Boats
Rafts and rowboats for the lakes and rivers, and a sailboat for the open sea.
Stand at the water's edge with the materials in your pack or close by and you can launch a boat. Board it, then tap where you want to go and it'll row you there.
| Boat | Costs | Needs water | Speed | Lasts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raft | 9 logs | 0.3 m deep | 60% of walking | about 5 km |
| Rowboat | 48 planks, 2 iron fittings | 0.5 m deep | 90% of walking | about 30 km |
| Sailboat | 80 planks, 4 iron fittings, 4 hide | 0.6 m deep | 145% of walking | about 60 km |
A raft is cheap and gets you across. A rowboat is quicker but needs planks and iron, so it's something you work up to. If you don't need a boat any more you can break up your own and get about half of what went into it back.
Boats wear as you use them. A raft is only logs lashed together and works loose quickly, while a rowboat or a sailboat is planked, nailed and caulked and lasts a good deal longer. Once one's worn right through she leaks and goes at 50% of her pace until you patch her, but she won't sink, so you can always get her home. See Wear and mending.
If a lot of people cross the same river, a bridge is worth building. Rafts and rowboats can still pass under one, but a sailboat's mast won't clear it.
Going to sea#
The sailboat is the one for the open sea and the islands. She's the fastest way there is to get about, but she draws 0.6 m, as deep as you can wade, so launch her off a beach and wade out to climb aboard.
Out of sight of land there's nothing to tap on, so you hold a heading instead: Sail on north, east, south or west. She keeps going until the water ahead gets too shallow for her, then heaves to. From there, tap the water to sail in closer and Go ashore. Watch the Atlas and your Places list to work out where you're headed.
Come ashore a long way from where you set out and the Lantern will hear about it.
It's also where the best fishing is. Cod, halibut and bluefin tuna live out past the shallows, they bite quicker there, and one of them cooks into a lot of meals.
If you log off in a boat she stops where she is and you stay aboard. Nobody else can take her while you're gone, and when you come back you're right where you left off.
Naming her#
A boat ought to have a name. Tap yours and choose Give her a name, up to 16 letters, and that's what people see when they look at her, with your name after it. Choose Rename to change it.