Redwyne Straits

The Redwyne Straits separate the Arbor, the island seat of House Redwyne, from the southern coast of the Reach. The passage is a vital maritime artery linking the Sunset Sea to the waters off the coast of Dorne and the Stepstones. Its strategic importance has made it a frequent theater of naval conflict, from the Greyjoy Rebellion to the War of the Five Kings.

Geography and Strategic Importance

The straits lie between the Arbor and the mainland, connecting the Sunset Sea to the wider waters south of Westeros. Their relatively narrow width makes them a natural chokepoint for shipping between the Reach and the rest of the realm. The Arbor’s famed vineyards and its powerful fleet give House Redwyne control over this passage, a fact that has shaped Reach politics for centuries. During the War of the Five Kings, the straits became a crucial route for troop and supply movements, and their control shifted with the fortunes of the warring factions.

Naval Activity in A Dance with Dragons

In the fifth book, the Redwyne Straits are mentioned as the route by which Lord Paxter Redwyne’s war fleet is returning home from the east. Tycho Nestoris, the envoy of the Iron Bank of Braavos, reports to Jon Snow that “Lord Redwyne’s war fleet creeps through the Broken Arm as well. On its way home, no doubt.” This movement signals the potential reinforcement of the Lannister-Tyrell alliance in King’s Landing. Simultaneously, the straits are a hunting ground for Salladhor Saan, the Lysene pirate who abandoned Stannis Baratheon. Davos Seaworth learns in White Harbor that Salla is “returning to the Stepstones with what few ships remained him,” and the straits lie directly on that route, making them a likely area for his resumed piracy.

The Iron Fleet’s Passage

Victarion Greyjoy’s Iron Fleet also passed through the Redwyne Straits on its voyage east. The text notes that the fleet “took on grain and game and fresh water” in the Stepstones after “the long voyage along the bleak and barren coast of Dorne with its shoals and whirlpools.” The straits are the logical sea lane between the Stepstones and the open waters south of Dorne, and Victarion’s ships would have traversed them before heading toward Valyria and Slaver’s Bay. The capture of five prizes “in the Redwyne Straights and along the Dornish coast” is explicitly recorded, demonstrating that the straits were a profitable raiding ground for the ironborn as they sailed east.

Significance in the Narrative

The Redwyne Straits function as a connective waterway linking multiple plot threads: the return of Tyrell naval power to King’s Landing, the resurgence of Salladhor Saan’s piracy, and the passage of Victarion’s fleet toward Daenerys Targaryen. Their mention underscores the maritime dimension of the War of the Five Kings and the ongoing naval struggles that shape the political landscape of the Reach and the wider realm.