Ships in a fantasy world

[TheokinsJ]

Perhaps some of you would have taken the 'Fantasy Writer's Quiz', whereby a bunch of questions are thrown at you, and answering any one of them with 'yes' instantly makes you fail. Within the quiz there was a question "Do you only think that ships were ONLY used for piracy and fishing?", of coarse I don't, but come to think of it I am struggling to think of what other uses ships would have in a fantasy world. So far I can think of fishing, trading, and used for war/piracy but nothing else comes to mind. Anyone have any other ideas about how ships were used in medieval times and any more uses for them in a fantasy world?

 

[Steerpike]

Delivering passengers / taking people somewhere.

 

[Telcontar]

Off the top of my head there's general travel (ships are a lot faster than land over the same amount of distance), exploration, and moving large heavy things that can't be practically moved over land (think stone).

 

[Saigonnus]

Ships have always been used for protecting a nations' interests, protecting their harbors on top of piracy, moving stuff/people around (i.e. Trade) or fishing. Of course you can't forget smuggling; which has been common for centuries, many even masking as legitimate trade/passenger vessels with hidden compartments.

 

[Devor]

Naval blockades, foreign trade, pleasure cruises, smuggling, transporting envoys, Viking funeral pyres, scouting the coastline, transporting soldiers, and so on.

IRL, the US Navy has a handful of "hospital boats" with dozens of doctors on board and hundreds of beds, and they send it in on relief missions - usually it arrives with a skeleton crew, and most of the doctors fly in separately.

 

[Queshire]

exploration, religious stuff, transporting diplomats, making a show of force,

 

[Saigonnus]

Naval blockades, foreign trade, pleasure cruises, smuggling, transporting envoys, Viking funeral pyres, scouting the coastline, transporting soldiers, and so on.

IRL, the US Navy has a handful of "hospital boats" with dozens of doctors on board and hundreds of beds, and they send it in on relief missions - usually it arrives with a skeleton crew, and most of the doctors fly in separately.

The British Royal Navy among others had doctors aboard ships throughout their history, whether it was transporting goods, fighting a war or whatever, so it's nothing new really. Go back as far as the ancient greeks or athenians and you'll find what they believe to be medical ships. Having one built intentionally as a medical ship, however is a fairly new thing (the first world war I believe) when it was needed to provide medical support to troops in remote locations where setting up hospitals wasn't prudent.

 

[shangrila]

Perhaps some of you would have taken the 'Fantasy Writer's Quiz', whereby a bunch of questions are thrown at you, and answering any one of them with 'yes' instantly makes you fail. Within the quiz there was a question "Do you only think that ships were ONLY used for piracy and fishing?", of coarse I don't, but come to think of it I am struggling to think of what other uses ships would have in a fantasy world. So far I can think of fishing, trading, and used for war/piracy but nothing else comes to mind. Anyone have any other ideas about how ships were used in medieval times and any more uses for them in a fantasy world?

Blockades, as people have said. But also naval battles; for example, the Athenians defeated the Persians in a naval battle around the time of the 300 saga, which basically kept the Persians from encricling the Spartans for a long, LONG time. You can go for something recent too; there was a "triangle" of sorts, involving the slaves from Africa being traded for spices in the Indias/Middle East (I think, don't quote me on this) that were sold for money in Britain/America, which were then used to buy more slaves (and so on).

Basically, the idea of naval involvement of any kind is only important if your civilisation has contact with other nations across an expanse of water. Otherwise, you don't really have to bother with them, aside from a throwaway line.

 

[SeverinR]

IRL, the US Navy has a handful of "hospital boats" with dozens of doctors on board and hundreds of beds, and they send it in on relief missions - usually it arrives with a skeleton crew, and most of the doctors fly in separately.

Skeleton crew? Must not have been very good Doctors.
Picturing the Greatful dead playing on deck as they're entering ports.
"Wait! The skeletons are here to help you heal" Yea right!

 

[Saigonnus]

Actually I had the idea to incorporate airships into my "modern fantasy" concept and they'd be used for coordinating attacks on the ground, high altitude observation (like satellites or drone do) using "farseer" devices and even as a station/platform for airborne infantry in case they need reinforcements in a battle. This IS fantasy afterall, so basically your ships can serve any purpose you want them to.

I also have a subculture that dwells in barges and small boats (like gypsies) and they travel here and there with their own laws, own means for acquiring needful things.

 

[johnsonjoshuak]

Actually I had the idea to incorporate airships into my "modern fantasy" concept and they'd be used for coordinating attacks on the ground, high altitude observation (like satellites or drone do) using "farseer" devices and even as a station/platform for airborne infantry in case they need reinforcements in a battle. This IS fantasy afterall, so basically your ships can serve any purpose you want them to.

Airships (balloons) were used as recently as the American Civil War for recon and even bombings. Later, early aircraft were used for the same purpose before their full usefulness was realized.

I also have a subculture that dwells in barges and small boats (like gypsies) and they travel here and there with their own laws, own means for acquiring needful things.

That's an awesome idea for a culture!

 

[skip.knox]

Someone has already mentioned transport, but they didn't specifically mention pilgrimage. There was a regular tourist service between Venice and the Holy Land in the late Middle Ages.

Oh, and Alexander used "siege ships" at Tyre.