Macridi to Kerse by Boat
Macridi to Kerse by River
Conventional Boats and Dwarven Hydrofoils on Profit's Flow
Following the bends of Profit's Flow, the river journey between Macridi and Kerse is approximately 145–160 miles.
Profit's Flow runs from south to north, making the journey toward Kerse the faster downstream passage and the return to Macridi the slower upstream passage.
| Journey | Direction | Ordinary Riverboat | Dwarven Hydrofoil | Time Saved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macridi → Kerse | Downriver | About 3 days | About 1 day | About 2 days |
| Kerse → Macridi | Upriver | About 5 days | About 1 day, 18 hours | About 3 days, 6 hours |
| Round Trip | Both Directions | About 8 days | About 2 days, 18 hours | About 5 days, 6 hours |
For normal commercial traffic, including vessels similar to the Long Dividend, use the following standard travel times:
Macridi to Kerse: 3 days.
Kerse to Macridi: 5 days.
These estimates assume roughly 10–12 hours of travel each day, with the vessel tying up or anchoring overnight rather than navigating continuously.
A typical downstream boat averages roughly 4.5–5 mph while underway. The same vessel fighting the current on the return journey averages closer to 2.5–3 mph.
A dwarven hydrofoil such as the Goldskimmer reduces travel time by approximately 65%, requiring only about 35% of the time needed by an ordinary riverboat.
This reduces the downstream journey from three days to approximately one day, while the more difficult upstream journey falls from five days to approximately one day and eighteen hours.
The hydrofoil is still affected by the current. Its engineering dramatically reduces drag, but it does not eliminate the advantage of traveling downstream.
An ordinary commercial boat must force its entire hull through the water and is limited by cargo weight, river current, and the resistance created by the hull itself.
At cruising speed, a dwarven hydrofoil rises onto submerged lifting blades, raising most of its hull above the surface. With far less vessel in contact with the water, drag drops sharply and the craft can maintain speeds impossible for conventional river traffic.
The tradeoff is capacity. Hydrofoils are best suited to passengers, messengers, valuable cargo, alchemical samples, and other high-priority freight rather than bulk timber or ordinary commercial loads.
Poor weather, unusually low water, heavy river traffic, floating timber, cargo stops, or mechanical trouble can increase travel time for either type of vessel.
Conventional traffic might require roughly 4 days downstream or 6 days upstream under poor conditions.
A hydrofoil is less affected by ordinary current but more vulnerable to debris, narrow channels, sharp bends, and shallow water. Where the pilot cannot safely remain on the foils, the vessel must slow and travel as a conventional boat.
By ordinary riverboat, sending a physical sample from Macridi to Kerse and receiving a reply requires approximately 8 days of travel alone: three days to Kerse and five days back.
If dwarven hydrofoil passage is available in both directions, that same round trip requires only about 2 days and 18 hours of travel.
Laboratory work, consultation, preparation of a response, and the availability of a returning vessel are added on top of those travel times.