Compulsory royal service placed a shipowner in a worse financial position than a knight serving with a horse. The knight's land could still provide income, and a lost horse could qualify for compensation. A shipowner lost the use of an income-producing vessel and seldom received compensation for loss or damage. Royal orders could prohibit sailing, recall ships from abroad, or require them at a named port on a specified day. Selection depended on horse capacity or tonnage, and sometimes excluded the largest ships, possibly because too few ports could accommodate them.
Chapter · 22:08-25:56
Requisition placed a heavy burden on merchant shipowners
Compulsory service deprived shipowners of their income, while royal orders selected vessels by cargo capacity, size, and access to suitable ports.