What’s the fastest way to build a raft or karve for ocean travel?

Building a raft or karve quickly in Valheim is essential for efficient ocean travel, especially in speedrunning scenarios. The first step is gathering the necessary resources. For a raft, you need 20 Wood, 6 Leather Scraps, and 6 Resin. For a karve, you need 30 Fine Wood, 10 Deer Hide, 20 Resin, and 80 Bronze Nails. Prioritize gathering these materials early in your playthrough to save time later.\n\nTo gather Wood, chop down trees in the Meadows biome using a Flint Axe or better. Leather Scraps can be obtained by hunting Boars, which are common in the Meadows. Resin is dropped by Greydwarfs, which spawn in the Black Forest biome. For a karve, Fine Wood comes from Birch and Oak trees, which require a Bronze Axe to chop. Deer Hide is obtained by hunting Deer, and Bronze Nails are crafted at a Forge using Bronze, which requires Copper and Tin from the Black Forest.\n\nOnce you have the materials, you need to craft a Workbench and place it near water. The Workbench is essential for building both the raft and karve. For a raft, stand in shallow water, open the Hammer build menu, and select the raft under the Misc tab. For a karve, ensure you have a Forge nearby, as Bronze Nails are required. Place the karve in deeper water to avoid grounding it.\n\nA common challenge is finding enough Resin or Bronze Nails quickly. To speed up Resin collection, explore the Black Forest at night when Greydwarfs spawn more frequently. For Bronze Nails, prioritize mining Copper and Tin deposits in the Black Forest. Use a Cart to transport heavy ores back to your base, and smelt them into Bronze at a Smelter. Crafting a Forge early will allow you to produce Bronze Nails efficiently.\n\nAnother tip is to build a small outpost near the Black Forest to reduce travel time. This outpost should include a Workbench, Smelter, and Forge. Stockpile materials like Wood, Resin, and Bronze Nails here to streamline the shipbuilding process. This strategy is especially useful for speedrunners who need to minimize downtime.\n\nWhen building the raft or karve, ensure you have enough space in your inventory to carry the materials. Drop unnecessary items at your base or outpost to free up slots. This prevents delays caused by inventory management. Additionally, always carry a Hammer and enough materials to repair your ship during ocean travel, as storms and sea creatures can damage it.\n\nFor experienced players, consider skipping the raft entirely and going straight for the karve. While the karve requires more resources, it is faster and more durable, making it ideal for long ocean journeys. Prioritize upgrading your tools and weapons to Bronze-tier early to gather Fine Wood and Bronze Nails efficiently.\n\nIn summary, the fastest way to build a raft or karve involves gathering materials early, setting up a Workbench near water, and optimizing your resource collection. Use outposts to reduce travel time, and prioritize the karve for better performance. With these strategies, you can quickly build a ship and set sail for new adventures in Valheim.