Raft never disappoints by featuring beautiful islands, items, and rewards in the game. Balboa Island in Raft is the first chapter’s last location, making it special to play in. It is home to many man-made structures, trails, and the fearsome Mama Bear.
This unique Balboa Island resembles a National Park and is jam-packed with beautiful sceneries and hefty bounties to collect. In this guide, we’ll discuss how you can get to Balboa Island in Raft and walk you through the mini-quests in the area. So without further ado, let the adventure begin!
How to Get to Balboa Island in Raft
Once players have built their boat, engine, and steering wheel, they should be ready to set their sails and find Balboa Island. Players need to open their journals and search whether the coordinates of Balboa Island have been included.
Once you find it, it will read the code as ‘7511’. Use the lever and buttons on the side of the Receiver to input that 4-digit code, and you’ll be able to navigate the Island. The blue dots on the radar will guide you to where Balboa Island is, so you must steer your boat accordingly. Follow where the dots are, and you should be able to find Balboa Island in no time.
Balboa Island Walkthrough
After following and navigating the blue dots, you’ll finally find yourself towards this Island’s entrance. Some key identification features include broken fences at the front and boards that warn about bears ahead. Dock the boat to the side and start your Balboa Island journey.
Unlike the rest of the Island in the First Chapter of Raft, Balboa Island is relatively easy to tackle, and you only have a few quests to complete. It includes Luring Mama Bear, unlocking Relay Stations, collecting Unique Resources, Collecting Blueprints, and 12 Journal notes.
Before you begin your quests, here are some things to remember—stock up on many Sustenance and Weapons. There will be a lot of bears on the Island, so you need to kill them as you go. Although you can avoid most of them, you can’t escape all of them.
Use sign boards and explore the area accordingly, or you can easily get lost. And start your Balboa Island journey by luring Mama Bear first.
Activating Relay Stations in Balboa Island
There are three Relay Stations (2, 4, and 6) in Balboa Island which you should activate to reveal the next coordinates and for loot and items, which we will discuss in this guide as well. Generally, when you are at a relay station, before going inside it, it’s recommended that you explore the surroundings for any items. Sign boards are handy in finding these stations, so keep an eye on those as well.
Luring Mama Bear
One of the first things we’ll do as soon as we enter Balboa Island is find the Mama Bear. Mama Bear is a boss entity that players must deal with to progress in the game’s story. Players must loot a crate inside a cave guarded by Mama Bear to continue their adventures in the game.
To find Mama Bear, Players must head straight from the Island entrance and look for the signboard guiding the directions. Head left from the board and walk until you find Mama Bear. She will guard the cave with all her life and soul and attack you if you come too close.
To lure her out of the way, players will have to find five wild berries to feed her and take the opportunity to get inside the cave. Players must make their way towards the shore to get the berries as it’s the easiest location to get them from. On the coast, there will be two to four berry bushes with plenty of berries. Collect five of these and put them in front of the container near the cave.
Mama Bear will move away from the cave entrance, allowing you to enter. Once you’re inside the cave, you can collect Machete and the Blueprint of Machete.
Balboa Island Unique Items Locations
Once you’re done looting from the cave, you should start looking around for unique items as they’re essential to progress in the game’s story and acquire achievements. You can’t acquire some blueprints if you don’t have these beforehand.
- Wild Berries: Players can find Wild Berries near the shore.
- Brunos Hammer: Players can find Bruno Hammer at Relay Station 4 across the Draw Bridge.
- Brunos Saw: Players can find this item inside a locker north of Mama Bear’s cave. It is between the Relay Station 4 and Relay Station 6.
- Brunos Wrench: Player can find this inside Relay Station 6.
- Lightbulb: This item can be acquired after completing Fix Errol! Achievement.
Balboa Island Notes Locations
There are a total of 12 notes scattered all around Balboa Island. These are easy to find, making this mini-quest easy to complete.
Note #1
Players can find the first note by heading in the direction that points to Relay Station 2 and the Ranger Station. Go up the path and then carefully towards the Relay Station and across the Acid Pool.
Move forward, and just some distance ahead, you’ll find a cabin that reads, ‘If You Lived Here, Your House is Gone.’ Go inside and find a room with a mattress. On this mattress will be your first note.
Note #2
Leave the Cabin and head towards the Relay Station. Go to the top and inside the room. You’ll find the second note near the desk with the Monitor.
Note #3
Head back to the starting point and then go towards the left from the sign board and pass the Mama Bear. Now go up the hill and make your way towards Relay 4. Now across from the bridge, go up to the Relay Station, and inside the room with a Monitor, you’ll find the third note on a small chair.
Note #4 and #5
Head towards Relay Station 6, and you’ll come across a cave with vines on the way. Use Machete to break them and then finally go to the Relay Station. You’ll find the note on the desk inside the room with Monitor. And just nearby, there will be another desk with a fifth note.
Note #6 and #7
Go back to the starting point with the directions sign board. Go up the valley and past where the valley hunches. Now go towards the left; you’ll find the sixth note here. And just a few feet ahead, you’ll also find your seventh note.
Note #8, #9, #10, #11, and #12
These notes will be located nearby Note #6 and #7. The last five notes will be found just a few meters ahead, where the dolls are hung. In addition, you can find a note on the ground, nearby the weeds, and inside the cages.
Balboa Island Blueprint Locations
Players will be finding different required blueprints in the following locations.
- Machete Blueprint: Once you lure Mama Bear and enter the cave, Machete Blueprint can be acquired.
- Fuel Tank Blueprint: Players can acquire it by visiting Relay Station 6.
- Biofuel Refiner Blueprint: Players can get their hands on this blueprint by going inside the Ranger Station.
- Fuel Pipe Blueprint: Players can find this blueprint in Relay Station 4.
