Nope
 

Got a crew. Got a ship. Fully loaded with goods & cash.

Actually, got two ships....and still no idea how on earth to actually leave London.

Try right clicking on the ship (the big one in the overview map)

OR

RTFM.

Manual

I haven't played this game for a while but this is what I remember:
When you have a ship, a crew and preferably some cargo you left click the big ship image, select the ship you want and a NESW cursor appears. With this cursor you select the harbour(s) you want to sail to. Then right click the date so that time advances and your ship should appear to the harbour you previously selected.

Nope
 

Did I not say I've read the manual? ENTIRE, only to find it contains no data on the actual controls?

No, right-clicking is not it.

I'm still buffled how so many people (reading this thread) managed to play this.

Interestingly enough, I've been searching the net for a solution, and I found only - a youtube video of playin 1869. In the video, apparently, the man has no idea how to move from the very same harbor, so he just drops it and quits the game. :D It seems like this is a common problem with 1869, and I'm not just being incapable over here.

OK. Well, I read the manual and played the game (and managed to move between harbours).
Left click the big ship image and you'll see this.
http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/1994/1869000.png (Did you manage to get that small ship image to London harbour? If not you have to click the date so that time advances. It takes some time for the ship and crew to get to the harbour).

Select your ship and this happens.
http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/7713/1869001.png

Now select the harbour you want to go to.
http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/1904/1869002.png

This I didn't remember. Obviously you have to right click the destination harbour to get the arrow cursor back.
http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/7486/1869003.png

Now, click the date.....
http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/1081/1869004.png
and your ship arrives to the new harbour (see that small ship?)

Zirkoni wins.

What have I won?

This is the problem I'm having.

How to select the ship? Left/right clicking it is no good. :sick:

You don't see this when you left click the big ship?
http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/1994/1869000.png

Do you have that small ship image at you home harbour?