The Wind Catcher is an essential mid-level boat facility in OSRS Sailing that stores up to two wind motes generated while sailing. It's your first introduction to strategic speed management and becomes absolutely crucial for completing higher-difficulty Barracuda Trials.
When you trim your sails while sailing (which happens every 60 seconds), the Wind Catcher captures the speed boost as a mote instead of using it immediately. You can then release these stored motes strategically when you need them most.
Players between 55-79 Sailing who want to maximize their XP rates and complete Barracuda Trials efficiently. Once you hit 79, you'll upgrade to the Gale Catcher (3 motes, 150 XP each).
Can unlock early
Jubbly Jive requirement
Boostable for building
From Jubbly Jive Shark
You can technically build the Wind Catcher at 53 Sailing, but you can't actually get the Captured Wind Mote until you complete Jubbly Jive at 55 Sailing. This means the practical unlock level is 55, not 53.
The Captured Wind Mote is obtained as a one-time reward for completing the Jubbly Jive Barracuda Trial at Shark rank within the time limit. Here's your complete guide:
Getting there quickly: Use an Empty Ship Bottle at your current port, travel to Corsair Cove (use Ring of dueling or walk from Falador), then release your ship and sail south.
This trick saves 5-10 minutes compared to sailing from most ports.
Objective: Collect 20 boxes + coerce 1 Jubbly Bird
Time limit: 2:03
Reward: 1,700 XP + 5,000 bonus XP (first time)
This is the practice tier. Focus on learning the mechanics before pushing for Shark.
Fetid Waters (Green Bubbles): These slow your ship dramatically. Avoid them or use speed boosts (trim sails) to power through.
Toads & Flags: Collect toads from the supply boat, then throw them at colored flags to lure Jubbly Birds to specific locations.
Box Collection: Scattered crates you must collect while navigating.
Critical tip: Never throw toads at the GREEN flag - it's the default spawn point!
Objective: Collect 38 boxes + coerce 2 Jubbly Birds
Time limit: 3:00
Reward: 3,000 XP + 7,500 bonus XP + Captured Wind Mote 🎉
Once you have the Captured Wind Mote, go to any large port (Pandemonium, Port Sarim, etc.):
| Material | Quantity | Cost (Approx) | Where to Get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teak plank | 4 | 3,228 GP | Sawmill or GE |
| Steel nails | 16 | 688 GP | Smithing or GE |
| Steel bar | 8 | 4,888 GP | Smithing or GE |
| Lead bar | 4 | 1,476 GP | Salvaging or GE |
| Air rune | 10,000 | 50,000 GP | Runecrafting or GE |
| Captured wind mote | 1 | N/A | Jubbly Jive Shark |
| Total Cost | ~60,280 GP | ||
| Construction XP | 741 XP | ||
| Build Time | 3 ticks (1.8 seconds) | ||
Don't panic! If you accidentally destroy your Captured Wind Mote, you can get another one for free by speaking to Gurtob in Backwater. He'll give you a replacement without having to redo the trial.
Every 60 seconds, a gust of wind appears around your sails. When you trim:
When you trim sails:
| Scenario | Without Wind Catcher | With Wind Catcher | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trim sails once | ~150 XP | ~75 XP (trim) + 40 XP (release later) = 115 XP | -35 XP |
| 1 hour sailing (60 trims) | ~9,000 XP | ~4,500 + 2,400 = 6,900 XP | -2,100 XP/hr |
| Value Proposition | You lose ~23% XP BUT gain strategic speed control - essential for trials! | ||
Wind Catcher reduces your passive sailing XP by about 23%. However, it's absolutely essential for:
Bottom line: The XP loss is worth it for the tactical advantages.
Strategy: Build Wind Catcher after getting it from Jubbly Jive, but it's not essential here. Save motes for the final crate collection lap.
Difficulty: Low | Benefit: Moderate
Critical Usage Points:
Difficulty: High | Benefit: ESSENTIAL
Advanced Strategy: Store 2 motes before entering portal sections. Release before hitting ice crystals to avoid double slowdown. Time motes with portal exits for maximum momentum.
Difficulty: Very High | Benefit: Critical for Marlin rank
| Feature | Wind Catcher | Gale Catcher |
|---|---|---|
| Unlock Level | 53 (effectively 55) | 79 (+24 levels) |
| Construction | 47 | 70 (+23 levels) |
| Mote Storage | 2 motes | 3 motes (+50%) |
| XP per Release | 40 XP | 150 XP (+275%!) |
| Build Cost | ~60k GP | ~220k GP |
| Schematic Required | No | Yes (Anglers' Retreat) |
| Best For | 55-79 training | 79-99 efficiency |
Keep Wind Catcher until 79+ Sailing:
Upgrade immediately at 79 IF:
At 73 Sailing, you unlock the Crystal Extractor facility, which generates wind motes passively every 60 seconds. This creates incredible synergy with your Wind Catcher!
| Activity | XP/hour | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Crystal Extractor alone | ~24,000 XP | Harvesting every 90s (realistic) |
| + Wind Catcher releases | +2,400 XP | Releasing stored motes |
| + Barracuda Trials | +70,000-100k XP | Jubbly Jive base XP |
| Combined Total | ~96,400 XP/hr | Crystal + Wind Catcher + Jubbly Jive |
The ultimate mid-to-high level setup is:
This lets you passively generate XP while doing any activity, with motes ready for trials.
| Factor | Value |
|---|---|
| Initial Investment | ~60,280 GP + time to get mote |
| XP Loss (passive sailing) | -2,100 XP/hour (~23% reduction) |
| XP Gain (strategic releases) | +2,400 XP/hour (60 releases) |
| Trial Advantage | Required for Marlin ranks = +10k bonus XP per trial |
| With Crystal Extractor (73+) | +24k passive XP/hour |
| Useful Until | Level 79 (then upgrade to Gale Catcher) |
Wind Catcher is essential for any serious Sailing player. At only 60k GP, it's incredibly affordable and:
Build it immediately after getting your Captured Wind Mote at 55 Sailing.
Plan your entire path to 99 with our interactive calculator!
Try Our XP Calculator →This is intentional design. Jagex wanted to reward players for completing Jubbly Jive Shark (55 requirement) while allowing the construction level to be 53 for symmetry with other facilities. Practically, you'll always build it at 55+.
Yes, by about 23% for passive sailing. However, you gain tactical speed control which is essential for trials. The trade-off is worth it, especially with Crystal Extractor synergy at 73+.
No, it's literally impossible. The fetid waters slow you so much that you can't make the time limit without using stored wind motes to power through them.
Anywhere! Unlike Crystal Extractor, Wind Catcher has no placement requirements. It can be operated from anywhere on your ship through the Sailing interface.
No, stored motes are lost when you log out. Use them before logging or they'll disappear.
No, they occupy the same facility slot. You can only have one wind-catching facility. When you build Gale Catcher, it replaces Wind Catcher.
Open your Sailing interface (default hotkey, or right-click helm). You'll see Wind Catcher with "Activate" or "Deactivate" options. When active, trimming sails stores motes. When inactive, trimming works normally.
The new mote is automatically released immediately, giving you the speed boost and 40 XP. You can't store more than 2 motes in Wind Catcher.
Not really. For pure AFK activities, the XP loss isn't worth it. Only activate Wind Catcher when you're actively sailing and need speed control.
Yes! The Wind Catcher only needs to be active to STORE motes. You can release stored motes anytime, even if it's inactive.
Crystal Extractor generates a wind mote every 60 seconds when you harvest it. These motes automatically store in your Wind Catcher (if active). This creates passive mote generation for trials. See our Crystal Extractor guide for details.
If you're going for 99 Sailing, absolutely yes. Gale Catcher gives 150 XP per mote (vs Wind Catcher's 40 XP) - that's 275% more XP! Plus you get 3 mote storage instead of 2. See our Gale Catcher guide for comparison.
