From: VALAMIR@aol.com
Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 23:39:03 EDT
Subject: Re: [GM-7thSea RPG] Ship Design Rules

These are GREAT!!

Just have a few minor quibbles.

1) Most of the references to "Keel" actually should be "Keel Boards".  The 
keel is the spine of the ship, preferably a single piece of stout timber to 
which the ribs and posts are attached.  It is generally near flush with the 
hull.  The Keel Board is the fin like structure that projects below the ship 
to provide additional sailing stability at the expense of draft.

2) The Ineffective Bosun should more accurately be an Ineffective Sail 
Master.  It was the Sail Master in charge of the sailing trim of the ship.  
The Bosun was in charge of ceremony and discipline among the crew.  The Bosun 
was generally the most hated officer for he and his mates would stalk among 
the crew striking them with canes and cats to "encourage" harder efforts.  An 
Ineffective Bosun as a flaw could lead to a crew thats lax and a ship that 
poorly maintained (if too lenient), or a crew ready to mutiny (if too cruel).

Some ship references are also off.

The Pinnace was a very small oared craft and was often CARRIED on men of war. 
 Properly it should be no more than 10 points (not 15) and probably closer to 
5.  It had a very shallow draft and 8 oars.

The Fleut (more frequently spelled Flute or Fluit) was a distinct class of 
Dutch merchant ships.  It was design for inexpensively hauling bulk cargo and 
usually had very few crew and guns and was an atrocious sailer.  Sluggish, 
and Undergunned should be standard flaws.

The Snow was the largest 2 masted ship of the period and could be considered 
15 points (if a Pinnace is set at 10)

A frigate is a 3 masted vessel and the largest ship after the Man of 
War/Galleon.  It should DEFINITELY be 15 points on this scale.  Later, when 
ships came to be rated, Ships of the Line would be rated 1-3 with 4 or 5 
being inferior SOLs.  Frigates occupied the 4-6 spot.  Smaller ships such as 
schooners and brigs and sloops were too small to be even rated.

For color the Bark (or on the continent Barque) was a three masted ship 
having the main mast square rigged, and the fore and mizzen (aft) masts for 
and aft rigged.

As I said, these are just quibbles, the rules are fantastic for RPG purposes.
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