Upgrading your ship in Black Desert Online is a crucial step for anyone serious about sea monster hunting, bartering, or naval PVP. The path from a humble Bartali Sailboat to a powerful Carrack requires a wide array of materials and a strategic approach to gathering them. In this guide, we’ll break down the most efficient methods for acquiring ship upgrade materials, including sea monster hunting, bartering, and spending Crow Coins.

Method 1: Sea Monster Hunting

Sea monster hunting is one of the most reliable ways to gather ship upgrade materials, especially for the early stages of your ship progression.

Recommended Ship

• Start with an Improved Frigate for better cannon fire capabilities.
• Aim to upgrade to a Galleass or Caravel for more efficiency.

Best Spots for Materials

• Young Sea Monsters: Found near Ilya Island; drop sea monster ooze for graphite ingots and other early upgrade materials.
• Hakaru and Ocean Stalker: Drop rock salt ingots and island tree-coated plywood, essential for blue-grade upgrades.
• Margoria Monsters: Provide yellow-grade materials needed for Carrack upgrades.

Tips:

• Use Lightstones with +30% item drop rate for more materials.
• Pets with item drop rate bonuses further enhance drop chances.

Method 2: Bartering

Bartering allows you to exchange goods for ship upgrade materials and Crow Coins.

Recommended Ship: Caravel line for more inventory space.

Key Tips

• Start at Ilya Island, which offers beginner-friendly bartering quests.
• Focus on routes that offer Tidal Blackstones, Brilliant Pearl Shards, and Crow Coins.

Bartering Benefits:

• Provides materials without combat.
• Crow Coins earned can be spent on ship upgrade materials.

Method 3: Spending Crow Coins

Crow Coins can be exchanged for high-grade materials at various NPCs:

• Locations: Ilya Island, Lima Island, and Crow’s Nest.
• Materials Available: Luminous Cobalt Ingots, Brilliant Rock Salt Ingots, and Brilliant Pearl Shards.

Tip: Prioritize buying materials that are hard to obtain through sea monster hunting.

Daily Quests for Materials

Quests at Oquilla’s Eye provide ship upgrade materials and Crow Coins:

• Types of Quests: Sea monster hunting, bartering, and delivery quests.
• Rewards: Contribution XP, sailing XP, and materials for Carrack upgrades.

Pro Tip: Complete these quests daily for a steady income of upgrade materials.

Conclusion

Upgrading your ship to a Carrack in BDO requires a mix of sea monster hunting, bartering, and smart spending of Crow Coins. By following this guide, you’ll streamline the process and sail the seas in your Carrack faster than you thought possible.

For more advanced tips and strategies, check out our other Black Desert Online guides!