Merchant Vessels of the Million Islands

Across the Great Ring, there are many different ways to transport goods. This article is a brief overview of the most common types of merchant vessels you may encounter in the ports of the Million Islands.

'Alia

These ships of the Mu'o'a are notable for their double-hull design and triangular sails. The largest of these can be up to seventy feet long, and are remarkably maneuverable for their size.

Cogs

These ships are a relatively recent addition to the Million Islands. They are single-mast ships with a square sail and a rear-mounted rudder. They are slowly displacing the older Knarr in the Norður Islands, as they are cheaper to build, can carry more cargo, and the rudder is easier to use than a steering oar.

Dhows

Dhows are most often seen in Saba and the Telmun Islands. They typically have two masts and three triangular sails. They have a shallow draft, and are well designed to run ahead of monsoon winds.

Galleys

One of the oldest designs of ships in the Great Ring, galleys are oar-driven ships with a long slender hull. While most galleys do carry sails, they are generally independent of the wind. One common galley is the Birlinn design from northern Ynys, which had a single mast and a square sail, and between 12 and 18 oars.

Junks

These ships are mostly built in the Empire of Wamato. They have multiple masts (up to eight in the largest designs), and fully battened square sails. Big junks are some of the largest ships found in the Million Islands, although the design is also used in much smaller vessels.

Jongs

These ships are related to the junk, but are more typical in the Southwestern Region of the Great Ring. They have multiple masts and use tilted square sails, and their hulls are made of thick layers of hardwoods, such as teak, joined without the use of iron bolts or nails. They are the most common ship type built on Pulo, which is the leading source of teak wood in the islands.

Knarr

Knarr are primarily built on Eyju. They are similar to the longship, but have a wider hull, carry more cargo, and require less crew to operate. They have both oars and sails, and use a steering oar rather than a rudder. There are also karves, which are a smaller version of the Knarr and are extremely good in shallow waters (such as in small rivers or along coastlines).

Thalassopoúli

These ships are designed and built by the Kaphtori Aethry of Nisi, and are the fastest ships known to the islands. The Aethry have used their understanding of flight to add a special kind of wing beneath the multiple hulls of the ship. When the ship reaches enough speed, it lifts out of the water, riding upon these wings at speeds unmatched by any other ship. They are expensive to construct, and the details of their design is a closely guarded secret. While they aren't large when compared to other merchant vessels, there is no faster way to travel long distances.

Umiak

In the northernmost regions of the Great Ring, the most common trading vessel is the Umiak. This is an open kayak, with a wood or whalebone frame and a covering of hide, usually from seals or walruses. They are primarily oar-driven, although larger umiaks will sometimes use sails made from seal intestines. The largest umiaks can be sixty feet long, and their light weight allows them to be carried overland much more easily than other vessels.