Gekas

These small boats are used to facilitate short travel and trade across different islands of Ostari. Since they are smaller, they take less time to make than larger trade ships. While gekas look like shrunken trading ships, they are some differences. Gekas only have a single sail, have slightly lower sides, and have shorter, flatter hulls. They help speed up the transport of goods from Ostari to Istervyn by transporting goods from island to island until they reach Duvi where they can be shipped to Istervyn on larger ships. In addition to hauling cargo, there are also a few gekas designed to transport people, making the settlement of smaller islands possible. Without gekas, Ostari wouldn't be nearly as wealthy as it is, nor would the smaller islands be starting to see civilization arrive on their shores.

Discovery

Most of the work that needed to be done to invent gekas was getting the proportions right and applying more modren ship construction techniques to older ship designs. Gekas closely resemble older sailing ships from before the time that the larger, sea traveling ships were invented.

Complexity

Gekas' single rectangular sail is rigged with many small rings that are sewed onto the sail. These rings are connected to ropes so that the sail can be lowed, raised, or moved by sailors on the deck. The mast is made of two different pieces, one that fits inside the other so that it can be turned to make the sail easier to use in more cramped conditions. The mast pieces have a pin that fits through both so that when they're not needed to turn they stay locked in the set position.

Manufacturing

First, the outer hull is constructed of wood planks held together with long, rectangular, wooden pegs stuck along the edges of the planks. These are then secured with cylindrical pegs which are driven through areas where the rectangular pegs are stuck into the planks, securing both together. Once the hull is fully constructed, it is waterproofed with tar. As the deck is being built, the mast is constructed out of its two main pieces and securing peg and attached to the deck. A rudder and small room for the crew are added. The sail is sewn, the rings added, and it is attached to the mast. Sometimes geka will have a figure head or other decorations which are added last.

Access & Availability

Gekas are fairly common in Ostari. Most major ports have three to seven of them docked at a time.