Tonobara-shu were engaged in water transportation: they owned their fleet called Katata-sen (a group of ships in Katata) and maintained Katata-shu's leading position by checking other areas surrounding the lake and sometimes even by pirating.
殿原衆は堅田の水上交通に従事して堅田船と呼ばれる船団を保有して、時には海賊行為を行って他の琵琶湖沿岸都市を牽制しつつ、堅田衆の指導的な地位を確保していた。