Field manual / trawler
Dreadmoor boat upgrades: get the trawler out of the swamp.
The demo only asks for two modules, but it lets you research a whole shipyard. Here is the required path, the real material bill, and which optional upgrades are worth the Torn Pages.
The boat is the only thing between you and the water.
Quick answer
Research Weak Hull Protection and the Upgraded Engine. Craft Hull Protection at John's Lathe and install it in the side-front slot. Deliver three Harpooners, buy the Carburetor for 50, then craft and install the Upgraded Engine. That is the minimum needed to reach The Throat.
Research, Torn Pages and the module chain
Boat upgrades are learned in the Mastery or research interface, then crafted at the Ship Upgrades Table in the Dry Dock. Research consumes the demo's research currency; the inventory item is called Scraps of Knowledge, while the tech tree and data use the name Torn Pages.
The ship tree has 29 nodes, but 18 are locked in the demo. The required route is much shorter: Standard Engine leads to Hull Protection, which leads to the Upgraded Engine. You do not need to buy every optional branch first.
The Dry Dock workflow
The Dry Dock is a physical workshop, not a menu. You need to repair the fuse box, restore power, put the boat on the lift, clean the hull and patch the damage before the module work becomes available.
- Repair the Fuse Box with 1 Cable, then use the separate Power Switch.
- Bring the boat onto the Boat Lift and raise it.
- Pressurize the cleaning system with the Pressure Pump, then use the Water Cannon to remove the Polyps.
- Load Bug Slime into the Repair Gun and repair each damaged hull section.
- Craft modules at the Lathe, check module storage, then install them in the correct mounting position.
If a crafted component seems missing, check the Storage Locker in the Dry Dock before spending materials on a second copy. The game stores some modules there instead of putting them directly in your inventory.
The two required modules
What the demo actually checks before it lets you leave.
Hull Protection
RequiredA side-front module that reinforces the hull. Protection 2, Boat Speed −1.
- Research
- Weak Hull Protection
- Craft
- 3× Coral Fibers, 2× Bug Slime, 2× Rope, 2× Rubber
- Slot
- Side front
Upgraded Engine
RequiredReplaces the Standard Engine and raises boat speed from 2 kn to 4 kn.
- Unlock
- Upgraded Engine research
- Craft
- 10× Metal Plate, 4× Gear, 2× Machine Oil, 1× Carburetor
- Carburetor
- Buy for 50 after 3 Harpooners
Ship upgrade tree
All 29 nodes from the demo build. “Locked” means the module is present in the data but not available in the demo.
| Tier | Module | Type | Research | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Old Propeller | Propeller | 2 pages | 2× Metal Plate, 3× Rubber |
| T2 | Standard Engine | Engine | 2 pages | 4× Metal Plate, 2× Gear |
| T3 | Hull Protection Required | Hull | 2 pages | 3× Coral Fibers, 2× Bug Slime, 2× Rope, 2× Rubber |
| T3 | Afterburner | Auxiliary | 2 pages | 1× Bug Slime, 1× Gear, 1× Thermo Coil |
| T3 | Fuel Tank | Auxiliary | 2 pages | 1× Metal Plate |
| T4 | Upgraded Engine Required | Engine | 2 pages | 10× Metal Plate, 4× Gear, 2× Machine Oil, 1× Carburetor |
| T4 | Spotlight | Auxiliary | 2 pages | 4× Cable, 5× Coral Fibers, 3× Bug Slime, 1× Relay Tubes, 4× Chromatic Scales |
| T4 | Fuel Tank (second node) Locked | Auxiliary | 2 pages | Locked in demo |
| T5 | Small Fish Hold | Auxiliary | 2 pages | 3× Rubber, 4× Chromatic Scales, 5× Coral Fibers, 3× Bug Slime, 4× Metal Plate |
| T5 | Upgraded Propeller | Propeller | 2 pages | 2× Impeller, 6× Rubber |
| T5 | Heavy-Duty Engine | Engine | 2 pages | 14× Metal Plate, 6× Gear, 2× Thermo Coil, 3× Machine Oil, 2× Carburetor |
| T5 | Small Canister Rack Locked | Auxiliary | 2 pages | Locked in demo |
| T6 | Canister Rack Locked | Auxiliary | 2 pages | Locked in demo |
| T6 | Afterburner (tier 6) | Auxiliary | 2 pages | 6× Coral Fibers, 4× Bug Slime, 1× Gas Cylinder, 4× Rubber |
| T6 | Spotlight (tier 6) Locked | Auxiliary | 2 pages | Locked in demo |
| T7 | Advanced Afterburner Locked | Auxiliary | 2 pages | Locked in demo |
| T7 | Plated Hull Protection Locked | Hull | 2 pages | Locked in demo |
| T8 | Medium Fish Hold Locked | Auxiliary | 2 pages | Locked in demo |
| T8 | Reinforced Engine Locked | Engine | 2 pages | Locked in demo |
| T8 | Balanced Propeller Locked | Propeller | 2 pages | Locked in demo |
| T9 | Large Fish Hold Locked | Auxiliary | 2 pages | Locked in demo |
| T9 | Precision Engine Locked | Engine | 2 pages | Locked in demo |
| T9 | Duralumin Propeller Locked | Propeller | 2 pages | Locked in demo |
| T9 | Deep-Water Propeller Locked | Propeller | 2 pages | Locked in demo |
| T9 | Injector Afterburner Locked | Auxiliary | 2 pages | Locked in demo |
| T10 | Prototype Engine Locked | Engine | 2 pages | Locked in demo |
| T10 | Prototype Propeller Locked | Propeller | 2 pages | Locked in demo |
| T10 | Prototype Afterburner Locked | Auxiliary | 2 pages | Locked in demo |
| T10 | Armored Hull Protection Locked | Hull | 2 pages | Locked in demo |
Engine comparison
Forward and backward speed values from the demo's ship module data.
| Tier | Engine | Forward | Backward | Acceleration | Repair |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Standard Engine | 600 | 200 | 120 – 80 | 3× Rusty Scrap Metal |
| T2 | Upgraded Engine | 750 | 250 | 140 – 100 | 3× Rusty Scrap Metal |
| T3 | Heavy-Duty Engine | 850 | 250 | 160 – 110 | 3× Rusty Scrap Metal |
| T4 | Reinforced Engine | 950 | 280 | 175 – 120 | 4× Rusty Scrap Metal |
| T5 | Precision Engine | 1050 | 310 | 190 – 130 | 4× Rusty Scrap Metal |
| T6 | Prototype Engine | 1150 | 340 | 205 – 140 | 5× Rusty Scrap Metal |
Propeller comparison
| Tier | Propeller | Max angular speed | Acceleration | Deceleration | Break health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Old Propeller | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30% |
| T2 | Upgraded Propeller | 15 | 15 | 5 | 30% |
| T3 | Balanced Propeller | 20 | 20 | 7 | 30% |
| T4 | Duralumin Propeller | 25 | 25 | 9 | 30% |
| T5 | Deep-Water Propeller | 30 | 30 | 11 | 30% |
| T6 | Prototype Propeller | 35 | 35 | 13 | 30% |
Optional upgrades worth considering
Once the required modules are installed, the remaining materials are yours. The most useful optional purchases are the ones that reduce travel friction, not the ones with the biggest numbers.
- Small Fish Hold — more capacity for long fishing trips. Costs Rubber, Chromatic Scales, Coral Fibers, Bug Slime and Metal Plates, so it competes directly with hull work.
- Upgraded Propeller — better turning and manoeuvrability. The demo table jumps from 0 angular speed on the Old Propeller to 15 on the Upgraded version.
- Spotlight — useful for night water. The recipe is expensive: Cable, Coral Fibers, Bug Slime, Relay Tubes and Chromatic Scales.
- Afterburner — a burst of speed for escapes. The first node needs Bug Slime, Gear and a Thermo Coil; higher tiers are locked in the demo.
- Fuel Tank — cheap at one Metal Plate, and it reduces the chance of running dry between islands.
Fishing and tool upgrades
The boat is not the only thing that can be improved. Fishing upgrades use the craft table, not the ship upgrades table.
| Fishing upgrade | Type | Research | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Rod | Rod | 0 pages | Starting rod; enough for the Snapper and Softgrazer contracts. |
| Earthworm | Bait | 0 pages | Starting bait; 100% affinity with Snapper. |
| Wind-Up Tin | Bait | 0 pages | 1× Metal Plate, 1× Fish Meat |
| Braided Line | Line | 0 pages | 2× Chromatic Scales, 2× Rope, 1× Coral Fibers |
| Rainbow Fin | Bait | 0 pages | 1× Fish Meat, 1× Metal Plate, 1× Chromatic Scales |
| Reinforced Rod | Rod | 0 pages | 2× Coral Fibers, 1× Bug Slime, 1× Chromatic Scales, 1× Metal Plate |
| Baitcasting Reel | Reel | 0 pages | 1× Metal Plate, 1× Rubber, 2× Gear, 1× Coral Fibers |
| Sturdy Earcrawler | Bait | 0 pages | 1× Metal Plate, 1× Battery, 1× Thermo Coil, 1× Chromatic Scales |
| Deadly Tick | Bait | 5 pages | 1× Sharpfin Flesh, 1× Circuit Board, 2× Sturdy Metal, 1× Cable |
| Flaming Belly | Bait | 0 pages | 1× Fish Meat, 1× Jaws, 1× Metal Plate, 1× Lily |
| Sliding Fishing Line | Line | 0 pages | Locked in demo |
| Friction Reel | Reel | 0 pages | Locked in demo |
| Coral Fishing Rod | Rod | 0 pages | Locked in demo |
Tool upgrades
| Tool upgrade | Type | Materials |
|---|---|---|
| Hook Gun | Tool | Starting tool for salvage, Bug Slime and mechanical pivots. |
| Axe | Tool | Found in the Abandoned House; breaks coral and crates. |
| Crude Lockpick | Tool | Locked in demo |
| Reinforced Hook Grip | Tool | 1× Gear, 2× Jaws, 1× Bug Slime, 1× Rope |
| Serrated Axe Edge | Tool | 2× Jaws, 1× Metal Plate, 2× Bug Slime, 1× Rope |
| Lockpick | Tool | Locked in demo |
| Hook MK3 | Tool | Locked in demo |
| Axe T3 | Tool | Locked in demo |
| Master Lockpick | Tool | Locked in demo |
Fuel, repairs and the return trip
The boat burns fuel, and the Fuel Larva is the only production chain in the demo. Process fish into Fish Meat at the Grinder, feed the larva, then use the Fuel Gun to fill the tank. The larva produces fuel; it does not fill the boat for you.
Engine damage is repaired with Rusty Scrap Metal. Hull damage is patched at the Dry Dock with Bug Slime. Before a long run to Angler's Island or The Throat, check both the tank and the hull; a fast engine does not help if the boat is taking water.
Boat upgrade FAQ
What boat upgrades do I need to finish the Dreadmoor demo?
Hull Protection and the Upgraded Engine are the two required modules. Hull Protection needs Weak Hull Protection research and a side-front module; the Upgraded Engine needs its blueprint, 10 Metal Plates, 4 Gears, 2 Machine Oils and the Carburetor from Betsy and Sons.
How do I get Torn Pages in Dreadmoor?
Torn Pages are the research currency used by the tech trees. The inventory item is called Scraps of Knowledge and has the internal ID TornPage. They come from exploration, quests and traders, who sell them for 200 each in the demo.
Where is the Upgraded Engine module after crafting?
Check the Dry Dock storage locker or module-storage area. Crafted boat components can be placed in storage before installation, so the module may not appear in your carried inventory.
How much faster is the Upgraded Engine?
The demo's engine table shows the Standard Engine at 600 forward speed and the Upgraded Engine at 750. In the quest interface, the upgrade is described as raising boat speed from 2 kn to 4 kn.
Do I need every ship upgrade before The Throat?
No. The demo only requires the hull reinforcement and upgraded engine. Fish holds, spotlights, afterburners and propellers are optional quality-of-life upgrades. Save materials for John's required modules first.