Boatbuilding (sage ability)

Boatbuilding is an authority-status sage ability in the sage study of Shipbuilding, as well as an expert-status in the study of Beachcomber. The ability allows the character to design and construct single-masted vessels, shaping hulls, crafting masts and rigging, and fitting out a boat for fishing, trade, exploration or warfare. A character with this skill can source materials, balance weight distribution and rig sails for efficiency. They understand how to make a vessel durable and seaworthy within its intended limits. While their boats can handle rough weather with skilled seamanship, they are not built for prolonged ocean-going navigation.

Defined for the purpose of this ability, a boat is a single-masted vessel with a keel depth of less than 6 feet (1.8 meters) and a maximum length of 60 feet. If it has a deeper keel, a length beyond 60 feet, or is built for sustained ocean travel rather than short-range navigation, it is no longer a boat — it is a ship. To separate the vessels spoken of here from skiffs, boats are at least 18 feet long.

Workgangs

When a gang is building a ship, not all members need to be fully trained boatbuilders. Skilled leadership and organization allow unskilled or semi-skilled labourers to contribute meaningfully to the process. In addition to the boatbuilder, any and all helpers must be of at least amateur-status as a beachcomber or a shipbuilder. A skilled boatbuilder can manage up to 12 assistants in the making of a vessel. When vessels are built with a bare minimum of helpers, all boats take at least twice as long as under optimal conditions, and the inefficiencies increase exponentially as size increases. Anything larger than a sloop quickly becomes a long-term undertaking, requiring not just labour but careful patience and endurance.

Construction

Notwithstanding the endless vagaries that arise when discussing maritime nomenclature as it relates to vessels and vessel types, for the purpose of game mechanics, the following terms shall be used to describe boats ranging progressively in size from 20 to 50 feet: sloop, shallop, hoy and buss. These general terms can then be used to describe the length of time needed as well as other factors, without our being bound by unwanted specifics. A "sloop" could, by these rules, be larger than 20 ft. long, but if it is, the time, labour and arrangements needed should be those conforming to a shallop or a hoy, rather than the details of a sloop being expanded for its larger version.

Sloop

Main Article: Sloop (boat)

This vessel can be built without a dedicated boatyard. A sloop can be built in a simple workspace, such as a cleared beach where logs can be dragged and shaped, a riverbank or lakeshore with enough space for assembly, or even a small workshop or village pier where basic supports and tools are available. However, building a sloop without a yard is an inefficient process. The absence of proper scaffolding and hoists means that the hull must be lifted and turned manually, requiring extra labour and increasing the time needed for construction. An effective gang size would be a boatbuilder, one foreperson (with at least 20 knowledge) and 2 to 3 amateur-status labourers.

With a single master boatbuilder working alone, the construction takes 6 to 8 weeks. A lone boatbuilder with a single helper, as certain tasks require at least two hands, acting outside of a boatyard, would require 16 to 20 weeks. Much of this delay comes from the added labour involved in handling materials, securing planks and managing assembly without proper supports.

Shallop

Main Article: Shallop (boat)

At thirty feet in length, requires a workspace that is more structured, yet does not yet demand the full infrastructure of a formal boatyard. A competent boatbuilder can construct a shallop in a temporary setup, such as a prepared beach, a dockside area or even a sheltered clearing near a river or lake. While it is still possible to build this vessel without permanent facilities, doing so introduces inefficiencies and logistical difficulties. A small workshop, even if makeshift, greatly improves the process, allowing a space where finer joinery and shaping can be done under controlled conditions. A shallop is still light enough to be launched from a beach or a simple ramp, but doing so requires careful planning, as its increased size and weight make rolling or dragging it into the water a more difficult task than with a sloop. An effective gang size would be a boatbuilder, two forepersons and 4 to 5 amateur-status labourers.

Under ideal conditions, a shallop can be completed in approximately 12 to 16 weeks. With only a boatbuilder and two helpers, the absolute minimum, the process would require approximately 24 to 32 weeks to complete. The biggest delays occur in assembling and fastening the frame and hull, as the boatbuilder lacks the manpower to work efficiently on large sections. If any mistakes require corrections, the lack of skilled workers makes fixes even more time-consuming.

Hoy

Main Article: Hoy (boat)

At forty feet, this vessel reaches a point where a dedicated boatyard becomes almost essential. While a highly skilled boatbuilder with a strong workforce could still manage to build one in a temporary setup, doing so would be costly and inefficient. The sheer size of the hull requires scaffolding or a frame to support construction, and the weight of the timbers involved makes lifting, shaping and securing them far more difficult without cranes or pulley systems. A hoy also requires more complex rigging and internal structuring, and without a proper yard, the boatbuilder must either construct temporary rigging frames or rely on makeshift solutions, both of which extend the construction timeline.

When launching, the lack of a formal slipway makes it risky to move the hull without damage, and depending on the weight and local geography, it may be impossible to launch a hoy without mechanical assistance. A boatbuilder attempting to construct a hoy without access to a yard must either accept longer build times, higher costs due to inefficiencies or greater risk of structural weakness due to the difficulties in properly assembling and launching the vessel. An effective gang size would be a boatbuilder, 3 to 4 forepersons and 6 to 8 amateur-status labourers.

A well-organised teach can enable the construction of a hoy in 20 to 28 weeks. Working without a boatyard, a boatbuilder and three helpers could manage the task in 40 to 52 weeks, making it an arduous, year-long process. The greatest delays come from the need to fabricate supports and scaffolding manually, the slow installation of heavy planks and the challenge of moving and positioning the nearly completed hull for launch without a full team.

Buss

Main Article: Buss (boat)

At fifty feet, a boatyard is a necessity. While it is still a boat rather than a ship, its construction requires the same level of infrastructure used in small shipbuilding. A drydock or at least a carefully structured work area is needed to assemble the hull safely. Large, heavy timbers must be lifted, positioned and secured in a way that cannot be done efficiently without scaffolding, hoists and a skilled workforce. The complexity of the internal framework also increases, as a buss has a deeper hull and requires a reinforced deck structure, adding to the time and labour required.

A controlled launch method is critical, as the size and weight of a buss make an uncontrolled beach launch risky at best and catastrophic at worst. The cost of mistakes at this level is severe; a poorly assembled hull, an incorrectly positioned keel or a rushed launch could render the entire project worthless. An effective gang size would be a boatbuilder, 5 to 6 forepersons and 10 to 12 amateur-status labourers.

Under optimal conditions, a buss requires 36 to 48 weeks to complete. At a bare minimum, a master boatbuilder with four helpers can attempt to construct a buss, in a boatyard, but it will be a grueling and inefficient project. The project would require 60 to 80 weeks to complete, extending well beyond a year and a half. The slow progress comes from the increasing difficulty in handling large, heavy materials without specialised tools, the necessity for meticulous manual labour and the delays caused by the lack of skilled support at every stage.