Union sea trade

[Gray Fox]

If you build the transport ship units and add them to the merchant fleet in the shipping box, then you get more income. The six merchant ship units bring in a mixture of dollars and WS that equals 58. IIRC, you can build a transport fleet of 47 units. This will increase sea commerce by 120 (again, a mixture of dollars and WS), more than tripling it. I usually have this up and running by fall 1861. Unlike additional ironworks, these transports also boost sea supply and can support an invasion as needed.

[tripax]

Also, they produce that between money and ws of which you have less!

[Gray Fox]

Correct.
I tried this with the CSA ocean transports and it works for them as well. You can build 27 ocean transports and place them in passive/retreat posture in the shipping lanes box to get a combination of dollars and WS equal to 74 per turn. As you mentioned, in this case it is mostly WS. The rate of return is thus about 11 turns. The Union does not have ocean raiders, so you don't lose any of this income. This beats blockade runners or iron works.

P.S. After further tests, the income was more like $14 and 98 WS per turn. This is most likely an exploit. The ships do not seem to be affected by the Union blockade one bit and ahistorically bring in a lot of resources.