Ideas: tacking, leadsmen

[TroubleAtTMill]

A couple of thoughts, largely from having a bit of an eye problem that's left me working through stacks (hours?) of Alexander Kent audio books from good old audible.com

It's clear that tacking takes considerable crew effort. We were toying down the club with a rule where if you're going to be on a red movement card this turn, you lose one crew action or must remain in irons on the Veer 5 red card.

Also, more a scenario specific rule - allow ships to cross some shallows/shoals on lowest sail setting, at the expense of a crew action, to simulate having a leadsman in the bows 'calling the shots' as it were? (Yes, I'm halfway though 'Sloop of War' :D)

[Bligh]

Just picked up on this one Mike.
Having recently played games where we had depleted crews due to manning ships boats, occupying fortifications, Prize crews, etc it makes sense to allow for Tacking to take more crew in order to achieve it.
I think that a Leadsman and a couple of hands to relay the call is rather stretching the point a bit though.
However, as we have said before whatever keeps your boat afloat.
I will certainly be adopting your suggestion for a ship in irons.
Rob.

[Union Jack]

I like the 'in irons' rule too. Perhaps the leadsman more scenario specific than for a more open game.

[Naharaht]

These ideas are certainly worth thinking about. Well done, Mike!

[Capn Duff]

Why would you need to lose a crew action for one or two crew members swinging a bit of lead?
Unless Im mistaken checking the depths with the lead weight was not a difficult job, just time consuming , which is where we get the term Swinging the lead for making an easy job take time. In a crew of a few hundred checking the depths only took a few hands for me not enough to warrant the loss of an action.
The speed a ship , of any size, would not be travelling fast if in danger of running aground, most sails would already br furled so a lot of the crew would not be doing much except hoping they didnt hit anything.

As for tacking, now I am not an expert in any way imaginable here, but did not ships have, still do I believe, a number of watches to handle normal ship handling while other watches were resting or being dogsbodies, if at quarters all the crew would be available so you would have extra hands available to do the extra work needed, would'nt they ?

Now the above is my opinion and thoughts on the rules being suggested, not decrying them but offering an alternate opinion on their inclusion. Quite happy for anyone to shoot me down or put me straight here

[David Manley]

I could see you having to use a crew action if yu were putting boats in the water to tow a ship, but not for casting the lead, manpowerwise it was a trivial activity.

[Bligh]

I agree about the Leadsman Dave and Chris.
I only suggested the "In Irons" as maybe needing more crew. From my reading it seems that a ship in Irons was more likely to have some rigging part or even lose a mast so I would think more crew may be required to deal with the situation, but maybe not.
Rob.