Ready to master Sailing, the new skill in Old School Runescape? This is your ultimate guide to the most efficient route from level 1 to 99. We’ve cut the fluff and distilled the grind into a straight-line path to success.
Follow these steps to sail your way to 99, or skip the grind entirely and let our experts handle it for you with our secure Sailing powerleveling service.
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Getting Started: Levels 1-5 (The Pandemonium Quest)
Your Sailing journey kicks off with a quest, not random clicking. Head to Port Sarim and talk to Will or Anne near the Food Store. They’ll get you aboard your first salvaging operation, teaching you the basics while you navigate to a shipwreck at the Karamja Shipyard.
This tutorial quest is straightforward-steer the boat, deploy the salvaging hook, grab a mysterious medallion and an old cup, then get unceremoniously tossed overboard by Will (classic OSRS hospitality). But hey, you’ll walk away with your first few Sailing levels and a solid understanding of how navigation works.
Why start here? Because it’s required, and honestly, it’s the smoothest introduction to the skill. Plus, you need this foundation before anything else makes sense.
The Courier Grind: Levels 5-31
Once you’ve wrapped up that intro quest, it’s time for the real grind: Courier Tasks. These are your bread and butter for the early-to-mid levels.
How Courier Tasks Work
It’s simple, you’re basically a delivery driver, but on a boat:
- Visit a notice board at any port to pick up a task
- Collect cargo crates from the ledger table (both hands must be free)
- Load them into your boat’s cargo hold
- Sail to the destination port
- Unload the crates at the destination’s ledger table
At level 7, you unlock the ability to take 2 tasks at once. At level 28, this bumps up to 3 simultaneous tasks. More tasks = more efficiency = faster XP. Always max out your task slots.
XP Boosts: Ocean Encounters
Here’s what most people miss: while you’re sailing between ports, random events pop up that give you bonus XP. These “Ocean Encounters” are small but add up over time:
- Strong Winds: Click your sail when you see the animation to trim it for extra speed and XP
- Clue Turtles: Snag them for clue scrolls (and a small XP drop)
- Castaways: Drop them off at a gangplank for bonus XP
- Other encounters like lost shipments and mysterious glows
Pay attention while sailing. These little interactions turn dead travel time into productive XP. It’s not massive, but it’s free real estate.
Key Quest: Prying Times (Level 12)
At level 12, pause your courier spam and complete Prying Times. This quest teaches you how to pry open sealed crates using a crowbar, a mechanic you’ll need later. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it pushes you closer to level 15.
Mid-Level Push: Levels 15-31
After hitting level 15, just keep grinding those courier tasks. At this point, you’ll want to start thinking about boat upgrades when you can afford them, but the main focus is consistent deliveries and taking advantage of those ocean encounters for bonus XP.
At level 22, take a quick break for the Current Affairs quest.
Keep hammering courier tasks, but at level 22, take another quick break for the Current Affairs quest.
[IMAGE 5: Current Affairs quest page]
[IMAGE 6: Current Affairs walkthrough showing Catherby docks and current duck mechanics]
This quest involves helping someone navigate political drama (yeah, politics in OSRS) and teaches you how to track ocean currents using a current duck. The quest itself is painless, and the XP reward keeps your momentum going.
After Current Affairs, you’re back to couriers until you hit level 31.
Mid-Level Push: Levels 22-31
Keep hammering courier tasks, but at level 22, take another quick break for the Current Affairs quest.
This quest involves helping someone navigate political drama (yeah, politics in OSRS) and teaches you how to track ocean currents using a current duck. The quest itself is painless, and the XP reward keeps your momentum going.
After Current Affairs, you’re back to couriers until you hit level 31.
Game Changer: Barracuda Trials (Levels 31-53)
At level 31, everything shifts. You’re done with boring cargo runs for now, it’s time for Barracuda Trials.
What Are Barracuda Trials?
Think of them as timed obstacle courses for your boat. The first trial, The Tempor Tantrum, is located south of Pandemonium in the Storm Tempor area. You’ll navigate through dangerous storms, avoid hazards like lightning clouds and rocks, and try to collect rum shipments and lost supplies before time runs out.
Before you start:
- Upgrade your boat at level 31. You need an Oak or Teak hull, oak mast, and oak hull minimum to handle the trial effectively.
- The better your boat stats, the easier it is to navigate and survive the environmental damage.
Why Barracuda Trials?
Because the XP rates blow courier tasks out of the water (pun intended). You’re getting consistent, high-value XP for successfully completing runs, and it’s way more engaging than sailing back and forth between the same two ports.
Pro tip: Gentle rapids give you speed boosts (and they stack), while lightning clouds slow you down and damage your ship. Learn the patterns, optimize your route, and you’ll breeze through.
Quest Break: Troubled Tortugans (Level 45)
At level 45, take a breather and complete Troubled Tortugans. This is the first quest in the Tortugan quest series and introduces you to Floopa, an injured Tortugan stranded on a remote island in the Unquiet Ocean.
The quest is story-driven, involves some light sailing mechanics, and unlocks access to the Great Conch area, which becomes relevant for higher-level content. Plus, the XP reward gives you a nice push toward the next milestone.
After the quest, head straight back to The Tempor Tantrum and keep grinding Barracuda Trials until you hit level 53.
The Shipwreck Phase: Levels 53-55
At level 53, it’s time to switch things up. Before you dive into the next training method, upgrade your boat again. Get the best hull, mast, and equipment you can afford, you’ll need the extra stats for what comes next.
Now head to the Large Shipwrecks scattered across the ocean. This is where Shipwreck Salvaging becomes your new best friend.
How Shipwreck Salvaging Works
Unlike Barracuda Trials, this method is more exploration-focused:
- Sail to marked shipwreck locations on your map
- Deploy your salvaging hook to collect salvage
- The salvage can be stored in your ship’s cargo hold (if you’ve built one)
- Return to a salvaging station at any port to sort your salvage into useful items
Sorting salvage at the station gives you half the original XP back, but also rewards you with items like logs, nails, and gems, materials you can use for further boat upgrades or sell for profit.
Why do this from 53-55? The XP rates are solid, and it’s a nice change of pace after 20+ levels of Barracuda Trials.
Once collected, salvage has a de-spawn timer, so don’t dawdle. When the timer ends, that specific shipwreck won’t be salvageable again until it respawns.
The Advanced Trials: Levels 55-64
At level 55, you’ve unlocked the next tier of Barracuda Trials: The Jubbly Jive, located in the Backwater region.
This trial is tougher than The Tempor Tantrum, but the XP rates reflect that. You’re dealing with more complex hazards, faster currents, and tighter time limits. But by now, you should have a solid grasp of sailing mechanics and a well-upgraded boat, so it’s just a matter of learning the new route.
What makes The Jubbly Jive different?
- More aggressive environmental hazards
- Better rewards, including the captured wind mote and Gurtob’s fabric roll (useful for building wind and gale catcher facilities on your ship)
- Higher XP per successful run
Run this trial from level 55 to 64. It’s repetitive, but it’s consistent, and the XP rates are some of the best in the game for this level range.
The Final Stretch: Levels 64-72+
At level 64, it’s time for another boat upgrade. Seriously, don’t skip this. You’re about to tackle Pirate Shipwrecks, and you’ll want every stat advantage you can get.
Pirate Shipwrecks (64-72)
Pirate Shipwrecks are like Large Shipwrecks, but harder, more rewarding, and located in more dangerous waters. The salvaging process is the same, but the XP per shipwreck is significantly higher.
This is where you’ll grind from level 64 to 72. The rates are great, and you’ll be collecting some valuable salvage along the way. It’s the home stretch, just keep at it.
Unlocking the Final Trial: Level 72
Once you hit level 72, you unlock the final Barracuda Trial: The Gwenith Glide, located in Porth Gwenith.
This is the endgame trial, and it’s the most challenging one yet. But here’s the thing, you don’t need to grind this to 70. You’ve already hit your goal.
Why mention it? Because if you’re planning to push beyond 70 (maybe aiming for 80, 90, or even 99), The Gwenith Glide is where you’ll be spending your time. The XP rates are the best in the game, and the rewards, like the serrated key, heart of ithell, and Gwyna’s fabric roll, unlock some seriously useful ship upgrades.
But if 70 was your target, congratulations. You made it.
