To repair John's Moonshine Still in DREADMOOR, speak to John, gather Coral Fiber from Angler's Island, and recover slime-producing beetles and metal materials near the trading post. Repair the damaged still and return to him for the dry-dock key. This is the progression step that opens boat maintenance, so collecting random salvage without starting the conversation can leave you unsure what the game is asking for.
Start the repair task with John the Fifth
The still quest follows the merchants' first Snapper lesson. After catching the fish, speak to Gil and Bozer about the next stage. They explain that you need the dry dock and send you to John the Fifth, the settlement engineer.
John's immediate concern is his damaged moonshine still. The conversation identifies the damaged tank and provides the materials objective. Finish that exchange so your journal tracks the repair before leaving for supplies.
The route is documented in Mr. Feudal's demo player experience, with matching quest dialogue in FazyGaming's demo recording. Follow the material quantities displayed in your current quest list; the transcripts do not consistently expose every number.
Gather the three material types nearby
John gives practical directions to the sources rather than asking you to explore the whole world:
| Needed material | Documented source | Collection approach |
|---|---|---|
| Coral Fiber | Angler's Island, visible from the lodging balcony | Travel over by boat and harvest coral with the axe |
| Bug Slime | Beetles on rocks behind the trading post | Retrieve the blue slime-producing targets with the hook gun |
| Metal materials | Iron barrels and salvage near that area | Recover suitable salvage and check the quest total |
Do not confuse the Coral Fiber trip with the beetle collection. They belong to the same supply run, but John points to different nearby sources for them.
Search useful containers while you are there, but keep the tracked objective in view. Extra Rope or Rubber can be useful later without satisfying a missing Coral Fiber or Bug Slime requirement now.
Refuel before the island trip
The merchants introduce the fuel loop during this stage. Return to them after speaking with John: they direct you to process the Snappers into meat, feed the fuel larva, and refuel the boat.
Use the pump nozzle at the boat's tank and check the fuel level before setting out. The supply objective requires a voyage, so do not leave with a tank that cannot support the return trip.
At Angler's Island, dock and gather the coral on foot. For the beetles and nearby floating salvage, use the hook gun from a suitable position. If you are not retrieving the right material, check the quest list before spending the rest of the trip hauling unrelated debris.
This sequence explains why the opening fish remain useful even after the merchants reject them as a valuable catch: they support the fuel introduction rather than completing the later fish-trading objective.
Repair the still and collect the key
Once the material objective is satisfied, return to the still and use its repair interaction. Then talk to John again. He acknowledges the repair and gives you the dry-dock key.
That conversation is worth completing immediately. The key opens the next sequence, which involves restoring power in the dock, bringing the boat inside, cleaning off polyps, and repairing hull damage. Repairing the still does not automatically perform those boat-maintenance steps.
The official DREADMOOR Steam page describes scavenging and crafting as part of boat progression. This guide covers the recorded demo task, so a later recipe or quest change should be resolved against the current journal rather than an older playtest's numbers.
FAQ
Where is Coral Fiber for John's still?
John directs you to Angler's Island near the settlement, visible from the lodging balcony. Sail there and harvest the coral with the axe.
Where do I get the adhesive slime?
Look for the slime-producing beetles on the rocks behind the trading post. The demo route retrieves those targets with the hook gun.
Why is the dry dock still locked after I collected everything?
Finish the repair interaction at the still and speak to John afterward. Gathering materials alone is not the completed quest hand-in.
Does repairing the still also repair my boat?
No. It earns access to the dry dock. Cleaning the boat and patching its damaged sections are separate follow-up objectives inside.