Unlock the Ship and Pier
Spend Compass Principle Points to unlock new ship classes and their related buildings. The starting Landlubber follows the Shallow Pier path, so materials alone do not make every ship available.
Build and Connect the Correct Pier
Place a Shallow Pier on a Pier Slot. Then connect the Pier to the settlement's road or rope-bridge network before trying to build a ship there.
Supply the Listed Materials
The Landlubber needs 15 Planks plus its listed Swabbies. Verified on 2026-08-08 against the official Ships table.
The Shallow Pier needs 30 Planks. Verified on 2026-08-08 against the official Buildings table. Do not apply either cost to every ship class or Pier.
Check Crew Availability
Crew is distinct from free settlement labor, so available Drifters alone do not satisfy a ship's Crew requirement. Patch #2 corrected a crew-upkeep display issue; the corrected note was verified on 2026-08-08, and this guide does not repeat the old display.
Diagnose a Disabled Build Button
Check these requirements in order:
- Unlock the ship class in the Compass.
- Build the matching Pier.
- Connect the Pier to the network.
- Supply the exact listed resources.
- Provide the required Crew.
Ship requirements and values can change with game versions. Recheck the linked official tables after an update.