How to Get XP Bonus in Sailing OSRS

When sailing was added to Old School Runescape, players had a lot of mixed feelings. While exciting, it felt slow to level up, the routes were awkward to navigate, and the initial grind was tough. However, there’s a surprisingly effective method built into the system that can significantly improve your progress with every voyage.

Want to level up faster and make the journey from level 1 to 99 a bit easier? Here’s how to get the 2.5% bonus to Sailing XP and understand how cargo runs work after you leave Pandemonium.

Later Levels: Unlocking the 2.5% Bonus XP Buff

To boost your Sailing experience, the best option is Horizon’s Lure, a drink you put in your ship’s keg. When active, it gives you a 2.5% XP boost for everything you do at sea. If you’re planning on spending a lot of time salvaging shipwrecks or delivering cargo, it’s a good idea to get this unlocked as soon as possible.

Step 1: Get the Keg Barrel

To get a keg for your boat, you’ll first need to complete the Barracuda Trial – the very first one – when you reach Sailing level 30. Successfully finishing it will reward you with the keg barrel, which is what you need to actually build the keg on your boat.

Step 2: Chart 70 Areas

You need to explore and map a total of 70 different areas before the NPC will start offering you quests and information. Many players complete this naturally while exploring the starting area of the game. After finishing the initial areas, head to Port Piscarilius and chart the coastline – you’ll reach 70 charted areas surprisingly quickly.

Step 3: Travel to Pandemonium

Enter the cave on Pandemonium and follow the path until you find Chartan, also known as Charles McAtless. Don’t worry, his name is a bit long!

Talk to him and choose:

“What do I get from charting the sea?”
Then, “Can you tell me about these drinks?”

He’ll offer Horizon’s Lure, the drink that activates your bonus XP.

Step 4: Buy a Keg Full

Purchase a full keg for 7.5k GP, unnote it at a bank, then take it to your boat.

Tap your keg, then press the “Fill” button and select “Horizon’s Lure.” That’s it! Now, all your Sailing activities will earn 2.5% more XP, with the exception of the final reward from Barracuda Trials.

This is a rare, affordable way to sail faster without taking unnecessary risks. Once you implement it, you can start working hard to improve your performance.

Speaking of grinding…

Early Game: How Early Cargo XP Actually Works

After completing the main story in Pandemonium, the game immediately switches to a cargo hauling phase. It doesn’t offer any guidance, earning experience points is difficult, and the system for managing cargo can be quite confusing. Let’s break down how it all works.

How the Notice Board Works

The board displays available delivery jobs. As you level up, you’ll be able to take on more jobs, but not necessarily carry larger loads each time. Your ship’s storage space is still the limiting factor, not how many jobs you have accepted.

Level stickers show the minimum Sailing level required
Cargo type doesn’t matter
Only pickup and destination matter

Once you reach level 10, you can handle two tasks at a time, but you’ll need to collect items from different locations. The game won’t automatically gather everything for you in one place.

Loading Cargo Onto Your Boat

Okay, so I’m hauling cargo, right? I pick up each crate individually, fly it back to my ship, and drop it off. Having a menu entry swapper is cool and all, but honestly, I still have to…

Pick up the crate
Board
Deposit
Get off
Repeat for each crate

It’s clunky, but that’s the system.

The XP and GP Reality Check

Brace yourself:

Early crates only give around 53–60 XP
Even upgraded crates are barely better
GP hovers around 50–60 coins per crate

If you expected profitable early Sailing, this isn’t it.

How to Deliver Cargo

Depending on what tasks you accept, you may be sailing for a while.

Once you arrive, you must:

Unset sails
Open the cargo hold
Withdraw one crate
Disembark
Run it to the drop-off
Deposit
Repeat for every crate

Okay, so I’ve noticed the XP you get can be kinda weird – sometimes it’s normal, other times it’s double! Nobody’s really figured out why yet, but the leading theory is that it’s based on how far you have to travel to complete the quest. Basically, the longer the trip, the more XP you get.

Upgrading Your Ship

At level 15 Sailing, visit the Boat Emporium at Musa Point:

Skiff: Level 15 requirement
Sloop: Level 50 requirement, 200k GP

Better boats mean more storage, which means more task efficiency. This is key to gaining more XP.

The Real Cargo Strategy

Cargo training is a juggling game:

Take a task
Sail there
Deliver a crate and pick up another task

To stay on track and earn the most experience, plan your routes carefully. Focus on tasks that give you the best XP for each trip, and avoid detours or tasks that aren’t worth the effort.

Closing

Okay, as someone who loves to step away and enjoy the scenery, this skill really tested my patience! It’s all about constantly making tiny adjustments while you’re hauling cargo – you absolutely have to pay attention, or you’ll end up crashing into everything. But honestly, when I combined it with the Horizon’s Lure XP buff, it made the whole process way more manageable. It wasn’t fun, exactly, but at least it wasn’t torturous with that XP boost!

Starting out with sailing can be challenging, and earning experience through cargo deliveries can feel slow. However, getting the Horizon’s Lure bonus and understanding the best routes makes things much easier. Once you have a full keg and learn to efficiently link deliveries together, you’ll start earning experience at a comfortable rate, rather than feeling stuck in a grind.

Developing this skill will take time, but this initial setup gives you the best possible beginning. Stay focused, optimize your approach, and you’ll progress surprisingly quickly.

2025-11-23 10:38