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.
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.
Levels 55-72: Barracuda Trials (The Jubbly Jive)
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.
At level 55, unlock The Jubbly Jive trial in the Backwater region. This is an advanced Barracuda Trial with increased difficulty and XP rates.
Requirements: Inoculation station and Mithril helm equipped on your ship.
Trial Mechanics
The Jubbly Jive features:
- Faster currents and tighter time limits
- Higher XP per successful completion
Rewards
Completing this trial rewards:
- Captured Wind Mote
- Gurtob’s Fabric Roll
- Both items are used to build wind and wind catcher facilities on your ship
Continue this method until level 72.
Levels 64-72: Pirate Shipwrecks (Alternative Method)
At level 64, Pirate Shipwrecks become available as an alternative to The Jubbly Jive.
Recommended: Build a Salvaging Station facility on your ship if you haven’t already (requires 42 Sailing and 34 Construction). This allows you to sort salvage directly on your ship for additional XP and rare items.
This method follows the same mechanics as Large Shipwreck Salvaging:
- Sail to Pirate Shipwreck locations
- Deploy salvaging hook
- Collect salvage for XP
- Sort salvage at your ship’s Salvaging Station
Levels 72-99: Barracuda Trials (The Gwenith Glide)
At level 72, unlock The Gwenith Glide in Porth Gwenith. This is the highest XP-per-hour method in Sailing and the optimal training method from 72 to 99.
Requirements: Adamant keel equipped on your ship.
Trial Mechanics
The Gwenith Glide is the most challenging Barracuda Trial, featuring:
- Complex navigation with multiple hazards
- Tight timing windows
- New teleportation mechanics
Rewards
Trial rewards include:
- Serrated Key
- Heart of Ithell
- Gwyna’s Fabric Roll
These items unlock advanced ship facilities like the Crystal Extractor, which improves sailing efficiency.
Training Strategy
From level 72 to 99, The Gwenith Glide provides:
- Consistent, highest XP rates in the game
- Self-sustaining progression (trial rewards fund ship upgrades)
- Scalable difficulty as you improve your ship
Ship Upgrade Progression:
- Continuously upgrade your hull, mast, and equipment as you level
- Better ship stats improve completion times and XP rates
- Prioritize upgrades that increase speed and durability
Optimize your route, and maintain consistent runs. The Gwenith Glide remains the best method all the way to 99 without requiring significant additional investment beyond ship upgrades.
Summary
| Level Range | Primary Method | XP Rate | Notes |
| 1-5 | Pandemonium Quest | N/A | Mandatory tutorial |
| 5-31 | Courier Tasks | Low-Medium | Include ocean encounters |
| 31-53 | The Tempor Tantrum | Medium-High | Upgrade ship at 31 |
| 50-55 | Eagle Ray Hunting | Medium-High | Alternative, requires Steel Cannon |
| 53-55 | Large Shipwrecks | Medium | Optional salvaging method |
| 55-72 | The Jubbly Jive | High | Advanced trial |
| 64-72 | Pirate Shipwrecks | Medium-High | Alternative salvaging method |
| 72-99 | The Gwenith Glide | Highest | Best method, upgrade ship progressively |
For efficient progression, follow the primary methods listed above. Alternative methods are available for variety but may result in slightly lower overall XP rates.
