Rust / Server Plugins

BoatControl

Modular Boat ManagementRust Plugin

Take the helm. Control the ship. Command the cannons.

Bring navigation, cannons, lighting and boat management together in a clear interface at the helm. Manage sails and engines, upgrade performance, repair the boat and customize its setup with permission-controlled features.

01 / Video demos

See BoatControl in action

02 / Helm & navigation

One interface for the whole boat

The control interface appears when a player with boatcontrol.use mounts a modular boat’s steering wheel.

BoatControl helm control bar

• Raise or lower the sails and anchors.
• Start or stop the engines.
• Switch between forward and reverse navigation; engines and sails adjust accordingly.
• Use W and S to change direction when keyboard direction control is enabled.
• Hold R to open the boat’s radial menu when enabled, and release it to close the menu.

Live boat information

Display boat health, mass, power, power-to-mass ratio and speed in knots. Players can unlock and move the information window; its saved position is retained. Administrators can configure window colors, dimensions and placement, or disable the information window.

Boat information and controls while steering

03 / Cannons & crew

Coordinate your fire from the helm

• Reload cannons using cannon ammunition from the player’s inventory. A separate permission bypasses ammunition costs.
• Fire through the interface or left mouse click when enabled. Configure the firing cooldown, or bypass it through a permission.
• Aim cannons in configurable angle steps and select numbered crew groups to control which crew-operated cannons are targeted.
• Assign or remove NPC cannon crew through the interface. Configure crew names, health, outfits and skins, maximum crewed cannons, toggle cooldown and whether corpses are created.
• Configure whether cannons need a mounted operator before remote aiming and firing.

Cannon control and crew interface

04 / Lighting

Switch the boat’s lights together

Toggle configured torches, lanterns, candle sets, jack-o’-lanterns and Chinese lanterns together from the boat controls. Configure supported item shortnames, the toggle cooldown and whether lights require fuel.

Boat lighting controlled from the helm

05 / Boat editing

Edit away from a fixed boat-building area

Grant boatcontrol.edit to access boat editing from the controls. Configure a damage cooldown before editing and block editing inside safe zones when desired. Editing also requires a Boat Building Station item in the player inventory, a boat moving at no more than 2 m/s, and no other active station owned by that player.

Boat editing through BoatControl

Safe-zone restriction for boat editing

Larger building stations

Major update — new features in 1.2.0, with station resizing available from 1.2.3.

Scale the boat-building station created by the edit option with Building Station Scale. This supports a larger construction area for custom boat builds.

Expanded boat-building station

For larger ships, adjust the game block-count limit separately if needed. Set a limit of 500 blocks with the following server variable:

playerboat.maxblockcount 500

Safe-zone anchor protection

Optionally prevent anchor activation inside safe zones.

Anchor restriction inside safe zones

Safe-zone anchor protection example

06 / Authorization

See who can access the boat

Open the list of authorized players from the helm. Grant the separate deleteauth permission to allow authorized users to revoke individual authorizations.

Boat authorized-player list

07 / Sail configuration

Upgrade thrust and customize sail size

View all sails installed on the boat, including their health. Use configurable upgrade levels to change thrust. Starting with version 1.2.3, sail upgrades can also increase or decrease sail size according to your configured scale multiplier.

Sail configuration and health

Sail upgrade levels and costs

Additional sail upgrade interface example

Sails with different configured size multipliers

08 / Engine configuration

Manage fuel, health and engine upgrades

View installed engines with their health and current fuel. Refuel them from the player’s inventory through the refueling menu. Configure upgrade levels that improve engine power and reduce fuel consumption through an efficiency multiplier.

Engine configuration and refueling

Engine upgrade levels and costs

Choose resources, ServerRewards points or Economics money for upgrade costs. Engine and sail upgrade levels are saved in the plugin’s data, and boatcontrol.upgrade.nocost can waive upgrade charges.

09 / Automatic repairs

Repair using materials from the player’s inventory

• Configure repair costs per block/component and a cooldown after recent damage.
• Set repair frequency through permission profiles; a larger interval repairs more slowly.
• Repairs stop if new damage is received, the player runs out of materials or the player disconnects.
• Grant boatcontrol.repair.nocost to waive repair materials.

Automatic boat repair system

Boat health differs from ordinary building health. The repair system simulates repair points according to lost health, so the repair sound may come from a different point than the damaged component.

10 / Wallpaper & impact physics

Customize the interior and naval combat

BetterTC wallpapers

With BetterTC 1.6.2 or later installed, BoatControl provides access to its automatic boat wallpaper placement interface. Grant boatcontrol.wallpaper to make this feature available.

Automatic boat wallpaper placement through BetterTC

11 / Permissions & access

Choose what each player can control

Additional repair-frequency profile names are registered from the configuration. They adjust repair intervals, not the boat’s maximum speed.

Normal use is through the CUI and keyboard controls; no chat command is required. The plugin also registers console actions used by its interface.

12 / Requirements & configuration

Configure the controls for your server

• Rust server using Oxide or Carbon. On Oxide, install ImageLibrary; Carbon uses its built-in Image Module.
• Install BetterTC 1.6.2 or later for automatic wallpapers.
• Install ServerRewards or Economics only when using their upgrade currencies.
• Optional Notify or UINotify integration supplies configured notifications; chat alerts are also configurable.
• Configure keyboard controls, cannon aiming and cooldowns, crew behavior, supported lights, impact physics, GUI, safe-zone restrictions, repairs, station scale and upgrade levels.

13 / Configuration example

Controls, costs and upgrade profiles

{
  "Enable WASD Direction": true,
  "Enable Cannon Fire Key (Left Mouse Button)": true,
  "Cannon Aim Step (degrees per click)": 5.0,
  "Cannon Fire Cooldown": 5.0,
  "Cannon Crew": {
    "Enable": true,
    "Names": [
      "Seaman",
      "Deckhand",
      "Bosun",
      "Gunner",
      "Quartermaster",
      "Navigator",
      "Sailor",
      "Crewman",
      "Mate",
      "Boatswain",
      "Cannoneer",
      "Buccaneer",
      "Mariner",
      "Sea Dog",
      "Old Salt"
    ],
    "Health": 100.0,
    "MaxCannons": 0,
    "Wear": {
      "burlap.shirt": 1380044819,
      "burlap.trousers": 1380047706,
      "burlap.shoes": 2215057317,
      "hat.boonie": 965553937
    },
    "RequireOperate": true,
    "ToggleCrewCooldown": 30.0,
    "NoCorpse": true
  },
  "Lights": {
    "Light Toggle Cooldown": 1.0,
    "Require Fuel For Lights": false,
    "Light Items (shortnames)": [
      "tunalight",
      "lantern",
      "torchholder",
      "largecandles",
      "smallcandles",
      "jackolantern.angry",
      "jackolantern.happy",
      "chineselantern",
      "chineselanternwhite"
    ]
  },
  "Impact Force Physics": {
    "Enable Impact Physics": true,
    "Impact Force (default: 100, range: 50-500)": 100.0,
    "Enable Debug Logging": false
  },
  "Alert Chat": true,
  "Alert Notify Plugin": false,
  "Notify: select what notification type to be used": {
    "error": 0,
    "info": 0
  },
  "Color Prefix Chat": "#f74d31",
  "GUI": {
    "GUI Windows Belt": {
      "BG Color Primary": "0.10 0.15 0.10 1",
      "BG Color Secundary": "0.2 0.30 0.2 0.80",
      "Button Active Color": "0.2 0.6 0.2 0.80",
      "Button Inactive Color": "0.2 0.30 0.2 0.80",
      "OffsetMin": "-200 15",
      "OffsetMax": "181 79",
      "AnchorMin": "0.5 0",
      "AnchorMax": "0.5 0"
    },
    "GUI Windows Info": {
      "BG Color Primary": "0.10 0.10 0.10 0.8",
      "BG Color Secundary": "0.2 0.30 0.2 0.80",
      "Button Active Color": "0.2 0.6 0.2 0.80",
      "Button Inactive Color": "0.2 0.30 0.2 0.80",
      "OffsetMin": "-115 -100",
      "OffsetMax": "115 100",
      "AnchorMin": "0.902 0.8104",
      "AnchorMax": "0.902 0.8104"
    },
    "GUI Windows Cannons Menu": {
      "BG Color Primary": "0.10 0.15 0.10 1",
      "BG Color Secundary": "0.2 0.30 0.2 0.80",
      "Button Active Color": "0.2 0.6 0.2 0.80",
      "Button Inactive Color": "0.2 0.30 0.2 0.80",
      "OffsetMin": "-140 85",
      "OffsetMax": "140 185",
      "AnchorMin": "0.5 0",
      "AnchorMax": "0.5 0"
    }
  },
  "Show Info Window": true,
  "Boat Edit Damage Cooldown (seconds)": 30.0,
  "Block Anchor in Safe Zone": true,
  "Block Boat Edit in Safe Zone": true,
  "Config Version": "1.2.5",
  "Repair Cooldown After Recent Damage (seconds)": 30.0,
  "Cooldown Frequency Repair (larger number is slower)": {
    "boatcontrol.use": 2.0,
    "boatcontrol.vip": 1.0
  },
  "Repair Costs (ItemShortName: Amount per block/component)": {
    "lowgradefuel": 4,
    "wood": 75
  },
  "Engine Upgrades": {
    "Enable Engine Upgrades": true,
    "Upgrade Levels": [
      {
        "Level": 1,
        "Display Name": "Tier 1",
        "Fuel Efficiency Multiplier (1.0 = normal, 0.5 = half fuel consumption)": 0.9,
        "Power Multiplier (1.0 = normal, 2.0 = double power)": 2.0,
        "Upgrade Cost": {
          "Resource Costs (ItemShortName: Amount)": {
            "scrap": 100,
            "lowgradefuel": 50
          },
          "ServerRewards Points": 0,
          "Economics Money": 0.0
        }
      },
      {
        "Level": 2,
        "Display Name": "Tier 2",
        "Fuel Efficiency Multiplier (1.0 = normal, 0.5 = half fuel consumption)": 0.8,
        "Power Multiplier (1.0 = normal, 2.0 = double power)": 4.0,
        "Upgrade Cost": {
          "Resource Costs (ItemShortName: Amount)": {
            "scrap": 250,
            "lowgradefuel": 100,
            "metal.fragments": 300
          },
          "ServerRewards Points": 0,
          "Economics Money": 0.0
        }
      },
      {
        "Level": 3,
        "Display Name": "Tier 3",
        "Fuel Efficiency Multiplier (1.0 = normal, 0.5 = half fuel consumption)": 0.65,
        "Power Multiplier (1.0 = normal, 2.0 = double power)": 8.0,
        "Upgrade Cost": {
          "Resource Costs (ItemShortName: Amount)": {
            "scrap": 500,
            "lowgradefuel": 200,
            "metal.fragments": 500,
            "metal.refined": 25
          },
          "ServerRewards Points": 0,
          "Economics Money": 0.0
        }
      },
      {
        "Level": 4,
        "Display Name": "Tier 4",
        "Fuel Efficiency Multiplier (1.0 = normal, 0.5 = half fuel consumption)": 0.65,
        "Power Multiplier (1.0 = normal, 2.0 = double power)": 16.0,
        "Upgrade Cost": {
          "Resource Costs (ItemShortName: Amount)": {
            "scrap": 1000,
            "lowgradefuel": 300,
            "metal.fragments": 1500,
            "metal.refined": 100
          },
          "ServerRewards Points": 0,
          "Economics Money": 0.0
        }
      }
    ],
    "Currency Type (Resources, ServerRewards, Economics)": "Resources"
  },
  "Sail Upgrades": {
    "Enable Sail Upgrades": true,
    "Upgrade Levels": [
      {
        "Level": 1,
        "Display Name": "Tier 1",
        "Thrust Multiplier (1.0 = normal, 2.0 = double thrust)": 1.5,
        "Upgrade Cost": {
          "Resource Costs (ItemShortName: Amount)": {
            "scrap": 75,
            "cloth": 100
          },
          "ServerRewards Points": 10,
          "Economics Money": 0.0
        },
        "Scale Multiplier (1.0 = normal size, 1.5 = 50% bigger)": 1.2
      },
      {
        "Level": 2,
        "Display Name": "Tier 2",
        "Thrust Multiplier (1.0 = normal, 2.0 = double thrust)": 2.0,
        "Upgrade Cost": {
          "Resource Costs (ItemShortName: Amount)": {
            "scrap": 150,
            "cloth": 200,
            "leather": 50
          },
          "ServerRewards Points": 15,
          "Economics Money": 0.0
        },
        "Scale Multiplier (1.0 = normal size, 1.5 = 50% bigger)": 1.4
      },
      {
        "Level": 3,
        "Display Name": "Tier 3",
        "Thrust Multiplier (1.0 = normal, 2.0 = double thrust)": 2.5,
        "Upgrade Cost": {
          "Resource Costs (ItemShortName: Amount)": {
            "scrap": 300,
            "cloth": 300,
            "leather": 100,
            "metal.fragments": 200
          },
          "ServerRewards Points": 20,
          "Economics Money": 0.0
        },
        "Scale Multiplier (1.0 = normal size, 1.5 = 50% bigger)": 1.6
      },
      {
        "Level": 4,
        "Display Name": "Tier 4",
        "Thrust Multiplier (1.0 = normal, 2.0 = double thrust)": 3.0,
        "Upgrade Cost": {
          "Resource Costs (ItemShortName: Amount)": {
            "scrap": 600,
            "cloth": 500,
            "leather": 200,
            "metal.fragments": 500
          },
          "ServerRewards Points": 30,
          "Economics Money": 0.0
        },
        "Scale Multiplier (1.0 = normal size, 1.5 = 50% bigger)": 1.8
      }
    ],
    "Currency Type (Resources, ServerRewards, Economics)": "ServerRewards"
  },
  "Enable Boat Pie Menu Key (R)": true,
  "Building Station Scale (1.0 = normal, 2.0 = double size)": 1.0
}

14 / Current limitations

Plan your boat setup around the game

• Engine efficiency is configurable; engines still require fuel.
• The plugin does not provide a supported increase to the maximum number of engines or sails.
• Larger construction stations are supported; the game’s separate block-count setting still applies.
• Final speed depends on boat physics and the installed game version.

15 / Try it & support

Try the setup and share your ideas

You can try the plugin on the RustSpain Staging test server when it is online. It is a test server, so availability is not guaranteed.

connect staging.rustspain.com

For questions, suggestions or assistance, contact ninco90 on Discord. Feature suggestions are also welcome in the product discussion.