Rust Boat Base Design (2026)
For experienced players · 2x2 deck build on a tugboat, one storey, sheet metal throughout
A base built on or around a tugboat, letting you live on the water and relocate. A niche but fun design for coastal and oil-rig play.
Boat Base build cost
The reference build we cost is a 2x2 deck build on a tugboat, one storey, sheet metal throughout — 24 building blocks plus doors and a tool cupboard. Every rate below is the in-game cost per piece, so you can re-run the totals against your own layout.
| Piece | Qty | Cost each |
|---|---|---|
| Sheet metal building blocks | 24 | 200 metal frags |
| Sheet metal door | 2 | 150 metal frags |
| Tool cupboard | 1 | 1,000 wood |
| Total | 5,100 metal frags · 1,000 wood | |
Boat Base upkeep
A full tool cupboard drains roughly 10% of build cost per day, per resource. That means this design costs the following just to keep standing:
Over a full seven-day wipe cycle that is 3,570 metal frags, 700 wood — the number worth checking before you commit to a size. Work out how long your TC lasts.
What it costs to raid
Hard-side cost of breaking every structure on the cheapest route from outside to the loot room.
| Raider has to break | Rockets | C4 |
|---|---|---|
| 2× Sheet Metal Wall | 16 | 8 |
| Total | 16 | 8 |
That is 22,400 sulfur in rockets, or 17,600 sulfur in C4. Compare every explosive.
Pros
- checkMobile — move away from raiders
- checkUnusual, hard-to-track location
- checkGreat for oil-rig runs
Cons
- closeTugboat can be stolen/decayed
- closeWater raids are possible
Keep the tugboat's own lock maintained — if it decays or is taken, your base goes with it.
Building and raid data verified against July 2026. The piece list above is our reference build for this archetype, published so the totals can be checked — your own layout will differ.
Compare with other designs
Related guides
A no-BS Rust base design guide: building tiers, upkeep, tool cupboards, bunkers, airlocks and honeycomb, plus the raid costs that actually matter.
A real player's Rust raid guide: exact sulfur costs per structure, C4 vs rockets vs satchels vs eco raiding, online/offline tactics and defence.