How to Build Your First Ship
Step-by-step guide to building your first Tides of Fortune ship — unlock Shipyard and Sloop engrams, gather resources, construct, customize, and sail in ARK.
Prerequisites
Before building your first ship, ensure you own the Tides of Fortune DLC ($19.99, Bob's True Tales) and have installed the Genesis Ascended Part 1 free update. Ship construction engrams require DLC ownership — non-DLC players cannot learn Shipyard, Sloop, or Brigantine recipes.
Progress through early Genesis Part 1 milestones until the Shovel and Shipyard engrams unlock. You also need a water-base location with sufficiently deep water for Shipyard placement. Coastal areas in the Genesis ocean or standard island beaches work well.
Gather preliminary resources before starting: metal ingots, wood, fiber, hide, and stone in quantities sufficient for both Shipyard construction and Sloop building. Pre-farming prevents leaving a partially built structure vulnerable.
Step 1: Craft the Shovel
Learn the Shovel engram from your milestone progression and craft it at a smithy. The Shovel costs modest resources and serves dual purpose — you need it for treasure hunting alongside ship construction. Craft two Shovels for backup durability.
With Shovel in hand, you can begin treasure hunting immediately after your ship is built. This parallel activity path accelerates resource income for future Brigantine construction and skill tree investment.
Equip the Shovel on your hotbar for quick access. It remains useful throughout your entire Tides of Fortune experience.
Step 2: Build the Shipyard
Learn the Shipyard engram and locate deep water along your chosen coastline. The Shipyard must be placed in water deep enough for vessel construction — wade into the ocean until water depth accommodates the structure footprint.
Craft Shipyard components at your fabricator and place the structure in the water. The build process follows standard ARK structure placement. Ensure the Shipyard faces open water with clear wind exposure for departing vessels.
Position near your existing base for convenient resource access. Add defensive structures if on a PvP server — Shipyards are high-value raid targets. See the Shipyard guide for harbor design tips.
Step 3: Construct the Sloop
Interact with the Shipyard and select the Sloop blueprint. Contribute required materials through the construction interface. Tribal members can contribute simultaneously for faster completion. Solo builders should deliver all materials before initiating construction.
Construction progresses as materials are added. The Sloop is significantly cheaper than the Brigantine — your first vessel should always be a Sloop for learning sailing mechanics at lower financial risk.
While construction runs, continue Genesis milestone objectives and beach patrol for Treasure Map Bottles. Productive waiting accelerates your post-launch progression.
Step 4: Customize and Launch
After construction completes, add basic tileset structures to your Sloop deck. A storage compartment for treasure loot and ammunition is the minimum recommended customization. Avoid overloading with structures that reduce speed.
Undock from the Shipyard and practice sailing in safe coastal waters. Learn sail trim, steering, anchor deployment, and cannon aiming before venturing into contested zones. Review platform controls for your input device.
Your maiden voyage goal: sail along the coastline, find a Treasure Map Bottle on a beach, and complete your first treasure excavation. This validates your ship, Shovel, and navigation skills in one efficient loop.