What are Rowboats, and what are they used for?
The RUST Rowboat is a motorized vehicle that can support four players, operates on Low Grade Fuel, and provides a small amount of storage. These boats are a highly affordable and efficient method for traveling the various waterways in the game.
They were introduced into RUST in April 2018 as part of the Vehicle Update. Simultaneously, Water Junkpiles were added with the new transportation mode, affording players a viable alternative to farming the roads for Scrap.
Rowboats are a primary transportation method in RUST’s waterways due to their accessibility. They are the most basic, cost-effective, and fuel-efficient model for getting from point A to point B without the fuss that comes with larger boats or submersibles.
How to Acquire a Rowboat in RUST
The RUST Rowboat can be purchased for 125 Scrap at the Boat Vendor inside the Small or Large Fishing Village monuments. When purchased, it will have 50 Low Grade Fuel upon spawning in, so if you have a long distance to get back to base or are looking to board the Cargoship, be sure to bring extra fuel.
It can hold four players: a skipper’s position in charge of directionality and fuel storage, two center passengers, and the bow passenger at the nose of the ship, with a small onboard stash beneath him.
While sitting on the boat, the passengers will have full control over their hotbar functions, including swinging melee weapons, eating food, using medicine, or shooting. The skipper will be limited to maneuvering and accessing the onboard fuel storage while the vehicle is in motion.
Although Rowboats use Low Grade Fuel to operate, players can push the vehicle when it is beached, floating, or stuck. Be warned, when pushing vehicles, you will quickly exhaust a considerable amount of calories. Bring extra food if you plan on pushing it for whatever reason.
Rowboats also naturally spawn on any sandy beach area on the edges of all Temperate or Desert biomes. They do not spawn on Arctic coasts. Server admins may adjust spawn rates for this vehicle type with commands that will follow later in this guide.
Alternatively, you can acquire one of these boats by “borrowing” one from any water-front property that might have neglected to put it behind a door, as they have no locking feature, so carefully store and guard your new acquisition.
Anatomy of a Rowboat
Like any other vehicle type, there are specific names for the individual pieces that make up a whole vehicle. While some of these aren’t pertinent to the game or operation of the Rowboat, they might be referenced at some point in this guide.
- Bow – the front-most portion of the boat
- Center Thwart – middle double-seat area of the boat
- Fuel Tank – deposit slot for fuel storage
- Port – left side of the boat
- Starboard – right side of the boat
- Stash – onboard bag located at the front of the boat
- Stern – rear seat area closest to the motor, used by the skipper to pilot the vehicle from
- Tail Motor – hand motor used to simulate real-world stabilizing and directional mechanism
Rowboat Screenshots
Rowboat Fuel System
The RUST Rowboat can hold up to 500 Low Grade Fuel on a standard Vanilla server. It will consume 1 Low Grade Fuel every 10 seconds, allowing you to stay at a constant full speed in the water for a little over 83 minutes on a full tank. Contrary to popular belief, it does not use fuel when the engine is on but not moving.
It can be refueled both while stationary and while moving. Be careful; other players can open the fuel tank and steal its contents if an active skipper isn’t seated. They can also hop into the front passenger’s seat if it’s empty and loot the onboard storage, so be mindful of those around you both above and below water.
Refueling
- Have the appropriate Low Grade Fuel in your inventory.
- Position yourself at the back of the boat, looking at the Tail Motor.
- Look for a white engine fuel with no discernable markings.
- Press E on the fuel tank to open the Fuel Storage screen.
- Insert the Low Grade Fuel into the Fuel Storage slot.
- You’ve now refueled the Rowboat.
Rowboat Controls
The Rowboat is probably the earliest interaction most players will have with a functioning vehicle. Their free spawns, ease of use, and absolute essentialness for reaching things like the Cargoship and Oil Rig monuments cement their place in the RUST history book as a must-have. That said, there might still be a few buttons the average passenger doesn’t know about.
Skipper Controls:
- In the Skippers seat, look at the fueled engine and press E to Start Engine
- Hold W to accelerate forward
- Hold A to bear left
- Hold S to bear right
- Hold D to go in reverse
- In the Skippers seat, look at the fueled engine and press E to Stop Engine
All Seats
- Hold Left Alt + Mouse to look around
- SPACEBAR to leave the vehicle
- X to swap seats
Rowboat Repair, Decay & Durability
Repair
The Rowboat can be repaired using a Hammer and having Wood and Metal Fragments in your inventory. Each repair swing will repair up to 54 damage. Any passenger can repair the boat while moving. If it was damaged at any point, it can be repaired 30 seconds after it last took damage.
Decay Rates
The Rowboat spawns with a total of 400 health and decays at various rates depending on its situation.
- If left outside, they will slowly decay over 180 minutes, with a 45-minute delay from when they are purchased or spawned before this 180-minute window begins.
- If left in deep water, full decay will occur after 120 minutes.
- If sheltered (roof overhead), they will last indefinitely or until the base is raided and the roof is long since destroyed.
Housing a Rowboat is quite practical, being a common retrofit for most shoreside base designs or as its own entity further from the main.
Durability Damage Chart
The RUST Rowboat has 400 Hit Points; all calculations were based on this number. While fire-based ballistics are included, their damage is impact-based only, as this vehicle is immune to fire damage over time. All calculations used an LR-300 Assault Rifle, MP5A4, and Pump Shotgun for the assorted ammo types at point-blank range, where applicable.
| Ammunition / Tool | Damage Done Per | Total Req. to Destroy |
|---|---|---|
| 5.56 Rifle Ammo | 4 | 100 |
| Incendiary 5.56 Rifle Ammo | 6.4 | 63 |
| Explosive 5.56 Rifle Ammo | 9 | 45 |
| Pistol Ammo | 3.7 | 109 |
| Incendiary Pistol Ammo | 6 | 67 |
| 12 Gauge Buckshot | 20.7 | 20 |
| 12 Gauge Slug | 7.2 | 56 |
| Handmade Shell | 16.2 | 25 |
| HV Rocket | 400+ | 1 |
| Rocket | 312 | 2 |
| 40MM HE Grenade | 62.5 | 7 |
| Satchel Charge | 400+ | 1 |
| Timed Explosive Charge | 400+ | 1 |
| Torpedo | 400+ | 1 |
Storage Considerations
Depending on the servers you play on, Rowboats can be incredibly easy to acquire or maybe fought over, much like airdrops. Whatever scenario you find yourself in, these boats are considered assets. Their simplicity and ease of use make them one of the best transportation methods in the game. Much like the RHIB, they do not boast an overwhelming cost but are still worthy of keeping safeguarded.
Storing these boats is essential because it allows you to:
- Protection From Theft — With no locking mechanism available, storing your Rowboat in an adequately designed garage will decrease the chance of theft.
- Security — Leaving your water vehicles in the elements has numerous risks, such as drift, decay, and theft, but when players can see the vehicle, they can destroy it.
- Preservation of Resources — The Rowboat may or may not have a Scrap cost associated, but it can also hold additional loot and fuel, and losing this unexpectedly could be costly.
- Extend its Lifespan and Avoid Decay — Like all other vehicles, it can decay unless properly stored away. Extending its lifespan will increase your investment value over time.
- Quick Access —Having your Rowboat stored in a reliable, accessible location allows you access when needed, making your next raid, exploration, or Cargoship intercept possible.
- Strategic Advantage — Having this vehicle stored away safely gives you a strategic advantage to use this vehicle to surprise your enemies during a raid or allow you to evade them all together with your most precious loot in tow.
Ultimately, it boils down to the difference between the haves and have-nots and the opportunities it may afford you. We’ve assembled a universal boat base design for you to use that works well as an aquatic garage to access and safely protect your RHIB, Rowboat, and Solo and Duo Submarine.
Frequently Asked Questions
All fuel in the fuel tank is lost when the boat is destroyed. This is true, both of impact destruction and simple decay.
All loot stored in the stash will appear as a lootable floating box when the boat is destroyed.
No, it just turns dark brown and then sinks through the world.
While the Cargoship will not directly destroy it, it can get caught in the immediate wake and/or gravity. Players onboard can be damaged and even immediately killed as a result. Approach cautiously.
Rowboat Admin Commands & Convars
| Convar | Default Valur | Description |
|---|---|---|
| motorrowboat.decaystartdelayminutes | 45 | How long until decay begins after the boat was last used |
| motorrowboat.deepwaterdecayminutes | 120 | How long before a boat loses all its health while in deep water |
| motorrowboat.outsidedecayminutes | 180 | How long before a boat loses all its health while outside. If it’s in deep water, deepwaterdecayminutes is used |
| motorrowboat.population | 1 | How many Rowboats per KM spawn on map |
| spawn rowboat | Admin command to spawn a Rowboat |
Final Thoughts
As players further push the envelope of game progression methods, game mechanic exploitations, and game admin patience, you can be sure that Corrosion Hour will be right here detailing all of the tools that they are sure to use for these ends. Be sure to check out our Discord for all of our most recent updates. Be good to each other, always.
