OSRS Sailing Combat Guide
© gamerblurb.com | Published on 11/20/2025 at 6:02 PM CST (USA)
Ship combat starts early in Sailing and becomes a big part of exploring the oceans. This guide shows the basics so you know exactly how fighting sea monsters works right now.
How Sailing Combat Works
Combat begins when your cannon faces a sea monster and fires once you are close enough. Your ship health replaces your normal hitpoints during the fight. If your ship hits zero you capsize and lose all cargo then respawn at the closest port where you must pay gold to recover the boat.
Combat Details From Confirmed Sources
Using Cannons In Fights
Cannons only fire when the right side of your ship faces the monster. You need to rotate with the helm so your shots line up. If you are too far you see the message I cant reach that which means you must close the gap.
Damage dealt gives Sailing experience. The amount scales with how hard the cannon hits.
Ship Health And Repairing
Your ship takes damage from monsters and rough water. When the HP reaches zero you sink and lose the entire cargo hold. You can bring repair kits to restore some or all ship health during the fight.
Positioning And Movement
You click the helm to control direction. Your angle decides if your cannon is facing the monster. You can move forward or reverse using the navigation arrows. Combat stops working if the angle is wrong or the monster moves out of range.
Crew Roles In Combat
Crewmates with Privateering can run cannons if their stats meet the requirement. For example level four Privateering is needed for a dragon cannon. Only one crewmate can handle the helm so you still control direction and movement.
What You Can Fight
Sea monsters like sharks monodons and krakens appear in the oceans. You must have a cannon facility installed before you can fight anything.
Extra Notes About Combat XP
Sailing experience is only confirmed to scale with damage dealt. No other XP rules are confirmed yet so nothing else is listed.
Final Blurb
Sailing combat is simple to learn once you understand angles and range. Keep repair kits on deck watch your hull and let your cannon do the work. Line up your right side keep steady speed and your ship will handle early monsters just fine.
FAQ
How do I start combat
Install a cannon then face the right side of your ship toward a monster and move close enough to attack.
What happens when my ship sinks
You capsize lose all cargo and respawn at the nearest port where you pay gold to recover the ship.
Do cannons give Sailing XP
Yes Sailing experience comes from the damage your cannon deals.
Can crew fire my cannons
Yes if their Privateering level meets the requirement for the cannon tier.
How do I know if I am in range
If you see I cant reach that you are too far and must move closer.
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