You are the owner of a large sailing ship. You sail around the world and trade goods
with other countries.
A Genoese investor has agreed to pay for your next trip if you can bring back a profit
and, hopefully, goods that he can sell to local merchants. If for any reason you do not
return with a profit, he has the right to back out of the deal, and you'll be stuck paying
for everything.
Before you sail from your home port in Lisbon, Portugal, you will need to make
several important decisions about how to prepare for your journey and what route to
take. If you succeed, you will be extremely wealthy and will cement your reputation
as a spice trader, ensuring that more rich investors come your way. But if you fail, you
may go bankrupt and lose your ship, not to mention ruin your reputation.
Are you ready to start your travels?
Note: The standard of currency in most of western Europe during the Renaissance
was the gold florin. However, the value amounts used in this activity are fictional.
Your ship is a 500-ton, fully rigged galleon. Your cargo hold is filled with linen and
woolen cloth, copper, and iron. You are hoping to trade these items for goods that will
command high prices at home, such as cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg, pepper, and cotton.
Your first decision is whether or not you want to arm your ship with cannons
and ammunition.
Arms will help protect you from pirates and other thieves you may encounter on your
journey. However, you need more sailors to run an armed ship, and the more sailors
you bring, the more money it will cost you in daily wages. In addition, your investor
will have to spend more money upfront, and the cannons and ammunition will take up
valuable space you could otherwise use to store goods. Think carefully about your
decision.
Unarmed ship = fewer sailors and more room for goods
Crew's wages: 50 sailors @ 10 florins per day = 500 florins per day
Cargo room: 250,000 florins' worth of goods
Armed ship = more sailors and less room for goods
Crew's wages: 100 sailors @ 10 florins per day = 1,000 florins per day
Cargo room: 125,000 florins' worth of goods
Cost of 5,000 pounds of ammunition = 75,000 florins
Sail unarmed
You have chosen to sail with enough sailors and ammunition to help fight pirates and
other thieves you may encounter on the high seas. You have 125,000 florins' worth of
cargo and 100 sailors on board. Your hope is to return home safely with enough
profits to cover the cost of the ammunition, your crew's wages, and the value of the
original cargo, with some remaining for your coffers.
Your next decision concerns which route you will take.
Sail east toward the Moluccas, islands in Indonesia
Choosing this route gives you the chance to trade for very valuable spices and luxury
goods. However, this route is very dangerous. Pirates often sail these waters looking
to capture trade ships like yours. An additional threat comes from the Dutch
merchants who control most of these seas. They will use any means possible to keep
you from trading in their waters.
Sail west toward the New World
Choosing this route will give you the opportunity to trade for sugar and other spices.
Your profit from these items may not be as high as the profits on the goods available
on the eastern route. But sailing toward the New World may prove more exciting
since it is less well known--you never know what surprises you may encounter.
ou have chosen to sail without arming your ship against pirates and other enemies on
the high seas. You have 250,000 florins' worth of cargo and 50 sailors on board. Your
hope is to avoid any hostile encounters and return home with enough profits to cover
your investor's initial outlay, with some remaining for your coffers.
Your next decision concerns which route to take.
Sail east toward the Moluccas, islands in Indonesia
Choosing this route gives you the chance to trade for very valuable spices and luxury
goods. However, this route is very dangerous. Pirates often sail these waters looking
to capture trade ships like yours. An additional threat comes from the Dutch
merchants who control most of these seas. They will use any means possible to keep
you from trading in their waters.
Sail west toward the New World
Choosing this route will give you the opportunity to trade for sugar and other spices.
Your profit from these items may not be as high as the profits on the goods available
on the eastern route. But sailing toward the New World may prove more exciting
since it is less well known--you never know what surprises you may encounter.
East toward the Moluccas
West toward the New World
You have chosen to sail without arming your ship against pirates and other enemies
on the high seas. You have 250,000 florins' worth of cargo and 50 sailors on board.
Your hope is to avoid any hostile encounters and return home with enough profits to
cover your investor's initial outlay, with some remaining for your coffers.
Your next decision concerns which route to take.
Sail east toward the Moluccas, islands in Indonesia
Choosing this route gives you the chance to trade for very valuable spices and luxury
goods. However, this route is very dangerous. Pirates often sail these waters looking
to capture trade ships like yours. An additional threat comes from the Dutch
merchants who control most of these seas. They will use any means possible to keep
you from trading in their waters.
Sail west toward the New World
Choosing this route will give you the opportunity to trade for sugar and other spices.
Your profit from these items may not be as high as the profits on the goods available
on the eastern route. But sailing toward the New World may prove more exciting
since it is less well known--you never know what surprises you may encounter.
East toward the Moluccas
You have decided to sail east toward the Moluccas with the hopes of trading for high-profit
spices and luxury goods.
Now you need to decide which of two routes you will take to get to the Moluccas.
Sail along the coast of Africa
This route is the safer but longer of the two. If you choose this route, you will be able to stop in
several ports along the way to take on supplies, and there is less chance that you will be attacked
because the waters are controlled by your countrymen.
Length of journey = 90 days round trip
Crew's wages: 500 florins per day @ 90 days = 45,000 florins
Sail through the Indian Ocean
This is the more cost-effective route but also the more dangerous, since the Dutch control these
waters.
Length of journey = 60 days round trip
Crew's wages: 500 florins per day @ 60 days = 30,000 florins
Which route will you take?
Travel via the African coast
Travel via the Indian Ocean
ou have decided to travel west to the New World. Your plan is to trade your cargo for sugar and
other goods and to see what other opportunities may arise along this less-traveled route.
Length of journey = 60 days round trip
Crew's wages: 500 florins per day @ 60 days = 30,000 florins
The trip to the New World is eventful. Along the way you experience harsh seas, some crew
members become violently ill, and you almost run out of supplies.
When you finally dock, you are approached by Spanish adventurers who have with them a large
amount of gold and silver. The adventurers want you to take them and their booty home. If you
agree, they will pay you handsomely.
If you decide to take the adventurers, you will have to spend extra days in port (and pay your
crew extra wages), and you won't have as much room for goods. In addition, pirates may get
wind of your valuable cargo.
Will you risk taking the adventurers with their silver and gold or will you just make your
trade?
Take on the Spanish adventurers
Don't take on the Spanish adventurers
It takes five extra days in port to take the Spanish adventurers and their gold and silver
on board, so you owe your crew extra wages.
You now have the chance to trade the goods you have brought with you.
You can trade them for two of the goods listed below:
Sugar
Cocoa
Tobacco
You have decided not to take the Spanish adventurers back home to Europe.
You now have the chance to trade the goods you have brought with you.
You can trade them for two of the goods listed below:
Sugar
Cocoa
Tobacco
Make the trade
The goods you traded for are valued at 180,000 florins.
You start your trip back home. The wind is favorable, but shortly out of port you are spotted by
pirates. Because your ship is unarmed, they are able to capture it and seize your cargo.
Sorry, you did not earn a profit on your journey.
You sail home with an empty hold. The investor is very angry and says that he will never hire
you again.
Revenue


Trades in New World = 180,000 florins
Total Revenues = 180,000 florins
Expenses




Value of original cargo = 250,000 florins
Crew's wages = 30,000 florins
Cargo lost to pirates = 180,000 florins
Total Expenses = 460,000 florins
Profit/Loss

Total Loss = -280,000 florins
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The goods you traded for are valued at 120,000 florins.
Congratulations! You earned a profit on your journey.
You manage to sail home to Lisbon without encountering any trouble. The investor who
sponsored you is thrilled with your successful voyage and promises to bring more work your
way.
Revenue



Trades in New World = 120,000 florins
Gold and silver reward = 1,000,000 florins
Total Revenues = 1,120,000 florins
Expenses



Value of original cargo = 250,000 florins
Crew's wages = 32,500 florins
Total Expenses = 282,500 florins
Profit/Loss

Total Profit = 837,500 florins
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