2026-10-04
The open sea became Corona del Mar, with a port to go ashore in, a crew to man the ships, a Cabal ship waiting south-east of the harbour, a wind that goes round the compass every two hours, and a town rebuilt in weathered stone.
Corona del Mar
The open sea took the name Corona del Mar, and the nav now lists it beside Battle. Within 1 km of Corona the HUD says "Welcome to Corona", and once the ship is all but stopped a Go Ashore button appears beside it; P does the same. Going ashore takes every ship a player keeps off the sea, and if it is refused, P says why: the distance to Corona, or the speed against the 1 kn limit. Ashore is a tavern, with the port panel over it naming the player by rank and name.
Putting to sea starts in a boat at the mole, with the ships lying 100 m off it, spaced so no two hulls meet. The player rows out and boards with B. Leaving the sea keeps the player's spot for their return.
Crew
Each player keeps a crew count. The port panel lists the five warships with the crew each needs, and a player puts to sea in as many as their crew can man, two ships at most, choosing the one to command. Coming ashore, the men still aboard and those who waited ashore make the new count, never below 60.
The Cabal at sea
Each player at sea had a Cabal ship of their own, lying 1.5 to 3 km south-east of Corona and marked on their chart. It lies to until a player's ship comes into sight, then fights; it can strike and be boarded as a prize, and the next one comes when it does. A player whose ship strikes takes to the boat, and may go ashore from it anywhere. Leaving the sea with an unstruck Cabal ship in sight leaves the player's ships out there, captained, for up to two minutes. Corona's moored ships now lie in one line just north of the barrier island.
The wind
The open sea's wind now goes round with the clock: from the north on each even hour, the east at half past, the south on the odd hour and the west at half past that, three degrees a minute. The sea's swell turns with it. Engagements keep their steady wind.
The town
- The quay and moles are paved in irregular flagstones, their faces in weathered ashlar, dark and green below the tide mark. The town wall has rubble masonry of its own.
- Paving and cobbles are laid in cells, each one of four patterns turned at random, so the eye finds no repeat.
- Cast-iron bollards, like old guns set breech up, stand every 17 m along the moles and the quay.
- The sea wall is gone, and the town opens straight onto the quay. A 24 m flagstaff in the middle of the quay flies a large Crown ensign.
The ships
- A main boom is secured amidships when its sail is furled, and swings back out as the sail is set.
- The cutter's main can be hauled over to windward and backed. It stays there until eased, and head to wind with the headsails down the cutter makes about 1.5 kn astern. The jib's sheet eases no further than 30 degrees.
- Bulwark gunports are open, showing the deck and the sea through them. The chains come down between the ports rather than across them, and the channels are half as broad.
- The wake is a trail of foam wisps laid on the water where the ship passed, in place of a solid ribbon.
The HUD
- The compass is a painted card turning in a brass bowl, and it and the gun stations are mahogany fittings lettered in an old typeface. A station's rule turns gilt on Load and vermilion on Fire at will. The compass lettering is bigger.
- The telescope zooms: the mouse wheel or +/- sets the glass from 3x to 12x, starting at 6x.
A handful of fixes kept the sea steady when a player's ship left it.