On November 19, 2025, Old School RuneScape (OSRS) players will witness one of the most monumental updates in the game’s history — the official release of the brand-new Sailing skill. This highly anticipated skill marks the first new addition to OSRS in nearly twenty years, and it fundamentally reshapes how players explore, train, gather resources, and interact with the world of Gielinor.

With Sailing, the world map expands by over 190%, introducing vast oceans, uncharted islands, bustling maritime hubs, mysterious sea regions, and open-ocean gameplay never before seen in OSRS. Players will build and customize ships, manage voyages, take on exploration challenges, discover new biomes, and uncover loot buried deep beneath the waves.

Whether you’re a maxed veteran planning to speedrun 1–99 or a casual player who wants to immerse themselves in the new sea-frontier, this long-form guide provides a complete breakdown of Sailing mechanics, leveling routes, shipbuilding, XP methods, island types, exploration systems, resource loops, and preparation tips.

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What Is the OSRS Sailing Skill?

The Sailing skill is a major new addition to OSRS, introducing full-scale naval exploration and ship management. Unlike traditional skills that focus on one activity loop, Sailing is a hybrid skill built around:

  • Exploration – uncovering new islands, regions, and sea-based content
  • Navigation – maneuvering through ocean biomes, hazards, and weather
  • Shipbuilding – constructing, upgrading, and customizing your vessel
  • Voyages – completing maritime contracts and expeditions
  • Resource Gathering – salvaging wrecks, harvesting sea materials, and raiding special islands
  • Mapping – documenting discovered regions for XP and rewards

Unlike Dungeoneering in RS3 or Sailing minigames from older RuneScape eras, this version of Sailing is an integrated, open-world skill that seamlessly connects to Gielinor. You can travel directly from the mainland into open waters without loading screens or instancing — a first in OSRS.

The skill is designed to be both accessible to beginners and rich for veteran players who enjoy progression-heavy gameplay, resource economies, and long-term grinds.

Key Gameplay Features of Sailing

The Sailing skill brings an unprecedented amount of new gameplay systems. Below is a detailed overview of each major component.

1. Massive World Expansion

The ocean surrounding Gielinor becomes fully explorable. This expansion includes:

  • Island Chains – clusters of small-to-large islands with unique climates, NPCs, and resources
  • Maritime Cities – ocean trading hubs offering shops, repair docks, questlines, and storage
  • Pirate Zones – dangerous PvE regions where elite foes and treasure await
  • Rare Resource Islands – locations containing exclusive materials for high-level crafting and smithing upgrades
  • Volcanic & Storm Regions – high-risk, high-reward zones requiring strong ships

The map expansion is nearly double the size of existing Gielinor, making exploration a critical part of gameplay progression.

2. Build & Customize Ships

Shipbuilding is the foundation of Sailing. Your vessel determines:

  • speed and handling
  • storage capacity
  • crew size
  • survivability in dangerous waters
  • access to advanced activities

Ships range from beginner fishing boats to grand multi-deck ships capable of crossing deep-ocean sectors.

Shipbuilding Involves

  • Construction – building structural components, rooms, docks, and storage
  • Crafting – producing sails, ropes, fabrics, and decorative elements
  • Smithing – forging nails, reinforcements, anchors, and metal upgrades
  • Carpentry – shaping wooden materials used in hulls

Ships are fully modular — meaning upgrades actually change stats and unlock new activities such as long-distance voyages or deep-sea salvaging.

3. Ocean Activities

Sailing isn’t just moving across water. It is a full gameplay ecosystem that includes:

  • Shipwreck Salvaging – gather planks, iron, valuables, and rare materials from wrecks
  • Treasure Diving – dive into ocean floors for chests, ancient artifacts, and rare crafting items
  • Sea Monster Encounters – battle kraken-like creatures, leviathans, and aquatic bosses
  • Fishing Voyages – catch unique fish species needed for new recipes
  • Maritime Trading – buy low, sell high on a dynamic ocean economy
  • Storm Navigation – avoid lightning strikes, rough seas, and whirlpools
  • Exploration Challenges – complete navigation puzzles and discover secret islands

These activities tie directly to XP and reward loops, giving Sailing one of the most diverse training methods ever added to the game.

4. Skill Synergy With Existing Skills

Sailing integrates with several existing OSRS skills, creating one of the strongest synergy structures in the game.

  • Construction – ship decks, cabins, storage rooms, and crafting stations
  • Smithing – hull reinforcements, anchors, rigging metal, weapon mounts
  • Crafting – sails, ropes, cloth, decorative ship upgrades
  • Fishing – catching new deep-sea species
  • Hunter – capturing rare marine creatures and gathering exotic materials
  • Mining – harvesting new mineral types from volcanic islands

By combining various skills, players unlock stronger ships and better exploration routes over time.

How to Train the Sailing Skill (Full 1–99 Breakdown)

Below is a complete extended breakdown of every major level bracket, including activities, expected XP, recommended upgrades, and strategy optimization.

Levels 1–20: Beginner Sailing

The beginner phase introduces:

  • Basic ship construction – crafting your first small vessel
  • Navigation basics – steering, speed, turning radius
  • Tutorial voyages – simple island hops
  • Early repairs – patching minor hull damage

XP Rates: Low
Difficulty: Very easy
Goal: Learn mechanics + build first upgrade path

Players should focus on:

  • short trips
  • small salvage tasks
  • sail adjustments
  • basic maritime contracts

Levels 20–45: Coastal Voyages & Resource Runs

This bracket unlocks the coastal experience — allowing longer trips and access to medium ships.

Activities include:

  • coastal exploration
  • collecting basic island resources
  • repairing small storms damage
  • beginner-to-intermediate contracts

XP Rates: Moderate
Goal: Build a medium ship and unlock mapping skills

Levels 45–70: Island Exploration & Mapping

This is where Sailing becomes deeply engaging. Mid-level gameplay includes:

  • cartography – mapping new islands
  • rare resource islands
  • advanced salvage runs
  • multi-island exploration chains

Mapping is particularly rewarding — offering XP for both discovery and documentation.

XP Rates: Good
Goal: Unlock large ships & high-sea stability upgrades

Levels 70–85: High-Sea Voyages

At this stage, you begin navigating the true ocean frontier.

Unlocked content includes:

  • deep-sea regions
  • dangerous storms
  • volcanic island chains
  • powerful salvage sites
  • high-level maritime contracts

XP is highest from:

  • long voyages
  • hazard navigation
  • large-ship repairs
  • chain expeditions

Levels 85–99: Elite Expeditions & Endgame Sailing

The final grind is fast but challenging.

This phase unlocks:

  • endgame ships with top speed and durability
  • elite sea regions
  • legendary islands
  • rare-tier crafting resource zones
  • massive multi-part exploration cycles

These high-level expeditions award the best XP and some of the most valuable trade goods in the entire Sailing ecosystem.

Why Sailing Matters

Sailing is more than a skill — it is a full expansion to the game’s foundational systems.

  • First new OSRS skill in 20 years – making it a historic moment for the game
  • Massive world expansion – exploration becomes a permanent layer of progression
  • Community-built – the skill is based on years of player polls & design feedback
  • New economic systems – new materials, crafting items, and trading routes reshape the economy
  • Replayability – every Sailing journey is unique due to unpredictable seas, storms, and discoveries

The scale and depth of Sailing make it one of the most influential updates ever introduced to OSRS.

How to Prepare for Sailing Release

To maximize efficiency on day one, players should start preparing now.

  • Train Construction, Crafting, and Smithing – these directly power ship upgrades
  • Stockpile key materials:
    • planks (regular, oak, teak, mahogany)
    • nails
    • steel to rune bars
    • cloth, ropes, and sail materials
    • tools and repair supplies
  • Save at least a few million GP – early ships and upgrades can get expensive
  • Follow dev blogs – new updates and mechanics will drop before release
  • Join groups or clans – coordinated mapping and contracts are more efficient

Preparation can dramatically accelerate early leveling and give you a competitive advantage during launch week.

Final Thoughts

The Sailing skill is the biggest OSRS update in two decades — adding exploration, shipbuilding, ocean combat, resource gathering, and world expansion on a scale never before seen. Whether you’re aiming for 99 as fast as possible or planning to explore every hidden corner of the new ocean map, Sailing promises adventure for every type of player.

Prepare your vessel, gather supplies, and get ready to uncover the secrets of Gielinor’s oceans. And if you want a head start on launch day, you can always Buy OSRS Gold safely and instantly with HeeraGold.