The Crystal Extractor: OSRS Sailing’s Most Broken Upgrade

If you’ve heard players talking about “bankstanding to 99 Sailing,” it may have sounded like pure meme propaganda-but it isn’t. With the introduction of the crystal extractor, Old School RuneScape effectively added a tool that gives you free Sailing XP, free crystal shards, and works no matter what you are doing. Training Herblore? You’re gaining Sailing XP. Fletching? Also Sailing XP. Editing a video while your character stands still on a boat? Yep-Sailing XP. And while some players rush upgrades by choosing to buy OSRS gold, the truth is that this method requires nothing but smart setup and consistent clicks. This guide breaks down what the crystal extractor is, how to build it, where to place it, and how to use James the Bankboat to transform every AFK skill into passive Sailing training.

What Is the Crystal Extractor?

The crystal extractor is a ship facility unlocked at 73 Sailing. Once activated, it passively generates a crystal every minute while you stand anywhere on your boat. Clicking that crystal gives you:

· 600 Sailing XP per minute

· 1–2 crystal shards (occasionally)

That adds up to 36,000 Sailing XP per hour for doing nothing except clicking once per minute. No navigation. No salvage. No charting. Just free progress.

The extractor can also generate charges for your wind catcher, but this is optional; its real value is passive XP.

How to Unlock and Build the Extractor

To build the crystal extractor, you’ll need:

· Heart of Ethel (reward from the Gwenneith Glide Barracuda Trial)

· 2 magic stones

· 5 chapronicle bars

· 6 ironwood planks

· A small pile of nickel

The resource grind isn’t difficult, but some players put it off because components like nickel and ironwood are slightly out of the way. Don’t. This upgrade is absolutely worth every minute spent gathering materials.

Important: Build It in the Correct Facility Slot

If you’re using a skiff, the extractor must be built in the facility hotspot beside the helm.
If you place it anywhere else, every time a crystal forms your character will stop navigating, collect it, and then require manual navigation again-making the extractor unusable while driving.

Spend the 2 million GP on magic stones once. Do not waste them on the wrong slot.

How to Activate and Use the Extractor

Once built:

1. Board your boat.

2. Right-click → Activate the extractor. (It does nothing until activated.)

3. Every minute, a crystal floats above it.

4. Click to harvest = +600 XP and possible crystal shards.

If you use RuneLite’s Entity Hider, make sure “Hide NPCs 2D” is OFF, or the charge bar will disappear and you’ll think the extractor isn’t working.

The Bankboat: Where Free XP Gets Ridiculous

South of the Isle of Souls is an unmarked location containing one of Sailing’s best discoveries:
James the Bankboat-a floating bank chest accessible while you remain on your ship.

This single detail changes everything.

Because the crystal extractor works anywhere on your boat, and because James provides full banking, you can now:

· Make potions

· Train Crafting

· Fletch

· Smith

· Or do any other bankstand skill

while still earning 36k Sailing XP per hour and crystal shards at the same time.

It’s effectively double-skilling with no downside. If you were already planning to sit at a bank for an hour, why not sit at this bank and gain Sailing XP for free?

For players who are chronically out of crystal shards-especially irons-this becomes an incredible passive refill source.

When to Use This Method

Use extractor banking when:

· You want AFK XP without navigating.

· You need to restock on potions, bolts, ores, runes, or resources.

· You’re editing videos, doing chores, or playing casually.

· You’re working on a 99 that’s normally done at a bank.

If you want serious Sailing XP, go do Gwenneith Glide for 200k+ XP per hour.
If you want free XP while you train something else? The bankboat wins every time.

Final Thoughts

The crystal extractor is easily one of the most powerful-and unintentionally busted-upgrades Sailing has introduced. It turns passive time into progress, refills your shard supply, and pairs perfectly with James the Bankboat to convert every bankstanding skill into efficient, hybrid training. For players who value efficiency as much as they value stretching their resources-whether that’s time, effort, or even cheap RS gold-the extractor becomes an essential upgrade. If you haven’t built it yet, fix that today. Your future 99s-Sailing included-will thank you.