How to Develop Seaports

Ahoy, Mayor! Here’s the scuttlebutt on making your seaports shipshape.

First of all, you can only zone a seaport along the shore of a navigable stretch of water. That means by an ocean, a river, or a lake connected to a river. We’re talking real water, too -- though you can make what looks like a lake or a river with the Surface Water tool, all you’ve really done is make a large puddle, and no self-respecting Sim ship captain is going to set sail on a puddle.

Seaports obey several other rules, as well:

• There needs to be enough room in the water (5 tiles) for piers to appear, otherwise, seaports won't develop
• The seaport zone must be at least 5 tiles wide at its narrowest point
• The shore must be straight
• The shore zoning needs to be at least 5 tiles long
• The shore zoning must be close to sea level. If the dirt isn’t sand-colored or light-green colored, it’s not low enough
• The zone needs to be powered, watered and within 6 tiles of a road, or some other form of Sim transportation (such as a rail or subway station)

The answer: none. Here’s why:

Zone A: the zone is too high above sea level to allow Sim shipping companies to build piers. Also, the crucial shore line zones, where piers develop, is too far from the road.

Zone B: The zone is large enough and at a low enough altitude, but the shore line is not straight.

Zone C: The zones here are well designed-except that there is no room to build piers. There aren’t enough empty water tiles in front of them.

Here’s how to adjust things to get three bustling seaports:

Bye for now, Mayor. All this talk of seaports makes me want to go take a cruise!