Editing Watercraft (section)

===Ships===
[[File:Blacktyde longship by MarcSimonetti.jpg|350px|thumb|[[Blacktyde]] longship, by Marc Simonetti © Fantasy Flight Games]]
[[File:Tysen Johnson Refurbished HulkI.jpg|thumb|A hulk refurbished by [[House Greyjoy]], by Lake Hurwitz © Fantasy Flight Games]]
* [[w:Galley|Galleys]] are propelled by sail or oar power and are used for warfare, trade, and [[piracy]]. Due to their low setting, they are primarily coastal ships, preferring to thread through archipelagos rather than risking even a moderate sea. Their large rower crew makes them maneuverable and swift but also require frequent stops for food and water. The galley has supplemental sails to replace or augment the effort of the rowers, particularly during long journeys. The ability to travel swiftly without regard to the direction or strength of the wind becomes invaluable for daylight expeditions across open water. The real world, practical upper limit for a galley fast and maneuverable enough for warfare was around twenty-five to thirty oars per side. By adding another level of oars, the galley could be made shorter with as many rowers, while making them strong enough to be effective ramming weapons. The flagship of [[House Hightower]], ''[[Honor of Oldtown]]'', and the flagship of the [[royal fleet]], ''[[King Robert's Hammer]]'', are the two largest known galleys in Westeros. 

* [[w:Longship|Longships]] are a smaller type of ship primarily used by the [[ironborn]], but also coastal [[lord]]s{{ref|ASOS|45}} and the [[coming of the Andals|Andals of antiquity]].{{ref|TWOIAF|The Riverlands}} They are long, narrow, light, wooden craft with a shallow-draft hull designed for speed. The ship's shallow draft allows navigation in waters only one meter deep and permits beach landings, while its light weight enables it to be carried over portages. Longships are also double-ended, the symmetrical bow and stern allowing the ship to reverse direction quickly without having to turn around. This trait proves particularly useful in northern latitudes where icebergs and sea ice pose hazards to navigation. Longships are fitted with oars along almost the entire length of the boat itself. Later versions sport a rectangular sail on a single mast which is used to replace or augment the effort of the rowers, particularly during long journeys. [[George R. R. Martin]] has compared them to [[w:longship|Viking longboats]].<ref name=SSM:GreyjoyFleet />

* [[w:Cog|Cogs]] are mostly propelled by sails, which make them difficult to sail, especially upwind, and they are hostage to breezes and currents in a way that the swift galley is not. However, it can better manage rough seas and its small crew and ample storage space give it greater freedom of movement, making it perfect for trade or equipment transport. 

* Merchanters are trading vessels, like the cogs ''[[Myraham]]'' and ''[[Bountiful Harvest]]''.{{ref|ACOK|11}}{{ref|ASOS|10}}

* [[w:Carrack|Carracks]] are large ocean-going vessels. They are stable in heavy seas, and roomy enough to carry provisions for long voyages.

* [[Swan ship]]s, so called in the [[Seven Kingdoms]] for their great white sails and figureheads which are often carved in the shape of birds, are large ocean-going vessels designed and built in the [[Summer Isles]]. With a good wind behind them they can outrun any galley. However, they are helpless when becalmed. They have high masts and high forecastles.{{Ref|affc|35}} Summer Islanders have no warships and prefer trade and exploration to conquest, although their swan ships are ably defended.{{ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: The Summer Isles}} 

* Whalers are fat-bellied ships from [[Ibben]], with hulls black with tar, used to hunt and process whales in the [[Shivering Sea]]. Ibbenese ships, though ungainly and smelly, are renowned for their strength, as they are built to weather any storm and withstand the assaults of the largest whales.{{ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: Ib}}

* [[w:Hulk|Hulks]] are ships which still float but are unable to put to sea.{{ref|ACOK|58}}