Board Thread:Suggestions/@comment-26271588-20150402220220/@comment-24108228-20150425092921

Gunpowder is pretty easy to make actually, if a bit smelly. All you're doing is shoving it in a box and and sticking a rope in it.

As far as iron boats go, all you need is a thin hull, the engine is just so it moves forwards quickly. And a thin hull is very managable, because iron is much stronger than the alternative materials. Heck, if you could smith enough metal into the right shape, I'd say metal boats are easier to make than wooden ones.