Raft starting to sink. (small *SPOILER WARNING* for something you can find)

[Crusader]

I build this 5x3 raft in different materials (it wasn't supposed to have such width but I didn't realize until it was too late that you could only place the rudder on the short side). At first I had a problem with the back being a little under water but managed to balance it with crates in front.
Things have been going great for hours, it gets a little under water far out at sea and when I the waves are big I get completely under water but no real problem as long as I hold the rudder (got swept of it once and attacked by a shark).

So to the problem! I see this huge aircraft carrier far away and decide to go there, but when I get close to it the front end of my raft start to sink more and more until I can't sail it anymore. I look under and there's nothing stuck or anything like that. I try to drag it close to the aircraft carrier but the raft tilts and several of my crates fall into the water. And this was not in the shallows. No part of the raft was even close to the sea floor.
Thinking it's a bug I reload and decide to go to the island nearest the aircraft carrier but when I get close to the island the front end again starts to sink (but not as much).

Is this a common bug? Is there a solution? Will it go away when I leave the area or is my raft borked now?

I did have a different problem a couple of hours ago when leaving an island and the raft suddenly started to sail in circles and the rudder didn't work (and I found nothing wrong) so I had to drag it away from the island. I read about peoples lost spears getting caught in the raft causing problems but I have found nothing like that.

[Crusader]

I built a smaller 3x1 raft and it had no problem getting to the aircraft carrier (however I built a shelter there and the save almost didn't load). But when I tried to use my old raft I had the same problems. No matter how I try to balance it the front sinks and the back ends up in the air. The crates fall into the water and the raft turns around and sails back to the island. It's seriously borked. I guess I have to build a new raft.

Is it common that the rafts get bugged like this and you have to build a new one?

[fuzzybunnyslippers]

When you say "crates fall into the water"; I'm guessing you are trying to carefully balance them in an open space with no floor (just a raft base) in the middle of the raft?

I always use container shelves on my rafts; only occasionally will I feel the need to transport things "in the open air"; usually just red container walls or doors; or occasionally if I'm really feeling risky, the entire built gyrocopter from one island to another.

I know container shelves can feel expensive; 3 planks--but they are so worth it.

[WarHøg]

"I try to drag it close to the aircraft carrier but the raft tilts and several of my crates fall into the water. "

This is your problem right there dude. Your raft sinks if you put stuff on it, thats not BUILT. For crates, you have to build those shelves that hold 3 crates, and balance them on each side of the raft. You can keep building a giant raft, if you balance it right, it will never sink not even in storms

Here, this is a good size for an endgame raft. I have built double that size, just for memes
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2389190659

[thomlovessue]

Crusader: You can put the rudder in anyplace you can imagine. The picture below shows my current 3x5, which is a nearly square shape, very stable, and still manuvers OK. All rafts are compromises between size with carrying capacity and small/nimble. This does not havbe a unfloored middle base because I no longer need to carry anything. Thus, no need to jump out of the center hole.For you, I recommend this raft with no floor in the center. That way you can carry items that do not go in inventory (like:Giant Hogs, Sharks, tyres, barrels, shipping container walls and doors, up to 7 containers laid on their side, etc.) Now the rest of the raft holds 81 inventory spots (9 container shelves full), has 4 sails with 3 forward and 1 reverse to backup. Multiple sails do not increase speed, but increase torque. So when waves or loads (or size - I did once make a 7x5 raft, lol) the multiple sails overcome the drag and let you sail full speed. In this design, all 4 sails and the anchor can be operated while holding the rudder. The working end of the rudder is in the pivot (exact center) of the raft for maximum steering for the rafts size. The container shelves are behind you so great vision, with a canopy to protect you from the sun. In construction, the rudder is place behind the center base of the front row before you add any rows. The anchor is in the back end of the base to your right on the front row. You can put bases behind them at that point. Also, floors if you want, but the base behind the rudder is a little tricky. Thus, to the picture below. I just desided to include an old picture of my very similar 5x5 set up for diving.

[thomlovessue]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2382575370

[thomlovessue]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2158917046

[QueenPixxa]

Yes, no matter how big your raft is, it will sink if you plop stuff on its floor. Sometimes I drop a tool, and even that makes the raft go down a bit.
Shelves are the way to go, as crates are concerned, and for the rest, floorless tiles. You have an ideal width for a 3-tiles floorless spot, and on that spot you can transport whatever you like, no matter the weight. Thom's design is the one I use, but with 3 floorless instead of 1, just in case I find red containers on my way.

[Crusader]

Originally posted by WarHøg:

"I try to drag it close to the aircraft carrier but the raft tilts and several of my crates fall into the water. "

This is your problem right there dude. Your raft sinks if you put stuff on it, thats not BUILT. For crates, you have to build those shelves that hold 3 crates, and balance them on each side of the raft. You can keep building a giant raft, if you balance it right, it will never sink not even in storms

Yeah, I took all the crates off it and it worked fine. It's strange that the problems started now. But apparently, like you said, is not meant to have crates on them.

[Crusader]

Originally posted by thomlovessue:

Crusader: You can put the rudder in anyplace you can imagine. The picture below shows my current 3x5, which is a nearly square shape, very stable, and still manuvers OK.

Thank you! I'll try this. :)

[Thunder McLane]

same happen to me. without further notice or movement, my raft started to run in circles. didn't find any solution, so basically i've destroyed the raft and created a smaller one (4x3), then i was able to go until the end of the game.

Originally posted by Crusader:

I build this 5x3 raft in different materials (it wasn't supposed to have such width but I didn't realize until it was too late that you could only place the rudder on the short side). At first I had a problem with the back being a little under water but managed to balance it with crates in front.
Things have been going great for hours, it gets a little under water far out at sea and when I the waves are big I get completely under water but no real problem as long as I hold the rudder (got swept of it once and attacked by a shark).

So to the problem! I see this huge aircraft carrier far away and decide to go there, but when I get close to it the front end of my raft start to sink more and more until I can't sail it anymore. I look under and there's nothing stuck or anything like that. I try to drag it close to the aircraft carrier but the raft tilts and several of my crates fall into the water. And this was not in the shallows. No part of the raft was even close to the sea floor.
Thinking it's a bug I reload and decide to go to the island nearest the aircraft carrier but when I get close to the island the front end again starts to sink (but not as much).

Is this a common bug? Is there a solution? Will it go away when I leave the area or is my raft borked now?

I did have a different problem a couple of hours ago when leaving an island and the raft suddenly started to sail in circles and the rudder didn't work (and I found nothing wrong) so I had to drag it away from the island. I read about peoples lost spears getting caught in the raft causing problems but I have found nothing like that.

[Crusader]

I did what you guys said and things have been going well until I was fighting Lusca the Great squid. Suddenly the raft started to spin like crazy with one end down like it was caught in a whirlpool. Since I had everything on that raft I tried to fix it (and felt nauseous by all the spinning when I was on top of it) by breaking part of it and picking up containers. The more I picked up the more it sank until it was gone.
A few seconds later it just flies into the air and start fly around and spinning. It was the craziest thing I have seen in this game. At that moment I realized there was no saving it unless I reload the game while my raft flew away and left me stranded deep in the ocean.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuHjXEIX9cw

[samBTG]

Originally posted by Crusader:

I did what you guys said and things have been going well until I was fighting Lusca the Great squid. Suddenly the raft started to spin like crazy with one end down like it was caught in a whirlpool. Since I had everything on that raft I tried to fix it (and felt nauseous by all the spinning when I was on top of it) by breaking part of it and picking up containers. The more I picked up the more it sank until it was gone.
A few seconds later it just flies into the air and start fly around and spinning. It was the craziest thing I have seen in this game. At that moment I realized there was no saving it unless I reload the game while my raft flew away and left me stranded deep in the ocean.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuHjXEIX9cw

I think this is caused by throwing a spear into your raft (prob from fighting Lusca). I've seen a few reports, need to look into it...

[QueenPixxa]

Sam you are right, it is caused by a spear in the raft. I was in the same situation a couple days ago, spearing a shark from the raft. and suddenly the raft shoots in the sky... It was anchored, so I followed the anchor line, found it capsized, and to make the story short once I had it on shore I extracted a spear from it.
Many times it has happened to me that the raft would stop moving, and now I know what to do: anchor it, go on the front, hover around and extract a spear. After I do that, the raft is good to go again.
To anyone in this situation: always remember to anchor it, because once the spear is out it will accelerate, throw you in the sea and be lost.
If the raft behaves in a weird way, it is always because of a spear.

[Crusader]

Originally posted by sam | Beam Team Games:

Originally posted by Crusader:

I did what you guys said and things have been going well until I was fighting Lusca the Great squid. Suddenly the raft started to spin like crazy with one end down like it was caught in a whirlpool. Since I had everything on that raft I tried to fix it (and felt nauseous by all the spinning when I was on top of it) by breaking part of it and picking up containers. The more I picked up the more it sank until it was gone.
A few seconds later it just flies into the air and start fly around and spinning. It was the craziest thing I have seen in this game. At that moment I realized there was no saving it unless I reload the game while my raft flew away and left me stranded deep in the ocean.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuHjXEIX9cw

I think this is caused by throwing a spear into your raft (prob from fighting Lusca). I've seen a few reports, need to look into it...

I only used the Speargun but yeah, a couple stuck to the raft. I was more careful the second time and had no problems.