Getting Started
You will need only the default rank for some ships, but others like the Schooner require Higher ranks like Sailor or higher, but you can bypass ranking up and donate for access to all ranks, access to all ships, and a lot of in-game money!
For a Dhow (The most basic type of ship) you will need:
A small wooden hull with a mast (Stairs & Slabs count),
Sails on the mast,
At least 3 signs,
(Optional) Golden Hoe To pilot and move.
Check Ship Types further down for specific ship information
How To Build
Your ship has to be meet the specific requirements listed in the Ship Types section below, It has to be built on or partially in water and not touching any docks or land.
Once you have built your ship place a sign somewhere central with the ship name on a singular line, for example: Dhow.
Create a second sign with the singular line [helm] to be able to rotate your ship. Right click it to make it a wheel.
Create a third sign with nothing but Cruise: OFF (Case sensitive). This sign MUST be applied on a block, it cannot be a standing sign.
Optional: Create a fourth sign with the singular line Release to be able to release your ship.
The first sign will create the ship, when you right click it there will be a conformation that says either: Successfully piloted ship! Size: <blocks used> Couldn’t pilot ship! Lock block attached (check for any pistons on board; those are lock blocks), Couldn’t pilot ship! (Either it is too small or too big; you may need a different ship name), That be not enough: Wood/Wool (You will need to add more of the material or subtract from a different material).
If it does work, you’re on the right track!
Now make sure there’s nothing else around to block your ship!
To turn your ship, right/left click the wheel to turn right/left, respectively.
To move, you can either use the optional gold hoe and right click in the direction you want to go (I mean ANY direction; even backwards!), or you can use the Cruise: OFF sign. If you right click the sign, the sign will change to Cruise: ON, and you will move forward four blocks every few seconds. To turn, use the wheel.
Your ship should be made of wood or wood-based blocks, and wool for sails. Exceptions are furnaces, iron (best used in cannons or as gear), glass, and, for some ships, stone bricks. You can’t use “soft blocks” like dirt or sand, and cobblestone is a no-no.
Remember when building/adding something onto a ship to right click its control (name) sign again to update the ship, or you will sail off while your attachments float away!
Chest Storage & Trade Ships
Chests will only work on ships as single chests, not doubles, but a double chest can help as a type of ship lock.
Sell signs also work on ships, so you can have a trade ship to earn in-game money, sailing from coast to coast. Information on shop signs can be found here.
Ship Locking
You can lock your ship by building a double chest in it. You can also lock your ship by placing a piston on the ship, or by 'activating' the piston so that it contacts your ship, you can then turn it off and 'unlock' your ship. You can also lock your ship using blocks which are not buoyant e.g. cobblestone (siegeable) but organised in a way that the ship cannot move with it in.
To make sure it is most secure, claim around your ship, including any locking mechanisms (such as the piston), this will prevent anyone from being able to operate them or destroy any of them and steal your precious ship.
As well as these novice ways, you can also lock a ship by removing it's ship name sign, making it 'not a ship', then turning it back into a ship by replacing the respective sign. (Make sure the ship is claimed, as the possible pirate could then just make the sign that works on the ship, though this works, its best to lock the ship still)
Ship Types
To create a ship, use the ship name in a sign placed on your ship, each has its own requirements.
Dhow
A lateen-rigged ship with one or two masts, used chiefly in the Arabian region.
The Dhow is a small ship, a starting ship to test the waters, available to all ranks ! (even deckhand) It may be small, but its snappy! Block are limited to “light” or wood based blocks, you can’t use stone or dirt on Dhows.
Requirements
Deckhand Rank
Minimum Size: 25 Blocks
Maximum Size: 150 Blocks
Speed: 6.5
25% Wood & 15% Wool (Sails) Needed.
Sink Percent: 20% Required blocks
Works at Min-height: 61 to Max-height: 63.
Raft
A removed class of ship, consists of a flat buoyant structure of timber or other materials fastened together, and could be used as a boat or floating platform. It required a fuel source to move as it has no sails.
Requirements
Unknown Rank
Minimum Size: 10 Blocks
Maximum Size: 50 Blocks
Cruise Allowed, Skips 0 Blocks
Speed: 4.0
50% Wood Needed.
Sink Percent: 5%
Can Hover on water
Requires Fuel, Fuel burn rate: 1.0
Works at Min-height: 61 to Max-height: 63.
Schooner
A sailing ship with two or more masts, typically with the foremast smaller than the mainmast.
Requirements
Sailor Rank
Minimum Size: 150 Blocks
Maximum Size: 500 Blocks
Speed: 7.5
25% Wood & 15% Wool (Sails) Needed.
Sink Percent: 20% Required blocks
Works at Min-height: 61 to Max-height: 63.
Barge
A long flat-bottomed boat for carrying freight on canals and rivers, either under its own power or towed by another.
Requirements
Rank: Sailor Rank
Minimum Size: 200 Blocks
Maximum Size: 600 Blocks
Speed: 7.5
Requires Fuel, Furnace and Coal
Fuel burn rate: 0.1
Sink Percent: 20% Required blocks
Works at Min-height 61 blocks to Max-height: 63
Barracuda
This is the first ship type this is different from the rest, This is a submarine designed to work under water, allowing you to change heights. 5% Iron is required and this ship type must also burn fuel in an onboard furnace.
A warship with a streamlined hull designed to operate completely submerged in the sea for long periods, equipped with a periscope and typically armed with torpedoes or missiles.
Requirements
Sailor Rank
Minimum Size: 200 Blocks
Maximum Size: 600 Blocks
Speed: 5.5
It can cruise
5% Iron blocks Needed.
50% Wool or Glass or Clay or Stained Glass or Hardened Clay or Quartz or Quartz Stairs or Iron or Stone Bricks
Sink Percent: 10% Required blocks
Overall Sink percent 85%
Fuel burn rate: 0.2
Works at Min-height: 10 to Max-height: 67.
Brig
A two-masted square-rigged ship, typically having an additional lower fore-and-aft sail on the gaff and a boom to the mainmast.
Requirements
Carpenter Rank
Minimum Size: 500 Blocks
Maximum Size: 750 Blocks
Speed: 7.8
25% Wood & 15% Wool (Sails) Needed.
Sink Percent: 40% Required blocks
Works at Min-height: 61 to Max-height: 63.
Seawolf
Larger than the Barracuda with a streamlined hull designed to operate completely submerged in the sea for long periods, equipped with a periscope and typically armed with torpedoes or missiles.
Requirements
Sailor Rank
Minimum Size: 600 Blocks
Maximum Size: 1000 Blocks
Speed: 5.5
It can cruise
5% Iron blocks Needed.
50% Wool or Glass or Clay or Stained Glass or Hardened Clay or Quartz or Quartz Stairs or Iron or Stone Bricks
Sink Percent: 10% Required blocks
Overall Sink percent 85%
Fuel burn rate: 0.2
Works at Min-height: 10 to Max-height: 67.
Frigate
A warship with a mixed armament, generally lighter than a destroyer (in the US navy, heavier) and of a kind originally introduced for convoy escort work.
Requirements
Gunner Rank
Minimum Size: 750 Blocks
Maximum Size: 1250 Blocks
Speed: 8.0
25% Wood & 15% Wool (Sails) Needed.
Sink Percent: 50% Required blocks
Works at Min-height: 61 to Max-height: 63.
Galleon
A sailing ship in use (especially by Spain) from the 15th to the 18th centuries, originally as a warship, later for trade. Galleons were typically square-rigged and had three or more decks and masts. “A Spanish treasure galleon wrecked off the Florida Keys”
Requirements
Boatswain Rank
Cruise Allowed, Skips 4 Blocks
Minimum Size: 1250 Blocks
Maximum Size: 1650 Blocks
Speed: 8.0
25% Wood & 15% Wool (Sails) Needed.
Sink Percent: 60% Required blocks
Works at Min-height: 61 to Max-height: 63.
Manowar
An armed sailing ship.
Requirements
All Donator ranks
Cruise Allowed, Skips 4 Blocks
Minimum Size: 1650 Blocks
Maximum Size: 2500 Blocks
Speed: 5.5
25% Wood & 15% Wool (Sails) Needed.
Sink Percent: 70% Required blocks
Works at Min-height: 61 to Max-height: 63.
Indiaman
A ship engaged in trade with India or the East or West Indies, especially an East Indiaman.
Requirements
All Donator ranks
Cruise Allowed, Skips 4 Blocks
Minimum Size: 2500 Blocks
Maximum Size: 5000 Blocks
Speed: 5.5
25% Wood & 15% Wool (Sails) Needed.
Sink Percent: 70% Required blocks
Works at Min-height: 61 to Max-height: 63.