A boat question

Day after day I see friends needing boat crates filled with stuff and, a lot of the time, they sit there for hours and hours unfilled. I have to say these are usually for sugar and dairy products - why they don't just cast them off is beyond me!

Anyways, I know you can cast off a boat with completely empty crates but what happens when the crate(s) aren't being filled?

Does the boat have to sit there until its time to sail arrives?

What happens if/when that happens? I'm assuming it will just chug away and there will be no reward of extra stars, boat points or voucher but I'm not sure.

Maybe it's my extra-safe personality kicking in, but I never even start a boat unless I know I can fill it within the time slot by producing the stuff on my own machines, just in case my flagged crates aren't filled by my neighbours.

You are correct. If you touch any box the boat is stuck until it is either filled or time runs out. If time runs out the boat leaves and basically no extra rewards are earned. It can be frustrating to some who give their help filling the crates only to see it go to waste. Yes, the filler does get the coin and xp and for some that's more than enough, for others, it's disappointing.

i don't fill crates for any sugar, dairy products, or seafood. I cast these boats off myself. I also don't fill crates on a boat where nothing else has been filled. That's just my way and everyone has to play how they are happy.

I think not every one knows we can cast off the boat
Thats why people try to fill the crates

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Originally Posted by Momx15

i don't fill crates for any sugar, dairy products, or seafood. I cast these boats off myself. I also don't fill crates on a boat where nothing else has been filled. That's just my way and everyone has to play how they are happy.

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I really hate sending boats away and I always manage to avoid it. If I get sugar and dairy boats, I just try to make sure I'm only asking for ONE crate of sugar/dairy, and not all three.

The same issue exists with the jam -- all I see are open jam crates everywhere and there's no way in heck that machine can produce fast enough unless you send off boats and just stockpile, which is what I think I'm unfortunately going to have to do pretty soon.

Thanks for the confirmation, momx. I suppose there is the option of using diamonds to fill crates with missing stuff, but that's just extravagance.

I've gone the route of casting off every boat needing any dairy product, sugar item, fish or lobsters too and I never fill them for other people. I'd rather make the products and give them away to neighbours than waste precious resources on boats. I don't put them on trucks either. As for the little people... They are truly deprived and have to live off planted vegetables alone! (The patronage achievement will be a ling while yet)

As for people not filling any crates at all before flagging their three, I've seen this too many times so I don't help until I see at least some filled by the resident farmer. If I have time I also check to see if the relevant crop is growing and/or the machine running before helping out. If they can't be bothered to even attempt to help themselves then I move on to the next neighbour wanting help.

I've managed to get quite a lot of neighbours by requesting them via here so it does get difficult to help everyone as my barn isn't huge and it seems the boats request the same items in batches, presumably to make it even harder to help out. So, if you're my neighbour and I pass you by, it's almost always because I've run out of what you want, or you want the items mentioned above. Even if helping a boat leaves me with none of that product left, I still give it up.

How do you approach the boat/help matter?

I think some players let other people fill their boats as a favor. After all, it's a choice. You don't have to fill any crate you don't want to. Maybe they think it's better to give people the option rather than send the boat away.

In particular, I've noticed some very high level players flagging crates that are really easy to fill. (Stuff like sugar cane or bacon, which is easily bought in the DD if you don't produce it yourself.)

Me, I cast off any boat I can't fill myself. Sometimes I miscalculate. Like, the DD is filled with red berry cakes, until you actually need them, then they're nonexistent. So far, I've been able to fill every boat I started, though it's come really close sometimes. I searched the DD all day and night yesterday, and could not find the 3 blackberry jams I needed. I produced one overnight, and was thrilled to find someone selling 3 in their roadside stand this morning, just before the boat left. Whew. Filled the last crate and had an extra!

I fill crates if I can. Even sugar and dairy. Intermediate level players are often in a position where they have more sugar and dairy than they know what to do with. With no ice cream machine or pizza or coffee kiosk, you produce it faster than you can use it. Sometimes I'm just desperate to get stuff out of my barn.

If I find a really treasured item in the RSS (like multiple planks or nails) will try to thank the farmer by filling crates if I can. In that situation, I'll give till it hurts, even stuff I need myself.

I really wish when players first repair their dock, the scarecrow would explain that they can cast off an empty boat and that a filled crate means a long stay.

I myself only fill dairy, sugar, seafood, or jam boats if I have the resources to take care of those crates on my own. I do try and fill my neighbors crates who have help signs on these items if I know they are trying their best to fill the boat. If I see three signs and no crates filled on their own I wait and check back later. My pet peeve is a player letting time run out with only one or two empty crates left. Especially if it's an item that can be made or found in a RSS in the timeframe the boat has been docked.

Many times if I can't help by filling a flagged crate, I will go back and check the barn to see if I have extras of the items they don't have flagged. If I do, I drop it in my RSS for sale. I always try to shop my neighbors farms when I'm gathering goods for a boat, if they do the same, maybe they will buy the item I put out and I'll of been able to help them after all.

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Originally Posted by Janilee

I think some players let other people fill their boats as a favor. After all, it's a choice. You don't have to fill any crate you don't want to. Maybe they think it's better to give people the option rather than send the boat away.

In particular, I've noticed some very high level players flagging crates that are really easy to fill. (Stuff like sugar cane or bacon, which is easily bought in the DD if you don't produce it yourself.)

Me, I cast off any boat I can't fill myself. Sometimes I miscalculate. Like, the DD is filled with red berry cakes, until you actually need them, then they're nonexistent. So far, I've been able to fill every boat I started, though it's come really close sometimes. I searched the DD all day and night yesterday, and could not find the 3 blackberry jams I needed. I produced one overnight, and was thrilled to find someone selling 3 in their roadside stand this morning, just before the boat left. Whew. Filled the last crate and had an extra!

I fill crates if I can. Even sugar and dairy. Intermediate level players are often in a position where they have more sugar and dairy than they know what to do with. With no ice cream machine or pizza or coffee kiosk, you produce it faster than you can use it. Sometimes I'm just desperate to get stuff out of my barn.

If I find a really treasured item in the RSS (like multiple planks or nails) will try to thank the farmer by filling crates if I can. In that situation, I'll give till it hurts, even stuff I need myself.

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I used to be reluctant to use the help signs too, but now I'm one of those high level players who will flag easy stuff. Like you said, I often do it as a courtesy to other players. I do flag some items that some consider premium too. Like sushi for instance. I for one, love finding someone needing the stuff. Most boats only want 1-2 a box, how in the world are we ever going to master that machine if we only make enough for ourselves.

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Originally Posted by Rika

I think not every one knows we can cast off the boat
Thats why people try to fill the crates

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Or if the are like me, I get tap happy and tap on help instead of the boat symbol so I am now stuck asking for help.:mad: I hate when I do that and have to ask my neighbors to help.

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Originally Posted by Mtgirl

Or if the are like me, I get tap happy and tap on help instead of the boat symbol so I am now stuck asking for help.:mad: I hate when I do that and have to ask my neighbors to help.

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I've done that, then end up filling it myself. I can't tell if there is any penalty to doing this (filling your own flagged crate), but there doesn't seem to be.