Naval idea/suggestion

[satisfaction]

Don't you hate it when you build river gunboats and ironclads for use on the rivers and they end up in Cleveland or Chicago? I wish I could tell the builders that I want them for actual use on the rivers and not museum pieces. Having spent much of my life on the great lakes, they are more like oceans. Any shallow draft river craft would not survive on the lakes, or at least not for long after a noreaster. Is there any way to change the great lake ports to ocean ports? This would allow for buidling of ocean going (and great lake going) vessels if they need to fight Canada/Britain arose...but more importantly it would allow the riverine boats to be built where they are wanted/needed. Is there any way to do this? Just a suggestion...any thoughts?

[Rafiki]

From a strictly gaming point of view, you can send any riverine boats from the Grand Lakes to the Mississippi by way of the Erie Canal

[Carrington]

You know, of course, that there is an Ohio and Erie Canal connecting Lake Erie to the Ohio River.

(FWIW, I don't think this is actually -the- Erie canal, which IIRC linked Erie to the Hudson river, and was pretty small.)

But it is a nuisance to have ironclads turn up in Chicago.... I haven't figured out how to get them out of Lake Michigan.

(No stranger, I suppose, than aircraft carriers, but that's another story).

--- don't say the board doesn't respond quickly!

[HMSWarspite]

You can get boats out of Chicago to Erie (just do a normal move, they will find the way). Then you move them down the canal as normal. The only place you cannot extract them from is the wrong side of Niagra Falls (there is a town there - can't remember what it's called)

[Doomwalker]

I have found that if I try to move my naval units from inside of a port they will not find the links between the lake and river. But, if I move them to the ports connecting body of water and then to where I want them to go; they will find the links on there own.

[Rafiki]

Do note, however, that the canal south from Erie may freeze, so you can't get the ships through all year.

[satisfaction]

Wow nice response time!!!!!! Thanks all. I was having the problem of trying to move them from port. They are now on their way south. Poors rebs, 8 ironclads and 12 gunboats. That will finish sealing of the Miss.

[Wilhammer]

What's built in Buffalo, stays in Buffalo....

[tagwyn]

Wil: USS Michigan sits proudly in Lake Michigan and will not go elsewhere!! I know the folks up there are proud of such a powerful vessel ... but, I want in to help fight the Virginia, the Tennessee, the Arkansas, etc. ad absurdum. How to get to the Atlantic? Detailed help Please. L3

[Wilhammer]

Ocean Going Ships built on the Great Lakes cannot leave the Great Lakes.

River ships built on the Great Lakes can get to the rivers - might take awhile..and watch them frozen rivers/canals...

USS Michigan is going to stay in the Great Lakes - it cannot get out, nor should it, imho.

Wikipedia has a good article on it..

Any Ship, Riverine or Ocean going, built in Buffalo, NY, cannot leave beyond Lake Ontario, which does not do squat for you.

[pasternakski]

Wil: USS Michigan sits proudly in Lake Michigan and will not go elsewhere!! I know the folks up there are proud of such a powerful vessel ... but, I want in to help fight the Virginia, the Tennessee, the Arkansas, etc. ad absurdum. How to get to the Atlantic? Detailed help Please. L3

She is stuck there forever.

Probably just as well. Michigan was a paddlewheeler completed in 1844 as the first ironclad ship in the U.S. Navy, and was woefully obsolete by the time war broke out. Despite being the most powerful warship on the Great Lakes (which, when you consider the competition at the time ain't saying much), she was completely unsuitable for extended sailing or combat.

Her most notable achievement in the war came during her duty as a prisoner of war camp guardship on the Lake Erie coast of Ohio. Confederate prisoners were hatching a plot to break out, seize the ship, and attack Union installations in Ohio, but the officers and crew of the Michigan discovered the plot and foiled it.

Her prow is preserved in a maritime museum as that of U.S.S. Wolverine, as Michigan was renamed in 1906 upon launching of a new battleship using her original name.

That said, I agree with everyone that the initial placement of naval construction needs to be examined and reworked.

Please note, in passing, that there should be no possibility of moving oceangoing ships to or from the Great Lakes, as it just simply was not possible at the time (this had to await construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway many decades after the war).

[Pocus]

the problem with Buffalo should be corrected in the next update, but if you see pop up again, then keep me the save please.

[Cat Lord]

If a brand new Monitor is trapped in Rochester, on lake Ontario, where is it supposed to be able to go ?

(It seems I can find my way to the infamous Buffalo, though ).

Cat

[Pocus]

We will check that...