From customizable ships and ocean traversal to exclusive islands packed with skilling, combat, and PvM content, Sailing changes the way accounts progress at every stage. In this guide, we will break down everything you unlock by progressing your Sailing level and why it is one of the most valuable skills to invest in.

That said, Sailing can also become a slow and tedious grind, especially in the early levels. If you would rather skip the frustrating parts and jump straight into the content Sailing unlocks, our Sailing Services allow experienced professionals to handle any Sailing-related task for you—letting you enjoy the rewards without the grind.

Ship Upgrades & Traveling

Ships are the core reward and progression system of the Sailing skill. As you level up Sailing, you unlock the ability to build faster, stronger, and more advanced ships, each capable of housing additional facilities and perks.

Upgrading your ship directly determines:

  • Which ocean regions you can access

  • What activities you can perform

  • Which sea monsters and shipwrecks you can engage with

  • How efficiently you can travel across OSRS waters

Higher-tier ships unlock new oceans that house exclusive skilling methods, PvM encounters, and lucrative OSRS gold money-making opportunities. Many of these methods are covered in detail in our Sailing Money Making Guide, as they are entirely inaccessible without the appropriate ship upgrades.

Ship Perks (Keg Drinks)

Ships can be enhanced with special drinks placed in your ship’s keg, providing powerful passive bonuses while sailing:

  • Kraken Ink Stout – Increases the likelihood of ocean encounters by 4%

  • Perildance Bitter – Increases cannon max hit by 1

  • Trawler’s Trust – 5% chance to catch extra fish during deep-sea trawling

  • Horizon’s Lure – Boosts Sailing experience by 2.5%

  • Whirlpool Surprise – Invisible +2 Sailing boost and grants a minimum of 2 deckhandiness and helmsmanship

Sailing as a Travel System

Traveling is a core part of account progression in OSRS, and Sailing introduces a brand-new transportation system. Ships allow you to rapidly move between any unlocked mooring points, dramatically reducing travel time across the world.

One of the most powerful ship facilities is the Greater Teleport Focus, which allows you to teleport directly to your ship’s location. This effectively lets you create a custom teleport hub anywhere you can moor a ship. Many players maintain multiple ships parked in hard-to-reach locations for instant access.

As your Sailing level increases, you will also be able to recruit higher-quality crewmates, significantly improving ship efficiency, combat effectiveness, and overall Sailing performance.

Deep Sea Trawling

Deep-sea trawling is Sailing’s flagship Fishing activity and introduces a new way to train Fishing while generating solid profit.

Unlike traditional Fishing, deep-sea trawling offers:

  • Slightly lower Fishing XP per hour

  • Significantly higher fish output

  • Access to new, high-value fish

Deep-Sea Trawling Fish

  • Raw giant krill – Level 69 Fishing

  • Raw haddock – Level 73 Fishing

  • Raw yellowfin – Level 79 Fishing

  • Raw halibut – Level 83 Fishing

  • Raw bluefin – Level 87 Fishing

  • Raw marlin – Level 91 Fishing

These fish can be:

  • Cut into fish parts for further Fishing or potion brewing

  • Cooked to gain unique stat-boosting benefits

Deep-sea trawling is an excellent alternative to traditional Fishing training and a strong money-maker at higher levels. For a complete breakdown, check out our Deep Sea Trawling Guide.

Sea Monsters & Ship Combat

Sea combat is one of the most exciting long-term aspects of Sailing. While currently in a relatively basic state, it already offers a glimpse of what future expansions will bring.

There are 20 sea creatures players can hunt, each with unique mechanics and drop tables. High-level sea monsters can drop valuable items such as:

  • Bottled storm

  • Dragon salvaging hook

Access to stronger sea monsters depends heavily on ship upgrades, as higher-tier ships are required to reach dangerous waters. As this system expands over time, ship combat is expected to become one of Sailing’s defining features.

A full breakdown of mechanics, ship loadouts, and combat strategies can be found in our Ship Combat Guide.

Shipwreck Salvaging

Shipwreck salvaging is the most relaxed and AFK-friendly Sailing activity. Comparable to chopping high-level trees, it allows players to gain Sailing experience while looting valuable items with minimal input. Salvaging rewards include:

  • Alchable items

  • Herbs and seeds

  • Upgrade components

  • Dragon cannon barrel, a critical item for maximising ship combat

This activity scales exceptionally well as your Sailing level and ship tier increase, making it a staple part of many players’ daily routines—especially for those who enjoy AFK content while working or multitasking.

Shipwreck Tiers

  • Small shipwreck – Level 15 Sailing

  • Fisherman’s shipwreck – Level 26 Sailing

  • Barracuda shipwreck – Level 35 Sailing

  • Large shipwreck – Level 53 Sailing

  • Pirate shipwreck – Level 64 Sailing

  • Mercenary shipwreck – Level 73 Sailing

  • Fremennik shipwreck – Level 80 Sailing

  • Merchant shipwreck – Level 87 Sailing

For an in-depth breakdown of loot tables and efficiency, visit our Shipwreck Salvaging Guide.

Islands – The True Rewards of Sailing

While ships and activities are powerful, islands are the single greatest reward Sailing offers. Sailing introduces 27 new islands, each permanently unlocked once accessed.

Unlike mainland content, these islands:

  • Are gated by Sailing levels

  • Are far less crowded

  • Offer exclusive skilling and combat opportunities

Once unlocked, islands remain accessible forever, making Sailing one of the most future-proof skills in the game.

Skilling Islands Breakdown

Woodcutting Islands

  • The Great Conch (45 Sailing) – Jatoba, camphor, teak, mahogany, and yew

  • Sunbleak Island (72 Sailing) – Ironwood trees next to a bank chest, extremely AFK

  • Lledrith Island (66 Sailing) – Eight magic trees

  • Drumstick Island (79 Sailing) – Rosewood trees (92 Woodcutting), used for top-tier ships

Fishing Islands

  • The Great Conch – Big net, harpoon, lure, and bait fishing

  • Anglers’ Retreat (51 Sailing) – Bignet/harpoon and cage fishing

  • Buccaneers’ Haven (76 Sailing) – Lantern harpooning near a bank

  • Laguna Aurorae (58 Sailing) – Squids, sharks, big net fish, and a spirit tree

  • The Onyx Crest (47 Sailing) – Lantern harpooning with a buildable bank

Hunter Islands

  • The Great Conch – Red chinchompas and orange salamanders

  • Chinchompa Island (42 Sailing) – New red chinchompa hunting area

  • The Crown Jewel (64 Sailing) – Rainbow crabs used for Armadyl brews

Mining Islands

  • The Great Conch – Multiple ores, including granite

  • Deepfin Point (67 Sailing) – Adamant, nickel, lead, runite, dungeon ores, and banking

  • Grimstone (87 Sailing) – High-density runite and nickel

Combat Islands

  • The Great Conch – Gryphons and shellbane gryphons

  • Charred Island (60 Sailing) – New Slayer dungeon with hellhounds, nechryaels, and lava strykewyrms

  • Ynysdail (73 Sailing) – Aquanites

  • Grimstone (87 Sailing) – Frost dragons

Final Thoughts

Sailing is far more than just another OSRS skill—it is a complete expansion of the game’s progression system. From ships and travel to islands packed with skilling, PvM, and money-making opportunities, Sailing reshapes how players experience Old School RuneScape.

We are currently working on a full OSRS Island Tier List, which will go live on our blog later this week. That guide will break down every island, rank their importance, and explain which ones are most valuable for different account types.

If you want to skip the grind and unlock Sailing’s rewards faster, our Sailing Services are designed to help you get straight to the content that matters most.

RSorder Team