You will have to face of disasters during your trips and battles.
Some disasters can be controlled with skills or with items. Most can stopped when you go to a town.
If you are in doubt, check this tutorial to learn how to use item or skills.
Note: This guide doesn't treat attacks by NPCs or players as disasters (Learn more how to avoid these attacks).
What are disasters?
Disasters are a mechanism of the game to make it more realistic and more historic accurate.
There are several types of disasters and they can be solved (or prevented) with the appropriate knowledge.
Or they can be completely ignored (If you can). Did you know you can only have one disaster at a time? Sometimes it is better to have a silly disaster on than risk getting one worse (like fire or mutiny).
Disaster chance can also be lowered by EX items (with the "lower the risk of disasters skill").
Now to the list of disasters:
Incapacitation
The ship is unable to operate when its durability or number of sailors drops to zero.
Solution
Note: You can also ask a friend to tow you to the nearby city. If you use the shipwreck button you may lose cargo, Ducats and / or Items.
Malnutrition
The sailors succumb to malnutrition and loyalty decreases.
Causes
- Lack of sailor's food.
- Random (May be influenced by Sailor's low Ability).
Solution
- Cooked Items.
- Aide in Surgeon job.
Prevention
- Aide in Surgeon job (100 trait points). Dietetics skill.
If ignored it may evolve to:
Causes scurvy if not treated.
Scurvy
Sailors fall sick one by one. Equipment durability may drop by one point.
Causes
- High number of days at sea.
- Random (May be influenced by Sailor's low Ability).
Solution
- Lime Juice
- Some Cooked Items
- Pathology Skill
- May be solved in time by a figurehead with crisis protection.
Prevention
- Aide in Surgeon job (100 trait points). Dietetics skill.
Poor Sanitation
The ship deck becomes dirty. Equipment durability may drop by one point.
Causes
- Random (May be influenced by Sailor's low Ability).
Solution
Prevention
- Aide in storekeeper job (100 trait points). Cleaning skill.
- Ship skill: Sanitation Room
If ignored it may evolve to:
Causes an infestation of rats (Mice) if the problem is overlooked.
Infestation of rats (Mice)
Mice eat off the food and foodstuff type of goods (It doesn't eat livestock).
Equipment durability may drop by one point.
Causes
- Poor sanitation.
- Random.
Solution
Prevention
- Aide in storekeeper job (100 trait points). Cat breeding skill.
- Ship skill: Sanitation Room
If ignored it may evolve to:
Causes Plague if not treated.
Plague
Sailors fall sick one by one. May transfer to other fleet members on other ships.
Equipment durability may drop by one point.
Causes
- Mice
- High Fatigue
- Random (May be influenced by Sailor's low Ability).
Solution
- Effective Plague Cure
- Pathology Skill
- May be solved in time by a figurehead with crisis protection.
Prevention
- Aide in Surgeon job (100 trait points). Prevention skill.
Conflict
Conflict between sailors. Loyalty decreases.
Causes
- Low loyalty.
- Low ability.
- Sailing without ducats.
Solution
Prevention
Aide in Surgeon job (100 trait points). Arbitration skill.
If ignored it may evolve to:
May cause a Mutiny if not solved.
Mutiny
Number of sailors decrease. Higher fatigue levels.
Causes
- Conflict
- Low loyalty
- No food
By my experience it should be triggered more frequently when you have lower than 20 in loyalty. Sailing without food and water also seems to increase the frequency of this disaster.
Solution
Prevention
- Aide in Surgeon job (100 trait points). Persuasion skill (May prevent losing crew).
Theft
Low loyalty can have less serious effects like theft.
Prevention
- Sailing with decent (50+) sailor loyalty.
Homesickness
The sailors become homesick. Loyalty decreases.
Causes
- Low Sailor's Ability.
- Long periods at sea.
Solution
- Carillon Bells
- Musical Instruments
Prevention
- Hire sailors with the best ability available.
If ignored it may evolve to:
May cause a Mutiny due to low loyalty if not solved.
Anxiety
Sailors succumb to anxiety. Loyalty decreases.
Causes
- Low Sailor's Ability.
- Sailing in hostile / no port permit areas
- Long periods at sea.
Solution
- Shanty Score
- Musical Instruments
Prevention
- Aide in Surgeon job (100 trait points). Shouting skill.
If ignored it may evolve to:
May cause a Mutiny due to low loyalty if not solved.
Frustration
Sailors become frustrated. Loyalty decreases.
Causes
- Low Sailor's Ability.
- Long periods at sea.
Solution
Prevention
- Aide in Surgeon job (100 trait points). Entertainment skill.
If ignored it may evolve to:
May cause a Mutiny due to low loyalty if not solved.
Insomnia
Sailors have trouble sleeping. Loyalty decreases.
Causes
- More common in areas with high waves.
Solution
Prevention
- Aide in Surgeon job (100 trait points). Sound Sleep skill.
- Ship skill: Quality Cabin
If ignored it may evolve to:
May cause a Mutiny due to low loyalty if not solved.
Fire
Ship durability drops due to fire. Cargo catches fire reducing it to ashes.
Equipment durability may drop by one point.
Causes
- Flammable goods onboard (Foodstuff, Luxury goods, Spices, Medicine, Fibres, Fabrics, Fragrances, Sundries)
- Cooking at sea (Using the cooking skill), or casting
- Cannon shot
- Random
Solution
- Fire buckets
- Fire Fighting Skill
- Rain or storm (You have no control)
Prevention
- Always having water aboard your ships.
- Aide in storekeeper job (100 trait points). Fire Prevention skill.
- Figurehead with good crisis protection.
- Ship skill: Fireproof wall
Leaking
A leak diminishes ship durability. Enemy hit probability becomes higher as the ship moves slower.
Equipment durability may drop by one point.
Causes
- Other disaster like broad waves
- Cannon shot
- Enemy items used
Solution
- Pail (Bucket)
Prevention
- High wave resistance in your ship.
- Aide skill: Breakwater skill.
- Ship skill: Watertight Bulkhead
Disorder
Hit probability falls during battle at sea. Defense and attack rates fall during melee battles.
Causes
- Cannon shot
- Enemy items used
- Spamming "Wining and Dining skill"
Solution
Smoke Bomb
Hit probability drops during sea battles.
Causes
- Cannon shot
- Enemy items used
Solution
Rudder Damaged
Turning the ship takes longer.
Causes
- Sailing in a sea region with waves higher than your ship's WR.
- Other disaster like (Storms, algae...)
- Cannon shot
Solution
Prevention
- Aide in navigator job (100 trait points). Detour skill.
Gust of winds (Damaged Sail)
The wind may change suddenly, changing the course of the ship and reducing its speed. Sails could also be damaged.
Note: Travel speed decreases while the sail is damaged.
Causes
- Other disaster like Storms
- Cannon shot
- Random
Solution
- Spare Sail
- Musical instruments
Prevention
- Figurehead with good crisis protection.
- Aide in navigator job (100 trait points). Windbreak skill.
- Ship Skill: Wind-resistant mast.
- Ship skill: Sail Sewing Skill.
Sirens
Number of sailors decrease.
Causes
- Sailing for some time in Siren's zone of influence. Read the disaster map to know where it is can happen.
Solution
- Cotton Earplugs
- May be solved in time by a figurehead with crisis protection.
Algae
The ship's speed drops to a minimum. Rudder can be damaged in some cases.
Causes
- Sailing for some time in Algae's regions. Read the disaster map to know where it is can happen.
Solution
- Eradication Skill
- Aide in navigator job.
- May be solved in time by a figurehead with crisis protection.
Prevention
- Aide in navigator job (100 trait points). Detour skill.
Rough Seas (Broad-side and High Waves)
You will lose sailors due to high waves. The ship's speed may drop. Some claim the rudder may be damaged but I have never noticed it.
Causes
- Cannon shot
- Sailing for some time in seas with high waves. Check the map for the region WR.
Solution
Prevention
- Figurehead with good crisis protection.
- Aide in navigator job (100 trait points). Breakwater skill.
- Ship Skill: Wave-resistant armouring
- Ship skill: Lifeboat
Magnetic Field
The compass becomes useless.
Causes
- Sailing for some time in Magnetic field's zone of influence. Read the disaster map to know where it is can happen.
Solution
- Leaving the affected sea region.
- May be solved in time by a figurehead with crisis protection.
- Survey skill still works.
Hidden Reef
The ship ends up in a riffle losing durability.
Causes
- Sailing for some time near the shore.
Solution
Storms (Rain and Snow)
A storm will disrupt sailing in the entire sea, affecting everyone in it.
It is entirely random and cannot be prevented. However, rainstorms seem to be more common in regions near the equator, while snowstorms only appear near the poles.
Solution
Effect prevention
- Lower your sails and drop anchor.
- Aide in navigator job (100 trait points). Cargo Organization and storage skills.
- Ship Skill Earthquake-proof Hold
You can sail during the storm if your ship has more than 11 in wave resistance (WR). Your sails may still be damaged.
Ice Floes
Common in the northeast passage (Artic). The ice will damage your ship's hull.
Solution
Effect mitigation
- Do a complete sea charting of the sea region.
Kraken (Octopus)
A large octopus will attack your ship causing to your ship and killing your crew.
Causes
- Sailing for some time in Kraken's zone of influence. Read the disaster map to know where it is can happen.
Sharks
Sharks will attack and kill your sailors. Standard and Heavy ships take no damage.
Causes
- Sailing for some time in Shark's zone of influence. Read the disaster map to know where it is can happen.
Solution
- Shark Repellent
Flying rats
Just kidding, it is gulls flying. Not really a disaster but it does have a scene and it may prevent some random (and positive) events, like drawing the effect of a tarot card.
It is also a random event.
Note: The ship is safe from disasters when there are gulls flying around the sail.
Dolphins
Dolphins will cure any disaster you are currently in (and will swim alongside you for a while).
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