Sea of Thieves: Ships Overview
In Sea of Thieves, everything begins and ends with your ship. It's your shelter, your weapon, your inventory, and your only way across the sea. There are different ship types for different crews: solo sloops or heavy galleons and each comes with its own strengths, limits, and quirks. This guide breaks it all down: ship types, damage, customization, and the threats you'll face out there.
Sea of Thieves Ships Types
There are four main playble ship types in Sea of Thieves, each designed for a different crew size and playstyle.
Choosing the right one can shape your journey, and especially if you're tackling harder voyages, PvP, or working toward Pirate Legend. For players who want to skip the grind and focus on adventure, Sea of Thieves Boosting can take care of the tougher parts like reputation farming or Hourglass PvP.
Sloop Ship
The Sloop is the smallest and most agile ship in Sea of Thieves. It’s designed with solo players or duos in mind, offering simple controls and tight maneuverability that make it perfect for learning the ropes or playing stealthy and fast.
The Sloop is best suited for solo players or two-person crews. It’s small enough that one person can manage everything: steering, adjusting sails, firing cannons, and dropping anchor without getting overwhelmed. Its quick turning speed also makes it a solid pick when you're trying to outrun larger enemy ships. Thanks to its slim profile, it’s easier to stay hidden behind islands or slip away unnoticed.
Brigantine Ship
The Brigantine is the middle-ground vessel in Sea of Thieves designed for crews of up to three players, it balances firepower, speed, and maneuverability. With two masts and four cannons (two on each side), it offers significantly more offense than a Sloop while still being agile enough to chase or escape with skilled teamwork.
It’s not as fast against the wind as a Sloop or as durable as a Galleon, but in the right hands, the Brig is arguably the most versatile ship in the game.
Galleon Ship
he Galleon is the largest ship in Sea of Thieves, built for full crews and heavy firepower. This is the ship you bring when you're planning a full evening of battles, treasure hauls, and PvP encounters. A Galleon features three masts, eight cannons (four on each side), and enough deck space to host a small party. But it comes at a price: slow turning, sluggish anchor handling, and a dependence on teamwork. If your crew isn't communicating, you'll struggle to keep up with faster ships or survive prolonged fights.
Despite these limitations, a well-crewed Galleon dominates the seas. Its firepower and durability make it excellent for holding territory, engaging Ghost Fleets, or intimidating smaller ships.
Burning Blade
The Burning Blade a rare warship that players can temporarily control during special world events and when it appears, it dominates the sea like no other. Larger than a Galleon and operated with the help of Obsidian Skeletons, this ship is a true floating fortress.
Unlike traditional ships, the Burning Blade doesn’t let you invite additional crewmates beyond what you started with. That means even if you're steering a warship, you’re limited to your original crew size: 1 to 4 pirates. The rest of the ship is run by NPC skeletons that fire cannons, patch holes, and fight off boarders.
When to Use the Burning Blade
- World Event Takeover: You can only sail this ship during the Burning Blade World Event, where players must defeat its previous skeleton crew and capture the vessel.
- Temporary Power Boost: If you're lucky (and strong) enough to take control, you’ll enjoy the firepower of a beastly vessel, but only for a limited time.
- PvE Firepower: Its cannon count and automated support make it incredibly efficient against fleets of skeleton ships or ghost captains.
Skeleton Ships & Ghost Ships
Not every ship you meet on the sea is crewed by players. Some of the most intense naval battles in Sea of Thieves come from NPC-controlled ships especially Skeleton Ships and Ghost Ships. They’re fully combat-capable vessels with unique behaviors, rewards, and dangers.
Ghost Ships Sea of Thieves
Ghost ships are spectral enemies summoned by the Sea of the Damned. They only appear as Galleons, but they come in two forms:
- Grunt Ship variant – basic ghost ships with ghostly blue sails
- Ghost Captain Ships – tougher variants with colored sails and pennant flags
You’ll find these enemies during Ghost Ship Voyages, the Ghost Fleet World Event, or in special Tall Tales like The Seabound Soul. Ghost Ships Sea of Thieves often appear in groups of 6 to 12 ships. If you're tackling the Ghost Captain Ships, prepare for a long and intense fight. They don’t sink easy.
Skeleton Ships Sea of Thieves
Skeleton Ships are one of the most iconic threats on the seas. These NPC vessels come in either Sloop or Galleon form and are marked by their worn out sails and eerie blue and green lanterns. You’ll recognize them easily through a spyglass and once they lock on, they rarely back down.
- Appear during Skeleton Fleet World Events or roam solo
- Use Cursed Cannonballs that hinder your ship or crew
- Crew will continuously repair and bucket their ship mid-fight
- Can board you with skeletons if close enough
- Often carry treasure items onboard, especially in fleet events
Skeleton ships Sea of Thieves are fully capable of sinking unprepared players. Even seasoned pirates need to coordinate attacks, chain their cannon fire, and stay ahead of repairs.
How to Customize Your Sea of Thieves Ships
Customization is a part of what makes your ship feel like your own in Sea of Thieves. You can buy ship customization items from the Shipwright Shop found on the docks of any Outpost. Once purchased, you can apply them through the Ship Customization Chest on your ship or in designated outpost areas.
Flags, however, are changed separately using the Ship Flag Box located at the top of your crow’s nest.
Captaincy Customizations
If you own a ship through the Captaincy system, you gain access to deeper customization layers:
- Captain’s Bed, Rugs, Curtains
- Captain’s Table & Logbook
- Ship’s Nameplate and Crest
- Trinkets (placed throughout your cabin)
- Banners & Ship Title
- (Galleon only): Captain’s Chair, Drapes, Chandelier
Your chosen layout is saved permanently and will be loaded automatically every time you set sail on your own ship.
Ship Damage, Fire & Repairs
In Sea of Thieves, every ship can suffer damage and sink if the crew isn’t paying attention. Understanding how damage works and how to fix it quickly is key to survival. Types of Ship Damage:
- Cannonballs (standard or Chainshot)
- Ramming rocks, islands, or enemy ships
- Fire and explosive barrels
- Volcanoes, storms, or lightning
- Enemy boarders with blunderbombs or firebombs
Once a ship’s hull is breached, water will start flooding the lower deck. If it reaches the top deck without being bailed out, the ship will sink.
Damage Areas & Repairs
When the ship fills with water due to hull leaks, it becomes slower to steer and more vulnerable to sinking.
Summary
Each Sea of Thieves Ships has a personality, and how you use it defines your adventure. Everything matters as you keep playing, but the most important thing is probably to stay in sync with your team.
FAQ
There are four main Sea of Thieves ships types: Sloop (small), Brigantine (medium), Galleon (large), and the event-limited Burning Blade (larger than a Galleon).
The Sloop is built for 1–2 players. It’s easy to manage solo, turns fast, and is great for stealth or hit-and-run playstyles.
Visit any Ship Customization Chest at an outpost. There, you can change sails, cannons, wheels, hull livery, and more. If you’re a Captain, you’ll unlock trinkets, rugs, titles, and detailed decorations.
Your loot will float briefly, giving others a chance to steal it. You’ll respawn with a new ship at a nearby island. Emissary flags can be recovered and sold for gold or reputation — even by your enemies.
Yes, but it’s a challenge. You’ll need to repair constantly, keep a steady angle, and avoid getting surrounded. Focus on one ship at a time, and use obstacles or islands to break line of sight.
Change Log
- 08.05.2025 - Sea of Thieves: Ships Overview published.