Level Required: 73 Sailing
⏱️ 8 min read
📅 Updated: Nov 25, 2025
The Crystal Extractor ONLY works if placed in the correct hotspot next to your helm. Placing it anywhere else makes it completely useless and you'll lose 2M+ GP in materials! There's currently no way to move facilities without rebuilding them.
The Crystal Extractor is the most efficient passive XP facility in OSRS Sailing. It automatically generates Wind Motes every 60 seconds, and each harvest gives you 600 Sailing XP plus a chance at 1-2 Crystal Shards.
600 XP per harvest
~33k XP/hr (optimal)
More realistic: 24k XP/hr
Crystal Shards
1-2 shards per harvest (random)
Requires Song of the Elves
Works with Wind Catcher
Generate motes for speed boosts during Barracuda Trials
The Heart of Ithell is obtained from completing The Gwenith Glide Barracuda Trial:
| Material | Quantity | GE Price | Where to Get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ironwood Plank | 6 | ~10,584 GP | From Ironwood trees (Sailing islands) |
| Cupronickel Bar | 5 | ~1,510 GP | Smelt copper + nickel ore |
| Magic Stone | 2 | ~2,047,530 GP | Grand Exchange (expensive!) |
| Heart of Ithell | 1 | Untradeable | Gwenith Glide Swordfish reward |
| Total Cost | ~2,059,624 GP | + Construction XP: 3,066 | |
Over 30% of players build the Crystal Extractor in the wrong location and lose 2M+ GP. This is the #1 most expensive mistake in Sailing. If placed incorrectly, the extractor becomes a useless decoration and you'll have to rebuild it to fix the problem.
Unlike other facilities, the Crystal Extractor requires you to be standing adjacent to it to harvest wind motes. If you build it away from your helm, you cannot harvest while steering - which defeats the entire purpose of having it!
Place DIAGONALLY LEFT of helm
Must be the facility spot directly diagonal to your left when facing forward at the helm. This allows you to harvest while steering.
📍 Exact Position: Front-left facility hotspot, one space diagonal from helm
Place DIRECTLY RIGHT of helm
For Skiff, the correct spot is the facility hotspot immediately beside (not diagonal) the helm to the right side.
📍 Exact Position: Right-side facility hotspot, directly adjacent to helm
Any other hotspot = USELESS
Popular mistakes: corner spots, near salvaging hooks (for Sloop), anywhere not adjacent to helm.
⚠️ Wrong placement = 2M GP wasted + must rebuild!
If you only do shipwreck salvaging and never do Trials, you can place the extractor next to your salvaging hook instead. This lets you harvest while salvaging without moving.
Trade-off: You won't be able to harvest during Trials or Port Tasks, but it's more convenient for pure AFK salvaging.
If it's wrong, you must rebuild immediately before you forget and waste weeks of XP!
Watch this detailed video guide showing exact placement and usage:
Video covers: placement demonstration, harvest timing, and integration with different training methods.
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Generation Time | 60 seconds | Generates 1 wind mote per minute |
| XP per Harvest | 600 Sailing XP | Fixed amount, no level scaling |
| Theoretical Max XP/hour | ~36,000 XP | If harvested every 60s exactly |
| Realistic XP/hour | ~24,000 XP | Harvested every 90s (more realistic) |
| Can Store Motes? | No | Must harvest immediately or lose it |
| Crystal Shard Rate | 1-2 per harvest | Random, requires SotE completion |
Set a 60-second timer on your phone or use Runelite timer plugins. Here's why:
Harvest between laps. Adds ~24k XP/hr on top of 180k base = 204k total XP/hr
Essential for 99 grind efficiency
Set 60s timer while salvaging. Minimal effort for huge XP gain.
+40% XP boost at 73+ salvaging
Harvest during cargo pickup phases. Adds consistent bonus XP.
Worthwhile but not essential
Harvest while sailing between charting locations.
Makes charting even better
Harvest during cargo loading and sailing between ports.
Easy to forget, low priority
Requires crew to steer while you trawl. Awkward but doable.
Better methods exist
Advanced technique: Park your boat at a bank boat location (like Port Sarim) and harvest the extractor every 60 seconds while training other skills.
Scenario 1: Gwenith Glide to 99 (72-99 = ~100 hours)
Without extractor: 180k XP/hr × 100hrs = 18M total XP
With extractor: 204k XP/hr × 88hrs = 18M total XP
Time saved: 12 hours (worth ~6-12M GP in opportunity cost)
Scenario 2: AFK Salvaging (73-99 = ~300 hours)
Additional XP gained: 24k/hr × 300hrs = 7.2M bonus XP
Equivalent to: ~45 hours of saved Gwenith Glide grinding
Value: Priceless for AFK players
Crystal Shard Profit (Bonus)
Average 1.5 shards per harvest × 36 harvests/hr = 54 shards/hr
Over 100 hours: 5,400 shards × ~17k GP = ~91M GP in shards!
ROI: 45x return (if you have SotE)
Verdict: Extremely worth it for anyone serious about 99 Sailing.
| Training Path | Hours to 99 (from 73) | GP Cost | Click Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gwenith Glide WITH Extractor | ~88 hours | ~2M upfront | High |
| Gwenith Glide NO Extractor | ~100 hours | 0 GP | High |
| Salvaging WITH Extractor | ~214 hours | ~2M upfront | Very Low (AFK) |
| Salvaging NO Extractor | ~300 hours | 0 GP | Very Low (AFK) |
Efficient Gwenith Glide + Extractor Loop:
This rhythm becomes natural after 2-3 runs!
The Problem: Building it in any spot except the helm-adjacent hotspot makes it unusable during navigation.
The Fix: ALWAYS test immediately after building. Stand at helm, wait 60s, try to harvest. If you have to move away = wrong spot = rebuild now!
Cost of Ignoring: 2M GP + weeks of wasted potential XP
The Problem: No notification when mote is ready. Easy to forget and miss dozens of harvests.
The Fix: Set a 60-second repeating timer on your phone or use Runelite timer plugin. Train yourself to check automatically.
Cost of Ignoring: 10-20k XP/hr lost (33% efficiency loss)
The Problem: Building at 73 before having 72+ content unlocked (Gwenith Glide) means limited use.
The Fix: Unlock Gwenith Glide first (72 Sailing), then build extractor at 73. This ensures immediate value.
Alternative: If you AFK salvage 8+ hrs/day, build it early anyway
The Problem: Missing out on 1-2 crystal shards per harvest = ~18M GP lost over 72-99.
The Fix: Complete SotE before building the extractor if possible. The crystal shard profit nearly pays for the extractor itself!
If not possible: Still build it, shards are bonus not requirement
The Problem: Sloop and Skiff have DIFFERENT correct placement spots. Copying a Skiff setup on your Sloop = disaster.
The Fix: Always check which ship type the guide is for. Sloop = diagonal left. Skiff = directly right.
Protip: Take a screenshot of this guide for reference
The Problem: Assigning crew to the extractor doesn't work - they cannot harvest it.
The Fix: Extractor is player-only. Use crew for salvaging hooks, cannons, or helm instead.
Remember: Crew automates facilities, NOT harvesting
Use our interactive calculator to plan your entire path to 99 Sailing with Crystal Extractor efficiency included!
Try Our XP Calculator →You need 73 Sailing and 67 Construction. Neither level can be boosted. You also need the Heart of Ithell from completing Gwenith Glide Swordfish tier.
No, there is currently no way to move facilities without destroying and rebuilding them. This is why correct placement on the first try is so critical. Jagex has acknowledged this feedback and may add a facility reorganization system in the future, but for now, you must rebuild if placed wrong.
Yes! The Crystal Extractor generates wind motes that can be used with a Wind Catcher or Gale Catcher for speed boosts during Trials. This is actually a core synergy - the extractor generates motes, the catcher uses them for speed. Perfect combo for Gwenith Glide.
If placed incorrectly (not adjacent to helm), the extractor becomes completely non-functional for its primary use case. You won't be able to harvest wind motes while steering your ship, which defeats 90% of its purpose. You'll be forced to either:
No, you can only build ONE crystal-related facility per boat. This means you must choose between Crystal Extractor, Wind Catcher, or Gale Catcher. Most players build the Crystal Extractor at 73 because it generates motes for catchers anyway.
No, the Crystal Extractor only generates wind motes when you're logged in and on your boat. It does NOT accumulate motes offline or when you're on land. This is a real-time activity that requires active play (even if just checking every 60 seconds).
There's a subtle visual indicator on the extractor (it glows slightly), but no sound notification or chat message. This is why using a 60-second timer is essential - the game won't remind you. Many players use Runelite's timer plugin or set a phone timer for optimal efficiency.
Assuming you harvest every 90 seconds (realistic rate) and average 1.5 shards per harvest:
This requires Song of the Elves completion. Without SotE, you get 0 shards.
If you're level 73+ and already have a Sloop, build it on the Sloop (it's your endgame ship). If you only have a Skiff:
Note: You need to rebuild it if you switch ships - it doesn't transfer!
No, crewmates cannot harvest the extractor. This is a player-only facility. Crew can operate salvaging hooks, cannons, and helms, but not the Crystal Extractor. You must manually click it every 60 seconds yourself - there's no way to automate this.
Complete the Gwenith Glide Barracuda Trial at Swordfish tier (easiest tier). Requirements:
The Heart is a guaranteed first-time reward, so you only need to complete it once at any difficulty.
It depends on your definition of "casual":
Port Tasks: Yes, but awkward. You can harvest during cargo loading or sailing between ports, but it's easy to forget and not very efficient.
Deep Sea Trawling: Technically yes, but clunky. You need a crewmate on the helm while you trawl, then harvest the extractor between trawl actions. Not recommended as a primary use case.
Focus on using it during Trials and Salvaging for best results.
Gwenith Glide Trial Guide
Shipwreck Salvaging Guide