10 Tips to Boost your Ship Speed

1. Choose a ship with good base speed. The Ultimate Shipbuilding Tool can calculate and compare the speed of any ship, form size, mod etc...
2. Choose -25% ship hold and improve your ship to get max sails, turn speed and wave resistance.
3. Get R20 sail handling. There's a a cheap +2 accessory from Suez and mittens (a cheap player-made glove). Gives up to 10 % increase in your speed.
4. For row ships, get R15 rowing refined. This skill can go much higher with equipment booster (+ items)
5. Get all Ship speed increase oxford skills (1, 2, 3, 4). Gives up to 20 % increase in your speed
6. Use Wanderer's wear or Vagrant's Wear. Gives up to 16 % increase in your speed. There are alternative (cheaper) EX items but these are the best at the moment.
7. Use the premium 50% speed boost.
8. Get "-0" plates to increase your acceleration (Deep Sea Beech Plate for example).
9. Have no goods (or food/water) aboard, as having them reduces your acceleration.
10. Watch for wind direction and give preference to tail winds (even if your ship has more Vertical sails). Also note there are wind differences in Summer/Winter.

Full Speed Ahead

I revised this guide 2 years after I created it and, when I did,  I soon realized that you can sail even faster!

So I decided to include these new tips in my new and upgraded guide for my patrons. Check it out.