Dokken Canal

The western segment of the Dokken Canal, facing east toward Soot Lake

Aerial view of the Dokken Canal (November 14, 2020)

The **Dokken Canal** is an artificial sea-level waterway connecting the Sea of Quarantine in the east to the Conch Sea in the west. At an official length of 555 blocks, the Dokken Canal is the longest and only known canal on the server. The canal was constructed and is privately owned by Toing Industries. Located in unincorporated land, the canal is situated approximately 1300 blocks northwest of Xanadu and 2200 blocks northwest of Newport.

Construction on the canal began on September 6, 2020 (Day 4, Year 11 AK), and it was declared navigable on September 18 (14:1). Due to its remote location, the canal is seldom used; the entire project was widely considered a massive financial failure.

The Dokken Canal was one of four projects nominated for Greatest Feat of Construction in the 2020 Players' Choice Awards.

## Background

Since late August (c. 8-10 AK), CEO of Toing Industries ratatoing8990 had been considering investing in the sand industry, due to the material's relative scarcity in the civilized world. Following multiple surveying missions, a vast and untouched desert north of the Conch Sea was identified as an ideal location for settlement. One proposal involved establishing an independent corporatocracy in the desert, led by the CEO of Toing Industries or a board of directors, with the primary purpose of excavating and selling sand in bulk. Since there is no direct sea route connecting the Conch Sea to the Sea of Quarantine and the civilizations located there, Toing Industries proposed a canal connecting the two bodies of water as the first phase of the project.

## Construction

   Construction on the unnamed canal began on September 6, 2020 (11:4), shortly after Toing Industries advertised the need for workers to excavate the canal. Multiple players accepted the offer, including Thomas1474, isaacr4760, IITheRecyclerII, lostcity99, SlammerDoc, and crustyceans. According to the contract, workers were compensated 64 iron ingots for every 20 "longitudinal blocks of canal excavated". The workers' contract also stipulated that the right to name the canal would be granted to the worker who excavated the greatest length of the project. This ultimately fell to SlammerDoc, who excavated over half of the eastern segment and almost all of the western segment. SlammerDoc chose to name the project the "Dokken Canal". Soot Lake, an artificial shallow lake situated at the midpoint of the canal, was excavated and flooded by ratatoing8990. A beacon was rented from Rage6838 to assist workers in excavation.

Toing Industries declared the Dokken Canal fully navigable on September 18 (14:1). Although further infrastructure and development was planned along the canal, construction was stopped due to financial constraints. Ultimately, the project cost an estimated 1,280 iron ingots (20 stacks). Shortly after the project was suspended, Toing Industries abandoned the original plan to settle the shores of the Conch Sea, effectively rendering the Dokken Canal irrelevant.

## Layout

The Dokken Canal is eight blocks wide and three blocks deep. It is composed of two segments: eastern and western, which meet at Soot Lake at the midpoint of the canal. The eastern segment runs 180 blocks from the Sea of Quarantine in the east to Soot Lake in the west, cutting through hills covered in a roofed forest. The western segment of the canal runs 190 blocks through desert, connecting Soot Lake in the east to the Conch Sea in the west.