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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Tzarevitch" data-source="post: 3225281" data-attributes="member: 1792">How small are you talking? Do you mean small like some of those little rocky fishing harbors on the Italian coast or something you see in a pirate movie? If so that is a cove or an inlet not a harbor. 120' is about the size of a carrack. It would be dangerous to enter a little rocky cove like those with a sailing ship of that size and it would have trouble geting out without help. Entry and exit channels matter less as long as they are deep and straight enough and the current/wind isn't too bad. Honestly, the ship could probably navigate an approach channel of about its own length so long as it is straight, deep and cross wind/current is at a minimum. If the approach channel has turns or bad currents you need much more space. If the turns are sharp or the current is bad you need a LOT more space and it may become downright unsafe to try. Sailing ships don't start or stop on a dime and they certainly don't turn on one. In a tight harbor, you can use tow boats (longboats with rowers) to tow sailing ships into position. Slow speed also won't help much because speed is an imprecise thing for sailing ships and there is also the matter of minimum steerage speed. Steerage speed is the minimum speed that a ship must maintain in order to be able to use its rudder to steer. In other words, there is only so slow a ship can move and still maintain its ability to steer itself. The harbor you describe seems like a very bad one for sailing ships to try if they don't have to.  If the bay/harbor is that treacherous, I would suggest setting up an anchorage at the safest point (beyond the rocks) and have cargo transferred to oared barges. As for actual dimensions. That I have no idea. I would think at least a quarter-mile across to be safe if it has to maneuver without tow boats. If there are rocks or bad currents you may need a lot more. Also, there are maps on-line for medieval cities. You may want to try searching for some maps of smaller mediterranean cities to check out their harbors. Tzarevitch</blockquote>

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