No matter how far you go around the world you started in, eventually, that island will reach the sea, and you’ll be disconnected from other places of interest, subsequently missing out on new areas and extra resources that you’ll end up needing long term. While some seeds or worlds are more generous than others, you can only get as much as the area allows you to, and to find things like boss altars, you’ll need to cross the waters the only way a Viking knows best: by boat. Valheim, in its current state only has 3 choices, so picking the best is easy as the choices are pretty linear (like the games metal tier), though, with that in mind, you can find some use for all of them in certain situations, which I’ll touch on later.

As with all Valheim lists, this was written at the time of the games’ latest version (Hearth and Home Update, version 0.203.10), and the speed listed is from base number to the fastest via a tailwind.

Now, let’s ‘sea’ what we can learn from this list.

3. Raft

A video about the starting boat in Valheim along with the boat controls to make it move (YouTube Channel: STAN Games & Tutorials)

Quite possibly the best example of barebones aquatic travel, the raft is the first of the three choices you have on the list. It is a small, squarish boat that can accommodate as many people as it can fit, though realistically 1 or 2 people will board it depending on its distance covered, as storms can throw those who don’t hold on overboard.

What is Good About the Raft?

Being the first of the boats you can craft, it easily provides the intended use right case out of the box (or docks if you prefer). The main things the Raft can accomplish are the following:

Raft:

• Can be made without needing metal components
• Easily built in the late game for niche uses
• Small enough profile to fit through nearly any body of water

A simple boat, for simple uses. This is far from worthy of any Ocean related use cases, and while we’re on the subject of the Ocean, I highly recommend keeping this boat in small bodies of water, such as a river way and similar, as it’s not the most durable thing in the world, and if mobs stand close enough to this boat, while it’s stationary, it will crumble and get destroyed as fast as it was built.

In my honest opinion, this is a boat you’d skip altogether, as it’s fundamentally useless for some who have the option to build it in the early game. Though it may not be a true statement for some, just know that the next two boats are much more worth to creating and to using.

Choose This Boat If…

• You need to cross through nearby islands
• Need to distance from shore to fish
• A spare boat for decorative purposes

Raft Details:

For a detailed look at the boat’s stats, you may look at the table or use the key points below.

Raft:

• Boat HP: 300
• Speed Achieved (Paddling to Full Sails) – 5.76 to 10.8 km/h
• Storage space – N/A

2. Karve

An overview of the materials needed to make the Karve and the size of the boat when built (YouTube Channel: C8sun)

A sizeable (literally) jump in the boat you’re getting the Karve is what many players will build, when the Longship is unavailable (which we’ll get to later). It holds 3 people by regular seating but can be boarded by a limitless number of people via the ‘hold fast’ button, given the early access nature of this game. The seating would most likely be addressed in the future, but this boat for now is in many peoples’ opinion, the best general-purpose boat in the game.

What is Good About the Karve?

Being a much more versatile boat uses for it is greatly increased. The main things the Karve can accomplish are the following:

Karve:

• A great boat for medium and even large-scale explorations
• Has 4 inventory slots to fit a few items you may get
• Decent health to tank up a bit of damage while at sea

It’s a really good boat for what it is, as it achieves the things that the Raft does but with the seaworthiness of being out and about in the big ocean. It’s also much faster given that the sails are much bigger and you’ll need it to be able to get away from a Serpent. To go back to the Raft a bit, if a Serpent were to chase you, you’d be immediately killed as it’s not fast, even on its best tailwind, whereas the Karve can tank a few shots, and with a good tailwind behind you, it should be enough to get you away from it.

My overall opinion is that this is the boat to get for individual needs as it’s a cheaper boat to craft than the best one on the list, and should be plenty for an expedition, with a side bonus of being able to bring home a few non-transportable items like metals for your crafting. It’s a good boat that can get you someplace far, as long as you keep some wood in your inventory for a few pitstop repairs via the crafting table, should it be too low on health. In short, carving your time to make a Karve is a great decision.

Choose This Boat If…

• You need to explore farther areas alone/with a few people
• A better ship to outrun foes like the Serpent
• A boat to transport up to 4 stacks of items

Raft Details:

For a detailed look at the boat’s stats, you may look at the table or use the key points below.

Karve:

• Boat HP: 500
• Speed Achieved (Paddling to Full Sails) – 11.4 to 25 km/h
• Storage space – 4 slots

1. Longship

A side by side by side comparison of how gargantuan the Longship is over the previous two boats (YouTube Channel: Jade PG)

To end the list of our trifecta of boats, we have the boat you probably see when you think of Vikings. The one where you grab your brethren in for a huge expedition, boss fight, or resource gathering party. Vikings of the sea, I present, the Longship.

What is Good About the Longship?

Its massive size and utility can fit the entire games’ server population (max of 10 at a time), and could probably carry way more given the same lack of limits to people using ‘hold fast’ to steady in the boat. Assuming that was fixed, this boat carries upwards of 5 people, and that’s with some of the seats being unusable too. This is easily the best boat for many reasons such as the following:

Longship:

• Large scale, fast explorations
• Massive 18 slot inventory to transport tons of resources
• Very durable with high HP to combat rough waves and Serpents

If you balloon a Karve to accommodate a Viking raid, then that’s the longship for you. It’s a big boat that is built for big purposes. Even if you don’t utilize it for the reasons above, just having the speed of this boat will get you out of most situations, as long as you don’t beach your gigantic aqua drifter to an island or a rock. The only thing I can see as a negative is, of course, its size. Having this boat can also be problematic for narrow, rocky passageways that can clip it or get it stuck. You can easily remedy this by bringing pickaxes or hoes to clear the path ahead and will allow you to continue, provided that the passageway isn’t a dead-end in the first place. The large inventory space also makes it clear that this is more towards things most players will share finding for, like metals for their weapons, and with that in mind, it’s the best ship community use. This is also the boat you’ll need if you wish to reach the ends of the world, like the Ashlands.

Again, my opinion for the Longship is as simple as its physical size, which we bring only for big events. It’s a waste if you end up doing solo searches, and an even bigger waste if this gets destroyed in the middle of the sea, which, given its high HP, is unlikely but still possible. On a good tailwind, it’s also the boat you’ll need if you want to smelt that newly pillaged Black metal you and your friends (or community members) have asap. To clarify, going solo with this boat isn’t a bad thing, but as stated earlier, if you go solo, it’s more reasonable to get the Karve, but if the resources to make one is plenty and you can make one for each of your bearded friends, then why not show the enemies of the other islands, what true fear looks like, assuming you all don’t get stuck in the shallows crossing via a very ambitious river route.

Choose This Boat If…

• Large scale explorations
• Haul large amounts of non-portal friendly items
• Absolute speed from tailwinds

Raft Details:

For a detailed look at the boat’s stats, you may look at the table or use the key points below.

Longship:

• Boat HP: 1000
• Speed Achieved (Paddling to Full Sails) – 11.3 to 34.2 km/h
• Storage space – 18 slots

You may also be interested in:

• Valheim Best Armor (And How to Get Them)
• Valheim Best Food (And How to Get Them)
• Valheim Best Shield (And How to Get Them)
• Valheim Review - Is It Good or Bad?