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Puerto Rico - Rules - The Captain

The captain is in charge of shipping goods to the old world. This means that the captain is the first to load goods on the cargo ships. Then, the other players follow, in clockwise order from the captain.

Note: In the captain phase, each player may get several turns to load goods on the cargo ships. When it is a player's turn to load goods on a cargo ship, he must load if he can. However, a player may load goods of only one kind on a turn.

The captain phase continues, clockwise around the table, as long as at least one player has goods he can load.

Loading/shipping rules

When shipping, players must follow these rules:

• Each cargo ship will carry goods on only one kind.
• Players may not load goods on a cargo ship if goods of that same kind are on one of the other two cargo ships.
• Players may not load goods on a full ship.
• On a player's turn, he must load goods if he can. However, he may only load one kind of goods.
• When a players loads good of a kind, he must load as many of that kind as he can. A player cannot hold back goods where there is space on a cargo ship carrying the kind of goods he has. If a player has a kind of goods that can be loaded on several empty ships, he must choose the ship where he can load the most goods, leaving none behind, if possible.
• If a player has several kinds of goods that he can load, he may choose freely, which goods to load. He need not choose the goods that would allow him to load the most barrels.

Victory points

For each good (each barrel, not each kind of goods) a player loads, he earns one victory point (1 VP) in the form of value 1 victory point chips. When loading goods onto the cargo ships, all kinds of goods have the same value: 1 VP per barrel loaded! The goods values used in the trader phase are not used here. When loading his first kind of goods, the captain takes as his privilege one extra victory point. He does not extra extra VPs for each kind he loads.

A players keeps his victory points, unlike his money and goods, secret from the others. A player puts his victory point chips face-down on his wind rose. From time to time, players should convert 5 value 1 chips for a single value 5 chip.

Goods storage

When no more goods can be loaded on the cargo ships, the players must store the goods left on their wind roses. Each players may store one good (one barrel) on his wind rose. For all other remaining goods, each player must find room in one of his warehouses (small or large). If a player does not have sufficient warehouse space, he must place all extra goods back in the goods supplies (see more information under small warehouse).

As his last duty, the captain unloads all full ships by placing those goods back in their separate supply piles. Partially full and empty ships remain as they are until the next captain phase. It will be more difficult to load goods in the next captain phase, because of the kinds of goods already on the cargo ships and the fewer number of spaces available.

Notes:

• Remember the special functions of the small warehouse, large warehouse, the harbour, and the wharf.
• If a player cannot store all his extra goods, he may choose which goods to store and which to return to the goods supply.
• The captain earns only one extra VP as his privilege, regardless of how many kinds of goods he loads. If he loads no goods, he does not get the extra privilege VP.
• Players only check for goods storage at the end of the captain phase. Players store goods acquired in other phases on the wind roses without limit until the next captain phase.

Action
The players must load goods on the cargo ships.
Privilege
The captain earns 1 extra victory point.

Each cargo ship can carry only goods of one kind, but not goods like any other cargo ship.

When no players can load any more goods, the captain phase end and the captain empties all full cargo ships.

Goods storage
Each player may store only one good (exception: warehouses!).

Example for the captain phase (with 4 players):

Anna is captain and starts the loading. She has 2 corn and 6 sugar. The 5 space ship and the 7 space ship are empty, and there are 3 corn on the 6 space ship. Anna must load either her 2 corn or 6 sugar. She chooses the sugar and loads her 6 sugar barrels on the 7 space ship (she may not choose the 5 space ship as she could not load all 6 sugar). She earns 7 VPs (6 + 1 for the captain privilege).
Bob is next. He has 2 sugar and 3 tobacco. He chooses sugar and loads 1 barrel on the 7 space ship, filling it (he cannot load his other sugar as there is no room). He could, instead, choose to load his 3 tobacco on the empty 5 space ship, but hopes to sell tobacco to the trading house later. He earns 1 VP.
Chris is next. She has 2 corn and 1 tobacco. She chooses tobacco and loads 1 tobacco on the empty 5 space ship. She earns 1 VP.
David is next. He has 1 corn and 5 indigo. He must load the corn on the 6 space ship as he has no place for his indigo. He earns 1 VP.
Anna now has another turn. She must now load her 2 corn on the 6 space ship. She earns 2 more VP.
Bob has now no choice but to load his 3 tobacco on the 5 space ship. He earns 3 more VP.
Chris and David have goods left, but no place to load them. Anna and Bob have no goods left. Thus, the loading ends.