Learning the Ropes Sail a British merchant ship through the world's oceans, c. 1812.
A British harbour scene with two warships at anchor and small craft in the foreground, late 18th / early 19th century

Learning
the Ropes.

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The year is 1812. Britain’s merchant fleet criss-crosses the world’s oceans, carrying tea from Canton, sugar from Jamaica, and timber from the Baltic. War with the United States is brewing, the Napoleonic blockade is real, and a forecastle hand earns his place by knowing every line on deck. Wages, weather, and the goodwill of the master are all you have to navigate what’s coming.

Inside the Game

Seamanship

Hand, reef, and steer. Every line on deck has a name — and a purpose.

Cargo

Tea, sugar, timber, and cotton. The hold is where the voyage pays for itself.

Crew

Master, mates, and ordinary seamen. A hierarchy held together by custom and the articles.

Map of the world, c. 1812

The world, c. 1812

The trade routes a British merchant ship would have sailed