How to Win

The first player to arrive at a port with £100,000 in your hand wins (see “Winning the Game” in the Official Rules).

Getting Started

Each player begins the game with £10,000, a ship, two lighthouses, and a Captain’s Log sheet. Each player rolls one die; the player with the highest roll goes first.

Finding a Port

a. How do you know which port to start the game from?

Roll all three dice. The black die tells you the Continent, and the two white dice taken together tell you the Port within that Continent. Example: 1 (black die), 7 (white dice) = London.

b. “Port O’ Call” (How do you know where you are going?)

Once everyone has found where they start from, roll all three dice again to find out where you are going. Pick a Cargo Card. Announce only what you are carrying. Find out how much it is worth by using the Ship’s Manifest. Write it down on your Captain’s Log, pay your Crew Fee (10% of how much you’ll be paid for the trip), and move the number written on the white dice. Give the dice to the next player.

How to Move

Move by rolling the two white dice and moving the number of squares indicated. After moving, your turn is over. You can move up and down, side to side, or even diagonally. Doubles on the white dice allow you to move again. Also, remember “Double the Doubles” and “Triple Treasure” (see “Sailing the Seven Seas” in the Official Rules).

Arriving in Port

Once you arrive at your destination, hand in your Cargo Card, any captured Cargo Cards, and any Treasure Island Cards. Get paid. If you were a Pirate or Lord Nelson, you cease to be one. Turn over a World Event Card. Hand the dice to the next player. On your next turn, say “Port O’ Call,” roll all three dice to find out where you are going and start a different voyage.

Cargo Cards

There are six different Cargos you can carry: Gold, Diamonds, Silks, Spices, Furs, and Coffee. Gold is worth the most, and Coffee the least. The Ship’s Manifest indicates how much a voyage is worth for each cargo. Typically, the farther you go, the more you get paid.

World Report Cards

Turn over a World Report Card when you arrive at your destination. There are five Event Zones: War Zones, Icebergs, Hurricanes, Typhoons, and Tidal Waves. The zone indicated on the card becomes active on the board. Anyone inside an active zone sinks. The next person to arrive at port picks a new World Report Card, which takes the place of the old one.

There are two ways to get through an active World Report zone:

1. Roll doubles.
2. On your third time being stopped by the same zone, you may go through.

Fees

During the game, you will encounter three fees. Here is a summary of them:

• Crew Fee: 10% of the amount you will be paid for your voyage; pay during Port O’ Call.
• New Ship: 10% of how much money you have total; used when buying a new ship.
• Scuttle Penalty: The amount of your lost cargo; paid as a penalty for purposefully sinking yourself.

Pirates, Lord Nelson, Treasure Islands

a. Pirates

Cargo Card will show if you’re a Pirate. Say nothing to others. Pirates have the option of rolling all three dice for movement if and when they want to. They may also attack other ships by merely catching up to them and then giving them battle (see Battle below). A Pirate may also go to Treasure Islands. If a Pirate sinks, instead of going immediately to the nearest port, he must roll one die and move to the nearest port (he’s in a dinghy!).

b. Treasure Islands

These are the red X’s on the board. Only a Pirate may go to a Treasure Island. Upon arrival, pick a card. Tell no one what it says. The cards give you advantages for your voyage. Put card at bottom of deck when you end your voyage, unless it’s a Clue Card (in which case give it to the Banker, who, without looking at it, places it face down on the table).

Hidden Treasure: There is a hidden treasure somewhere worth £50,000. Three clues are among the Treasure Island Cards that will tell you where it is. See “Hidden Treasure and How to Find It” in the Official Rules to see how it works.

c. Lord Nelson

Cargo Card will show if you are a Lord Nelson. Say nothing to others. You are the police of the seas. You may roll three dice for movement if and when you want to. Lord Nelsons may attack pirates (see Battle below). Do not attack merchants (see Official Rules for penalty).

Battle

A Pirate may attack any player. A Lord Nelson may attack a Pirate. Attacker must move to the same square that prey is on. Attacker rolls first.

• Pirate vs Merchant: The Pirate rolls 3 dice, the merchant rolls only 2 dice. The one with the highest roll wins the round. If there is a tie, the defending player wins the round. The winner of the battle takes all the cards belonging to the other player. The loser sinks. If the merchant wins, he does not become a pirate.
• Lord Nelson vs Pirate: Same rules apply; only the Lord Nelson rolls 4 dice and the Pirate rolls 3. If the Pirate wins, he does not become a Lord Nelson.
• Pirate vs Lord Nelson: The Lord Nelson will automatically win when he shows his card to the Pirate.

Sinking

A player who sinks loses their ship and their cargo. They automatically go to the nearest port (unless they are a pirate). On their next turn, pay for a new ship, say “Port O’ Call” and start a new voyage. If you cannot pay for a new ship, you are out of the game. If you sink yourself on purpose, you must pay the Scuttle Penalty in addition to your new ship.