Avast, and happy new year!

This is perhaps the biggest content update to date, including new ships, rules for tracking fatigue and running pursuits. You'll also be able to double-shot your pistols, and glare at each other over the card table with rules covering games of chance and sporting events. I've also put together a starter adventure to help get you into the game quicker. 

It's hard to pick my favourite bit of new content to talk about - from game statistics for gigantic first rate ships-of-the-line, to rules for tracking fatigue and exhaustion. However, I'm in love with the rules for gambling. Like everything else, the mechanics are stripped back to the barest essentials, giving you a quick way of resolving the action without getting bogged down in the minutiae, but they add an element of humanity into the game.

You might play a few hands of faro in the gun room with the midshipmen, or judge a weavil race for the foremast jacks. A chance to get away from the gunsmoke and bared steel. A moment of calm in the chaos. It also gives your character an opportunity to lose all their hard-earned prize money. 

I've also released the first sections of Midshipman Goodacre's Primer, the background volume that provides a bit more context if you're unfamiliar with the period. I should stress that this is not required reading, it serves as an enhancement to the game, giving players and GM alike a wealth of detail to colour their games.

This first part includes a brief summary of common small arms, and a guide to the appearence of seamen during the period, including a random table for tattoos. Over the coming months, I hope to cover all manner of different areas, from discipline to health and hygiene.

Lastly, I've made it even easier to set sail, with a short starter adventure pitting your crews against a tenacious American privateer - the titular Wasp. You'll have to become apiarists to storm the estuary and seize the prize, contending with bad weather, shore batteries, and a pernicious infestation of flesh-eating maggots. 

November Update

• Shipmates (Pages 2-9): this new system gives each character a network of contacts aboard ship, adding new faces to the crew. Players generate the attitude, competence, courage, and discipline of their new comrade, before generating a name, stats, and a random trait or quirk. 
• Equipment (Page 12): items are now acquired by using an easy Authority test, modified by the requisition. 
• Naval Encounters (Pages 26-27): the system for generating naval encounters has been revised, allowing for convoys and squadrons to be generated. Subtables have been added to give more variance in the kind of ship encountered. The frequency of naval encounters has also been added. 
• Finding Food & Water (Page 29): rules for finding food and water have been added.
• Returning to Portsmouth (Page 30): the rules for returning home have been significantly revised. 
• Fortifications (Page 34): statistics for small and large artillery emplacements have been added. 
• Wildlife (Page 35): statistics for common fauna have been added, allowing for a wider variety of encounters. 

December Update

• New names (Pages 2-3): new names for sailors of different nationalities. 
• Warships (Page 12): starting situations re-worked to include new content. 
• Warships (Page 18): adjusted number of marines in line with historical figure of 20% - resulting in a larger compliment for all ships. 
• Merchant Ships (Page 19): speed of the Lugger and Packet Boat have been adjusted to make them slower.
• Gun Ranges (Page 21): ranges added for all broadside types.
• Damage (Page 21): damage numbers adjusted. 
• Ramming (Page 22): ramming damage numbers adjusted.
• Crew Killed (Page 22): crew killed post-battle linked to damage suffered rather than tied to single dice.
• Combat Complications (Page 22): attacks against a ship's rear arc always cause a Critical Hit. Attacks against a ship in an adjacent hex deal an additional 1D6 damage. 
• Morale (Page 25): added rules for managing morale in battles.
• Making Repairs (Page 27): added rules for repairing the ship. 
• Naval Encounters (Page 28): added the chance of encountering a friendly civilian convoy. Also added the chance of convoys being accompanied by escorts. 
• Returning to Portsmouth (Page 32): section revised to include chance of promotion following a cruise. 
• Wildlife (Page 37): statistics added for fighting dogs and watchdogs. 

January Update

• Starting currency (Page 2): starting cash provided following the introduction of gambling.
• Broadside damage (Page 14): corrections made following last month's update.
• Cannons (Page 14): added long 6-pounder cannon.
• Cannons (Page 14): revised long 9-pounder following addition of the long 6-pounder.
• Cannons (Page 14): range of carronades revised.
• Double and triple shotting (Page 14): added new mechanics for small arms and artillery.
• Brig (Page 18): statistics revised following the addition of new ships and further research. 
• Corvette (Page 18): new ship type added.
• Sloop-of-War (Page 18): statistics revised following the addition of new ships and further research. 
  
• Brig-Sloop (Page 18): new ship type added.
  
• 2nd Rate Ship-of-the-Line (Page 19): new ship type added.
• 1st Rate Ship-of-the-Line (Page 19): new ship type added.
• Ship's Boats (Page 20): added the barge.
• Ship's Boats (Page 20): added the landing craft.
  
• Ship's Boats (Page 20): revised the statistics for the longboat, adding the ability to mount a water pump for firefighting.
  
• Hand-to-Hand Combat (Page 21): Reaching 0 hit points adds a level of fatigue.
• Ship-to-Ship & Ship-to-Shore Combat (Page 22): added consequences for sailing into coastal waters. 
• Combat Complications (Page 23): added double and triple-shotting to ship-to-ship combat.
• Swimming & Drowning (Page 25): swimming adds a level of fatigue. 
• Morale (Page 26): failing a morale check and fleeing adds a level of fatigue. 
• Fatigue & Exhaustion (Pages 26 - 27): added rules for tracking the fatigue of characters and the crew. 
• Duels of Honour (Page 27): added rules for fighting sword and pistol duels. 
• Games of Chance (Page 28): added rules for gambling, both games and sporting events.
• Pay & Currency (Page 29): added guidance for acquiring, tracking and using currency. 
• Sailing in Coastal Waters (Page 31): added rules for sailing through coastal waters on the travel map.
• Pursuit (Page 34): added rules for pursuing targets on the travel map. 
• Finding Food & Water (Page 36): going without food and water adds a level of fatigue. 

Additional Updates

• Release of a Nautical Apiarist, a quickstart adventure. 
• First section of Midshipman Goodacre's Primer released.