DREADMOOR Dry Dock: How to Repair and Upgrade Your Boat
How to unlock the DREADMOOR dry dock, repair the trawler step by step, and install your first engine and hull upgrades without wasting materials.
Quick answer: Unlock the dry dock by helping John the Fifth repair his moonshine still. Bring coral fibre, adhesive slime and iron barrels, then use the lift to raise the boat, pressure-wash the hull, patch the holes, load the repair tool with bug slime and install armour plates.
This sequence is from demo v0.3.39. The dry dock is a demo-area feature; Early Access may move it or add tiers.
The dry dock is the best-designed section of the demo, which you can play free on Steam. It turns a vague "upgrade your boat" promise into a physical job: raise the hull, clean it, patch it, armour it. It also gates the engine upgrade, which gates the rest of the map.
"Craft and install components at the dry dock to improve your vessel." — DREADMOOR on Steam
How to unlock the dry dock
John the Fifth owns the dry dock key. He is not interested in your problems until you solve his.
His moonshine still is broken. Repair it with:
| Material | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| Coral fibre | Angler's Island; harvest the glowing coral |
| Adhesive slime | Blue-slime beetles on the rocks behind the trading post |
| Iron barrel | Scavenge the trading post and nearby wrecks |
Coral regrows in 2–3 in-game days, so harvest a full stack while you are on the island. The beetles are easiest to spot at night; their blue glow gives them away. The iron barrels are heavy but common around the settlement.
Once the still runs, John opens the dry dock and gives you the key, as Dream Dock frames it: the trawler is a tool and a lifeline, not a cosmetic home base. He also becomes your engineer contact for engine work.
The beetle slime is much easier to find after dark, and the island coral glows. One night trip can cover both materials.
The dry dock sequence
The dry dock is a multi-step interaction, not a single menu.
- Raise the boat on the lift.
- Pressure-wash the polyps and grime off the hull.
- Patch the holes with the repair tool.
- Load the repair tool with bug slime.
- Install armour plates in the empty slots.
Each step is prompted on screen. If a prompt does not appear, check that you are standing in the marked zone and that the required material is in your inventory.
The pressure-washing step is the one people miss. The game does not let you skip it; the hull must be clean before patches will stick.
What the dry dock unlocks
After the first repair, the dry dock becomes your boat upgrade station. The demo's module list includes:
- Standard Engine — the starting engine.
- Old Propeller — the starting propeller.
- Fuel Tank — fuel capacity.
- Spotlight — night visibility.
- Hull Protection — armour plates.
- Upgraded Engine — speed.
- Small Fish Hold — more catch space.
- Upgraded Propeller — manoeuvrability, not researched at the start.
- Afterburner — burst speed, not researched at the start.
Costs are paid in scrap and materials, not only coins. Check the bench before you sell a stack of metal.
Repair versus upgrade
Repair restores hull condition. Upgrade adds capability. They use the same station but different resources.
If you are sinking often, repair first. If you are slow and keep missing quest timers, upgrade the engine. If you are dying at night, buy the spotlight before the next hull repair.
The demo gives you enough materials for the engine and one armour slot if you explore thoroughly. You will have to choose between the second plate and the fish hold. I recommend the plate: a sunk boat loses the trip, while a small hold only costs time.
The carburettor quest
The Upgraded Engine needs a carburettor. John lost it to Gil and Boza in a card game.
Your options:
- Pay 50 coins.
- Trade three Harpooner carcasses.
The carcass trade is the better deal if you can fish predator spots. Harpooners are dangerous but predictable once you understand the slow-retrieve minigame. Three of them also give you a reason to learn the predatory system before Early Access adds more predators.
If you pay coins, sell a full hold of Snapper first. Do not sell your coral or metal; you will need both for the hull.
After the engine
With the engine installed, the map opens up. You can reach the Throat faster, carry more fish per trip and escape night encounters.
The next upgrade is hull protection. Two plates make the Throat run survivable and let you bump marsh hummocks without losing half your health. After that, the fish hold pays for the rest.
For the full order, see boat upgrades. For the materials, see crafting and blueprints.
Dry dock mistakes
Selling metal before checking the bench. Modules need scrap, not just coins.
Skipping the pressure wash. The game will not let you patch a dirty hull.
Buying the second plate before the engine. Speed unlocks content; armour only protects the content you can already reach.
Forgetting to refuel. The dry dock does not fill your tank. Visit the fuel larva before you leave.
Ignoring John after the unlock. He is the engine quest giver. Talk to him again once the still is fixed.
FAQ
How do you unlock the dry dock in DREADMOOR? Repair John the Fifth's moonshine still with coral fibre, adhesive slime and iron barrels.
Where do you get coral fibre? Angler's Island. The coral regrows every 2–3 in-game days.
Where do you get adhesive slime? From blue-slime beetles on the rocks behind the trading post.
How do you get the carburettor? Buy it for 50 coins or trade three Harpooner carcasses.
Can you upgrade the boat without the dry dock? No. Modules are installed at the dry dock in the demo.
More DREADMOOR Guides
How DREADMOOR crafting works: the workbench, blueprint research, scraps of knowledge, material sources and the recipes worth making first.
The DREADMOOR demo is a free 3–4 hour standalone slice with its own questline, dry dock and island region. What it includes and how to install it.
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.
Every fish confirmed in the DREADMOOR demo, with bait, habitat and use: Snapper, Softgazer, Shovel Nose, Sharp Fin, Sturdy Crawler and Harpooner.
DREADMOOR fishing explained: cast into splash zones, hold tension in the green, pull against the fish and use a slow lure retrieve for Harpooners.
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.
How to earn coins in DREADMOOR: which fish to sell, what the traders buy, why dangerous catches pay more, and what you should never sell.