The premise sounds absurd, but How to Fish hides a surprisingly chaotic achievement behind a very simple question: what happens when you throw dynamite under a boat? The answer is the I'm the Bird Now achievement, and getting it takes about five minutes once you know what you're doing.
What do you need to make the boat fly?
Two things: a boat and Dynamite. The boat you already have. The Dynamite is the problem, because you cannot buy it on the starting island.
Dynamite first becomes available at shops on Island 2 (the Forest) and costs just $25. That's cheap enough that there's no reason to grind for it, but you do need to reach the Forest before any of this is possible.
How to Fish Guide: How to Make Your Boat Fly
How to reach Island 2 (the Forest)
Getting to the Forest is not optional prep work you can skip. The game locks island progression behind quest completion and boss fights. To unlock the Lighthouse Keeper's boat, you must:
- Complete the Who Stole My Beer quest
- Defeat the Spider Crab boss
- Return the Spider Crab's carcass to the Lighthouse Keeper
- Receive the boat keys from him as a reward
Once you have the boat, sail to Island 2, head to the shop, and pick up Dynamite before doing anything else.
How to make the boat fly
Once you have Dynamite in your inventory, the process is straightforward but requires decent timing:
- Equip the Dynamite from your inventory
- Light the fuse
- Throw the Dynamite next to your boat before it detonates
- Put distance between yourself and the explosion
- Watch the boat launch into the air and collect the achievement
Holding Q increases throw force and distance, which gives you more control over placement. You want the Dynamite landing close to the boat's hull, not 10 meters away.
There's also an alternative method if you prefer more control: throw an unlit Dynamite under the boat first, then shoot it to trigger the explosion manually. This removes the timing pressure entirely.
How to Fish Guide: How to Make Your Boat Fly
What happens when the boat flies?
The explosion launches the boat into the air. The moment it leaves the ground, the I'm the Bird Now achievement unlocks on Steam. You can verify it in your Steam Library immediately after.
Both methods work. The unlit-then-shoot approach is the cleaner option if you want to avoid the chaos of a live fuse.
Is this worth doing beyond the achievement?
Honestly, no, the boat does not gain any new function from being launched. This is purely an achievement unlock, and a fun one. If you are working through the full achievement list, our How to Fish trophy and achievement guide covers every unlock in the game with efficient ordering tips.
While you are on Island 2 and spending money at the shop, it is also worth checking the Fishipedia for any rare variants you might be missing. Catching Drip Creatures opens up the Reel of Fortune for weapon skins, and our Drip Creatures guide explains exactly how to spot and catch them.
For everything else the game has to offer, the full How to Fish guides collection covers bosses, skins, lures, and more.