A coastal freighter for thin sea lanes
A new small vessel, the Coastal Freighter, carries 1,000 tonnes and sails on the lots a coastal port actually sees. National carriers base a few at Australian and US west-coast ports, shipyards can build it, and a national carrier moves pooled cargo onto it when the load fits.
A national carrier's vessel waits until 15% of its hull is loaded before it sails, and the smallest hull in the water carried 8,000 tonnes — so on a thin coastal lane that mark was 1,200 tonnes, more than most ports move in a season, and every sailing waited out its two-month hold. The Coastal Freighter is a 1,000-tonne hull built for exactly those lanes: 15% of it is 150 tonnes.
- Where it is. National carriers now base a few Coastal Freighters at every Australian port and at Los Angeles, Seattle and Anchorage. - How it is used. A national carrier still pools cargo on the largest hull it has, and moves the pooled load onto a Coastal Freighter at departure when it fits — so a small lot reaches the sea minimum, and sails, far sooner. The quote you see does not change: it is still priced on the cheapest hull. - You can build it. A Commercial Shipyard lays one down in four game days from one marine engine, one navigation suite and a modest bill of steel, and your own carrier can order it for any port with a berth. - Its limits. It sails at 20 km/h with a range of 4,000 km, so it keeps to coastal and short-sea lanes. Ocean crossings stay with the larger vessels.