ship         18,34    62       0          4
   4 ship(s)

   [##:##] Command: sail <SHIP/FLEET> -

sail, with the - parameter, causes the sailing path for the ships specified to
be removed.

The PATH is a normal empire path specification. You may *not* give a  destina-
tion  sector  on the command line, or at any time while giving the route.  Use
the order command if you wish this functionality.

When getting a path interactively, empire will show you  the  information  you
have  (from  your  bmap)  concerning  the  current area, to help you plot your
course.

SEE ALSO
   follow, unsail, mquota, Ships

