When are you prepared enough to go to the next island?

[emitfudd]

I have been taking time on Hope Island. I haven't even explored the entire island yet. Probably 75% of it. I have crafted quite a few of the work stations and have started hoarding resources and dumping them in the grotto. I have crafted the canoe and upgraded it twice so it has the 9000 durability rating, better tent and 200 capacity storage box. I have 2 improved repair kits for the canoe. I am trying to dry as much meat, fish, dates and mushrooms as I can so I can take those on the trip.

If I have read everything about fast travelling correctly, I assume I could come back to the dock I placed near the grotto at any time?

On a side note, why can't I dock the canoe on the dock I am using for the raft (with raft moved of course)?

[Allov]

When I traveled to the next island I was way too over prepared. I went mostly blind into this game, so I didn't really know what to expect.

Getting the best boat possible (the storage upgrade) is the only thing really worth upgrading, since other perks are not as useful, not for me anyway. One mistake I made was to over pack my boat with a solution to every problem. Know that other islands, the second one anyway, have plenty of resources for you to set up basic stuff.

Here's a list of stuff I'd bring:

- a second tool for every tool (pick, knife, axe, spear, etc.)
- some building materials to make a dock as it unlocks "fast traveling"
- water and food, but keep it short, you'll get more options on the other islands
- health items (the whole selection if you're not confident about avoiding danger)

The rest is up to you. With "fast traveling", you will always be near your main base.

As for the dock, it took me quite some time to figure out that there is a "front side" to that building (the one without ladders). Until I found that out, I wasn't able to get the docking mechanic to work properly, so I'm not sure if it's the same issue?

[CrankyOldGamer]

Don't be in a hurry to get to the other islands except for getting higher tier resources and progressing the story line. They aren't better. The only two Islands I would consider for long term home base is Hope and Copper. Hope is just all around the best choice as a home . The rest are just very dark raining and inhospitable almost all the time. I only go there when I need resources from those areas. In any event to answer your question, Copper, Windy and Red Islands are your next stop. On Copper Island be prepared for intense heat, no rainfall (build water distillers or evaporators) and sunny weather all the time (which I what I love about Copper). You will need protection from heat, either armor or medicine which protects from hear and medicine to treat heat exhaustion of you stay out in sun too long. On Windy Island you will need protection from wind. When you reach Copper Island build a dock and small starting outpost on the southern shore near the palm trees (there are two date palms there) best location on the Island. Also there are 10 termite mounts right nearby you will need termites to make heat treatment medicine, bring a shovel and some coffee (energy). You also get 1 clay from each termite mound, may as well build a kiln in your camp too. Also there is tons of cactus on Copper and Red Islands for making alcohol in the still. And hunt Tegu for Tegu hides to make large capacity flasks.

[stretch]

I used the starter cave as a home right till I got the Ark near the end of the game. Once you build docks as fast travel it's really easy to visit anywhere you need to go quickly and most of the other islands have some form of detrimental environmental effect like heat that can quickly just become a little annoying. So go nuts and build everything you want before you sail forth as it's pretty easy to use the starter isle as a base for 90% of the game.
If you find an attractive place that you think would make a good homesite then by all means move. None of the environmental effects on the islands are totally debilitating, just annoying after a while.

IIRC when you place the docks initially with the highlight they actually are back the front and I needed to rotate them 180 degrees. Like posted above this could be your issue with them.
Also note that as you get bigger ships they need more room so place the docks in a very clear area. It might work initially with what you are sailing but if you upgrade your boat your target fast travel dock may suddenly not have room and then you have to manually sail there and move it again.
If your raft is docked and your canoe wont dock then I thought it gave a reason like insufficient room or something. Just move your dock around a bit I guess. Also they snap to foundations so if you build a jetty out into deeper water it will only attach the right way and you don't get soaked running into deeper water to get on the dock. There are two foundation types, one for land and shallow water and one for deeper water so you will probably need both to get far enough out to dock every ship type. Pretty cheap to craft them too.