To RuneScape gold fire your cannon, the target sea monster must be positioned correctly relative to your ship. Cannons can only fire within a 180-degree forward-facing arc and have a maximum range of 15 tiles. If a monster drifts outside this arc or slips behind your cannon, you won't be able to attack until you reposition your ship.

This makes positioning one of the most important skills in ship combat. Sea monsters often move unpredictably, and once struck, they will begin advancing toward your ship. You'll need to adjust your heading continuously to keep the cannon facing the enemy while avoiding unnecessary damage.

Because prayers provide no benefits in ship combat, maintaining good angles and distance becomes your primary form of defense.

Damage, Experience, and Looting

When a cannonball successfully hits a sea monster, combat fully engages. Each hit rewards you with Sailing experience equal to the damage dealt, making combat an effective way to train the skill. Additionally, every cannon shot also grants Ranged experience, even though the cannon replaces traditional ranged weapons.

Once a sea monster is defeated, it leaves behind a corpse floating in the water. Looting works differently than on land. You can either:

Throw a net to haul the corpse onto your ship, or

Pick it up directly if it drifts close enough to your vessel

Loot varies by monster and tier but generally includes resources, Sailing-related items, and valuable trade goods.

Ship Damage and Repairs

Every fight at sea comes with risk, as your ship can take damage during combat. Ship health functions similarly to player health, but repairs require specific tools. To restore durability, you'll need repair kits, which act much like food does during standard combat-used mid-fight to recover lost health.

If your raft or skiff reaches zero health, the consequences are severe. You and any crew members will be sent back to your chosen respawn dock point, and all cargo stored on the ship is lost. On top of that, the ship becomes broken and cannot be used again until it's repaired by a shipwright.

Because of this, keeping repair kits on hand and retreating when necessary is a critical part of surviving higher-tier ocean encounters.

Setting Your Respawn Point

Respawn points are handled differently while sailing. Instead of defaulting to a land-based respawn, you can choose where you'll return if your ship is destroyed.

To do this, interact with a buoy at your selected pier and choose the Dock option. This sets that location as your respawn point for cheap OSRS gold ship combat. Choosing a dock close to your current activities can save significant time if something goes wrong.