Avast, me hearties! So ye wish to master the art of Sail Handling, do ye? 'Tis a fine and simple skill for any sea dog, one that comes naturally with the wind at your back. But if ye seek to grind it to its peak with purpose, mark this well.
The Lay of the Land
This be a skill of pure sailing. The very act of moving your ship across the waves is what tempers it. Ye get no progress while at anchor, so a moving ship is a learning ship. The beauty of it? Ye need not be at the helm every moment. A clever captain can set his course and let the sea do the teaching.
What Ye'll Need
- A ship beneath your feet and a will to sail.
- One of the proper Jobs of the Sea to speed your learning. An Adventurer, Cartographer, or even a humble Fisher will serve ye better than a landlubber's title.
Why Bother, Ye Ask?
Why trim your sails at all? A swift ship is a rich ship, and a ship that handles well is a live ship. This skill is the foundation of it. Master it, and ye'll find the sea herself seems to favor your passage, granting you vigor and easing your crew's fatigue as you chart known waters. It lets ye sail fully away from the wheel, trusting your aides to manage stores and wounds while the skill finds its way into your bones.
A Taste of the Method
The trick is to make the lesson last. Take a slow, battered ship into safe waters, reduce your crew and your canvas to a minimum, and let her drift. Load the hold with food and set your course for a distant port, or simply crawl in circles. The sea cares not for speed or direction here, only that you are upon her and moving.
But mind your days at sea! Even the hardiest crew grows weary. A hundred days is a fair voyage before ye should think of port to restock and reset their spirits.
Arrr, that's the heart of it. If ye hunger for the full chart—how to properly rip your sails, which duties to set your aides to, and every last secret to grind without a care—then make way to the complete guide.
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