| boat type | control and power | min. occupants | max. occupants |
| simple papyrus-reed boat | 1 oar | 1 | 1 |
| simple square-sailed boat | 2 oars, rudder, sail | 1 | 3 |
| square-sailed boat | 4 oars, rudder, sail | 3 | 5 |
| small barge | 4 oars, rudder | 3 | 5 |
| large barge | 6 oars and 2 rudders | 6 | 8 |
| ship | 8 oars and 2 rudders | 6 | 10 |
Larger boats will allow you to carry more weight and bulk than smaller boats. More people would be required to man the largest boats but they would allow the transportation of massive amounts such as limestone blocks and huge chests.
The strength score of each person on the boat would be factored in to the speed and maneuverability of the ship. The strength of each 'side' would have to be balanced to keep the boat going straight, or purposely unbalanced to turn for docking or bends in the river.
Small boats could be picked up and carried or broken down like the ferry. A 'dry dock' compound would be necessary for the construction of the larger boats as well as their repair and possibly even to 'store' them when not in use.
(The land bridges that span the river pose a problem that could be solved with the addition of Bridges. )
The construction of a Sun boat or Funerary boat could be a test in the School of Worship. This could also be a Community Project like a Pyramid. That would be a good fit as the Pyramid would have been the final resting place of the Phoaroh and built during his life, and the Funerary boat would then be what carried his sarcophagus down the Nile to his tomb.
An additional game element could be the requirement to build a dock. To keep the river from becoming cluttered, the game could automatically "wash away" any water-vessel that has been left unmoored for 24 hours. This could play an even bigger role when using, say, a barge that transports large amoutns of goods. A dock might then be necessary for unloading the bardge.
Docks would carry a minimum build distance before another could be built to prevent clutter.