Raft: How To Reach Balboa Island | Engine Crafting Guide

The third story location of Raft is Balboa Island. Once you’ve breached the wheelhouse of the Vasagatan shipwreck, you’ll finally be able to reach this important location. Balboa Island is a large area that’s packed with solid ground to explore — a very different change of pace from your tiny lifeboat. Reaching Balboa Island is a special case. You can’t get there until you build engines. Only engines can propel your raft and push against the current.

Below, we’ll explain how to navigate to Balboa Island with step-by-step instructions. What you’ll need to craft, and easy mistakes you’ll want to avoid.

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More Raft guides:

10 Items You NEED To Survive | How To Stop Shark Attacks | Unlockable Characters | How To Get Metal Ingots | How To Get Scrap Cubes | How To Get Titanium | Reaching The Radio Tower | Opening The Vasagatan Bridge | How To Use Cheats | Best Cooking Pot & Juicer Recipes

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What You Need | Requirements

Before attempting to reach Balboa Island, the third story location, you’ll need to complete the following tasks.

• Balboa Island | Unlock Requirements:
  • Build the Receiver & Antenna x3 blueprints. Reach Radio Tower.
  • Get coordinates for the Vasagatan Yacht at the top of the Radio Tower.
  • Blow open the wheelhouse of the Vasagatan. Acquire Balboa Island coordinates.

On the Vasagatan, you’ll also need to collect the blueprints for Engine and Steering Wheel. Once you complete these steps, you’ll be able to reach Balboa Island.

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Getting To Balboa Island

Balboa Island is a large island located against the current / wind — the only way to reach it is with the Engine. The Engine and Steering Wheel blueprints are located on the Vasagatan Yacht wreck. Get the blueprints and use coordinates in the receiver to see where you need to sail.

• Build x2 Engines and x1 Steering Wheel.
• Make sure the engines are on the BACK of your raft, and the Receiver is facing FORWARD.
• Input coordinates to Balboa Island (4-digit code) into the Receiver. The island will appear as a blue blip.
• Navigate against the wind to Balboa Island.

Each engine can push 100 Foundation squares — if your raft is extremely large, it may need more engines. You can use a maximum of x6 engines at the same time. Also, make sure all the engines are pushing the same direction. Engines also need fuel. Later you’ll be able to craft efficient fuel sources, but at this stage you can use planks as fuel. Stock up all your engines and steer toward that blue marker.

• Engine Requirements: x5 Metal Ingot, x5 Rope, x1 Circuit Board, x20 Planks
• Sailing Wheel Requirements: x10 Scrap, x4 Metal Ingot, x4 Rope, x2 Bolt, x2 Hinge

The hardest materials to acquire are Metal Ingots and Circuit Boards. Metal Ingots are smelted from Metal Ore, found underwater near large islands. Circuit Boards also require the Smelter. Place Seaweed inside the Smelter and cook to create Vine Goo — you’ll find Seaweed on the ocean floor, which is much easier to access near any island. Research Vine Goo and you’ll see everything you need to make Circuit Boards.