itch.io

NOTE: Version 2.821 released 11/13/25 has minor improvements over 2.82 - some issues about shadows, dynamic weather,  collisions, code refactoring

The latest release 2.82 includes a new "game mode" for racing against the computer. It includes 4 new Catamarans and a Situation that you can also download to help you get started. This new version also introduces game difficulty levels 1, 2 and 3

Enjoy this free game!

Download it from itch.io  here:  Archipelago Sailing Sim

See also this new Tutorial video: 

Note:  Level 2 is what you always had before version 2.82. Use Shift-L to change levels.

RELAX MODE: Try Level 1 with AutoPilot (Ctrl-P)  and AutoSail (Ctrl-S) turned  ON, to let your boat be exactly like a robo-boat controlled by the computer ... so you are on board like a lazy passenger... just taking the view and looking around, and is so relaxing! Your boat will avoid other vessels and terrain. You can still take control anytime. And if you get grounded, use Alt-M to move your boat.

But....if you like a challenge use Level 3 and you won't  have the luxury of either AutoPilot or AutoSail. You must do everything manual!  

By popular demand, I've added a "wind direction indicator" option that you can turn ON/OFF in the "Other" tab.  Some found it hard to look up to the top of the mast to see the indicator. Download the latest Version 2.81 and enjoy!

BTW: what changed...you may ask? You can always check this link to see a fairly detailed log and history:  Latest Changes you can also see this from within the program using the menu option Help / What Changed?

UPDATE to your feedback: I have been 'hardening' the program for issues found with AMD GPU drivers, so please  try the latest Version 2.81 and let me know how that works for you. BTW: with NVIDIA I can almost 100% guarantee. Key operative word is "almost"  :-) you tell me.

Note for anyone reading these posts: this reported problem was fixed in the latest published version v2.81  Also a problem with Windows Scale > 100%

Greetings MaelstroM138,

I think I have a fix for your type of GPU. Please contact me via email (archipelagosim@gmail.com) and I can send you a link for you to try ( Archipelago Beta version 2.8) . I tested it in a Laptop that had the Radeon(TM) GPU.

For anybody else reading this post that wants to be a beta tester, contact me via email shown above.

How to tell where is the program installed? If the program is running, move the cursor to the left of the scenery to activate the Control Panel and select from the menu Options/Application Folder ...  Windows will open the Archipelago folder in File Explorer

Following up on the last post, one thing you CAN do it to decrease the screen resolution and set the display Scale to 100%

If your scenery only covers part of your Window, like in the picture below, to use all the available window, you need to change the display's scale to 100% under  Windows "Display Settings".  However, your desktop icons will appear smaller and harder to see (a bummer...for old folks like me!). This is a limitation of the GLCanvas tool that I am using ...  and there is no fix for this (except the above 'work-around').  I do apologize for the inconvenience!

BLACK (or white) SCREEN PROBLEM: Those of you getting a blank screen right at startup or when inserting a boat, may be running with an AMD Radeon(TM) GPU. This GPU is quite limited but I will soon publish an update (Version 2.8#) to address that particular problem. Thanks to those that have reported this. 

You will be able to run the program but with limited options turned on. (i.e: shadows won't show up at full screen)
 

Thanks for the feedback! I have not seen the engine-turn-all-white phenomena but I'll be looking into it. When on board (O key toggle), the WASDX is used for rudder/throttle control, whereas the  cursors control the view angle moving around. Please see the key shortcuts in the menu / Help. Also please watch the video tutorials.

If you have a file named ErrLog.log in your install folder, please send it to me to archipelagosim@gmail.com

Added Remarks (7/22/25): there is a problem with this GPU:  AMD Radeon(TM)  - read more about this under Community / Install Problems

Archipelago Sailor Simulator:  Archipelago Sailor Sim

Some keen-eyed Sailors have noticed that the program creates a Settings.xml file in the install directory and  that it can be easily edited. Be careful editing this file as it could crash the program!  Given said that it does provide a way  to troubleshoot some problems. If things go wrong you could just delete this file and the program would just return to it's default settings. Also, as I said in  previous posts, some problems are caught in a ErrLog.log file.  Send me that file if problems arise.

Thanks for your feedback. Sorry I hadn't seen your post. The latest version 2.7 fixes a bug that had to do with having shadows turned off (among other improvements).  There is a chance you were hit with this bug that resulted in a black screen. Sorry about that!  Please try this new version and let me know if it helps.

If the program fails to start or crashes, it would normally leave a log file in the install directory. You can send me that file so I can track the specific problem. Thanks!

Black Screen bug reported for version 2.6 is fixed in version 2.7

Gosh you are right! Turning OFF shadows will crash it for the next run! I thought I had tested all that! 

Thanks so much for the feedback and your debugging. You are a gentleman and a scholar! I shall fix that for next release and sorry for the trouble!

For those of you who are  running into this problem, you can fix it like AlsoKnown did above (using a text editor to change the value of shadows tag to true) OR...just delete the Settings.xml file and let the program recreate it - shadows are on by default. Of course, low end machines might still have trouble with shadows and FPS may drop.

Where is the Settings.xml file located? Same directory where the program is:  .../Documents/Archipelago or from the main menu, select Options/Application Folder 

I am afraid Windows 7 might be a little too old and the program may be demanding too much. My oldest machine is a Windows 10. What GPU do you have? 

Is anybody else running into this same "black screen" problem?

Thanks for the feedback! That is odd... I have not seen that and cannot duplicate that problem. Does it do that right of the bat? Can you give me any additional information?  Perhaps describe your rig? Thanks again!

Hi folks! 

I am getting close to 1000 downloads which is not too bad considering I am pretty bad promoting my own stuff, but I get very little feedback. So... I don't know if you are not having any trouble installing it or running it or even whether you like it or not! This project has been years in the making and I am giving it away for FREE, so if you install it, please say something, somewhere; it could be here, or you could use links provided in the program's Help and Web site.

Some feedback would definitively be incentive to continue developing.

Archipelago Sim is "like" a Flight Simulator but for boats, especially sailboats. Writing this program has a been a blast but I'd like to know what do you think about it as a user. There is no such a thing as bad feedback. Positive feedback is also accepted  ;-)

This is the link to the program here in itch.io:  Archipelago Sailing Simulator

Thanks to you all! I am looking forward to your feedback!

PapaySailor - "the sailor without a boat"

Version 2.6 has been published for a while, but even though there are many downloads, I get very little feedback! I have to assume that if there is no feedback, everything is fine, right? Not necessarily! Please let me know when things DO WORK, as well as when they don't... please! Just because the program is free, don't be shy on giving feedback.  Occasionally I do get an email from somebody who cannot run the program because of an older PC or GPU.  I appreciate that!

In full disclosure, I have 2 desktop and 1 laptop PCs of different ages. However,  all three are powered with NVIDIA's GPU's. They handle OpenGL fine. Obviously I fully test the program in all three machines before I ever publish the program.

I am a single developer and I am counting on you, the user to give me some feedback, not only when something doesn't work but also when things DO work.  I'd like Archipelago Sim to work everywhere, but there are literally hundreds of possible configurations and no way for me to test them all. So.... I am counting on YOU to let me know.

BTW: while Googling  AMD vs NVIDIA I found this AI statement: "NVIDIA drivers tend to be more tolerant of GLSL (OpenGL Shading Language) shaders, leading to fewer compatibility problems, while AMD drivers can be more picky, potentially causing issues with rendering". Just something to keep in mind. Contact me at  archipelagosim@gmail.com

C'mon sailors! I am not asking for money....but I NEED SOME FEEDBACK from you! I hardly hear from anyone even as many have downloaded the program.

At a minimum, I need to know if you were able to install and run the program w/o problems. And if you happen to like the program, it would be a nice bonus to let me know that you do as a motivation to continue development!

In the mean time, happy sailing!

Sorry folks, the video for DEMO above is the wrong one.

The improved DEMO is this one:  Archipelago Sim DEMO Version 2.6

Done! Thanks for the feedback!

Archipelago Sim is a sailing simulator where you can create your own scenery: add terrain; add any number of boats and structures; step into your boat (or sailboat) and then control it to navigate your awesome 3D world.  You can also change the weather and time of day. The emphasis is in physics realism waves and boat dynamics.

It is a fun solo game to chill on.

I have added new Demo video and by user's request I am also adding Tutorial videos for Archipelago Sailing Simulator.

See the Demo in YouTube  here:     Archipelago Sim DEMO

Download Archipelago Sim from https://papaysailor.itch.io/archipelago-sailor-simulator

Also a reminder that there is a zip file with Examples of several Situations

I have added new Demo video and by user's request I am also adding Tutorial videos for Archipelago Sailing Simulator.

Check them out at https://papaysailor.itch.io/archipelago-sailor-simulator

Also a reminder that there is a zip file with Examples of several Situations

Hi folks! You must try Archipelago Sim    https://papaysailor.itch.io/archipelago-sailor-simulator

Took a lot of work and I am very proud of it .  BTW: It is FREE!  The only catch: if you want me to continue developing it, please give me some feedback and like it!

Any feedback is appreciated but please be courteous.

Thank you for your feedback Rezneps! Yes, you read my mind as for the next release I have planned to add random weather option that will change with time. But I am also working on more realistic water refraction and adding wind shadow  so wind is reduced behind terrain or other obstructions including  other sailboats! I'll have to think about the "speeding time" option , but it would [obviously] not be too realistic (that'd be a bumpy ride ...  ha ha!), I am open to any ideas!

For all of you sailors reading this post, remember: I LOVE YOUR FEEDBACK. Please let me know your wishes and please press some LIKE buttons :-)  that would help to spread the joy!

Please try Archipelago Sailor Simulator and let me know how you like it!

https://papaysailor.itch.io/archipelago-sailor-simulator

Hello Folks, I am PapaySailor and I am much older than most of you! Retired Electrical Engineer but love realistic simulation Software, and this is my project:

https://papaysailor.itch.io/archipelago-sailor-simulator

Please contact me if you'd like to contribute to this project.

This latest version 2.5 contains this beautiful SailBoatIII :

https://papaysailor.itch.io/archipelago-sailor-simulator

You are welcome to give me any feedback about this project. Please be courteous.

Nice simulation. Thanks for sharing! I've been working on similar CFD but I gave up on plain Navier-Stokes because it is hard to implement in the GPU shaders, and then it becomes too slow to compute. So I've been working with LBM (Lattice Boltzmann Method). Have you tried that approach?

https://papaysailor.itch.io/archipelago-sailor-simulator

Have you tried Java using OpenGL with JogAmp ? Java and C# are quite similar.  Check out my game here:  

https://papaysailor.itch.io/archipelago-sailor-simulator

Thanks! Try it and please let me know what you think. It is a free game.

Yeah it is not the fastest. The CPU code would run somewhat faster if in C or C++. But the heavy lifting in my code is done by the shaders in the GPU so the game is not affected at all. Congrats on doing the hard work of writing your own engine. At the end it pays back with less bloated software, smaller foot-print distribution and you also have full control.