Fastest Way to Get 1–99 Sailing in OSRS
Sailing is one of the most unique skills in Old School RuneScape and the first completely new skill added to the game.
Instead of training in one location, Sailing takes you across the seas of Gielinor where you can complete tasks, explore new areas, salvage shipwrecks, upgrade your vessel, participate in Sailing activities, and discover new islands.
There isn't just one way to train the skill.
Your best route to 99 depends on whether you want fast experience, relaxed training, exploration, or additional rewards along the way.
This guide walks you through the major stages of Sailing progression and the training methods you should focus on as your level increases.
Why Sailing Is Worth Training
Explore more of Gielinor
Sailing opens up the oceans and gives you access to areas and activities that aren't available through normal land-based exploration.
Unlock better ships and upgrades
Increasing your Sailing level allows you to improve your vessel and access more advanced Sailing content.
Multiple training methods
Sailing isn't limited to repeating one activity. You can train through Port Tasks, salvaging, exploration, trials, and other activities.
Useful alongside other skills
Some Sailing activities interact with existing skills such as Fishing and Slayer.
Getting Started With Sailing
Before worrying about maximum XP rates, learn how your boat works.
Early Sailing teaches you the basic systems you'll use throughout the entire skill.
Focus on understanding:
-Boat movement
-Navigation
-Ship facilities
-Repairs
-Port Tasks
-Sailing activities
-Boat upgrades
Don't rush through the introductory stages without understanding the controls.
Efficient movement becomes increasingly important later.
Early Levels: Learn the Basics
Your first Sailing levels should focus on introductory content and simple activities.
Port Tasks are one of the important systems you'll encounter.
These give you objectives to complete using your ship and help introduce you to travelling between locations.
Why Port Tasks are useful
-Simple objectives
-Sailing experience
-Encourage exploration
-Teach navigation
-Help familiarize you with ports
At low levels, completing available tasks while exploring new Sailing areas is a straightforward way to progress.
Port Tasks
Port Tasks are assignments that send you out onto the ocean to complete objectives.
They are useful throughout Sailing because they provide structured goals rather than requiring you to sail around without a purpose.
Depending on the task, you may need to travel between locations or complete objectives at sea.
As your Sailing level improves, you'll gain access to more content and more opportunities.
Courier Tasks
Courier Tasks are one type of Port Task.
These involve transporting cargo or completing deliveries between locations.
They are useful because you're simultaneously learning efficient routes between ports.
As you become familiar with the Sailing map, completing these trips becomes much easier.
Shipwreck Salvaging
Shipwreck Salvaging is another major Sailing training activity.
Instead of simply travelling between ports, you'll interact with shipwrecks and recover materials from them.
Why Salvaging is useful
-Sailing XP
-Useful resources
-Different gameplay from Port Tasks
-Can contribute toward ship progression
Salvaging gives players who enjoy gathering activities another way to progress Sailing.
Sea Charting
Sea Charting rewards exploration.
You'll travel across the ocean discovering and charting locations.
This makes it particularly useful while you're still learning where everything is.
Instead of immediately grinding the same activity repeatedly, spend some time exploring the Sailing world.
You'll gain a better understanding of:
-Ports
-Islands
-Routes
-Training locations
-Ocean regions
That knowledge makes later Sailing much easier.
Upgrade Your Boat as You Progress
Your boat is essentially part of your Sailing equipment.
Just as you wouldn't train melee forever using beginner equipment, you shouldn't ignore your vessel as your Sailing level rises.
Upgrades can improve different aspects of your ship and allow you to engage with more advanced content.
Pay attention to:
-Ship facilities
-Cargo capacity
-Repair options
-Cannons
-Boat materials
-Available facility slots
Don't spend all your resources immediately.
Prioritize upgrades that benefit the Sailing activities you actually use.
Mid-Level Sailing Training
Once you've learned the fundamentals, you can begin focusing more heavily on efficient activities.
Your options expand significantly compared with the early levels.
Useful activities can include:
-Port Tasks
-Shipwreck Salvaging
-Sea Charting
-Deep Sea Trawling
-Barracuda Trials
-Ship combat
You don't need to use every method.
Choose activities based on whether you're prioritizing XP, rewards, or variety.
Deep Sea Trawling
Deep Sea Trawling combines Fishing and Sailing.
This makes it especially attractive for players who want to progress more than one part of their account rather than focusing entirely on Sailing.
The activity takes place at sea and provides a different training experience from ordinary Fishing.
Why Deep Sea Trawling is useful
-Train Sailing
-Interact with Fishing content
-Obtain resources
-Break up repetitive Sailing training
Hybrid activities like this are one of the biggest differences between Sailing and traditional gathering skills.
Barracuda Trials
Barracuda Trials provide another dedicated Sailing activity.
These are useful for players who enjoy more active gameplay rather than simply completing relaxed tasks.
As you become better at controlling your boat, activities that reward good navigation become easier and more efficient.
Best for
-Active training
-Players comfortable controlling their ship
-Variety between other Sailing methods
-Improving navigation skills
If you're aiming for fast progression, becoming comfortable with precise boat movement is important.
Ship Combat
Sailing also introduces combat at sea.
Your ship can use cannons against enemies encountered on the ocean.
This creates another progression path involving your vessel's combat capabilities.
Ship combat can involve:
-Cannons
-Cannonballs
-Ship positioning
-Repairs
-Combat facilities
-Enemy vessels or sea creatures
This is more involved than simply travelling between ports.
Players who enjoy combat may prefer mixing ship combat into their Sailing training rather than relying entirely on skilling activities.
Repairing Your Ship
Your ship can take damage while participating in dangerous Sailing content.
That means repairs become part of your preparation.
Keep appropriate supplies available when doing activities where your vessel may be damaged.
Poor preparation can create unnecessary downtime.
As with ordinary PvM, efficient Sailing involves spending more time completing content and less time returning for supplies.
Higher-Level Sailing
At higher levels, Sailing becomes much more open-ended.
You'll have access to better equipment, stronger vessels, more ocean areas, and more difficult activities.
Your training should increasingly focus on whichever methods provide the best combination of:
-XP
-Rewards
-Enjoyment
-Useful account progression
Players chasing 99 as quickly as possible will naturally prioritize strong XP methods.
Players who aren't in a rush can mix activities together.
Sailing and Slayer
Sailing also interacts with Slayer.
Sea-based creatures and newer areas can provide additional combat opportunities, while higher-level Sailing content continues to expand the connection between the ocean and existing OSRS skills.
This is useful if you're still working toward 99 Slayer because you don't necessarily have to treat Sailing as completely separate from the rest of your account.
Sailing and Fishing
Fishing is another skill that naturally works alongside Sailing.
Deep Sea Trawling is the clearest example.
There are also Fishing opportunities available at sea, making your boat useful for more than simply gaining Sailing XP.
Players who enjoy Fishing may find Sailing particularly useful because the two skills complement each other.
Fastest Sailing Training Strategy
Because Sailing has multiple training methods, efficient training isn't simply about staying in one place until level 99.
A good progression strategy is:
-Complete introductory Sailing content
-Learn boat movement
-Complete Port Tasks
-Chart useful areas
-Upgrade your ship
-Unlock better Sailing activities
-Use Salvaging and other available methods
-Move into more active activities such as Barracuda Trials
-Mix in Deep Sea Trawling or ship combat where useful
-Prioritize your strongest available XP methods at high levels
As you unlock new content, reconsider whether your current training method is still efficient.
Active vs Relaxed Sailing Training
Sailing gives you different ways to approach the grind.
Active training
More demanding activities generally require you to pay attention to movement, navigation, objectives, or other mechanics.
These methods are better suited to players who want to actively train Sailing.
Relaxed training
Other Sailing activities can be approached more casually.
They may not always provide the absolute best XP, but they can make the journey to 99 much easier to sustain.
The fastest method isn't necessarily the best method if you burn out after a few hours.
Should You Train Sailing for Profit?
Sailing can provide resources and rewards while you train.
However, the most profitable method and the fastest XP method aren't necessarily the same.
If your only goal is 99, prioritize experience.
If you're not in a rush, activities involving valuable resources can help build your bank while you train.
Because item prices change constantly, always check current Grand Exchange values before choosing a method purely for GP.
Sailing Ship Upgrades
As you progress, you'll gain access to increasingly useful ship upgrades.
Think of your ship similarly to your combat gear.
Better equipment can make certain activities easier and more efficient.
However, don't automatically purchase or build every possible upgrade.
Focus on upgrades that improve the content you're actually doing.
Don't Ignore Navigation
Good navigation is one of the easiest ways to improve your Sailing efficiency.
Poor routes waste time.
As you train, you'll naturally become familiar with:
-Important ports
-Island locations
-Common routes
-Training areas
-Shortcuts between objectives
This knowledge compounds over time.
A player who knows exactly where they're going will complete Sailing activities much faster than someone constantly checking their route.
Experience Rates
Sailing XP rates vary considerably depending on your level, unlocked activities, ship setup, and how efficiently you perform each method.
Unlike simpler skills, there isn't one universal XP rate that applies throughout the entire journey.
Early Sailing will generally be slower while you're learning mechanics and unlocking content.
Mid-level training becomes faster as better activities become available.
High-level players can focus much more heavily on optimized training methods.
Because Sailing continues to receive balancing changes and new content, exact XP-per-hour figures can change over time.
Time to 99 Sailing
Getting from level 1 to 99 Sailing requires approximately 13 million experience.
How long that takes depends heavily on your training method.
Active players using efficient methods will reach 99 considerably faster than players primarily using relaxed activities.
Instead of worrying about the total number of hours from level 1, focus on unlocking increasingly efficient methods.
Your XP rates should improve significantly as your account progresses.
How Much Does 99 Sailing Cost?
The cost of Sailing varies depending on how you train and how aggressively you upgrade your ship.
Potential expenses include:
-Boat upgrades
-Ship facilities
-Repair supplies
-Cannonballs
-Training supplies
-Other Sailing equipment
Some activities also provide resources and rewards that can offset your expenses.
You don't need the most expensive ship setup possible just to train Sailing.
Common Sailing Training Mistakes
Ignoring boat upgrades
Using inefficient routes
Staying with beginner activities for too long
Ignoring Port Tasks
Not exploring the Sailing map
Poor ship positioning
Forgetting repair supplies
Spending too much on unnecessary upgrades
Choosing profit over XP when your goal is 99
Ignoring activities unlocked at higher levels
Fastest Path to 99 Sailing
A simple overall progression looks like:
-Early levels: Learn Sailing mechanics and complete introductory activities
-Early to mid levels: Port Tasks, exploration, Sea Charting and Salvaging
-Mid levels: Improve your vessel and unlock stronger training activities
-Mid to high levels: Barracuda Trials, Deep Sea Trawling, Shipwreck Salvaging and other efficient activities
-High levels: Focus on your best available XP methods and upgraded ship setup
-Level 99: Claim your Sailing Skillcape and continue exploring high-level ocean content
Unlike many older skills, Sailing gives you considerable freedom over how you reach 99.
Why Sailing Is a Great 99
Sailing is very different from traditional OSRS skills.
Instead of clicking the same resource thousands of times in one location, you're travelling across the ocean, improving your vessel, discovering islands, completing tasks, salvaging wrecks, participating in trials, and interacting with other skills.
That variety makes the journey to 99 feel more like account progression than a traditional skilling grind.
If you want to reach 99 quickly, learn efficient navigation, keep your ship upgraded, and move into stronger training methods as soon as they're available.
If you prefer a more relaxed approach, mix Port Tasks, exploration, Salvaging, Fishing activities, and other Sailing content together.
Either way, reaching 99 Sailing gives you access to the full range of content available to one of OSRS's biggest skill expansions.
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