Buy the Beer and give the full can to the lighthouse keeper. He drinks it and returns an Empty Beer Can; equip that empty can as your lure to summon the Spider Crab. Dodge sideways when it charges, attack during the dazed window, then take the exact item dropped by the defeated boss back to the keeper for the first boat keys.
Boat-key requirements
| Requirement | Current answer | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Quest | Who stole my beer | Official achievement name |
| Boss | Spider Crab | Current hands-on guides |
| Exchange | Give the full Beer to the keeper | Current hands-on guides |
| Boss lure | Empty Beer Can | Current hands-on guides |
| Required hand-in | The exact Spider Crab drop | Current hands-on guides |
| Reward | Boat keys | Current hands-on guides |
How to get the first boat keys
- 1
Finish the opening tasks, buy a melee weapon and keep enough money for the Beer sold by the lighthouse keeper.
- 2
Buy the Beer, give the full can to the keeper, then take back the Empty Beer Can he returns.
- 3
Equip the Empty Beer Can as your rod lure and cast to summon the Spider Crab.
- 4
Fish up the Spider Crab and keep moving when it charges.
- 5
Dodge to the side, get behind it during the stun window and deal damage before it recovers.
- 6
After the kill, pick up the boss's exact drop and carry it to the lighthouse keeper to receive the keys.
Spider Crab fight pattern
Bait the charge
Give the crab room to commit, then move sideways rather than backing straight away from it.
Use the stun
Current hands-on guides document a short dazed window after a missed charge. That is the safe time to attack.
Repeat the safe pattern
Bait another charge, dodge and use the next stun window instead of trading damage face to face.
Protect the quest drop
Pick up the exact item the boss drops. Current sources use different labels for it, so do not substitute an ordinary catch from your inventory.
If the boat is still locked
- Confirm that the Spider Crab is defeated and the trophy has dropped.
- Look for and pick up the boss's quest drop after the fight.
- Carry that exact drop to the lighthouse keeper; do not substitute another catch.
- Finish the dialogue and check that the keys were awarded.
- Open the boat only after the key reward appears; defeating the boss alone is not the final quest step.
- Ignore old island-skip advice: Patch 1.0.5 fixed traveling to islands before they were unlocked.
- If the fight is blocking progress, Patch 1.0.9 lets you switch to Easy; it lowers creature health by 25% and damage by 50%.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I get boat keys in How to Fish?
The lighthouse keeper awards them after you defeat the Spider Crab and return the exact item the boss drops.
What bait catches the Spider Crab?
Use the Empty Beer Can. Buy the full Beer, give it to the lighthouse keeper, and equip the empty can he returns as your lure.
Why did killing the Spider Crab not unlock the boat?
Pick up the exact boss drop and give it to the lighthouse keeper. Killing the crab alone is not the final hand-in step.
What do the first boat keys unlock?
They unlock the boat used to leave the starting area and continue island progression.
Can I lower the Spider Crab difficulty?
Yes. Patch 1.0.9 added an Easy setting that lowers every creature's health by 25% and damage by 50%.
Sources
What this answer is based on
Official Steam material comes first. Community findings are labeled as player-reported and never passed off as developer documentation.
- Official How to Fish Steam achievements Official names and conditions for all 28 achievements; it does not provide walkthrough steps.
- PC Gamer Spider Crab boss guide Published August 25, 2026 after hands-on solo and co-op runs; confirms the Beer-to-Empty-Beer-Can exchange, summon route, charge-stun opening and boat-key hand-in.
- All Things How Spider Crab quest guide Updated August 23, 2026; independently confirms the Empty Beer Can lure, sideways dodge, post-charge stun and exact-boss-drop hand-in.
- Official How to Fish Patch 1.0.5 notes Adds invite-only private lobbies and an in-game session-type setting that takes effect after a restart.
- Official How to Fish Patch 1.0.9 notes Adds Easy and Hard difficulty choices plus a Steam connection diagnostic in the main menu.
- Official How to Fish Steam store page Developer-supplied release, feature, platform, language and PC system-requirement information.
Web evidence checked August 28, 2026. Source notes identify what was read and what remains unverified; this is not a gameplay test date. Controls and progression details may change.