An alternative to sea routes?

[1940LaSalle]

It's well established that to trade with an overseas power, both need to have harbors to establish a sea route. That pretty much squelches the idea of such routes if one of the powers in question hasn't built any thus far. But what if the more advanced (=seafaring) power with a harbor already builds a city overseas and builds a harbor plus the required roads to get to the less-advanced power that still has desirable stuff? Can the stuff then be shipped to the Fatherland from the overseas port to the home port?

 

[Lord Emsworth]

Short answer.Yes it can.

You can even trade through 3rd parties' harbours.

 

[1940LaSalle]

Thanks: that seemed logical but once in a while in this game, logic is suspended (see, for example, instances where a spearman can defeat a tank). Insert evil grin here: that would also give me a back door to cozy up to a rival and then, when the time is right, it's sonny, lower the boom.

 

[Tortosa]

Just don't start a war with the third party until you finish a harbour of your own on that continent. You need to be friendly/peaceful with their harbour and the roads of the nation(s) that connect it to your unharboured city. Once you build your own harbour and get magnetism, you can ship anywhere. Then you can crush their colony.