Great Surrey Reach

The Great Surrey Reach is the primary maritime artery connecting the Brams River to the Gulf of Inespell. This deep-water channel forms the northern fork of the river's delta, separating Surrey-on-the-Brams and Surrey's East from the Seneran mainland.

Maritime Significance 🔗

The Reach serves as the main shipping channel for international trade and naval operations, with depths ranging from 45 to 60 feet at mean low water and a navigable width of nearly half a mile. Where it meets the gulf, the channel widens into a natural deep-water roadstead, offering protected anchorage for large vessels.

Several notable hazards require careful pilotage:

Natural Features 🔗

Dragon's Teeth: Jagged rocks exposed at low tide near the gulf entrance
Complex tidal interactions between river current and gulf waters
Standing waves during ebb tides when strong southwesterly winds oppose the current

Artificial Features 🔗

Ballast Banks: Centuries of accumulated ship's ballast creating shoals along the northern bank
Strictly regulated ballast disposal points
Maintained channels through hazardous waters

Maritime Control 🔗

The Reach functions as a transitional zone under Port Surrey-on-the-Brams' authority, where:

All vessels must submit to inspection
Multiple inspection anchorages maintain commercial flow
Customs officers conduct examinations
Intelligence agents monitor for treaty violations
Licensed pilot services guide vessels

Strategic Importance 🔗

Military Oversight 🔗

Artillery batteries along both shores
Anti-ship emplacements with overlapping fields of fire
Quick-response naval squadrons
Coastal watch stations
Deep-water patrol zones

Northern Shore 🔗

Natural deep-water berths
Ancient Kalassarian stone wharves
Modern port facilities
Military installations
Customs checkpoints

Bastion Falls