By Ed Ostermeyer (Master Engineer – Grade 2)

Ah, good day to you once more, young Inventor.

I am happy to see you once again.

And you have brought your copy of the Inventor’s Vade Mecum with you.

May I see it, please?

Hmmm, I notice it is now a very worn and much-thumbed work.

I am proud of your diligence.

What benefit is a book of knowledge if you don’t use it from time to time, eh?

However, there have been several updates since this copy was printed.

The section on Power has received significant editing.

Oh, good.

I see that there are still unused endpapers in your Vade Mecum that you can use for note-taking.

Let’s make an update to your edition on the subject of Power, shall we?

During construction, a constant monitoring of how much your fishboat weighs will not only give you an approximation of its size its size, but also how much power you will need to propel it and what that power source will be. Be sure you tally not only the weight from the boat tiles but also that from the mechanisms and weapons.

If you’ve the financial wherewithal, then a boiler engine or a new-fangled magnetic engine is the best choice to power your craft.

Otherwise, you’ll be relying on your crew’s muscles to move your fishboat. A muscle-powered engine will have you budgeting space not only for mechanisms (a ballast tank, a steering linkage and the like) but also room for your crewmen.

Note that an installed engine mechanism will require an entire section of the hull, supplanting any crew space in that section.

The engine mechanism supplies all of the power to propel the fishboat: none of the crewmen on board do. 

Now, let’s calculate your fishboat’s power grade.

First, let’s look at the two engine types.

If the fishboat’s power is delivered (“cranked”) using a mechanical engine, it will have its own innate Power Grade.

A boiler engine’s power rating comes pre-set at “A”; it will handle three times the calculated weight of the loaded fishboat.

However, as a boiler engine burns coal to make steam, it can only be used to power a surface craft, such as a “David”-type torpedo boat.

A magnetic engine has a pre-set power rating of “B”, or twice the ratio of propulsion strength versus the weight of the fishboat.

(Should you feel the need, and have the cash to spend, purchasing a gearbox along with your magnetic engine will help it reach that “A” Power Rating.)

If a mechanical engine is not chosen, then the fishboat’s power grade becomes the ratio of the cumulative strength of the crewmen divided by the craft’s weight.

First, collect all the persona cards for each member assigned as part of the crew.

Next, add the Strength values that are located in the upper left corner of each persona card together, making a sum.   

Please note that the craft’s “weight” as calculated also includes hydrodynamic factors inherent to each tile or mechanism. For example, a chisel – shaped prow is more hydrodynamic than a snub prow; its chisel blade shape being more able to “cleave” through the water than the blunt nose of a snub prow.

Determining your fishboat’s power rating

Before starting a mission, you must determine the relationship between the cumulative strength of your crew and the weight of your fishboat.

If you are playing one of the scenarios, the power grade is already determined for you, being located on the scenario’s fishboat display and the scenario book.

If playing the campaign, you derive the power by adding the Strength of each crewman inside the fishboat. The Strength factor is printed on the upper left corner of the crewman’s persona card, with the strength factors ranging from one to three. (If no number is shown, the crewman’s strength is zero. The fishboat’s weight is the cumulative sum of the number of Weight icons shown on each tile, mechanism or weapon, should you have one on board.

Once the ratio of strength to weight is determined, a letter grade is assigned, as follows:

Strength versus weight                   Grade

            3 times weight                         A

            2 times weight                        B

            Higher than weight                 C

            Equal to weight                       D

            Less than weight                     E

At the start of the mission, this Power Grade is determined once, remains so and is not changed at any other time during the mission. Even if crewmen become Busy or Fatigued, the Strength to Weight ratio is not recalculated. The power grade’s “P” marker is placed on the appropriate Power Grade letter on the Power Grade Track.

During a mission, a number of factors may temporarily adjust the power grade.

This can happen during the Navigation Phase, regardless of how the fishboat is powered.

Changes in the crew’s Crank Intensity, or how much effort your crewmen are doing when cranking can compensate for external changes in the force of nature, such as tidal action, gusty winds or river currents. This temporary change in the power grade is noted with the use of a temporary generic marker that can slide up or down the scale.

The Power Grade Scale has a maximum and a minimum power grade. Your power grade cannot exceed Grade A, nor be less than Grade E. If an adjustment would shift the temporary power grade above maximum or below minimum, it remains either at maximum (Grade A) or at minimum (Grade E.)

There, that is enough to digest for now, young Inventor.

Next time, we will cover how all of this power can be used to move your fishboat, how to overcome the perils of being adrift, and the benefits of pushing your crew’s cranking performance by trading fatigue to avoid panic.

Now go, and ponder what you’ve learned today.

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