Sandship

The Sandship is the fifth dungeon in Skyward Sword.^[1]

Entrance to the Ship[]

The Sandship, once captained by Skipper, is a mechanical galleon that protects Nayru's Flame,^[2] and is able to cloak itself.^[3] However, it was taken by pirates in search of the Sacred Flame on a stormy day ages before Link's quest,^[4] so Link and Skipper search through Skipper's Retreat, Lanayru Shipyard and finally the Pirate Stronghold to find clues to the ship's location. At the Pirate Stronghold they finally find broken pieces of the ship, allowing Fi to dowse for it. Skipper explains that the Sandship will still be sailing the Sand Sea, cloaked and invisible to the eye, but that attacking it with its current boat's onboard cannon will damage the Sandship enough that the cloaking will fail and the ship will stop.^[5] Link and Skipper hunt down the Sandship, and after enough bombardment from the cannon, the ship stops and Link boards it.

Themes and Navigation[]

Shortly after boarding, Link finds the ship mostly deserted and non-functioning. In this state, several Arachas have overrun the ship. After investigating the ship, Link discovers LD-002G Scervo, the pirate captain. Link defeats LD-002G Scervo in battle, and gains the ship's treasure: the Bow.

The Sandship's center mast contains a Timeshift Stone which, when activated, encompasses the entire ship and the surrounding area. The dungeon also features many Eyeball Switches.

After activating the Timeshift Stone using his Bow, Skipper informs Link that his crew is trapped in the brig below. To free the ship's crew, Link must use the Timeshift Stone to alternate between past and present to navigate the ship and reach the generators. Once the generators have been activated, Link climbs underneath the ship's main passages to the brig, freeing the crew. After the ship's crew has been freed, they give Link the Key to the Captain's Cabin, where the control room Key, the Squid Carving, lies.^[6] Upon entering the control room, Fi notes that the ship seems to be under attack by a monster of considerable size,^[7] and recommends that Link exits to further assess the situation, using Skyward Strikes to eliminate the tentacles.^[8] Link has to fend off large tentacles using Skyward Strikes to clear a path to reach the deck. Once Link reaches the deck of the Sandship the culprit of the attack, the Abyssal Leviathan Tentalus, reveals itself.

After Tentalus is defeated, the ship is nearly completely destroyed, but Skipper and his crew quickly repair it and continue to sail the seas.

Once the ship is rebuilt, Link can no longer enter the control room because he is unauthorized.^[9] Furthermore, if Link returns to the prison cell where Skipper's crew was held, he will find that a number of Technoblins (which can still be killed) are now imprisoned in the cell instead. In addition, there are several Ancient Robots from Skipper's crew scattered throughout the ship, in places like the deck, engine room, captain's cabin and the battlefield where LD-002G Scervo is found.

Small Keys[]

There are two small keys.

Minor Enemies[]

Trivia[]

The initial inaccessibility of the ship due to its cloak is reminiscent of the Ghost Ship from The Wind Waker due to the absence of the Ghost Ship Chart, and in Phantom Hourglass due to the mist.
The Sandship, alongside Sky Keep, are the only two dungeons where Ghirahim doesn't appear nor was he involved at any point at all.

Nomenclature[]

Names in other regions
Language		Name	Meaning
	Dutch	Zandvaarder ^(SSHD)^[10]	Sandsailer
This table was generated using translation pages. To request an addition, please contact a staff member with a reference.

Gallery[]

The interior of the Sandship

References

↑ Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 158
↑ "I am the proud skipper of the ship that protects Nayru's Flame, phweep!" — LD-301N Skipper (Skyward Sword)
↑ "In order to protect Nayru's Flame, the ship has a function that allows it to become invisible, vweep..." — LD-301N Skipper (Skyward Sword)
↑ "It was the day of the storm, phoo-weep... My crew and I were navigating the seas as usual, vrrm... And then those brutes, bzzt...the pirates, suddenly attacked us, brrzt. They were after Nayru's Flame, zzpt. My crew was imprisoned...vrrrt...and I was thrown into the sea!" — LD-301N Skipper (Skyward Sword)
↑ "There is a high probability that the ship is currently hidden from our view, phoo-weep. But if we attack it, then we might catch a glimpse of it, zrrt!" — LD-301N Skipper (Skyward Sword)
↑ "You got the Squid Carving! It's a squid-shaped statue studded with intriguing suction cups." — N/A (Skyward Sword)
↑ "A report, Master. Judging by their size, these tentacles belong to a monster of considerable size. The current situation is difficult to determine with complete accuracy, but signs indicate that this ship is under attack. If we do nothing, there is an 80% chance the ship will capsize." — Fi (Skyward Sword)
↑ "I recommend forcing it back with sacred power, then exiting to further assess the current situation." — Fi (Skyward Sword)
↑ "This control room transmits the power of the Timeshift Stones to the engine room, zrrrt. No unauthorized entry!" — Ancient Robot (Skyward Sword)
↑ "Zandvaarder" — Dungeon Map (Skyward Sword HD)