Revision 5

I Need a Bigger Boat is a main tutorial quest in Windrose, given by Doctor Galen Skelton after the player completes Rescuing the Crew. The quest requires the player to investigate three shipwrecks on the second island and repair the one that can be salvaged into a seaworthy vessel.

Objective

Locate three shipwrecks on the second island. Two of the three are beyond repair; the central wreck can be restored. Repairing the wreck requires the seven crewmates rescued in the prior quest, plus a significant material investment.

Repair Cost

Repairing the central shipwreck requires a one-time material cost paid at the wreck itself. Gather these before starting the final repair interaction:

Nails are primarily obtained by breaking shipwreck wreckage with an axe, which drops Planks and Nails. Coarse Fabric is crafted at the Workbench (3 Plant Fiber = 1 Coarse Fabric). Rope is also crafted at the Workbench from Plant Fiber. Wood is abundant from trees. The seven rescued crewmates are automatically assigned to the repair once the materials are delivered.

Combat Approach

The central shipwreck is guarded by Blackbeard pirate sailors.

Rewards

• A repaired mid-size ship used to continue the main story

• Quest completion XP

• Access to the Seafarer Quest (naval tutorial) that follows

• Loot from the combat encounters

Tips

• Break shipwreck wreckage with an axe to drop Planks and Nails, which accelerates repair material gathering

• Loot every beyond-repair wreck's Decrepit Chest on the way past; one of them can contain the Executioner halberd even though the wreck itself cannot be repaired

• Place a Fast Travel Bell on the second island near the shipwreck to avoid repeated sailing trips

• Stock Coarse Fabric from Plant Fiber runs on the starting island before arriving

See Also

• Rescuing the Crew - prerequisite quest

• Seafarer Quest - follow-up quest

• Ship Types - ship progression

• Executioner - loot weapon from northwestern wreck

• Doctor Galen - quest-giver

Full Five-Phase Walkthrough

1. Phase 1 - Wreck Exploration: Follow Galen's ship-wreckage lead. Loot the site for early crafting materials and identify the ship hull that will become the player's first vessel.

2. Phase 2 - Ship Repairs: Gather Wood and Steel Nails and complete the ship repair interactions. This is the first multi-stage construction objective in the game.

3. Phase 3 - Crew Rescue: Free 7 captured crewmates (the exact count per guides) across three pirate camps. See the companion Rescuing the Crew quest for the detailed camp clear-out order.

4. Phase 4 - Launch: Return to the Wharf, interact with the ship, and launch it. The player gains mobility for the first time since the crash.

5. Phase 5 - Report to Galen: Return to base and speak with Doctor Galen to hand in the quest. He immediately hooks the player into the next chain: the shipwright and cannon expansion of How My Sea Adventure Began.

Common Pitfalls

• Do not engage pirate patrols with broken stamina. Complete the Shovel and basic weapons before camp clears.

• The rescue phase requires freeing all 7 crewmates; partial camp clears do not progress the quest.

• Keep 3-4 Healing Potions in inventory; melee damage spikes in the third camp.

Repair Materials Breakdown

The central wreck repair requires a specific shipment of materials. Launch-week guides document the cost as:

• 100 Wood

• 20 Nails

• 10 Rope (roughly 30 Plant Fiber processed at the Workbench)

• 20 Coarse Fabric (roughly 60 Plant Fiber)

Preparation Recommendation

Most guides recommend reaching level 2 and crafting a full copper tool and armor set before starting the repair run. Rescuing the seven crew members scattered across the island involves the final camp fight, which is the first real multi-enemy encounter of the playthrough. Bring Bandages or an early Healing Potion (Doctor Galen also hands out one for free after the quest starts).

Placing a Fast Travel Bell at the base before the run saves a long swim-back after the wreck repair completes.

Shipwreck-by-Shipwreck Cost Table

Doctor Galen marks three shipwrecks on the map, but only the second (and optionally the third) can actually be repaired. The first is storyboarded as unrepairable and only exists to guide the player onto the next waypoint. The two repairable wrecks share the same recipe, so the materials gathered for the second shipwreck can be reused for the third if both are repaired.

Crew of seven requirement: Repairing the ship also requires a full crew of seven. Completing the Rescuing the Crew quest before turning in I Need a Bigger Boat is the usual order because otherwise the repair step completes but the ship cannot sail. Treat Rescuing the Crew as a soft prerequisite even though the quest log does not enforce it.