How do work boats work?

[SteveMcPeace]

Hi there.

I have a problem understanding the way work boats work. I want to improve my coastal cities with some fishing boats, but the work boat can't do anything. When I put it on automatic mode, sometimes fishing boats appear on my coasts, but mostly not. What am I doing wrong?

Greetz

Steve

[DrSpike]

For fish research fishing, build work boat, move work boat to fish, and there should be option to use the work boat on the fish. This consumes the work boat and you get the new higher yield from the fish tile.

Less important but worth mentioning is that you still have to protect the tile as enemies can destroy the work boat with their offensive ships.

[Ari Rahikkala]

I was somewhat confused by work boats the first time I played. Basically... the boat unit builds resource improvements. You can only build one where there is a resource to be improved - fish, clams, crabs, etc.. The improvement is represented by what I think is a wooden circle (of fishing nets?) around the resource, and increases the yield of that tile. On the other hand, any tile can be worked. Having a citizen work on gathering resources in a sea tile is, IIRC, represented by a pair of small sailing boats.

[ColdPhoenix]

Like what Ari said only I think the graphics are the other way around.

If you use a fishing boat on a resource then you get that resource (plus one health in all cities with fish for example) and that is represented by a small boat on the tile.

If the tile happens to be within the area that a city can use then it also increases the yield of that tile when worked (eg by three food for fish) and is represented by a wooden circle with a net.

[Will9]

Their is anet out if it is being worked. If it isn't being worked there is no net and the sail is down. A square without boats that is being worked has a boat with it's sail up.

[Willem]

Yes, unless you have a specific resource nearby you don't need Workboats in order to work your coastal areas. They only function with special resources like Fish, Clams , Crabs and Whales. Otherwise they do nothing.

[Tokyo Sexwale]

Don't forget work boats are also a cheap way to explore you immediate coastal surroundings before you get Sailing.