Once you have started a game, you can create boats using the build system in the dry dock

Now that you are in the drydock you can create a new boat or edit existing boats. Boats require several things to function properly.

The most important thing you need to decide is what sort of hull or root part you want your boat to use. Root parts are the foundation of the boat and determine the way it will float. Only hulls can be used as root parts, and by default only hulls have buoyancy. Other parts such as Cubes or Tires will not float on their own but will contribute to the mass of the buoyant object (the boat). Additionally, any extra hulls that are added on top of the root part will also be included in the buoyancy calculations.


For a vessel to be functional you need a few things

• At least 1 hull
  
• At least 1 driver seat
  
• At least 1 fuel tank
  
• At least 1 engine

Note: You may be able to launch an incomplete vessel for testing purposes, but functionality such as steering will not work for obvious reasons (the lack of a steering wheel for example).

In terms of buoyancy, Center Of Mass (COM) is very important (marked with yellow sphere). Depending on the materials and mass of the parts you choose your COM will shift from the pivot point of your hull (marked with a blue sphere).

Once you have launched the boat you can now steer and otherwise interact with the vessel (such as anchors or sails).
To control the boat, consult the "Vessel" and "Ship" sections in "Controls->Keybindings" in the menu. This will allow you to use the throttle, steer and get out of the boat easily.

Note: Using disembark will automatically select the first available crew member which may not be the desired Nautikin, you can use interaction-mode to specify the Nautikin you wish to control.

Once you have disembarked or are otherwise walking around (not controlling the vessel) you can operate an uncontrolled vessel by either interacting with the driver seat using E or with interaction-mode

Note: this behavior will also apply to passenger seats