« 2.1 Movement Outline
Ship models are moved on flat, open surfaces without use of square or hexagonal grids. All movement is conducted in millimeters and available speed is controlled by several factors including ship type, wind direction and speed setting (sail selection). According to these factors, each ship is allotted a specific movement to be made for the turn. Commanding players may move their ships in any direction of their choosing, including those directions which are not advisable. The rules do not prevent players from making mistakes, and so a bit of practice may be needed in order to help players make the best movement decisions. Players should keep in mind that naval battles of this time were decided in part by the side which made the least number of maneuver errors. Admiralty tries to reflect this reality.

« 2.2 Moving Straight
A ship is moved by first referring to its log and confirming its basic speed value, which is the number in the Speed box that matches the current wind direction. This number will be one of three that was recorded at the time the ship log was filled out. For reference, there is also a Speed table on the combat chart that gives the same information based on ship's speed type and wind direction.

The basic speed value may sometimes be modified by the current speed setting and wind intensity modifiers. Use of alternate speed settings – also called sail settings – allows the basic speed value to be changed. The five available settings are: Stop, Slow, Battle, Normal and Full. The three wind intensities are Weak, Normal and Brisk. See Modifiers below for more about these speed modifiers. The basic speed value may also be modified by the number of Sail Hits a ship has suffered. As a ship suffers sail hits, it's "100" value is lowered, reducing the basic speed value by the same percentage. See section 4.4 for more about Sail Hit effects.

Once the modified speed for a ship is confirmed, it must be moved that distance in millimeters. It may not move more or less than that amount. If a vessel or obstacle is in the path of the moving ship, the ship must turn to prevent a collision. This method of moving requires players to pay attention to their speed settings (I.E. - Their sail settings). If ships to the front slow down, a prompt reduction of the speed setting for the next turn is advised. By the same token, if a gap opens between two ships, the rearmost should consider adjusting its sail setting for a turn to reduce the gap.

Move Example 1: A ship of the line with a speed type of Heavy Slow is moving with the wind directly behind it (from direction 1). A quick check of that ship's log shows its basic speed with that wind direction to be 70mm. However, the ship has suffered ten S hits, which has reduced its Sail Hits number to 90. This means the ship can only move 90% of 70mm that turn, which is 63mm.

Move Example 2: A ship of the line with a speed type of Heavy Fast is moving with the wind coming from direction 3. This gives the ship a basic speed of 40mm. However, instead of using its usual battle speed, the ship is using the Full Sail speed setting, which will double its movement to 80mm for the turn.

Fig. 1 Turning Circles To turn a ship, place the flat zero position of the turning circle against the center of the ship's side. Then, moving the edge of the ship's base along the outer edge of the circle, count off the speed consumption, which is marked along the edge of the circle. The model shown has just used 30mm of it's movement to make a turn to starboard.

« 2.3 Turning
Players wanting to move their ships in any path but a straight line must use a turning circle. A turning circle lays out the average turn a ship will make, while also showing the rate at which available movement is consumed during the turn. Players may not pre-measure, re-measure or otherwise "take back" any turns they conduct or even begin to conduct with their ships. Once a turning circle is laid down and a player begins moving his ship along the circle edge, he must complete the maneuver. If a player begins making a turn and realizes that the ship's alignment is not correct in relation to the other ships ahead or behind (usually because of starting the turn too early or too late) nothing can be done about it at that point. The imperfect move must be completed and any resulting errors in alignment resolved on later movement turns. Note that turning a ship will dramatically change the direction of the wind in relation to the sails, which will have a corresponding effect on available movement for the next turn.

Turning Downwind - The naval term for turning downwind is wearing. This is when a ship moves so that its bow turns away from the wind. Turning downwind is the safest and easiest way to turn, and is often the only option available for ships slowed down by rigging damage.

Turning Upwind - The naval term for turning upwind is tacking. Tacking has advantages over wearing, mainly because it takes less time to resume movement in the same direction as before. However, if a ship makes a mistake while tacking, it can end up stuck motionless with its bow pointing into the wind – a very bad way to be when there are enemy ships loitering in the area. So a ship never turns upwind and stays that way on purpose. Its goal is to get up some speed and suddenly whip around as quickly as possible so that it ends its turn with the wind on the other side of the ship. If that isn't possible, players may consult the Turning Upwind column on the Movement table. If a ship ended its previous movement phase in the middle of a turn into the wind, it may roll one six-sided die on the Turning Upwind column. The crew grade of the vessel will decide the die roll range, and any die roll value equal to or higher than the number shown allows the ship a 10mm move on the turning circle. This essentially allows any vessel with the minimum requirement for tacking to finish its turn, even if that takes several game turns to complete. Players should note that different ships and crews will show varying abilities to tack upwind. Ships with poorer quality crews will find that turning downwind is best unless they don't mind spending a long time tacking and running other risks.

Minimum requirement for turning upwind is 50mm of total available movement and no more than one mast hit (resolved or active). Ships which begin their movement with less than 50 mm of modified movement and/or two or more masts hits may not turn upwind.

« 2.4 Changing Speed
A ship may not change its speed during the movement phase. It may change its speed for the following turn by changing its sail setting during the second Command Phase. See section 3.1 for more information.

« 2.5 Speed Modifiers
All movement modifiers are multiples and divisors, and it does not matter which order they are applied. The same number will result no matter which modifiers are applied first. Note that the Speed table also include modifiers according to current number of Sail hits. A ship may only have one sail setting at any one time.

Brisk Wind — Add 20% to the basic movement if the current wind intensity is brisk (as opposed to normal or weak).
Weak Wind — Subtract 20% from the basic movement if the current wind intensity is weak (as opposed to normal or brisk).
Slow Sail — Halve the adjusted basic movement if the sail setting from last turn's command phase is Slow.
Battle Sail — Leave the adjusted basic movement unchanged if the sail setting from last turn's command phase is Battle Sail.
Normal Sail — Add fifty percent to the adjusted basic movement if the sail setting from last turn's command phase is Normal Sail.
Full Sail — Double the adjusted basic movement if the sail setting from last turn's command phase is Full Sail.

Sail Hits — The sail hits modifier appears on the ship log instead of the speed table. If the number shows as less than 100 (IE - Less than 100% of rigging is intact) multiply the basic speed by that amount. See section 4.4 for more about sail hit effects.

« 2.6 Collisions
If a ship moves within 10mm of another vessel during its movement, both must roll on the Collision table to check for hits and damage. Begin by establishing whether the combined courses of the two ships are Collision or Other, and at what point the affected areas of the ships are most in danger of colliding. Each player then rolls one six sided die and modifies the roll result with all applicable modifiers. Cross index the modified number with the portion of the ship most affected – bow, side or stern – and apply the results shown.

The collision check should always be made at: (a) The point during the active ship's entire movement that it comes closest to the other vessel, or (b) The point during the active ship's movement that both vessels are at maximum engagement. In either case, the collision check will often not occur at the moment the ships approach within 10mm, but the moment at which they are most in danger of collision and fouling for the entire course of that move. This last item is an important one, as many vessels should be allowed to "come alongside" other ships before checking for collisions – if such a maneuver is their intent – rather than checking for collision and locking at the very first moment they approach within 10mm.

Combined Courses – There are two basic categories of courses: collision and other. A collision course is one in which the ships are clearly in danger of striking each other or becoming locked due to fouling. Other courses are usually when ships are travelling parallel to each other or passing one another. The combat chart includes a basic outline of Collision Course figures showing the general intent of the two main categories.

Affected Areas – Deciding the affected portion of a ship will usually be easy. If two vessels have come alongside each other, then each will use the side column. If a vessel is being passed astern, it will use the stern column while the ship passing it will use the side column. If a vessel is headed straight for the side of another ship, it will use the bow column while the other vessel uses the side column.

As noted above, players should keep in mind the portions of the ship most at risk at the mostly like point of collision. For example, if two ships are passing each other in opposite directions (collision course) and their sides are parallel to each other, they would check for collision when they are fully abreast of each other (the point of maximum engagement) not at the moment their bows come within 10mm.

« 2.7 Special Rules
Rotating at Anchor – Any ship which is anchored may attempt to rotate in place by rolling one six-sided die and then consulting the Special Moves table on the combat chart. If the roll result is equal to or higher than the number shown, the ship may rotate 10mm in place. The ship's centerpoint must remain stationary.

Fine Tuning Sails – Crews of C grade or better may vary their actual speed used during movement by scoring a die roll result equal to or higher than the number shown in the Tune Speed column in the Special Moves table. Speed tuning may be attempted at any time during the movement of a particular ship, but not before. Players may not "go down the line" and roll for fine tuning of multiple ships before moving them.

« 2.8 Advanced Movement Rules
Advanced rules are not required for general game play, and they may slow the game down. But experienced players already familiar with the rules may enjoy these ideas and the historical feel they help to create.

Sails Aback – If any vessel with normal or full sail moving under wind direction 1 or 2 turns into wind direction 3 or 4, its movement for the turn is immediately halved. This represents the braking action of the sails when they go "aback" and slow the ship. For example, a ship which began its move with 160mm of movement would be reduced to 80mm, and if it had already consumed 70mm of movement making the turn, it would have only 10mm of movement remaining.

A second optional step to the sails aback rule, is that any vessel under full sail conducting the above movement must immediately roll once on the Mast Hit table for rigging damage, and must also roll immediately for each existing Mast hit.