You can build bigger boats in Valheim, but the first sea vessel you will build is the raft. After defeating the game's first boss, Eikthyr, you'll need to exit the Meadows biome to new (and more difficult) lands. But the water probably separates you from your destination.
You can swim through small bodies of water, such as tributaries and thin rivers, but to cross a lake or the ocean, you'll need something more substantial.
How to build a raft
Before you can build a boat, you must first build a workbench by the water. The white circle that indicates the buildable area of ​​the workbench must be in the water.
Once you've done that, you'll need to find and kill six boars to get six leather strips, chop down several trees for wood and resin, and (eventually) kill several Greylings for resin if you don't have enough. of the trees.
The full recipe is:
- 20x wood
- 6 leather strips
- 6x resin
Equip the hammer and open the build/craft menu by right-clicking. Go to the "Miscellaneous" tab. The raft icon is on the far right, just to the right of the rock pile icon. Click on it, face the water and press the left mouse button to build your first boat.
How to pilot your raft
There's not much to raft the waterways of Valheim by raft. All you have to do is get on the boat and press “E” to operate the rudder (the handle on the right side).
When piloting the craft, you will see a yellow steering wheel appear above the rudder. Press "A" to steer left and "D" to steer right. A yellow bar above the wheel symbol indicates how far to the right or left the rudder is pointed.
Each raft also has a mast and a sail. When you go up for the first time, the sail will be furled. Pressing "W" extends the sail a little with each press until it is fully deployed. “Pressing” S “raises the sail.
Take into account the direction of the wind
You have to take the wind into account when sailing. Otherwise, you could find yourself stuck in open water, unable to swim to shore.
The wind direction is indicated in two areas:
The Golden Circle is perhaps the best way to determine wind direction. The oblong icon in the middle of the circle indicates the direction of your boat, with the point being the front and the rounded edge being the back. The white breeze icon on the edge of the circle indicates the direction of the wind.
Ideally, you always want this breeze icon at your back, as it will provide you with the greatest amount of wind and speed. However, you can manage with the wind coming from the left or the right. Although the mast moves automatically in these directions, you may need to use the rudder to turn the boat a bit to gain speed.
Don't let the wind blow past you. Sailing into the wind will stop your dead raft in the water and the rudder won't spin it.
You can jump into the water and swim against the boat by flipping it. But you can't get back on board; the ladder at the back of the raft is just for show currently. If you are too far from shore and have nothing to stand on, you will drown and lose all your items.
That's all you need to know about your Valheim raft. Now that you know how to build one and fly it, there's no biome you can't conquer. For more tips, be sure to check out our other articles on building indoor campfires, repairing your gear, and setting up your base.
