Windrose Ship Guide

If there is one thing you are going to spend a lot of time doing in Windrose, it’s sailing. Your ship is not just transportation. It is your lifeline, your storage unit, and sometimes the only thing standing between you and becoming fish food.

This guide covers everything you need to know about ships in Windrose, including ship types, upgrades, repairs, sailing tips, and what you can and cannot do with them. 

Types of Ships

There are currently three major ship classes in Windrose:

• Ketch

• Brigantine

• Frigate

Each class also has three variants:

• Stock

• Brethren

• Blackbeard

Generally speaking, Brethren ships trade speed for higher durability and storage, while Blackbeard ships focus more on speed and agility. Naturally, Stock ships sit somewhere in the middle.

Starter Raft

At the beginning of the game, you only have access to a small raft. It works well enough for short-distance travel early on, by you outgrow it very quickly once exploration starts opening up. Thankfully, your first real ship upgrade comes fairly early through the main story.

Ketch Ships

Ketches are the first true ships players unlock in Windrose. They are considered the entry-level ship class and offer balanced speed, storage, and durability. All three Ketch variants are unlocked after completing the “I Need a Bigger Boat” quest.

Ketch Crafting Requirements

All Ketch variants currently require:

• 100 Nails

• 150 Wood

• 40 Coarse Fabric

• 30 Rope

Ketches are ideal for early exploration and learning the basics of naval travel.

Brigantine Ships

Brigantines are considered mid-game ships and are significantly stronger than Ketches. They are faster, larger, and more capable overall. These ships are commonly viewed as the best balance between speed and survivability.

How to Unlock Brigantines

To unlock Brigantine blueprints, you must:

• Reach Reputation Level 2 with the Brethren of the Coast

• Purchase the blueprint for 1,000 Piastre

Brigantine Crafting Requirements

• 100 Nails

• 80 Copper Ingots

• 40 Timber

• 30 Linen Fabric

• 200 Wood Planks

• 40 Rope

• 120 Coarse Fabric

• 30 Shipwright’s Tools

Frigate Ships

Frigates are currently the strongest ships available in Windrose. These massive vessels offer the highest durability and storage capacity in the game. While they are slower than Brigantines, they are extremely difficult to sink and are designed for late-game progression.

How to Unlock Frigates

To unlock Frigate blueprints, you must:

• Reach Reputation Level 4 with the Brethren of the Coast

• Purchase the blueprint for 3,000 Piastre

Frigate Crafting Requirements

• 300 Nails

• 120 Iron Ingots

• 160 Timber

• 80 Tarred Fabric

• 240 Linen Fabric

• 320 Wood Planks

• 80 Rope

• 50 Shipwright’s Tools

Ship Upgrades and Gear

Ships in Windrose are not just about choosing a bigger vessel. Once you unlock the Wharf, you can begin equipping specialized ship gear that improves your combat effectiveness, survivability, and overall sailing performance.

Cannons

Cannons are your primary source of damage during naval combat. As you progress through the game, you unlock stronger cannon types and special variants through faction reputation.

Higher-tier cannons deal significantly more damage and can gain additional effects when upgraded to higher rarities. Some variants focus on faster reload speeds, while others specialize in raw damage output.

Hull Modifications

Hull Modifications improve your ship’s defense and survivability during naval combat. These upgrades reduce incoming damage and can provide additional repair-focused bonuses. A stronger hull becomes increasingly important during longer fights where enemy ships can quickly overwhelm weaker vessels.

Boarding Party Gear

Boarding Party Gear improves the effectiveness of your crew during boarding actions. While it does not have multiple variants like other ship gear, it can still be upgraded multiple times to improve your crew’s combat performance.

Naval Tactics

Naval tactics provide passive bonuses for your ship and playstyle. These bonuses can improve things like:

• Repair efficiency

• Reload speed

• Passive healing

• Combat sustain

• Damage against enemy ships

Unlike cannons and hull upgrades, Naval Tactics cannot be upgraded or ascended further once obtained.

Upgrading and Ascending Ship Gear

Ship gear can be upgraded through the Shipwright’s Workshop to improve its stats. Higher rarities also unlock additional passive effects and stronger bonuses. To upgrade or ascend ship equipment, the item must first be removed from your ship and placed into your personal inventory.

Conclusion

Ships are one of the biggest progression milestones in Windrose. What starts as a barely-functional raft eventually turns into massive warships capable of carrying huge amounts of cargo, surviving dangerous naval battles, and exploring the furthest parts of the map.

Between the different ship classes, variant types, and upgrade systems, there is a surprising amount of customization in how you approach sailing and naval combat. Some players may prefer fast and agile Blackbeard ships, while others will lean toward the heavier Brethren variants for added survivability.

No matter which routes you take, upgrading your ship should always be a major priority. A better ship means safer exploration, stronger combat potential, and far fewer moments of desperately trying to paddle away from danger on what is essentially a floating pile of wood.

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