Quote Originally Posted by Didz View Post
Well I'm not labelling galley's useless at at all, at least not yet. As you say there are advantages associated with being independant of the wind, the only factors which I'm not sure are modelled properly are the oared vessels ability to a) reverse (back water) and b) the inability of a sail ship to stop (heave to). Sailing ships can certainly heave to, but they can't stop, as soon as the pressure is released from their sails they begin to broach (turn into wind) and drift leeward (get blown downwind due to the pressure of the wind on their high sides. The only way to stop this is to anchor, which isn't possible in deep water, and even then the ship will swing on its anchor so that it is downwind and facing into wind from the anchor point. Bomb ketches who needed to be fixed in position to use their weapons actually deployed four anchors and a complex pulley system to keep them in place against the pressure of wind and tide. Galleys on the other hand have the ability to use their oars both as a sea anchor to hold them stationery, and as an adjustment device for maintaining position and turning on the spot if necessary.

Then of course there is the old problem of being becalmed which sailing ships have no real counter to and galleys actually prefer.
I'm afraid that's a no on both counts. Galleys & steamships can't back water (or at least, I haven't found the way), I don't think they heave to any faster than regular boats ; and sailing ships certainly can stop and stay in one spot forever, neverminding winds, currents or water depth. Hell, they can even pivot on said spot. I dare anyone to do that with anything floating :).