The Seafarer quest acts as the final tutorial phase in Windrose, shifting the focus from basic survival to naval warfare. After securing a crew and repairing a shipwreck in the previous mission, you must upgrade your production capabilities to build a vessel that can fight back against Blackbeard’s fleet.
This quest unlocks immediately after you finish I Need a Bigger Boat, which involves repairing a specific shipwreck found in the middle of the second island and reporting back to Doctor Galen. Once that is done, your objective shifts to weaponizing your fleet.
Crafting 12-pounder cannons
To defend your ship, you must first manufacture heavy weaponry. This process requires a specialized crafting station and refined materials.
Step 1: Build a Shipwright’s Workshop. This structure becomes available in your building menu once the quest begins and serves as the primary station for naval crafting.
Step 2: Process the required raw materials. You need to craft 12-pounders, which require 10 Copper Ingots and 10 Wood.
- Copper Ingots: Mine copper ore from deposits found in caves. Smelt the ore in a furnace using charcoal as fuel.
- Charcoal: Craft this in a Charcoal Kiln using wood. If you plan to smelt large quantities of ore quickly, consider building multiple furnaces, though this will increase your charcoal consumption.
- Wood: Gather wood by chopping trees or dismantling debris from shipwrecks.
Building the Ketch
Your starter raft or basic boat cannot mount heavy cannons. You must construct a Ketch, a dedicated combat vessel, using a Wharf.
Step 1: Construct a Wharf. Navigate to the Utilities section of the Building Panel to find the blueprint. The Wharf costs 10 Wood and 10 Coarse Fabric and must be placed in the water at the docks.
Step 2: Interact with the Wharf and open the Shipyard tab to locate the Ketch design.
Step 3: Craft the Ketch. This requires a substantial amount of resources, so ensure you have stockpiled the following:
- 150 Wood
- 100 Nails
- 40 Coarse Fabric
- 30 Rope Fiber
Step 4: Equip your weaponry. Board the newly constructed Ketch and access the ship's gear storage. Move the 12-pounder cannons you crafted earlier into the Ship Gear inventory slots to mount them.
Defeating Blackbeard’s fleet
Once your ship is armed, you must sail out to engage the hostile forces marking the end of the tutorial.
Step 1: Sail toward the location marked for Blackbeard’s Pirates’ Ketch.
Step 2: Maneuver your ship alongside the enemy vessel. Do not approach directly from the front or rear; position your ship broadside (keeping the enemy on your left or right) to give your cannons a clear line of fire.
Step 3: Fire your cannons until the enemy ships sink. Destroying the fleet completes the Seafarer quest. In the demo version of Windrose, this victory triggers a "To be continued..." screen, signaling the end of the available content.