Getting your first little rowboat is fine for poking around the starting area, but Windrose opens up properly once you have a real ship under your feet. The I Need a Bigger Boat questline, handed to you by Doctor Galen after you mine copper for the first time, is your ticket to a full-sized Ketch. Here's every step you need to complete it, plus what to build the moment you launch.
How do you start the I Need a Bigger Boat quest?
Doctor Galen shows up at your campfire once you've mined copper for the first time. Speak to him and he'll kick off the questline. From there, the quest breaks into five main phases: locating a salvageable wreck, gathering repair materials, rescuing seven captured sailors, launching the ship, and reporting back to Galen.
Finding the right shipwreck
Galen marks three shipwreck sites on your map, but only one is worth your time. The other two are beyond saving. Because Windrose uses procedural map generation, the exact locations will differ in every playthrough, so you'll need to sail out and check each site yourself.
Before you leave, set up a Fast Travel point near your base. Bring materials to plant a second one close to whichever wreck you choose, because you'll almost certainly need to make multiple trips for repair supplies. Skipping this step means a lot of unnecessary sailing back and forth.
Doctor Galen starts the quest
What materials do you need to repair the shipwreck?
Interacting with the correct wreck reveals the full repair cost. Gather everything before you start if you want to avoid extra trips.
If you're starting from scratch, the raw ingredients you actually need to farm are 100 Wood, 4 Copper Ingots (for nails), and 90 Plant Fiber (covers both the fabric and rope requirements). Repairing the wreck rewards 50 XP and triggers the crew rescue phase.
How do you rescue the seven sailors?
After the repair, the quest updates to Rescuing the Crew. Your minimap will mark the first pirate camp, which is on a small island guarded by three level 2 enemy sailors. Defeat them, then speak to the captive sailor to learn where the rest of the crew is being held.
All remaining sailors are on the same island, split across four camps:
- Southeast shore camp: 1 level 2 sergeant, 3 level 2 sailors, 2 captives to free
- Northeast shore camp: 1 level 2 sergeant, 3 level 2 sailors, 2 captives to free
- Northwest jungle camp: 1 level 2 sergeant, 5 level 2 sailors, 2 captives (one inside a tent)
The northwest jungle camp is the toughest of the three. If you're getting overwhelmed, build fences to funnel enemies into chokepoints. Loot every supply cache and chest in each camp before moving on.
Speak to each freed sailor to officially recruit them. Once all seven are on board, you earn 100 XP and unlock the ability to craft a Combat Repair Kit.
warning
The sailor inside the tent at the northwest camp is easy to miss. Check the interior before leaving or you won't hit the seven-sailor count.
Crafting repair materials at workbench
Launching the ship and reporting to Galen
Return to the repaired wreck and interact with it. Select Launch the ship with the crew aboard to earn another 50 XP and start the follow-up quest How My Sea Adventure Began. The I Need a Bigger Boat quest then asks you to return to Doctor Galen.
Fast travel back to your main base and talk to Galen. He'll send you after Thomas Richards and a mysterious artifact, completing the quest for 100 XP and starting Revenge Is Best Served Cold. Talk to Galen again after that to pick up the bonus sidequest The Bitter Pill.
Kitting out your ship: what to build first
Launching is only half the job. Your Ketch needs gear before it's ready for serious combat at sea.
Combat Repair Kit
You'll want at least one of these on board before your first naval fight. Crafting it requires a level 2 workbench, which means upgrading with a Sawhorse first (costs 20 Wood and 10 Copper Ingots if you haven't done it already).
Shipwright's Workshop
Build this at your base to unlock ship gear crafting. It costs 15 Wood, 10 Coarse Fabric, and 5 Copper Ingots, and needs a roof to function. Once built (50 XP reward), you can craft three types of gear:
Only the 12-Pounders are required to advance the quest, but building all three is worth it if you have the materials.
danger
The Shipwright's Workshop must have a roof or it won't function. If you interact with it and nothing happens, check the roof.
Wharf
To actually install your gear and manage the ship, you need a Wharf built near the shoreline. It costs 10 Wood and 10 Coarse Fabric. Interact with it to find your Ketch listed under Docked Ships. If the ship isn't showing up, press K to recall it to the wharf.
From the Wharf's Manage Ship screen, you can move cargo to the hold, slot Repair Kits into the ship action panel, and equip gear like the cannons. Press D at any time to rename and redecorate your ship.
info
Recall your ship with K before trying to manage it from the Wharf. Sailing out to find it manually wastes time you could spend on the next quest.For more tips on surviving the early game and building your pirate empire, browse more guides on GAMES.GG to stay ahead of what's coming next.