River Boats

River Boat Economy

Article by: Jane

With riverboats leaving Emerald Falls at least daily, such a convenient service has meant that minor holds and cot holds along or near the river move trade goods via riverboat in either direction.

The Weaver Hall at Emerald Falls Hold uses riverboats for obtaining raw materials (flax, wool, cotton, etc) and transporting their finished products

River Boat Female Policy

Article by: Jane

Being insular and independent the riverboat population as a whole has never regarded the female crafter ban as applying to them, however each riverboat is virtually autonomous and limits on female roles vary from ship to ship. Despite this the riverboat captains and crew are aware that they are dependant for their livelihood on those holders and crafters who consign their freight and families to them for transport and so are wary of giving offence on the subject.

River Boat Layout

Article by: Jane

Although there had always been rudimentary river traffic since the first settlement of the Southern Continent, the riverboats plying their trade on the river now are the result of AIVAS' files on ancient paddle steamers.

They are 200ft long, 45ft wide, wooden-hulled (steel reinforced), shallow-draft (4ft when laden). The most impressive features are the cast iron 'stacks' towering above the structure sending plumes of smoke into the sky - and the stern mounted paddlewheel. The entire main deck (apart from the space given over to the boilers and engines) is designed for cargo and the single or double level wooden superstructure above provides crew accommodation (first deck or aft on a single deck) and passenger accommodation (second deck or forward).

The average riverboat on the river carries a family of 30 – 55 people who act as the crew, so at least half of them need to be physically able adults. As well as the rooms for the 'crew', there is accommodation for as many passengers, and room on the main deck for 300 tons of freight.

Typical accommodation aboard is in small (12ft x 10ft) standard staterooms with each with a entrance door off the 5ft wide balcony that provides the main access anywhere on each deck. The rooms have two layouts, usually referred to 'double' and 'single' though all staterooms are the same size. Double staterooms are set up with a lofted double bed beside the entrance door, and one set of two bunk-beds taking up the room from the foot of the double bed to the internal wall. The upper bunk is fixed in place but the lower one may be dismantled and stored against the wall if not required by the resident family. A single stateroom has two sets of two bunk-beds. These rooms are used for single adults or for children. When used for children the 'adjoining door' between a double stateroom on one side of the riverboat and a single stateroom on the other is removed giving the family one continuous area living with two external doors.

River Boat Location Information

Article by: Jane

The river rises in the eastern-most end of the Eastern Barrier Range. It is navigable from the spectacular Emerald Falls to the sea, a distance of about 750 miles. It is an old river, seated in wide river plains, and it has a tendency to flood those plains in response to extreme weather in its catchment. Because of its low, wide nature, the floods are very slow-moving and holders are able to take precautions before they arrive.

The climate along the river varies from unvaryingly tropical climate at the harbour (average high of 88º F / 31º C and average low of 71º F / 22º C, all Turn) to temperate at Emerald Falls Hold (average winter high of 67°F / 19°C and winter low of 53°F / 12°C, average summer high of 85°F / 29°C and summer low of 69°F / 21°C).

Distances to Other Locations

Emerald Falls Hold to the sea - 750 miles