BDO Sailors are NPC characters that improve the stats of your ship and cannons.

They can explore Barter islands and randomly pick up goodies while you are sailing.

Some sailors have beneficial skills:

  • The First Mate Proix sailor allows you to ditch your compass! (Carrack and Panokseon only)

Obtaining a Sailor:

  • Sailors appear in three different cities and randomly respawn every 30 to 60 minutes.
  • After certain requirements are met, you can attempt to hire sailors, if you have a Sailor Contract Certificate, purchased for 3,000,000 silver at a Wharf Manager.
sailor oath

Sailor Highlights:

  • Obtain 1 quest Sailor from the Main Sailor quest line
  • FREE Sailor Slots:
    • “Sailor’s Oath” adds 1 Sailor slot. Obtain 5 Sailor’s Oath via the Main Sailing quest line then speak to Chulong in Moodle Village for a quest “Chulong’s Gift” that rewards 3.
    • 1 Sailor Slot can be purchased with 7,000 Loyalties (Look for “Captain’s Medallion”)
  • Sailors can get sick and need to be cured (Sailors that have low Condition)
  • Sailors need to be fed periodically with unique Sailor only food.
  • Sailors can’t board more than 1 ship at a time. You’ll have to assign different sailors to your 2nd ship.
  • Sailors gain XP and level like workers (Stat increase amount from leveling is random and depends on a hidden growth range of each Sailor. Usual amount is about 0.1%.)
  • Max Sailor amount is currently 60 (increased via quests that give Sailor’s Oath and a Pearl item, Captain’s Medallion).
  • Sailors spawn randomly in 3 different locations and it may take time to obtain the sailor with the specific stats you’re looking for. See the chart below for which sailor spawns in which location.
  • Sailor spawns do not change with character swaps or server swaps. Sailors will reset at the beginning of each ingame day.
  • Sailors are shared account wide.

Sailor Cabin Costs:

The number of Sailors you can put on each ship depends upon that ship’s available Crew Status/Cabin Space and the available Cabin Slots. Each Sailor costs a certain amount of Cabin Space when boarded on the ship. For example, the Innocent goblin sailor costs 10 Cabin Space, so 3 Innocent sailors would fill up the Galleass 30 total Cabin Space despite it having 6 open Cabin Slots.

  • Bartali Boat Crew/Cabin Space: 10, Cabin Slots: 2
  • Epheria Sailboat Crew/Cabin Space: 10, Cabin Slots: 2
  • Epheria Frigate Crew/Cabin Space: 10, Cabin Slots: 2
  • Galleass Crew/Cabin Space: 30, Cabin Slots: 6
  • Caravel Crew/Cabin Space: 30, Cabin Slots: 6
  • Carrack: Crew/Cabin Space: 110, Cabin Slots: 20

Please note: First Mate sailors have zero Cabin Cost.

Sailor Quest Requirements

  • Level 50+
  • Sailor Quest Line:
    • To obtain Sailors, complete the [The Great Expedition] quest line under the Suggested tab of Quests (O).
    • Sailor Quest Line Start:
       – Vigorous Velia
the great expedition main sailing quest

After completing the main sailing quest line, don’t forget to travel to Land of the Morning Light!

Speak to Chulong in Nampo’s Moodle Village.

chulong's gift sailor's oath

 

Sailor Certificate Requirement

You will need to buy 1 Sailor Contract Certificate for each sailor you want to hire.

  •   Sailor Contract Certificate – purchase at an NPC for 3 million silver each.
  • Sailor Certificate Vendors:
    • Philaberto Falasi in Port Epheria
    • Islin Bartali or Proix in Velia
    • Wharf Managers in each region
sailor contract certfiicate

Sailor Locations

Sailors are found in three locations:

  • Velia: inside the Inn next to <Innkeeper> Islin Bartali and around the tables
  • Port Epheria: near the beached whale, down the road from the <Storage Keeper>
  • Iliya Island: up the main staircase next to the <General Goods> NPC and along that road, down to the <Stable Keeper>

Look for NPC’s by the name of “Sailor”.

Each one has a description title above their “Sailor” name.

This title will let you know the Sailor’s base stats. See table below.

Sailor Spawn TIPS:

  • If you don’t immediately see sailors when you arrive at the location, wait a minute for them to appear.
  • Sailors spawn differently for each player. (It’s pointless to alert a friend to a particular spawned sailor.)

5 sailors spawn at the Port Epheria location pictured below:

Sailor Management

Sailor Management occurs via any <Wharf Manager>.

Click on “Manage Sailors” button to open the Manage Sailors UI. The list of sailors you have recruited are listed at the bottom. Every ship has a certain number of open Cabin slots that can be filled, indicated by a + sign.

Select any sailor in the list to see its stats. Board the selected sailor to your ship by hitting the + sign. Grayed out sailors are boarded on other ships.

sailing ship manage sailors
manage sailors ui

Carrack & Panokseon Sailor Slots

In addition to Cabin Slots, Carrack and Panokseon ships have several specialized sailor slots that the smaller ships don’t have. The pic above shows the Manage Sailor UI for the Carrack Advance.

Carrack & Panokseon Sailor Slots
First Mate Assign a First Mate sailor here to activate their unique skill.
Sail Assign a sailor here to apply double their Endurance and Wit stats.
Wheel Assign a sailor here to apply double their Awareness and Strength stats.
Cannon Assign a sailor here to apply double their Force, Focus, and Vision stats.
Deck Assign a sailor here to increase the ship’s durability by 10,000 times their cabin cost.
Mess Assign a sailor here to increase the ship’s rations by 5,000 times their cabin cost.
Fish Assign a sailor here for auto-fishing. Sailor fishing is activated when a sailor is assigned and a fishing rod is installed.

Extra sailor slots open depending on which ship you have:

Ship Extra Slot
Carrack: Advance Mess +1 slot
Carrack: Balance Sail +1 slot
Carrack: Volante Sail +1 slot
Carrack: Valor Cannon +1 slot
Panokseon Cannon +2 slots

First Mate Sailors

Currently, there are 3 available First Mate sailors. Each has their own unique skill. When hired, the first mate will be added to the Sailor List. The First Mate does not use Crew/Cabin Space, but they do have weight and require 1 empty Sailor Slot. Like other sailors, First Mates can get sick. Their Unique Skill will stop working unless an Elixir of Regeneration is used to bring them back to good health. First Mates cannot be fired.

[First Mate] Proix

Unique Skill #1: Increases Breezy Sail duration. 

Unique Sill #2: Acts like a compass, allowing you to auto navigate and view your location on the map when inside the Great Ocean.

Prerequisites: Complete the [The Great Expedition] In Search of Khan, the Eye of the Moon quest.

Speak to NPC Proix located in the tavern on the dock in Velia to begin the questline. Accept the quest: [First Mate] Reunion on the Horizon. Chat with him several times, completing 3 quests to receive the First Mate Proix contract.;

Right click the contract in your inventory to add Proix to your sailor list.

[First Mate] Cleia

Unique Skill: Decreases Parley required for Bartering by 10%.

Prerequisites: Obtain the ‘Golden Pocket Watch’ via Special Barter

With the Golden Pocket Watch in your inventory, speak to NPC Cleia, the Marketplace Vendor located in Heidel, to begin the questline. Accept the quest: [First Mate] Memento of the Past. Chat with her several times, completing 3 quests to receive the First Mate Cleia contract.

Right click the contract in your inventory to add Cleia to your sailor list.

[First Mate] Tranan Underfoe

Unique Skill: “Ship Auto Repair” function becomes available when Ship Repair Material, Ship Repair Kit, or Emergency Ship Repair Kit are in your ship’s inventory.
Prerequisites: Obtain the ‘Fancy Figurehead’ drop from Saltwater Crocodile.

With the Fancy Figurehead in your inventory, speak to NPC Tranan Underfoe, the blacksmith located in Velia, to begin the questline. Accept the quest: [First Mate] A Certain Adventurer’s Sea-journ. Chat with him several times, completing 3 quests to receive the First Mate Tranan Underfoe contract.

Right click the contract in your inventory to add Underfoe to your sailor list.

Carrack Fishing Rod

Speak to Crio the otter who is located near the Velia Storage Keeper to begin the Carrack fishing rod questline. Pick up the quest: [Sailor Fishing] An Otterly Good Friend.

You’ll need to purchase 200 Crow Coin Coupons to complete the quest. This will cost a total of 2000 Crow Coins. You can purchase the coupons from Rebinia who is located on the Velia Dock near the wharf manager, Croix.

Equip the Oceanbound Otter Fishing Rod to your Carrack at the Wharf Manager.

carrack gear inventory
oceanbound otter fishing rod

Sailor Stats

Each sailor is unique, assigned with random stat percentages. See table below for a list of sailors and their stats. Most sailors have stats that increase your ship’s Speed, Acceleration, Turn, and Brake. If your Sailor has high Endurance, then he will increase your ship’s Speed by that amount.

Sailor Stats That Improve Ship Stats:

Endurance: Speed
Wits: Acceleration
Awareness: Turn
Strength: Brake

These special sailors have stats that improve cannon performance: Quick, Quick-Witted, Realistic, and Curious. 

Sailor Stats That Improve Ship Cannons:

Patience: Reload Speed
Focus: Focus Fire Range
Force: Accuracy
Vision: Angle

sailor stats

Sailors also have other stats that you will want to take note of. Appetite, Cabin Cost, and Weight do not increase when your sailor levels.

  • Appetite: Sailor Appetite is an indication of how often you will need to feed them Raisin Bread so their Condition stays healthy.
  • Cabin Cost: How much Cabin Space the sailor will consume if boarded on your ship. For example, an Epheria Caravel with 30 Cabin Space can use 3 Goblin Sailors that have 10 Cabin Cost.
  • Weight: Sailor Weight is included in the total weight your ship can carry. Heavy sailor weight = Less barter goods. Giant sailors weigh the most at 500 LT. Goblins are usually the lightest sailors and best for barter and trade. Dwarves are 300 LT and Humans average about 250.
    • Overweight ships are super slow, and your sailing skills are disabled.
  • Exp: The White Percentage Bar shows how close the sailor is to their next level. Sailors level up to 10. Sailors gain Exp primarily by Sea Monster kills, and more slowly through regular/special Bartering
    • Sailor Exp is increased, depending on the number of Sailors on your ship.
  • Condition (Health): The Orange Number Bar shows your sailor’s Condition or health. Total Condition increases every time the sailor levels. Keep an eye on this and feed your Sailor some Raisin Bread when their Conditon is low. Raisin Bread is purchased at the Wharf Manger’s Shop. Condition is depleted randomly at sea and after barter Explore, so keep this topped up whenever you are at the Wharf Manager by feeding them lots of Raisin Bread.

Sailor EXP gained according to the number of sailors boarded on the ship:

Number of Boarded Sailors EXP Ratio per Sailor Total EXP obtained by all boarded sailors
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
100%
65%
53.3%
47.5%
44%
41.7%
40%
38.8%
37.8%
37%
100%
130%
160%
190%
220%
250%
280%
310%
340%
370%
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
36.4%
33.3%
30.8%
28.6%
26.7%
25%
23.5%
22.2%
21.1%
20%
*400%
400%
400%
400%
400%
400%
400%
400%
400%
400%

 

*If more than 11 sailors are on board, the obtained EXP will be multiplied by 400% and then distributed equally among all the sailors.

For example, if there are 30 boarded sailors, the obtained EXP x 400% is equally distributed to the 30 sailors, each receiving approximately 13.3%.

Feeding Sailors: Restoring Condition

Sailor Condition can only be restored at the <Wharf Manager>. Select “Manage Sailors”. Look for a cup icon next to their portrait in the Sailor List. Or use the restore all button.

Note that Sailor Condition does NOT restore when a Sailor levels up.

Sailor Food

 Raisin Bread – recovers 1 Condition

Purchased from a Wharf Manager.

 Chowder: recovers 10 Condition

Crafted with the Cooking life skill.

Sick Sailor

Sailors can get sick if their Condition falls to zero.

When Sailors get sick, their stats are not applied to the ship and they can’t do sailing activities like Sailor Explore.

To cure a Sick Sailor, use the following:

 Elixir of Regeneration

You can purchase it at the Marketplace or craft it with the Alchemy life skill.

 Tears of the Star

You can also purchase Tears of the Star from the Pearl Shop for 50 pearls to cure a sick sailor.

 

sick sailor list

A Sick Sailor will show an empty Condition bar and be unable to board a ship.

The sick sailor’s detailed profile will also show, [Sick].

Elixir of Regeneration Recipe:

Processing (L) → Simple Alchemy:

 

elixir of regeneration sick sailor
  • Cures 1 Sailor
  • Recovers Condition to 100%

How to Use Elixir of Regeneration:

Talk to a Wharf Manager and select Manage Sailors option.

Remote Collect or Ship Destruction

Sailors drop to 0 Condition on Remote Collect and also when your ship is destroyed. This can cause your Sailor to become sick. Barter Sea Trade Goods are always destroyed. Other trade items have a chance to be destroyed.

  • Sick Sailors can’t board ships.
  • Sick Sailors currently on board the ship no longer have their stats applied to the ship. (All Sailor benefits and actions are removed.)

 Tears of the Wind

Tears of the Wind, purchased from the Pearl Shop with pearls or loyalties will resurrect your ship instantly.

ship repair after ship destruction
Barter User Interface

Sailors & Bartering Nodes

When you sail up to a Barter NPC, a Sailor/Barter UI will come up. After clicking on “Anchor”, you will have two options for your Sailors. (Ration Cost: 100,000)

  • SUPPLY: Sailors will gather Ship Rations (very small amount. Only use if you are in dire need.)
  • EXPLORE: Sailors may find treasures
    • RNG chance that Sailors will find treasures like Support Box, Seaweed Stalk, Iridescent Coral, etc.
    • Sailors have a chance to repair/damage your ship.
    • Sailors have a chance to find rations.
    • Sailors have a chance to increase/decrease their Condition.
    • Explore may fail, but still consume ship rations.
    • Chance to aquire an Island Exploration Quest to obtain 50 Crow Coins and ship materials.

Sailor Stat Charts

Innocent Goblin Speed
Lv Max
+Lvl
Min Max Avg
1 1.2 1.2 1.2
2 0.2 1.3 1.4 1.4
3 0.2 1.4 1.6 1.5
4 0.3 1.5 1.9 1.7
5 0.3 1.6 2.2 1.9
6 0.4 1.7 2.6 2.2
7 0.4 1.8 3.0 2.4
8 0.4 1.9 3.4 2.7
9 0.4 2.0 3.8 2.9
10 0.5 2.1 4.3 3.2

 

Notable Sailors:

  • Innocent Sailor: a popular Velia/Epheria Goblin that has a good balance of low Weight and good Speed/Acceleration, although doesn’t start out as fast as Ambitious Sailor. ( Players report that this is the best Sailor to obtain because he has the highest Speed/Endurance growth of all Sailors.
  • Ambitious Sailor: Goblin that spawns in Velia/Epheria has a good balance of low Weight and high Speed/Acceleration (good for Bartering)
  • Born-in-the-Sea: The Giant Sailor in Iliya Island has the best starting Speed/Acceleration of all of the Sailors. His Weight is also high, however. (Excellent for getting to your destination quickly, though.)

Sailors Sorted By Best in Base Speed:

Race Appetite Cabin Cost Weight Base Speed Base Accel Base Turn Base Brake Force (Range) Focus (Accuracy) Vision (Angle) Location
Born-in-the-Sea Giant 150 10 500 2 0.3 0.3 0.3 Iliya
Ambitious Goblin 150 10 200 1.6 0.2 0.2 0.2
Velia,Epheria
Innocent Goblin 150 10 200 1.2 0.3 0.3 0.3
Velia,Epheria
Experienced Human 150 10 250 1 1 0.3 0.3
Velia,Epheria
Powerful Giant 150 8 500 1 1 1 1 Iliya
Dreaming of a Full Haul Giant 150 13 400 0.2 1.4 0.2 0.2 Epheria. Iliya
Honest Human 120 7 200 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 Iliya
Strong Human 100 8 250 0.5 0.5 1.5 1.5 Iliya
Smart Giant 100 5 500 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4
Velia,Epheria
Diligent Goblin 80 10 100 0.3 0.3 2 2 Iliya
Calculating Dwarf 150 10 300 0.3 1.2 0.3 0.3
Velia,Epheria
Confident Dwarf 100 5 300 0.3 0.3 3 0.6
Velia,Epheria
Tough Human 100 5 300 0.3 0.3 0.6 3
Velia,Epheria
Enamored Goblin 150 10 300 0.2 1.6 0.2 0.2
Velia,Epheria
Treasure-Seeking Dwarf 110 5 300 0.2 0.2 4 0.8
Velia,Epheria
Tenacious Dwarf 100 5 300 0.2 0.2 0.8 4 Velia
Quick-Witted Giant 150 10 500 0.2 0.2 0.2 3 0.2 5 0.2 Velia,Iliya
Quick Goblin 100 10 250 0.2 1.5 0.2 0.2 3.0 0.2 0.2 Velia,Iliya
Realistic Dwarf 100 10 300 0.2 0.2 3 0.2 0.2 0.2 15 Velia,Iliya
Curious Human 100 10 300 0.2 1 0.2 1 1 3 0.2 Velia,Iliya

 

FocusFire Sailors for Cannon Buffs

In patch 4/22/2020, BDO added 4 new sailors that specialize in enhancing your ship’s cannons. These new stats impact the FocusFire skill and improve on cannon speed, range, accuracy, and angle. Read more about FocusFire.

Race Appetite Cabin Cost Weight Base Speed Base Accel Base Turn Base Brake Force (Range) Focus (Accuracy) Vision (Angle) Location
Quick-Witted Giant 150 10 500 0.2 0.2 0.2 3 0.2 5 0.2 Velia,Iliya
Quick Goblin 100 10 250 0.2 1.5 0.2 0.2 3.0 0.2 0.2 Velia,Iliya
Realistic Dwarf 100 10 300 0.2 0.2 3 0.2 0.2 0.2 15 Velia,Iliya
Curious Human 100 10 300 0.2 1 0.2 1 1 3 0.2 Velia,Iliya

 

Detailed Sailor Stat Info

Thank you to the work of RENGEREL and Sheen <Torrent> and Torrent guildies for the following Sailor resources!

Sailor Stat Image

Sailor Spreadsheet

 

Thank you to SakushibaYoski for the Sailor stat tables below. They will help you choose the best Sailors.

Sailor Stats (10 Cabin Slots)

 Sailor combinations and stats for ships with 10 Cabins.

10 Cabin Slots: Cabin Cost Weight Base Speed Base Accel Base Turn Base Brake Amount
Born-in-the-Sea 10 500 2 0,3 0,3 0,3
Ambitious 10 200 1,6 0,2 0,2 0,2
Innocent 10 200 1,2 0,3 0,3 0,3
Experienced 10 250 1 1 0,3 0,3
Powerful 8 500 1 1 1 1
Honest 7 200 0,5 0,5 0,5 0,5
Strong 8 250 0,5 0,5 1,5 1,5
Smart 10 1000 0,8 0,8 0,8 0,8 2
Diligent 10 100 0,3 0,3 2 2
Calculating 10 300 0,3 1,2 0,3 0,3
Confident 10 600 0,6 0,6 6 1,2 2
Tough 10 600 0,6 0,6 1,2 6 2
Enamored 10 300 0,2 1,6 0,2 0,2
Treasure-Seeking 10 600 0,4 0,4 8 1,6 2
Tenacious 10 600 0,4 0,4 1,6 8 2
Smart+Confident 10 800 0,7 0,7 3,4 1 2
Smart+Tough 10 800 0,7 0,7 1 3,4 2
Smart+Treasure-Seeking
10 800 0,6 0,6 4,4 1,2 2
Smart+Tenacious 10 800 0,6 0,6 1,2 4,4 2
Confident+Tough 10 600 0,6 0,6 3,6 3,6 2
Confident+Treasure-Seeking
10 600 0,5 0,5 7 1,4 2
Confident+Tenacious
10 600 0,5 0,5 3,8 4,6 2
Tough+Treasure-Seeking
10 600 0,5 0,5 4,6 3,8 2
Tough+Tenacious 10 600 0,5 0,5 1,4 7 2
Treasure-Seeking+Tenacious
10 600 0,4 0,4 4,8 4,8 2

 

Sailor Stats (30 Cabin Slots)

  Sailor stats for ships with 30 Cabins.

30 Cabin Slots: Cabin Cost Weight Base Speed Base Accel Base Turn Base Brake Amount
Born-in-the-Sea 30 1500 6 0,9 0,9 0,9 3
Ambitious 30 600 4,8 0,6 0,6 0,6 3
Innocent 30 600 3,6 0,9 0,9 0,9 3
Experienced 30 750 3 3 0,9 0,9 3
Powerful 24 1500 3 3 3 3 3
Honest 28 800 2 2 2 2 4
Strong 24 750 1,5 1,5 4,5 4,5 3
Smart 30 3000 2,4 2,4 2,4 2,4 6
Diligent 30 300 0,9 0,9 6 6 3
Calculating 30 900 0,9 3,6 0,9 0,9 3
Confident 30 1800 1,8 1,8 18 3,6 6
Tough 30 1800 1,8 1,8 3,6 18 6
Enamored 30 900 0,6 4,8 0,6 0,6 3
Treasure-Seeking 30 1800 1,2 1,2 24 4,8 6
Tenacious 30 1800 1,2 1,2 4,8 24 6

  Sailor combination options and stats for ships with 30 Cabins.

30 Cabin Slots: Cabin Cost Weight Base Speed Base Accel Base Turn Base Brake Amount
3xPowerful+1xSmart
29 2000 3,4 3,4 3,4 3,4 4
3xPowerful+1xConfident
29 1800 3,3 3,3 6 3,6 4
3xPowerful+1xTough
29 1800 3,3 3,3 3,6 6 4
3xPowerful+1xTreasure-Seeking
29 1800 3,2 3,2 7 3,8 4
3xPowerful+1xTenacious
29 1800 3,2 3,2 3,8 7 4
Options
3xHonest+1xPowerful
29 1100 2,5 2,5 2,5 2,5 4
3xHonest+1xStrong
29 850 2 2 3 3 4
3xHonest+1xSmart
26 1100 1,9 1,9 1,9 1,9 4
3xHonest+1xConfident
26 900 1,8 1,8 4,5 2,1 4
3xHonest+1xTough
26 900 1,8 1,8 2,1 4,5 4
3xHonest+1xTreasure-Seeking
26 900 1,7 1,7 5,5 2,3 4
3xHonest+1xTenacious
26 900 1,7 1,7 2,3 5,5 4
Options
3xStrong+1xSmart
29 1250 1,9 1,9 4,9 4,9 4
3xStrong+1xConfident
29 1050 1,8 1,8 7,5 5,1 4
3xStrong+1xTough
29 1050 1,8 1,8 5,1 7,5 4
3xStrong+1xTreasure-Seeking
29 1050 1,7 1,7 8,5 5,3 4
3xStrong+1xTenacious
29 1050 1,7 1,7 5,3 8,5 4
Random choice:
2xBorn-in-the-Sea+1xEnamored
30 1300 4,3 1,8 0,9 0,9

Pearl Sailor Items

You can have a maximum of 60 Sailor slots. You can buy up to 50 per account with real $$$.

1 Captain’s Medallion = 500 Pearls = 1 Sailor Slot

BDO Pearl Sailor Slots: Captain's Medallion

There is also an item that will instantly cure a sick Sailor and recover his Condition to 100%.

1 Tears of the Star = 50 Pearls = 1 Cured Sailor

Sources & Additional Info