RHS Level 7 shipping channels along south edge of map

[Buck Beach]

How would you recommend I use the level 7 shipping channels to Melbourne and Wellington? If used, the trip from either New Orleans and Panama City is considerably longer than across the map.

[el cid again]

These shipping channels represent routes "around the backside of the world" - that is - crossing the South Atlantic Ocean - which is why you see Recife and Rio de Janario (both in Brazil) on them. Recife is the entry point for some shipping from the UK. Ships entering the map at that point may transit to Panama - via two different routes (to New Orleans - or more directly) - and then enter the Eastern Pacific. Or they may proceed Southwest - and branch to go up the Western side of South America - to Chile and then to Panama or out into the ocean near Tahiti - or yet another option - cross back to South Africa - and enter the Indian Ocean area - if for some reason you changed your mind. If you knew up front you wanted to go to the Indian ocean - you can go to Capetown directly from Recife. There is a "triangle" in the South Atlantic - from Recife at the top - to Capetown in the SE corner - and Cape Horn/Port Stanley in the SW corner. From Capetown you may go to Durban - and then you get to choose - up to the Central Indian Ocean (by two routes) - or over past Madagascar to the Southern Indian Ocean - by three different routes. From Cape Horn you can go up to Chile and then to Panama - or back the long way to South Africa. From Chile you can go to the Southeast Pacific - or to Panama.

These routes are to permit ships to enter the map - or leave the map and reenter it - in ways unpredictable to the enemy. They also are routes mainly safe from enemy recon or attack (most are forbidden - and anyway our of range). However - some supplies, fuel and resources are produced in the tracks - and these also may be shipped as you like. In particular - exporting resources to New Orleans will pay you in supplies and fuel - assuming you have the shipping to move them somewhere useful.

There are many potential uses of the ship tracks - but their function is mainly to get stuff to enter the map where you want it - unknown to the enemy - and to permit an alternative SLOC if you need it (or a supplimental one if you don't need it).
It means that you cannot really be driven off the map edge.

[Buck Beach]

Understood! I wasn't thinking outside my AI world box. Your explanation and information makes total sense against a human player. Thank you.