02 - Iron Kingdoms W.. - Captain Spud Is Amazing

108.1.141.197
brig 2 masts, at least one square-rigged
schooner
3 or more masts, all fore-and-aft
rigged
sloop 1 or 2 masts, all fore-and-aft rigged
galley
Any number of masts but also fitted
for oars
Within the classifications are several different types
of craft with further subdivisions beneath them. The
primary division of purpose for vessels of both the
steam and sail-powered variety is whether they are
intended to be vessels of war or trade. Those ships
destined for military use are usually called naval
vessels, and the cargo ships are called merchant
vessels, or merchantmen.
Clipper Ship
The clipper is one of the largest types of ship seen
on the seas of western Immoren. This multiple-masted,
splendidly-rigged vessel hearkens back to an older
time. Legends are told of the captains who, throughout
history, have commanded these majestic vessels in
dramatic action on the high seas. Today they are still
utilized as both merchantmen and ships-of-the-line—
this last name in reference to the style of naval warfare
in which warships of opposing sides line up sidelong, or
broadside, and open fire on one another.
Clippers are multi-decked ships with three, four,
and even five-masts, as in the case of the largest clipper
out of Ord, the Tordoran Star. These ships generally
carry between 150 and 300 tons of cargo, can range
anywhere from 120 to 300 feet in length, and not
a single one is without a bevy of guns and ballistae
moored to its deck. They are fitted with as many as
a hundred guns, and average tonnage is well over a
thousand and sometimes as much as five. Whatever
their tonnage, these vessels are among the deepest
drafted ships, and they are thus restricted to main
shipping channels only.
With their huge spreads of canvas clippers are
capable of high speeds on the open sea, but such
speed does not come without cost. It appears the
clipper ship is slowly losing its mastery. Large crews,
small payloads, and a high outlay for maintenance do
not exemplify the clipper ship as the most economical
of vessels. Rising labor costs, steam ships, more
schooners, overland routes, and railroads are making
it increasingly difficult for clippers to turn a profit.
Undeniably, the clipper is swift upon the seas when
the headwinds fill her sails, but the coal-powered ships
that travel day and night have forced many a captain
to adopt boilers and steam as alternative propulsion.
Indeed, the clipper can outpace any steamer ever
made in high wind, but it is best to have steam power
as an option when the winds die.
In the north, the clipper is more often referred
to as a galleon. Many Khadorans maintain that the
galleon was the first tall sailing ship on the seas of
western Immoren and attribute its design to the
Khards of old, even though the pre-Orgoth Tordoran
Armada and its numerous galleys were the first actual
tall ships of record. Khador is well-noted for the
clipper’s, or galleon’s, distinctive design that utilizes
sharp angles, high reinforced rails, and always some
sort of imposing figurehead. More functional than
ornate, the Khadoran whaler’s galleon is a clipper
frequently seen plying the cold, northern waters.
retrofitted vessels
teChniques for building both naval and merChant vessels
have improved dramatiCally sinCe the invention of the iron
mill and the labor steamjaCk and have alloWing muCh more
rapid ship ConstruCtion. the reCent praCtiCe of reinforCing
hulls With metal bands has made immorese ships partiCularly
sturdy and strong. many ships, be they primarily steampoWered
or sail-driven, have reCently added a version of
the other means of propulsion for Whatever CirCumstanCe
demands. in today’s kingdoms, sailing ships often have been
retrofitted at the very least With small steam plants to
enable them to limp into port if their masts beCome shredded,
and even the mightiest ironhull Carries a small mast and sail
alloWing it do the same.
Bark
One difference between a bark and a clipper is in
the rigging. While clippers are always square-sailed,
the bark’s mizzenmast—the rearmost mast—and
sometimes the mainmast are fore-and-aft rigged.
Though this does not allow for as much speed on the
open seas as the clipper due to the limited amount
of sail, its advantage lies in maneuverability, due to
the manageable sails being able to compensate for
changes in the wind, and overall stability in crosswinds.
Most barks are used as merchant vessels though they
occasionally see use as naval vessels. They can range
between 60 to 130 feet in length.
World Guide 103