Refuel stops

Added or changed on 14 October 2026

• A port beyond one tank is reached by way of refuel stops, for every ship: it sails port to port, each leg one it can sail on a full tank, each stop a port it fits that its company has unlocked (the AI rivals go anywhere), and fills up (and repairs) at each. The way is the shortest in sea miles, each stop counting as 120 nm more so fewer stops win between ways about as long.
• A ship bound beyond one tank sails for the next stop on the way, and a port it stops at on the way is only a refuel stop: no trade, its cargo (or a fishing boat's catch) stays aboard for where it's bound, and the stop doesn't move it along its route. Its status says so ("En route to Valletta to refuel, then on to Piraeus", "Refuelling at Valletta on the way to Piraeus"). A cargo sold where it was bound is paid, and earns XP, from the port it was loaded at, not the last refuel stop.
• The Route Assignment screen greys out only the ports the ship can't reach even refuelling (clicking one says why), lists each leg's refuel stops under it in light blue ("Beyond one tank: refuels at Valletta and Heraklion on the way (no trading there)", its distance and time counted through them, each stop's port time too), and getting to the first port from where the ship is if that needs them; the full loop counts the refuel stops; on the map the legs are drawn through their stops, each ringed and labelled "Refuel". The ship popup's route line ends with its refuel stops.