Why sail?
Money buys upgrades, upgrades open water, water holds fish, and fish make friends of
strangers. But the long game is above: befriend the islands, fill the codex, witness
the wonders — and see what the sea does about it.
And some say the sea remembers kindness —
a rescue, an offering, a big one set free. They say a released fish sometimes comes back.
Fishing
Fish swim as
dark shadows in the fishing grounds — the bright turquoise shallows around
islands, the green kelp beds, the coral reefs, and (with a Longline) the dark Deeps.
Drift up
slowly — a fast wake scatters them. Within reach, press
E to cast, then
hit
Space when the needle crosses the glowing arc. The strong ones then
run:
hold Space to reel while they're calm, let go when they fight, and watch the line tension —
a snapped line just means a fish with a story.
Money
Fish sell at any dock market —
fresher is worth more (the Ice Box helps). Delivery
contracts pay reliably, with a bonus if you arrive before dusk. Money buys the shipwright's
nine upgrades at Hearthquay, and repairs when you've kissed a rock.
Conditions
Time of day and weather decide what's biting. Some fish want dawn, some want rain on the
night sea, one wants a starless overcast midnight in the deepest water. The codex (
C)
keeps your hints.
The wind
Every flag in the islands tells the same truth. Run
fair (wind at your back) and she
surges; beat into a
foul wind and she trudges — worse in weather. Check the 💨 chip,
plan your loop with the wind, and let it bring you home. Weather Canvas eases the beating.
The hull
Rocks and hard landings chip the hull. Below 30% she slows; at zero she limps. Any dock
patches her up for a few coins. Nothing you carry is ever lost.