DREADMOOR Repair Boat Guide: Engine, Propeller, and Hull Maintenance

In DREADMOOR, massive tentacles can damage the boat’s hull and engine, and a damaged engine will severely reduce the boat’s speed. To repair the engine, step away from the helm by pressing [F], gather the required Metal Plate resources, and complete the repair mini-game. For long-term maintenance, boat modules are crafted at the Ship upgrades table in the Dry Dock, where an upgraded engine will make your boat faster, while a new propeller will improve its maneuverability.

Engine Damage and Field Repairs

When the motor fails, the interface warns that the engine is broken, and a damaged engine will severely reduce the boat’s speed. To repair the engine, step away from the helm by pressing [F]. Engine repairs require the necessary resources.

Specifically, the interaction prompt states that the engine requires 3 units of Rusty Metal to repair, shown in the inventory as Metal Plate. If you have enough resources, play the mini-game and win to complete the repair. Once finished, a notification states that the slot is fully repaired.

Salvaging Repair Materials with the Hook Gun

Objects floating in the water can be retrieved with the Hook Gun. You can collect floating objects that contain useful resources by stepping away from the helm and pressing [2] to equip the Hook Gun. Aim at an object and press [LMB], and when the hook connects, the grapple indicator will light up. Hold [LMB] to pull the object toward you, or release the grapple at any time by pressing [RMB].

During the early story quest, players fish out the consumables with the hook gun to repair the boat’s engine. Metal Plate is a bar of quality iron, all too rare in this dying world, and is best saved for ship repairs or modifications. Players also salvage Sturdy Metal, which is ideal for boat repairs and advanced crafting, and Rusty Hinge, a fastener used by craftspeople to upgrade boats.

Propeller Maintenance and Upgrades

The starting Old Propeller is a rusty, chipped propeller whose main advantage is that it simply exists, so do not expect any maneuverability. Crafting an Old Propeller requires 3 Metal Plate and 1 Rubber.

The Upgraded Propeller is a rebuilt propeller where the rusty parts have been cleaned and oiled, and the impeller and rubber gaskets have been replaced. All of this has a noticeable effect on the vessel’s maneuverability, and crafting it requires 4 Metal Plate, 1 Gear, 2 Rubber, and 1 Chromatic Scales.

On the Balanced Propeller, hand-balanced blades and a fresh bearing take the wobble out of the shaft so the boat answers the helm quicker and holds its turn. Crafting the Balanced Propeller requires 6 Metal Plate, 2 Gear, 3 Rubber, and 2 Chromatic Scales. On the Duralumin Propeller, light duralumin blades cut through the murk with far less drag so tight turns in narrow channels stop being a gamble. Higher tiers include the Deep-Water Propeller, built around a propeller shaft salvaged from a deep-water vessel that stays steady, precise and hard to foul, even in thick weeds, and the Prototype Propeller, which reproduces a pre-Collapse blade profile by hand so the boat turns almost on the spot.

Dry Dock Overhauls, Engines, and Hull Protection

The Dry Dock is a shipyard in Deep Water where journal entries note: I should definitely pay them a visit to fix up my boat. To dock the boat, press [X] while in a docking zone, or press and hold [F] to dock at the pier. Hull warnings alert captains when polyps have overgrown the hull and reduced speed, or when polyps densely cover the hull and cleaning is required.

In the Dry Dock quests, you load the repair tool with Bug slime, clean and repair the boat, and craft Hull Protection at the Lathe Workbench. Hull Protection provides a makeshift-reinforced hull that increases the boat’s durability and provides additional protection for you. Upgrading to Plated Hull Protection uses metal plates bolted over the hull and sealed with chitin, which absorbs heavy blows at the cost of some speed and requires 6 Metal Plate, 4 Jaws, 4 Coral fibers, 3 Rubber, and 3 Bug slime. Captains also use Duralumin panels, a lightweight, durable aluminum-copper alloy resistant to rust and decay that is commonly used for hull plating, fish containers, and general repairs.

At the Ship upgrades table in the Dry Dock, the baseline Standard Engine is an engine that is easy to repair and maintain, which makes it popular among anglers, though it cannot boast either speed or reliability. To upgrade, you remove the old engine from the motorboat, take the old engine to storage, and craft the Upgraded Engine using 10 Metal Plate, 4 Gear, 2 Machine oil, and 1 Carburetor. Thanks to its rebuilt valve mechanism, the Upgraded Engine noticeably increases the boat’s speed and maneuverability. Further engine tiers at the Ship upgrades table include the Heavy-Duty Engine, Reinforced Engine, Precision Engine, and Prototype Engine.