How to Fish: How to Get the Big Motor Boat Upgrade

The Big Motor is the boat speed upgrade in How to Fish, the physics-based fishing game from Dazed Games. It is not something you craft or unlock through a quest. You buy it outright from a fixed spot on the second island, and once it is yours the boat moves noticeably faster across the water.

Quick answer: Sail to the second island (the Giant Piranha boss island), walk behind the wooden cabin next to the “Reel of Fortune” sign, and buy the Big Motor for $230.

Big Motor upgrade: location, price, and effect

Everything you need to know about the upgrade fits into a few concrete points. The purchase point is stationary, so once you know where to look it takes seconds.

Detail	Value
Item	Big Motor (boat engine upgrade)
Island	Second island (Giant Piranha boss island)
Exact spot	Behind the wooden cabin, near the “Reel of Fortune” sign
Cost	$230
Effect	Increases boat speed
Purchased label	“Already Bought”

How to buy the Big Motor on the second island

Travel to the second island, the same one tied to the Giant Piranha boss. The Big Motor only appears here, so you cannot pick it up from the starting grassy island.

Head toward the wooden cabin on the island. An NPC sits at the cabin, and this is the shop hub where the upgrade and a few other items are sold.

Player walking up to the wooden cabin and its seated NPC on the second island — The wooden cabin and its NPC on the second island, where the Big Motor is sold. Image credit: Dazed Games

Walk around to the back of the cabin. The Big Motor is placed there beside the “Reel of Fortune” sign, so follow the cabin wall until you see the engine and its price tag.

Interact with the Big Motor to buy it for $230. Make sure you are carrying enough currency before you approach, since the purchase does not go through without the full amount.

First-person view of a grassy lakeshore with the survival HUD and cash counter on screen — The on-screen cash counter and survival HUD you use to track whether you have the $230 for the Big Motor. Image credit: Dazed Games

Board the boat and press E to Drive. The higher top speed is applied immediately, so you should feel the difference on your next trip between islands.

How to confirm the Big Motor is active

You know the purchase worked when the upgrade point stops showing its price and instead reads “Already Bought.” That label replaces the $230 tag once your money is spent, so you never pay twice for the same engine.

The other confirmation is the boat itself. After driving away from the cabin, the boat covers the same distance in less time than the default engine, which is the whole point of the upgrade.

Other items sold at the cabin

The same cabin area holds a handful of extras beyond the engine. These are separate purchases and do not affect boat speed, but they sit within reach while you are already there.

Item	Notes
Beer	$12
Sharpey	Equippable melee weapon
Radio	Interactable at the cabin

When the Big Motor is worth buying

Faster travel only helps once a route to a new island actually exists, which happens after you clear the current boss and receive updated coordinates. A quicker boat does not replace an unfinished quest, a missing bait item, or an unreturned boss trophy.

Because of that, treat the $230 as a trade-off against your combat and quest supplies. If you are still blocked by the encounter that keeps the next island closed, keep a reliable weapon, recovery items, and the required bait first. Once travel is the real friction point, the Big Motor is the direct fix, and it stays yours permanently after that single purchase.