Each boat trades build cost against durability, cargo space and handling. This guide puts the numbers side by side, then covers each boat and when it makes sense to build it.
Stats side by side
| Boat | Durability | Cargo slots | Sail force | Steering force | Backward force |
|---|
| Raft | 300 | 0 | 0.05 | 0.3 | 0.5 |
| Karve | 500 | 4 | 0.03 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Longship | 1000 | 18 | 0.05 | 1 | 0.2 |
| Drakkar | 3000 | 32 | 0.085 | 1.9 | 0.25 |
A few things stand out:
- Durability and cargo rise with each boat in the table, from the Raft's 300 durability and no cargo to the Drakkar's 3000 and 32 slots.
- The Drakkar has the highest sail force and the highest steering force.
- The Karve has the lowest sail force, and its steering and backward force are the lowest or tied for lowest.
- The Raft has the highest backward force.
Build costs
| Boat | Materials |
|---|
| Raft | 20 Wood, 6 Leather Scraps, 6 Resin |
| Karve | 30 Finewood, 10 Deer Hide, 20 Resin, 80 Bronze Nails |
| Longship | 100 Iron Nails, 10 Deer Hide, 40 Finewood, 40 Ancient Bark |
| Drakkar | 100 Iron Nails, 30 Ceramic Plate, 50 Finewood, 25 Yggdrasil Wood |
The Raft has the shortest list and the smallest amounts. The Karve is the only boat that needs Bronze Nails. The Longship and Drakkar both need 100 Iron Nails. Finewood appears in the Karve, Longship and Drakkar recipes, and the amount rises from 30 to 40 to 50.
Raft
The Raft has 300 durability and no cargo slots, so it can't carry anything for you. Its sail force of 0.05 matches the Longship's, and it steers at 0.3, which is better than the Karve's 0.2. Its backward force of 0.5 is the highest of all the boats.
Build it when you want a boat with the smallest material bill: 20 Wood, 6 Leather Scraps and 6 Resin.
Karve
The Karve has 500 durability and 4 cargo slots. On handling it is the weakest in the table: sail force 0.03, steering force 0.2 and backward force 0.2. In exchange, it is the first boat here that can carry cargo.
Build it when you need some storage on the water and don't yet have the materials for a larger boat. It asks for 30 Finewood, 10 Deer Hide, 20 Resin and 80 Bronze Nails, and it doesn't need Iron Nails.
Longship
The Longship has 1000 durability and 18 cargo slots. Its sail force is 0.05, and its steering force of 1 is well above the Raft's 0.3 and the Karve's 0.2. Its backward force is 0.2, the same as the Karve's.
Build it when you want a large step up in durability, cargo and steering over the Karve. The recipe is 100 Iron Nails, 10 Deer Hide, 40 Finewood and 40 Ancient Bark.
Drakkar
The Drakkar leads in nearly every column. It has 3000 durability, 32 cargo slots, a sail force of 0.085 and a steering force of 1.9. Its backward force of 0.25 is better than the Karve's and the Longship's, though still below the Raft's 0.5.
Build it when you want the sturdiest boat with the most cargo space and the strongest sail and steering. It costs 100 Iron Nails, 30 Ceramic Plate, 50 Finewood and 25 Yggdrasil Wood.
Which boat to build
- Smallest recipe, no cargo needed: Raft.
- Cargo space on a modest build: Karve, with 4 slots and 500 durability.
- Balanced upgrade: Longship, with 18 slots, 1000 durability and 1 steering force.
- Maximum durability, cargo and handling: Drakkar, with 3000 durability, 32 slots, 0.085 sail force and 1.9 steering force.
If backing up matters to you, remember that the Raft's 0.5 is the strongest backward force in the table. The Drakkar's 0.25 is the best among the larger boats.
Written from the game data of Valheim 1.0.17, last updated October 10, 2026.
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