You won't be able to stay on your home island forever in Valheim, and sooner or later you'll have to set sail. Since it's not Assassin's Creed, God of War or The Witcher 3, prefabricated and self-service ships aren't waiting for you all over the place, you can only rely on your own efforts (or those of your teammates in a pinch). Swimming to another continent is not a viable option either.
When and how to build a boat
You can build a raft almost from the start of the adventure, but it's actually not very useful. It's slow, unwieldy, and you don't really need to explore the seas at this point in the game. There's a good chance it will become a necessity when you're ready to face the second boss, the Elder, the latter having the unfortunate tendency to be on another continent. You can still build your ship a little earlier if you want to quickly explore around your island and spot different biomes. Once the second boss is defeated, a ship will be required to reach the Swamp and return with Iron.
The building process is simple, you just have to build a Workbench by the water's edge and then pull out your trusty Hammer. The ship can be built directly on the water. Remember to orient the ship properly to save yourself unnecessary manoeuvres. The materials required for the Karve are:
- Fine wood x30
- Deer hide x10
- Resin x20
- Bronze nails x80
You will therefore need to own a Forge and have mined enough Copper and Tin. This ship has the advantage of having a small storage space up front, perfect for carrying a large amount of Iron Ore when you start exploring the Sunken Crypts.
Navigation
The direction of the wind should be taken into account, but the orientation of the ship is rather complex if you are unlucky. You can sail forward as long as there is no headwind. Use the gauge on the right of the screen to orient your direction so that the wind icon is never in the black section of the circle. This means that if the wind is blowing in the opposite direction to the desired destination, you will have to make long diagonal journeys in order to create a giant zigzag rather than a straight line . Otherwise, you have to wait for the tide to turn.
You have three speeds, indicated by the arrows above the bar. The most important thing is to know that your vessel has reverse gear, this makes things easier on shore. When you use speed 1, you row slowly, it allows you to turn and maneuver even with the wind in the wrong direction, in order to reposition yourself well.
Before setting out to sea, your ship will likely be stranded along the shore with obstacles around it. You just have to push it on foot in order to free it. Then swim to climb inside via the ladder.
When you are looking to reach a specific point on the map, you can ping the map with the mouse wheel. Thus, the orientation to take with the ship will be displayed in blue in the distance. This is a great help, because orientation is difficult and it is easy to lose direction.
Once you arrive at your destination
We recommend that you take the materials required to build a Portal with you when you explore the map. This way you can build one where you want to come back later, for example on another continent or at the entrance to the Swamp. Remember to change the marker of the portal of your base before leaving, it is not possible to have more than two portals with the same marker.
With this portal, you can go straight home if you have anticipated it. Unfortunately, the boat cannot be taken apart to collect the components. You have to destroy it with an axe, all the components are recovered, but be careful, the nails sink, so do it in shallow water. You can also leave it nearby.
It makes sense, but avoid taking the boat when there is a storm, since the waves will damage the hull. You really don't want to sink or lose it. Note in passing that you can repair your ship with the Hammer if there is a Workbench nearby.
Sea Serpent
The greatest danger during your journeys is the Sea Serpent. It will attack your hull and attempt to destroy your ship, then it will attack you directly. The best thing to do is to flee with the wind at your back for maximum speed, while shooting arrows at it.
If you have the Abyssal Harpoon you can use it to pull it to shore, to skin it in melee or let it suffocate like a stranded whale if you are the cruel type.
As a general rule, it is best to avoid the Sea Serpent, it is possible to spot it from a distance by reversing the camera as far as possible and observing the sea in front of your ship. He is normally out in calm weather rather than in a full storm, in our experience.
During your forays into the Ocean, you will end up crossing a mysterious island covered with Abyssal Barnacles to be mined. It is actually the back of a giant monster like a turtle or a leviathan. This is an opportunity to craft unique gear against Serpents.
