The drydock is an economical building in Tropico 5. Once built, it will increase the speed of all trade ships.
**The Drydock are high on the list of the most important buildings in the game. When reaching the World War era I focus all of my research towards the construction of a drydock. As stated it immediately opens up the entire map once researched which saves you tons of money by not sending out Expeditions (1000/Expedition), and grounds your Rangers to their post so they are where you expect them to be if a rebel attack or invasion takes place. And opening the entire map allows you to better plan the urban/agricultural layout of your island more effectively.
Build it, and make sure you put in the upgrades!!!
Re-enforced hulls 50% more shipping space means you can make much larger shipments and make loads more money.
And best of all The shipwright upgrade allows two ships per dock, which means less of a physical footprint on the map leading to less sprawl and more compact industrial sections. You can also import and export the same materials from a single dock, (hopefully you know export should cost more than imports) making each dock a potential money maker by itself.
Example of Shipwright in action.. ( If I wanted to export steel but didn't have mines, you would need to....
A) Develop 2 mines (Iron, coal) and export from a single dock.
B) Build 3 docks 1 to import coal, 1 to import iron, 1 to export steel
C) Have the Upgrade and Build 2 Docks, 1 to import coal and iron, 1 to export steel which you can assign 2 ships for, which means you will be racking in the dough (assuming that the other sectors of you economy are balancing.
In Game Description[]
Trade ships mature here and are released on the unsuspecting world when they grow big enough. Ship procreation is a closely guarded secret told to shipwrights when they reach adulthood. Increases the speed of all Trade Ships. Unique.
Era Unlocked - World Wars
Research Required - The Compass
Upgrades[]
- Reinforced Hulls: (World Wars) For $5,000, the island's trade fleet can be made stronger, making each ship hold 50% more exports.
- Shipwright: (World Wars) For $20,000, the drydock can construct and service more ships, making each dock provide an extra trade ship.