The waters are calling. It’s time to learn how to use a raft in Valheim. It won’t be long before you need to set sail across a large body of water, making transport essential. The raft is the first vessel you’ll be able to craft, but it doesn’t come with an instruction manual. In this guide, we’ll explain how to use the raft in Valheim, as well as what you’ll need to unlock and craft it.
How to craft the raft in Valheim
© Iron Gate
To craft the raft in Valheim you’ll need to collect the following resources:
- 20 Wood
- 6 Leather Scraps (obtained from Boars)
- 6 Resin (obtained from Greylings and Greydwarves)
With them in hand, you should head to any body of water and plonk down a Workbench nearby. So long as you’re within the crafting vicinity of the workbench, you should be able to place the raft from the miscellanious menu with your hammer equipped (right click to bring up the crafting menu). It’ll spawn in the air then drop down, so make sure you place it above water and within reach.
How to use the raft in Valheim
© Iron Gate
To use the raft in Valheim you’ll need to climb aboard either by jumping or using the ladder at the rear. Then, use the raft by looking at the rudder at the back right and pressing E when prompted. Friends can also hop aboard and stand on the raft, or press E while looking at the mast to hold fast during bumpier rides.
Now, the raft controls aren’t straightforward, but once you understand how the system works, it’s fairly easy to pootle around on your floating stack of logs.
The basic controls are as follows:
- W/S: Adjust sail/paddle
- A/D adjust rudder to turn left or right
The raft has three base speed settings, indicated by the arrows shown above the yellow wheel symbol. Tapping W will add arrows up to three, while tapping S will remove arrows or start reversing. One arrow starts the rudder paddling, pushing the boat forward slowly. Two or three arrows will unfurl the sails to different lengths. With no arrows showing, a tap of S will start the paddle pushing the boat backwards, allowing you to reverse slowly.
© Iron Gate
Holding A or D will adjust the angle of your rudder to turn the ship left and right. You’ll only turn while moving, however, which means you need to carefully maneuver back and forth in tighter spaces. You can see how far the rudder is adjusted based on the yellow bar above the wheel, which fills a quarter circle at maximum.
To use the raft in Valheim properly you need to understand its interactions with wind.
The wind direction is shown in the bottom left of your minimap, and also on the boat icon underneath it while sailing. Here, you’ll be able to see which direction the wind is hitting your boat from. Unfurling the sail will only increase your speed when travelling in the direction of the wind, or close to it. If you’re travelling against the wind, you should use the one arrow paddling function, as this will still allow you to move forward. Ideally, plan your voyagges on days when the wind is in your favor.
© Iron Gate
Even with the full wind at your back the raft makes for slow going, so it shouldn’t be used for extremely long distances. You’ll want to save those for when you can craft a proper boat, as this will also stand up a bit better to any monsters of the seas you might encounter.
Hopefully by reading this guide you've learned how to use the raft in Valheim. With this knowledge you can cross those pesky waters to reach lands anew to explore. For more guides, sail over to our Valheim hub page where you can find all kinds of useful tips and tricks.
