Updated: July 13, 2026 
The Jackdaw is more than just Edward Kenway's ship; it's your greatest weapon throughout Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced. While you can sail the Caribbean with its default equipment, tougher naval battles quickly become overwhelming without investing in upgrades. Fortunately, the game lets you improve almost every aspect of the Jackdaw, from its armor and cannons to ammunition storage and harpooning equipment. This guide covers every ship upgrade in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, including all upgrade levels, costs, and unlock requirements.
Quick Info
What Are Ship Upgrades?
Ship upgrades improve the Jackdaw's combat performance, survivability, storage capacity, and utility while exploring the Caribbean. As you progress through the story, enemy ships become significantly stronger. Therefore, upgrading the Jackdaw isn't just optional; it becomes increasingly important if you want to win naval battles, tackle legendary ships, or survive high-level encounters.
Additionally, several upgrades unlock new gameplay features, such as the Diving Bell for underwater exploration.
How to Upgrade the Jackdaw
Unlike the original Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Black Flag Resynced no longer lets you upgrade the Jackdaw directly from the Captain's Cabin. Instead, you must dock your ship at a port and speak to the Harbourmaster to purchase new upgrades.
Furthermore, upgrading the Harbourmaster at Great Inagua unlocks higher-tier ship parts. If you're short on Reales, completing Assassin Contracts is one of the easiest ways to earn extra money for expensive ship upgrades. Because of this, you should continue improving the Harbourmaster whenever new upgrades become available.
If you're still collecting resources across the Caribbean, our Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced Wiki includes plenty of guides to help you progress faster.
Ship Upgrades
| Upgrade | Effect | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Armored Hull I | Base Armor | Unlocked by default |
| Armored Hull II | 1200 Armor | TBD |
| Armored Hull III | 2000 Armor | 4,000 Reales, 100 Metal, 200 Wood |
| Armored Hull IV | 3200 Armor | 15,000 Reales, 200 Metal, 500 Wood |
| Armored Hull V | 5000 Armor | 30,000 Reales, 400 Metal, 750 Wood, Hull Armor Ultimate Plan |
| Broadside Cannons I | Base Capacity | Unlocked by default |
| Broadside Cannons II | 8 Capacity | Unlocked by default |
| Broadside Cannons III | 10 Capacity | 2,000 Reales, 150 Metal |
| Broadside Cannons IV | 12 Capacity | 4,000 Reales, 300 Metal |
| Broadside Cannons V | 14 Capacity | 8,000 Reales, 350 Metal |
| Broadside Cannons VI | 16 Capacity | 12,000 Reales, 500 Metal |
| Broadside Cannons VII | 18 Capacity | 20,000 Reales, 650 Metal, Broadside Cannons Number Ultimate Plan |
| Crew Quarters I | 20 Crew Capacity | Unlocked by default |
| Crew Quarters II | 30 Crew Capacity | 800 Reales, 100 Cloth |
| Crew Quarters III | 40 Crew Capacity | 3,500 Reales, 450 Cloth |
| Diving Bell | Explore Deep Underwater Areas | 5,000 Reales |
| Front Cannons I | 4 Capacity | Unlocked by default |
| Front Cannons II | 6 Capacity | 3,000 Reales, 60 Metal, 100 Wood |
| Ram I | +600 Damage | 500 Reales, 25 Wood |
| Ram II | +1200 Damage | 2,000 Reales, 75 Wood |
| Ram III | +2000 Damage | 5,000 Reales, 150 Metal, 250 Wood |
| Ram IV | +4000 Damage | 15,000 Reales, 200 Metal, 600 Wood, Ram Ultimate Plan |
Weapon Upgrades
| Upgrade | Effect | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Barrel Launcher I | Base Damage | Unlocked by default |
| Barrel Launcher II | +100% Damage | 3,000 Reales |
| Barrel Launcher III | +200% Damage | 8,000 Reales, Fire Barrel Strength Ultimate Plan |
| Bow Chasers I | Base Damage | Unlocked by default |
| Bow Chasers II | +33% Damage | 2,500 Reales |
| Bow Chasers III | +67% Damage | 6,000 Reales |
| Heavy Shot I | Base Damage | 900 Reales |
| Heavy Shot II | +53% Damage | 6,000 Reales |
| Heavy Shot III | +120% Damage | 25,000 Reales, Heavy Shot Strength Ultimate Plan |
| Mortar I | Base Damage | 800 Reales |
| Mortar II | +100% Damage | 3,500 Reales, 200 Metal |
| Mortar III | +200% Damage | 8,000 Reales, 300 Metal |
| Mortar IV | +300% Damage | 25,000 Reales, 650 Metal, Mortars Ultimate Plan |
| Round & Heated Shot I | Base Damage | Unlocked by default |
| Round & Heated Shot II | +30% Damage | 900 Reales |
| Round & Heated Shot III | +70% Damage | 4,000 Reales |
| Round & Heated Shot IV | +110% Damage | 12,000 Reales |
| Round & Heated Shot V | +160% Damage | 35,000 Reales, Round Shot Strength Ultimate Plan |
| Swivel Guns I | Base Damage | Unlocked by default |
| Swivel Guns II | +50% Damage | 700 Reales, 25 Metal |
| Swivel Guns III | +100% Damage | 5,000 Reales, 200 Metal |
| Swivel Guns IV | +150% Damage | 15,000 Reales, 400 Metal, Swivel Guns Ultimate Plan |
Storage Upgrades
| Upgrade | Capacity | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Barrel Storage I | 10 | Unlocked by default |
| Barrel Storage II | 15 | 500 Reales |
| Barrel Storage III | 25 | 1,500 Reales |
| Barrel Storage IV | 40 | 4,000 Reales, Fire Barrel Storage Ultimate Plan |
| Heavy Shot Storage I | 15 | Unlocked by default |
| Heavy Shot Storage II | 20 | 500 Reales |
| Heavy Shot Storage III | 25 | 1,500 Reales |
| Heavy Shot Storage IV | 40 | 4,000 Reales, Heavy Shot Storage Ultimate Plan |
| Mortar Storage I | 5 | Unlocked by default |
| Mortar Storage II | 10 | 800 Reales |
| Mortar Storage III | 15 | 2,000 Reales |
| Mortar Storage IV | 20 | 5,000 Reales, Mortar Storage Ultimate Plan |
Harpooning Upgrades
| Upgrade | Effect | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Harpoon I | 10 Damage | Unlocked by default |
| Harpoon II | 20 Damage | 1,000 Reales |
| Harpoon III | 30 Damage | 4,000 Reales, Harpoon Strength Ultimate Plan |
| Harpoon Storage I | 15 Capacity | Unlocked by default |
| Harpoon Storage II | 20 Capacity | 500 Reales |
| Harpoon Storage III | 30 Capacity | 1,500 Reales |
| Rowboat Armor I | 100 Armor | Unlocked by default |
| Rowboat Armor II | 200 Armor | 600 Reales, 50 Wood |
| Rowboat Armor III | 300 Armor | 1,800 Reales, 200 Wood |
Best Ship Upgrades to Prioritize
If you don't have enough Reales to buy everything at once, start with upgrades that improve your survivability and firepower.
First, invest in the Armored Hull to increase the Jackdaw's durability during naval battles. Next, upgrade the Broadside Cannons and Round & Heated Shot since you'll rely on them throughout the game. After that, unlock the Diving Bell as soon as it becomes available because it grants access to underwater exploration areas.
Finally, upgrade your storage capacities once you begin taking on longer naval encounters. Once your Jackdaw is fully upgraded, you can focus on collecting every Outfit and Armor set to complete Edward's progression.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can only upgrade the Jackdaw by visiting a Harbourmaster while your ship is docked at a port.
Upgrade the Harbourmaster at Great Inagua to unlock additional ship upgrade tiers.
Yes. Every Ultimate-level ship upgrade requires its corresponding Ultimate Plan alongside Reales and crafting materials.
The Armored Hull and Broadside Cannons provide the biggest early-game improvements because they significantly increase your survivability and damage output.
