This guild is one of the busiest and most important in
the City of Splendors. Its members keep the harbor clear
of all litter (discarded crates, discarded seaweed tangles
from fishing nets, discarded bodies, et cetera), run a
myriad of small skiffs and ferries about the harbor and
up and down the seashore of Waterdeep, for hire, and
load and unload almost all of the ships that dock in
Waterdeep’s busy harbor. This last mentioned work is
done for a standard fee of 1 sp per man per hour, doubled
if the cargo is dangerous (such as live, wild beasts,
even if caged; incendiaries; exotic, volatile oils; or diseased
or insane creatures) Allowed to keep “found”
items from harbor floating debris, and unclaimed cargo
after seven months following a legal announcement of
the discovery of same, unless the owner identifies it to
the satisfaction of a Magister but does not wish to take
possession of it within the seven months (whereupon the
City stores it, granting the Waterman involved a 1 gp
“finder’s fee” which it recovers from the owner later).
Watermen do not pilot large boats into or out of the harbor,
hut do work the clock around at some times of the
year, loading and unloading vessels, and ferrying people
to and fro, collecting their fees constantly as they work.
All Watermen know the currents, depths, and backwaters
of the harbor well, and where the various sewers
empty into it.