Revision 9

Windrose features several ship classes, each filling a different role in naval combat and exploration. Ships differ in speed, durability, maneuverability, and cannon capacity. Choosing the right vessel for a situation matters as much as personal combat skill. The Early Access launch on April 14, 2026 ships with 3 playable vessels, with additional classes planned across the 1.5 to 2.5 year Early Access period.

Ships at Early Access Launch

Official Steam store page confirms 3 playable ships at launch. The progression is a small starter boat, a mid-size combat vessel, and a larger flagship, mapped roughly to real-world historical classes.

The Early Access Steam store page lists "3 playable ships" at launch. Sources historically also mention a "colossal galleon" class, but windrosewiki.org noted this was incorrect pre-launch terminology; actual in-game ship names use Ketch, Brig, and Frigate tiers. A galleon-tier vessel may be added in later Early Access updates.

Ship Stats

Each class has four distinguishing stats: speed, durability, maneuverability, and cannon capacity. Specific numerical values have not been published. The developer confirmed the game uses "predefined ship classes with unique characteristics" rather than player-built vessels.

Ship Progression

1. Starter boat: A small dinghy-like vessel given automatically after completing the Islander tutorial. Doctor Galen is implied to have brought it. Summon it anywhere near water by pressing K. Not suitable for naval combat; purely for island-hopping transportation.

2. Repaired shipwreck: The first real ship, obtained through the "I Need a Bigger Boat" quest. Three shipwrecks on the second island must be discovered; only one is repairable. Repair cost: 100 Wood, 20 Nails, 20 Coarse Fabric, 10 Rope. Requires a crew of seven (rescued during "Rescuing the Crew").

3. Ketch: The first purpose-built combat vessel, constructed at the Wharf during the Seafarer tutorial. Crafting cost: 150 Wood, 100 Nails, 40 Coarse Fabric, 30 Rope Fiber.

4. Brig: Mid-tier combat vessel, unlocked deeper into the main story. Receives gameplay mechanics additions during Early Access.

5. Frigate: Late-game flagship with heavy firepower. Details of unlock conditions not yet publicly documented.

Ship Equipment

Ship equipment is crafted at the Shipwright's Workshop and equipped via the Wharf's "Manage Ship" interface by dragging items into Ship Gear slots:

All three equipment types can be upgraded at the Shipwright's Workshop Upgrade tab with additional materials. The developer has hinted at future cannon variety (carronades, long cannons) but only the 12-Pounder is available at Early Access launch.

Ship Design Philosophy

Ships in Windrose use predefined models rather than player-built designs. Developer Yar_master confirmed: "We do plan to introduce a good degree of ship customization, but generally, we plan to keep ships pre-made. We don't plan to allow layout changing or building them from scratch." Ships are explicitly not built plank-by-plank. The approach is described as "predefined, highly detailed ship classes that can be personalized and upgraded over time" with a philosophy of "function first, but with plenty of room to grow."

Ship Summoning

Press K to summon your ship to your current coastal location. The developers describe it as "whistling for a horse, only it's made of wood and floats a bit better." This works with all ship classes and prevents the frustration of losing track of where you left your vessel.

Customization

Ship customization is planned but only partially implemented at Early Access launch. The developers have confirmed plans for:

Deck Crew

NPC crew members are visible on ship decks and have been actively developed:

• Crew members have visible animations on deck, including shooting cannons and reloading during combat

• Deckhands head below decks, sleep in hammocks, and follow day-night routines

• Crew sing sea shanties while sailing, a feature widely praised by the community

• Once recruited, crew members stay on the ship unless boarding an enemy vessel

• The Brig specifically is receiving additional attention with new crew-related gameplay mechanics

NPC Officers

Three types of ship-related NPCs exist, confirmed at Gamescom 2025:

Co-op Ship Combat

At Early Access launch (with the 8-player multiplayer cap), each player commands one ship. Developer Yar_master confirmed: "At this point, one player commands one ship. We will consider such features for the future." The developer FAQ mentions exploring "allowing multiple players to crew a single ship, with each person taking on distinct roles and responsibilities" as a future possibility.

Ship Repair

If your ship is destroyed (sunk in combat or sailed out of bounds), it can be rebuilt:

1. Build a Wharf on the shoreline within bonfire range (10 Wood + 10 Coarse Fabric)

2. Use the Wharf's Repair/Salvage option (costs 20 Wood)

3. Press K to respawn the repaired ship at your location

Ship destruction is not permanent. Rebuilding costs roughly three palm trees worth of wood. Combat Repair Kits can also be used mid-battle for emergency repairs.

The Wharf

The Wharf is the central building for all ship management:

The Wharf costs 10 Wood + 10 Coarse Fabric and must be placed in water at the docks or shoreline within bonfire range. The Shipwright's Workshop (15 Wood + 10 Coarse Fabric + 5 Copper Ingots, requires a roof) is a separate building where ship equipment is crafted before being equipped at the Wharf.

Seamless Transitions

Ship-to-shore transitions are seamless with no loading screens. Sailing up to an island and jumping ashore happens in one continuous flow. Boarding enemy ships during naval combat also transitions seamlessly to on-deck melee combat.

Future Ship Plans

The Early Access roadmap includes additional ship classes and cannon types. The developers have specifically mentioned a galleon-tier vessel and new cannon variants (carronades, long cannons) as candidates. Ship customization and crew roles are both listed as "on our radar" for future updates.