Strait crossing fees

[Desertfox]

So the fashion is now to charge for passage in all straits? *looks at Torres Strait* ....


Split from the other thread. P³D.

[P3D]

Imagine four nations setting up toll booths along the Red Sea. Egypt, Turkey, France, Ethiopia, Austria - and there is another four nations with nearby bases who could just blockade the sea at any time.

Those Zeppelins I am planning will come handy patrolling the seas South of Kaapstad and catching merchants unvilling to pay the fee, which is levied on all traffic going around the Cape - any revenues will only be used to pay for similar fees levied by other nations.

[Earl822]

Isn't it intriuging that the UNK is building an airship base in Dover? ???

[Walter]

Those Zeppelins I am planning will come handy patrolling the seas South of Kaapstad and catching merchants unvilling to pay the fee, which is levied on all traffic going around the Cape - any revenues will only be used to pay for similar fees levied by other nations.

Would that actually be allowed in international waters? I can understand that if a ship is within your territorial waters you can do that, but doing that outside your territorial waters is asking for trouble.
I would think that if passage goes through the area outside your territorial waters, you have no right to charge a fee.

[Korpen]

Those Zeppelins I am planning will come handy patrolling the seas South of Kaapstad and catching merchants unvilling to pay the fee, which is levied on all traffic going around the Cape - any revenues will only be used to pay for similar fees levied by other nations.

Would that actually be allowed in international waters? I can understand that if a ship is within your territorial waters you can do that, but doing that outside your territorial waters is asking for trouble.
I would think that if passage goes through the area outside your territorial waters, you have no right to charge a fee.

Well, it seems that is just what the english are trying to do in the strait between the brittish isles and continental europe.
3nm is  the generally accepted limit of territorial waters.

And we are taking about states here, right and wrong does not exist, only power.

[P3D]

Would that actually be allowed in international waters? I can understand that if a ship is within your territorial waters you can do that, but doing that outside your territorial waters is asking for trouble.
I would think that if passage goes through the area outside your territorial waters, you have no right to charge a fee.

I was theoretically speaking, but Orange, with its declining faith in any international multilateral agreement might just do so, being pissed off with all the increased shipping fees. It only needs an extension of one's territorial water southward up to the Atlantic. It's a matter of reciprocity - just utilizing one's own strategical location to milk everyone else. And Orange has the power to enforce it - albeit temporarily but it has.
I might mention Singapore, Cape Horn, Gibraltar in addition.

AS a GM I am starting to be fed up with players asking for ridiculous amounts of money for shipping rights - amounts in the magnitude of the TOTAL revenue from one nation's whole merchant fleet and higher.

[Borys]

Kaapstadt, late January 1906
Foreign Office

- Your Excellency, Habsburg merchants and warships are extensions of territory subject to Habsburg rule - Ambassador Gróf Bela Lugosi paused for breath.
- Thus any fly-over of an Orange Airship above a vessel flying the Habsburg banner will be charged at 1000 Rands. Or flat payment of 1$ and 50 elephants for a year's worth of ... "flyovers".

[Desertfox]

Its not outrageous, a nation has a right to do whatever it wants, now if it leads to war thats their problem. China declared waters out to 20 miles teritorial waters that reignited the Swiss-Chinese War.

[P3D]

Kaapstadt, late January 1906
Foreign Office

- Your Excellency, Habsburg merchants and warships are extensions of territory subject to Habsburg rule - Ambassador Gróf Bela Lugosi paused for breath.
- Thus any fly-over of an Orange Airship above a vessel flying the Habsburg banner will be charged at 1000 Rands. Or flat payment of 1$ and 50 elephants for a year's worth of ... "flyovers".

And war is just a convenient excuse to charge even more to "protect" interantional shipping from Austrian and whatever pirates.

[Walter]

Its not outrageous, a nation has a right to do whatever it wants

Maybe so, but there are limits to what is acceptable to other nations as well, especially those in the region. Something like this might cause serious international problems.
A shame I am on the other side of the world. :D

[Borys]

Ahoj!
I don't know what Earl's plan was, but he surely brought the board to life :)

Borys

[Borys]

Kaapstadt, late January 1906
Foreign Office

- Your Excellency, Habsburg merchants and warships are extensions of territory subject to Habsburg rule - Ambassador Gróf Bela Lugosi paused for breath.
- Thus any fly-over of an Orange Airship above a vessel flying the Habsburg banner will be charged at 1000 Rands. Or flat payment of 1$ and 50 elephants for a year's worth of ... "flyovers".

And war is just a convenient excuse to charge even more to "protect" interantional shipping from Austrian and whatever pirates.

In that case the annual flyover fee is increased by 1000 fattened oxen and two dozen Xhosa dancing girls.

[Carthaginian]

Sounds like the Times needs to be more careful with it's reporting, as it almost landed the UNK in a washtub full of hot water. If I were them, I'd make sure that the Times was kept in check something fierce for the time being.

[P3D]

Well, if the Austrians really wants to pay for the Orange Zeppelins to fly over them, they will gladly do that. I really have to build some zeppelins first just for the occasion.

One of the would-be zeppelin pilots inquire whether  the 1000 rands would be paid by the Austrian ships for each flyover - then they would fly over and over Austrian ships all the day.

[Borys]

Bela Lugosi leans back, looking quizicaly at his interlocutor ...
- Surely your Hungarian isn't that bad, Your Excelency. When Orange airships fly over Habsburg ships - makes fluttering movements with his hands, looking sinisterily bat-like - Orange ding-ding (metal clinking sound) Austria - makes internatonal payment gesture rubbing thumb against forefinger