Boats, planes, and other advanced modes of transportation are just some of The Legend of Zelda’s newest ways of traveling around Hyrule. Soon after starting your journey in Tears of the Kingdom, you’ll need to traverse a large body of water to reach a shrine. But before you set sail, you’ll need to first learn how to build a boat.
Luckily for both new Zelda fans and veteran adventurers, we found the process to be fairly simple. All you’ll need to build a sailboat is the Ultrahand ability, at least two logs, and a sail.
If you eventually want to get off the Great Sky Island, you’ll need to find and complete three shrines. One of these is the In-isa Shrine, which you’ll need a boat to reach. As you approach the lake blocking your approach to the shrine, you’ll see a couple of logs and a sail sitting close to each other on the ground.
Here’s how you can use these materials to build a boat in TotK.
Building sailboats in TotK: Best tips and tricks
We were able to very quickly craft a boat. And although it was a small boat, it got the job done.
To build a boat, you’ll need a sail and at least two logs for stability. If there are no logs on the ground around you, cut a tree down using an axe. When you have both logs, grab one with Ultrahand and pull it close to the other in a parallel position. Hit “A” to attach it. From there, grab the sail and rotate it by holding the “R.” Once it’s rotated in the right orientation with the sail toward the top and the longer stick end closest to the log, attach it to the end of the log by pressing “A.” This will create a very small but simple boat that will carry you across the water. Once you’ve carried your boat to the water using Ultrahand, you can then jump on it and call yourself captain.
The video below shows how we built our boat.
If you’ve opted to change your controls, the buttons may be a little different, but the process will still be the same. And if you think your boat is too small, you can add to it and make it bigger, giving you more room to stand on to ensure you won’t fall off. One of the easiest ways to do this is by attaching an additional log.
The best part of this new building mechanic in Legend of Zelda is players can get creative with it. Add four or five logs, fashion them into a design of your choice, and attach an extra sail or two—the world of Hyrule is your oyster with this fun feature. Once you get further in the game, you’ll even be able to add other items to your boat, like a fan that will power your boat even without any wind, giving you even more options when it comes to crafting your vessel.
Just don’t get too carried away; you may never finish the game.
How to make a raft in TotK
Can’t find a sail? Is the wind not blowing in the direction you need it to? No problem. A sailboat isn’t the only thing that can get you across water, after all.
As you continue your journey in TotK, you’ll eventually come across fans that you can attach to logs to make a generated raft. After you’ve received an Energy Cell, you’ll be able to power the fan to allow your raft to traverse bodies of water. If you’re going a long distance, you’ll need multiple Energy Cells. But if you’re just going a short way, one will suffice.
After completing a couple of shrines on the Great Sky Island, you’ll be given your first Energy Cell. After that, you can build your a fan-generated raft, like we did in the video below.
To build a raft, attach two or more logs together. We like three logs for our rafts, because it gives Link plenty of room to stand on. From there, you can attach a fan if there’s one nearby using the rotate function in the Ultrahand mechanic. Make sure the propeller is facing outwards, so your boat will go the direction you want it to. Hit the fan with a Board Guster, a weapon you can find on enemies, and the fan will start up. It will drain energy from your Energy Cell as the fan is working, so be sure to manage your resources properly.
