DREADMOOR Boat Upgrades: What to Buy First
Every DREADMOOR boat module confirmed in the demo, what it does, and the upgrade order that gets you past the Throat without wasting scrap.
Quick answer: Upgrade the engine first, then hull protection, then fish hold. The engine turns a slow trawler into a usable boat; the hull lets you survive impacts and night travel; the hold pays for everything else. Spotlight and propeller come next, with the afterburner as a late luxury.
The upgrade bench in demo v0.3.39 shows Standard Engine, Old Propeller, Fuel Tank, Spotlight, Hull Protection, Upgraded Engine, Small Fish Hold, Upgraded Propeller and Afterburner. Costs and late-tier materials will change in Early Access.
The trawler is the game's real character. It is your transport, your respawn point, your fishing platform and your escape route. The free demo lets you test every module on this page. Walking into deep water kills you; the boat is the only safe place to stand. That makes boat upgrades survivability upgrades, not convenience purchases.
"Upgrade your engine and propeller for greater speed and manoeuvrability, reinforce the hull, and keep spare fuel close at hand with a canister rack." — DREADMOOR on Steam
The upgrade order that works
| Priority | Module | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Upgraded Engine | Speed and access; the demo's main gate |
| 2 | Hull Protection | Survive impacts and night travel |
| 3 | Small Fish Hold | More catch per trip, faster income |
| 4 | Spotlight | Night visibility and safety |
| 5 | Upgraded Propeller | Manoeuvrability in tight water |
| 6 | Fuel Tank / canister rack | Longer trips without refuelling |
| 7 | Afterburner | Escape tool; expensive for the benefit |
This order assumes you are playing the demo's main quest. If you prefer fishing and trading, move the fish hold above hull protection. If you are dying at night, move the spotlight up.
Engine: the first real upgrade
The Standard Engine is common quality and slow, as Dream Dock describes on the store page. The Upgraded Engine is the difference between a trip that takes five minutes and one that takes two, and it is required for the demo's later sections.
The engine quest has a bottleneck: John the Fifth lost the carburettor to Gil and Boza in a card game. You can:
- Buy it back for 50 coins, or
- Trade three Harpooner carcasses.
The carcass route is cheaper if you are already fishing predator spots, and it teaches the predatory fishing system. The coin route is faster if you have been selling catch. Either way, get the carburettor before you spend coins on cosmetics or extra lures.
Once installed, the engine raises your top speed. You will feel it immediately on the long run to the Throat.
Hull protection: the survivability upgrade
The hull starts at 100 and takes damage from collisions, creatures and hazards. Hull Protection adds armour plates and raises the damage you can absorb.
More importantly, the reinforced hull lets you hit marsh hummocks and travel at night without sinking on the first bump. The demo's night sections are much less stressful with plates installed.
There are two armour slots in the demo. Fill both before attempting the Throat run if you can afford it. A sunk boat costs more than the plates.
If the boat is destroyed, you do not simply swim home. Treat hull damage as a hard warning, not a cosmetic stat.
Small Fish Hold: the income upgrade
The hold limits how many fish you can carry. A Small Fish Hold adds space, which means fewer return trips and more coins per session.
This is an economy upgrade, so it competes with the engine for early scrap. My order is engine first because speed unlocks content, then hold because content pays for the rest. If you are deliberately grinding traders, reverse those two.
The hold also matters for predatory fish. A Harpooner takes space, and you need three carcasses for the carburettor trade. A bigger hold lets you carry them without dumping your entire Snapper stack.
Spotlight: night safety
The Spotlight cuts through fog and darkness. It is not required for the demo's main path, but night events are dangerous and visibility is the difference between avoiding a tentacle and being flipped.
Buy it before your first deliberate night trip. If you only sail during the day, it can wait until after the hull.
Propeller: manoeuvrability
The Old Propeller is slow to turn. The Upgraded Propeller improves handling in tight channels, around docks and during predator encounters.
The demo lists the Upgraded Propeller as not researched at the start. You need the blueprint and materials before you can install it. It is a quality-of-life upgrade, not a gate, which is why it sits below the engine and hull.
Fuel Tank and canister rack
The Fuel Tank increases capacity; the canister rack lets you carry spare fuel. The store page mentions the rack specifically, and the demo's fuel system makes range a real constraint.
Fuel comes from fish meat fed to the fuel larva at the pump. That means range is ultimately a fishing problem. A canister rack buys you one more leg of a journey, not infinite fuel.
Do not install the rack before the engine. A slow boat with spare fuel is still a slow boat.
Afterburner
The Afterburner gives a burst of speed when danger closes in. It is the most situational module in the demo and the one I would leave until last.
If you are constantly fleeing predators, it may be worth more than the propeller. If you avoid skull water at night, it is a luxury. The store describes it as an escape tool, not a travel upgrade.
What upgrades carry into Early Access?
None. The demo is a separate app and its save does not transfer. The Early Access build will have its own progression, and the module list may expand.
What carries over is knowledge: the carburettor shortcut, the hull-before-night rule and the engine-first order. Those will still apply if the systems stay the same.
For the unlock sequence, see the dry dock page. For materials, see crafting and blueprints. For the coins to pay for it all, see money and trading.
FAQ
What should I upgrade first in DREADMOOR? The engine. Speed unlocks the map and the demo's later quests.
How do you get the carburettor? Buy it from Gil and Boza for 50 coins, or trade three Harpooner carcasses.
How many armour slots are there? Two in the demo.
Do boat upgrades carry to Early Access? No. Demo saves do not transfer.
Is the afterburner worth it? Only if you flee predators often. It is the lowest-priority module for most players.
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A complete DREADMOOR demo walkthrough: the radio, five Snapper, John's still, the dry dock, the engine and the Throat gate puzzle, step by step.
DREADMOOR Early Access starts 9 November 2026 with the full core loop and one major region. What is in the build, how long it will last and whether to buy.
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Every DREADMOOR location confirmed in the demo, from the Slough and Angler's Island to the Throat, plus how the map and fast travel work.
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