Boat Boats are a recurring feature throughout the " Final Fantasy " series , appearing in several games . Boats are often used as a method of transportation before the player obtains an airship . Nature . Boats are generally received towards the middle of the game , opening up new areas of the map as some areas such as " Final Fantasy IX " ' s Lost Continent can only be accessed by land or sea . This normally allows the player to both advance in the game ' s plot , and complete sidequest s not previously available . Boats are often a common means of transportation for non - player characters as well as the player ' s party . The " S . S . Winno " and " S . S . Liki " are used by the denizens of Spira to travel from Besaid to Kilika and from Kilika to Luca . Some games in which they are more common provide the player with ferry services using some type of boat , in " Final Fantasy XII " such a service exists in the Estersand . Fuel is often not mentioned , but assumed to be different in the universe in which it exits , for example Gaia use Mist - powered engines for airships yet boats are able to travel world wide where Mist does not exist . In the world of " Final Fantasy VII " it is likely that Mako serves as a power source as the Shinra Electric Power Company dominate the world due their advancements in technology . Some boats , like the Cargo Ship from " Final Fantasy VII " , can carry cargo between continents such as the Buggy , they also provide a place where playable characters can interact , usually on deck . In some titles , boats did not include any facilities , and were simply a way for the player to travel around more quickly . In most games , characters cannot get into battle while traveling by boat or ship , however in one notable exception Sin attacks a boat and is fought by the party on deck . In " Final Fantasy IV " , Leviathan attacked a ship , knocking Rydia overboard and leaving Cecil Harvey stranded on another continent completely on his own . In the case of the " Enterprise " the Viking ship was later transported into an airship making it more useful as a means of transportation . Boats have been used as tools of war in some games , for example in " Final Fantasy IX " Queen Brahne attacked both Lindblum and Kuja with the Alexandria n fleet . Appearance . Most boats in the series - especially in earlier games - generally resemble regular ships , possessing sails and masts and seemingly are made of wood . Often , the boats even have visible flags . Some games with more futuristic settings have more modernly running boats that are power - generated , rather than using sails , such as " Final Fantasy VII " ' s Cargo Ship and the Al Bhed Salvage Ship . These ships are usually for work purposes and are equipped with various types of machinery such as electrical pulleys . Other ships of the series do not follow any traditional ship design , as they are either hybrid of or originally were a sort of airship , such as the Garden s in " Final Fantasy VIII " , the " Tiny Bronco " , or the " Enterprise " . Limitations . Boats often provide a quicker , easier way to travel throughout the game world , enabling the bypass of large expanses without encountering any enemies . Some areas are altogether unreachable without the use of an airship or a boat . However , often boats can only land at beaches or harbors , and when no access point is available they cannot dock in such area . In " Final Fantasy IV " , " Final Fantasy X " , and " Final Fantasy XII " the player cannot steer boats freely , and can only select certain destinations .