A Pirate's Life Tall Tale Guide

A walkthrough guide for A Pirate's Life Tall Tale in Sea of Thieves. Read on to see a complete Tall Tale walkthrough and guide for A Pirate's Life, including info on how to get all Commendations and journals, and a list of its completion rewards.

◄ Previous Tall Tale	Next Tall Tale ▶
-	The Sunken Pearl

A Pirate's Life Overview and Location

A Pirate's Life
Story Arc	A Pirate's Life
Quest Location	At the Castaway's Camp at all Outposts.
Reward	8000 Gold (High Seas) 2400 Gold (Safer Seas) Cursed Captain's Hat
◄ Previous Tall Tale	Next Tall Tale ▶
-	The Sunken Pearl

Find the Starting Location Beside the Mysterious Castaway

To start A Pirate's Life, head to the Castaway's Camp at any Outpost found in the game. The Tall Tale book should be on one of the shelves next to the Mysterious Castaway.

Note: This Tall Tale can also be started from your quest table. However, you will still need to go to the Castaway's Camp in order to unlock the Tall Tale book with clues.

A Pirate's Life Walkthrough

No.	A Pirate's Life Objectives
1	Sail through the Mythical Portal
2	Find the Strange Shores
3	Dead Man's Grotto Objectives ┣ Solve the First Cave Puzzle ┣ Solve the Second Cave Puzzle ┣ Solve the Third Cave Puzzle ┣ Solve the Fourth Cave Puzzle ┗ Solve the Fifth Cave Puzzle
4	Light the Brazier
5	Climb Up to the Cursed Captain's Cage
6	Optional Objectives ┣ Dig Up Poor Dougie's Chest ┣ Find Poor Dougie ┣ Light the Lantern Next to Poor Dougie ┗ Open the Chest with Poor Dougie's Key
7	Get the Cage Key at the Tavern
8	Optional Objectives ┣ Return Captain Bone's Special Recipe ┣ Return the Cursed Captain's Skull ┣ Unlock the Treasure Room ┗ Angle the Sails of the Shipwreck
9	Lighthouse Puzzle Objectives ┣ Head to the Lighthouse ┣ Place the Cursed Captain's Skull on the Headless Skeleton ┗ Solve the Lighthouse Puzzle
10	Optional Objectives Find the Secret of Sailor's Grave
11	Cursed Captain's Ship Objectives ┣ Head to the Ship with Red Sails ┣ Head to the Captain's Quarters ┗ Take the Key and Use the Rowboat
12	The Ferryman's Ship Objectives ┣ Light the Well of Fates ┣ Light the Candles ┣ Take the Brig Key from the Dog ┗ Follow Jack Sparrow and Prepare for Combat

Sail through the Mythical Portal

Find the green portal that has formed near the Outpost and sail through it. Make sure to sell any treasures you have obtained beforehand as you cannot bring them with you when going through the portal.

Upon entering the portal, you'll arrive at the Tunnel of the Damned. Wait for your ship to sail on its own until you reach the second portal. You'll know the Tall Tale is working correctly once you start ghostly figures on rowboats appear beside your ship.

What to Do if You Get Teleported Out of the Tunnel of the Damned

There are cases where players are disconnected midway or outright teleported out of the Tunnel of the Damned and placed back at an outpost. These are usually server-side issues and the only way to fix it is to cancel and restart the Tall Tale until the Tunnel of the Damned sequence plays through its entirety.

Find the Strange Shores

Strange Shores Location
Statue with Bell Location

Once you regain control of your ship, head towards the island with jagged rocks called Strange Shores. Disembark from your ship and head straight towards the island.

The entrance of the island is located near a statue holding a bell.

Solve the First Cave Puzzle

The first cave requires you to take the green flame from the campfire and light up the two lanterns next to the skeletons on either side of the locked door. Doing so unlocks the first door allowing you to move on to the next cave puzzle.

Solve the Second Cave Puzzle

The second cave puzzle requires you to find three lanterns to light them up and open the locked door.

First Lantern Location

Find the skeleton with a pirate hat and seagull on the right side of the wall and light up its lantern.

Second Lantern Location

Head left towards the narrow passageway that leads to a destroyed rowboat on a dead end. Find the lantern sitting on the stern part of the rowboat and light it.

Third Lantern Location

Head to the left side of the locked door and find the group of skeletons. Find the skeleton holding the lantern and move its skeleton arm to light up the lantern.

Solve the Third Cave Puzzle

Go through the waterfall on the left side of the group of ghostly pirates. Find the skeleton with the oar handle stabbed into its chest. Take the oar handle from it and exit the waterfall.

Go back to the group of ghostly pirates and head up to the area above them that leads to the locked door. Place the oar handle on the lever and use it to open the locked door.

Solve the Fourth Cave Puzzle

No.	Solve the Fourth Cave Puzzle
1	Light the first lantern sitting on a box on the left side of the area.
2	Head up the path and use the capstan to lower a bridge that allows you to cross to the next area.
3	Find the pulley to raise the wooden platform. Use the wooden platform to jump across it towards the opposite side.
4	Follow the wooden path that leads to the last lantern. Light it up and wait for the ghost boat to sail through the waters.
5	Once the ghost boat has reached its destination and it dissappears, a bridge will drop down that leads to the next area.

Solve the Fifth Cave Puzzle

No.	Solve the Fifth Cave Puzzle
1	Climb the ladder on the right side.
2	Use your sword to cut the rope to cross the bridge to the next area.
3	Find the pulley and use it to raise the mast that you can use as a platform. Wait for the mast to move back to its original position and jump to the next platform.
4	Use your sword to cut the rope and lower the platform down.

Light the Brazier

Slide down on the waterfall that leads you to an open area. Head right and follow the path until you receive the notifcation of reaching the Tall Tale's checkpoint and earning the Strange Shores commendation.

From there, head left and climb up the stairs that has two lit braziers on each side. Light the brazier at the top to open the locked iron gate.

Climb Up to the Cursed Captain's Cage

No.	Climb Up to the Cursed Captain's Cage
1	Climb the wooden stairs that lead to the shipwreck where the Cursed Captain is. Follow the broken masts until you find a flooded wreckage.
2	Swim through the wreckage until you can find the pulley that will lift you up to the second floor.
3	Use the second pulley to lift up the boxes that will serve as a platform for you to jump to the other side.
4	Use the third pulley to move the two platforms. Line them up so they are close to your location.
5	Jump on the platform and look west to find a barrel with a candlelight on top of it. Run and jump towards it to find a small cave that leads to Captain Bone's Special Recipe.
6	Use the Lantern to ignite the rope to drop the Cursed Captain's cage down on the ground. If you are holding Captain Bone's Special Recipe, you can place it on the ground first before igniting the rope.
7	Drop down to where the Cursed Captain's cage fell and place Captain Bone's Special Recipe next to it. You will need the bottle later on to complete a Commendation.

Dig Up Poor Dougie's Chest

On the area between the tavern and the shipwreck that leads to the room with two skeletons playing chess is a dig spot where you can uncover Poor Dougie's Chest.

Look for the pointy rock in front of the torch with green flame to find the dig spot.

Find Poor Dougie

With the chest on hand, head to the area leading towards the lighthouse. Look for the wooden scaffolding on the left side and find the opened treasure chest with gold on the floor. Drop Poor Dougie's Chest here for now.

Dig the Shallow Dig Spot

Next to the opened treasure chest is a newly buried dig spot. Use your shovel to dig in this spot to find the skeletal remains of Poor Dougie.

Digging up Poor Dougie rewards you with the Raising the Dead Commendation.

Light the Lantern Next to Poor Dougie

Light the lantern beside Poor Dougie to bring him alive. Wait for his dialogue to finish and give Poor Dougie's Chest back to him to get the Treasure for the Dead Commendation.

Use Poor Dougie's Key to Unlock the Chest

Pick up Poor Dougie's Key on the ground and use it to unlock Poor Dougie's Chest. Inside the chest is Poor Dougie's Medallion that you will need to use to get another Commendation.

Head back to the Cursed Captain's cage and place Poor Dougie's Medallion beside the Captain Bone's Special Recipe for now.

Get the Cage Key at the Tavern

The Cage Key is located on a chandelier at the tavern. Use the pulley on the second floor to lower the chandelier on the ground.

Pick up the Cage Key and unlock the cage to free the Cursed Captain.

Bring Captain Bone's Special Recipe to the Chess Playing Skeletons

Head left from the tavern to find a small area with two skeletons playing chess. Light the candle beside them to bring them to life.

Pick up the Captain Bone's Special Recipe from where you dropped it and use it to refill the tankard of the rightmost skeleton. Doing so rewards you with the A Powerful Thirst Commendation.

Place the Cursed Captain's Skull on the Skeleton

Once the chess playing skeleton's head explodes, head back to the Cursed Captain and pick up his skull and place it on the ground for now. Picking up the Cursed Captain's skull gives you the Tales of the Dead commendation.

Go back and pick up Poor Dougie's Medallion and place it on the ground.

Once you have the two items in place, place Poor Dougie's Medallion the table as the buy-in and put Cursed Captain's Skull on the headless skeleton. Pick up the Ship's Key and place it near the Cursed Captain's cage for now.

Use the Ship Key to Unlock the Treasure Room

Pick up the Ship Key and make your way to the same path you took to get to the Cursed Captain's cage on the mast.

Once you reach the first pulley, use the key on the white door on the west side to unlock it. Doing so unlocks the Ship of Thieves Commendation.

Angle the Sails of the Shipwreck

After picking up all the gold in the treasure room, find the pulley on the bow side of the shipwreck and angle the sails so that they are parallel to the lighthouse. You will need to do this to unlock the Tall Tale's secret area.

Head to the Lighthouse

Pick up the Cursed Captain's skull and make your way to the lighthouse. The Cursed Captain will activate the bridge that leads to the lighthouse.

Place the Cursed Captain's Skull on the Headless Skeleton

Make your way to the top of the lighthouse and place the Cursed Captain's skull on the headless skeleton.

Solve the Lighthouse Puzzle

Brazier Locations
Northeast of the Lighthouse (Unlocks the secret area)
Southwest of the Lighthouse	Southeast of the Lighthouse

Use the Lantern to ignite the lighthouse. Use the wheels to move the lightbeam around to shine the light on the braziers. Doing so rewards you with the Waiting for Eternity Commendation.

Find the Secret of Sailor's Grave

If you have angled the sail of the treasure ship and lit the brazier using the lighthouse's light beam, you can access the Tall Tale's secret area near the starting point. Make a detour and pick up the Cursed Captain's skull and drop it on the ground in front of the ship with red sails for now.

Make your way to the starting area and head north until you can find a shipwreck. Head towards the shipwreck to unlock the Secret of the Grave Commendation.

This area also contains 5 journals of the Headless Monkey's Captain. Finding all five rewards you with the The Crew of the Headless Monkey Commendation.

All Headless Monkey's Captain Journals
Somewhere in the Caribbean	Raising the Mad Monkey	A Headless Monkey
A Fateful Pursuit	Fresh Waters

Head to the Ship with Red Sails

With the Cursed Captain's skull on hand, make your way to the ship with red sails. Place his skull on the headless skeleton so he can open the door.

Head to the Captain's Quarters

Make your way up to the captain's quarters of the ship and find the headless skeleton sitting on the map table. Place the Cursed Captain's skull on this skeleton body.

Take the Key and Use the Rowboat

Take the Cabin Key from the Cursed Captain and unlock the door behind him. Climb on the rowboat and detach it from the ship.

Use the rowboat to make your way towards The Ferryman's ship at the dock area. Dock the rowboat on the ferry ship.

Light the Well of Fates

Climb the ladder on the right to make your way to the top of the ship. Wait for The Ferryman to finish talking and light the Well of Fates in the middle of the ship. This causes the iron floor on the ground to explode, unveiling a new area.

Light the Candles

Head to the newly opened area on the ground and light the candle to unlock the door. Light two more candles on the next room to unlock the iron gate.

Take the Brig Key from the Dog

Head to the end of the brig to find a dog holding a key. Take the Brig Key from the dog and unlock Jack Sparrow's cell. Unlocking the cell rewards you with The Prisoner Commendation.

Follow Jack Sparrow and Prepare for Combat

Follow Jack Sparrow as he makes his way of the brig. The next sequence involves a ship battle between The Flying Dutchman. Get cannonballs from the barrel below deck to attack the ship.

Ocean Crawlers will also spawn on The Ferryman's ship so you will need to defeat them. Use the Armory on the mast to refill ammo and replenish your food from the food barrel below deck.

Survive the battle sequence to complete the Tall Tale.

How to Complete A Pirate's Life Commendations

A Pirate's Life Commendations
Raising the Dead and Treasure of the Dead
A Powerful Thirst	Ship of Thieves
Secret of the Grave	Other Commendations

Raising the Dead and Treasure of the Dead Commendations

No.	Objectives
1	On the area between the tavern and the shipwreck that leads to the room with two skeletons playing chess is a dig spot where you can uncover Poor Dougie's Chest. Look for the pointy rock in front of the torch with green flame to find the dig spot.
2	With the chest on hand, head to the area leading towards the lighthouse. Look for the wooden scaffolding on the left side and find the opened treasure chest with gold on the floor. Drop Poor Dougie's Chest here for now.
3	Next to the opened treasure chest is a newly buried dig spot. Use your shovel to dig in this spot to find the skeletal remains of Poor Dougie. Digging up Poor Dougie rewards you with the Raising the Dead Commendation.
4	Light the lantern beside Poor Dougie to bring him alive. Wait for his dialogue to finish and give Poor Dougie's Chest back to him to get the Treasure for the Dead Commendation.
5	Pick up Poor Dougie's Key on the ground and use it to unlock Poor Dougie's Chest. Inside the chest is Poor Dougie's Medallion that you will need to use to get the Ship of Thieves Commendation.

A Powerful Thirst Commendation

No.	Objectives
1	Climb the wooden stairs that lead to the shipwreck where the Cursed Captain is. Follow the broken masts until you find a flooded wreckage.
2	Swim through the wreckage until you can find the pulley that will lift you up to the second floor.
3	Use the second pulley to lift up the boxes that will serve as a platform for you to jump to the other side.
4	Use the third pulley to move the two platforms. Line them up so they are close to your location.
5	Jump on the platform and look west to find a barrel with a candlelight on top of it. Run and jump towards it to find a small cave that leads to Captain Bone's Special Recipe.
6	Head left from the tavern to find a small area with two skeletons playing chess. Light the candle beside them to bring them to life. Pick up the Captain Bone's Special Recipe from where you dropped it and use it to refill the tankard of the rightmost skeleton. Doing so rewards you with the A Powerful Thirst Commendation.

Ship of Thieves Commendation

#	Objectives
1	After obtaining A Powerful Thirst Commendation, head back to the Cursed Captain and pick up his skull and place it on the ground for now. Pick up Poor Dougie's Medallion and place it on the ground. Once you have the two items in place, place Poor Dougie's Medallion the table as the buy-in and put Cursed Captain's Skull on the headless skeleton. Pick up the Ship's Key for the next step.
2	Pick up the Ship Key and make your way to the same path you took to get to the Cursed Captain's cage on the mast. Once you reach the first pulley, use the key on the white door on the west side to unlock it. Doing so unlocks the Ship of Thieves Commendation.

Secret of the Grave Commendation

#	Objectives
1	After unlocking the treasure room and obtaining the Ship of Thieves Commendation, find the pulley on the bow side of the shipwreck and angle the sails so that they are parallel to the lighthouse.
2	Pick up the Cursed Captain's skull and make your way to the lighthouse. The Cursed Captain will activate the bridge that leads to the lighthouse.
3	Use the Lantern to ignite the lighthouse. Look northeast of the lighthouse and use the light beam to light up the brazier near the ship sails.
4	Head to the entrance of the lighthouse and make your way back to the starting area. Head north until you can find a shipwreck. Head towards the shipwreck to unlock the Secret of the Grave Commendation.

All Commendations and Rewards for A Pirate's Life

Commendation	Reward	How to Unlock
A Pirate's Life	Cursed Captain's Hat	Complete 'A Pirate's Life'.
A Powerful Thirst	None	Help quench the thirst of one who cannot help themselves.
Mist and Memory	Cursed Captain's Sails	Legendary Commendation: Complete all Commendations for 'A Pirate's Life'.
Raising the Dead	None	Learn what happens to pirates who betray other pirates.
Secret of the Grave	None	Discover the secret of Sailor's Grave.
Ship of Thieves	None	Find a way to open the door of a locked ship.
Strange Shores	None	Make your way through a lair of treasure and treachery.
Tales of the Damned	None	Discover the 5 Cursed Captain's Journals in Sailor's Grave.
Tales of the Dead	None	Do a good deed for a Cursed Captain.
The Crew of the Headless Monkey	None	Discover the 5 Journals of the Headless Monkey's Captain.
The Prisoner	None	Release a prisoner from their captivity.
Treasure for the Dead	None	Return a treasure to its 'rightful' owner.
Waiting for Eternity	None	Restore lost light and summon a rescue.

How to Get All Commendations

All A Pirate's Life Journal Locations

Note: Only the Headless Monkey Captain Journals are needed to get the journal-related commendation for A Pirate's Life.

No.	All Stars of a Thief Journal Locations
1	The Haul of a Lifetime
2	Off the Edge of the Map
3	Dissent in the Ranks
4	Strange, Yet Familiar
5	Lights Out
No.	All Headless Monkey Captain Journals
1	Somewhere in the Caribbean
2	Raising the Mad Monkey
3	A Headless Monkey
4	A Fateful Pursuit
5	Fresh Waters

The Haul of a Lifetime Journal Location

You can find The Haul of a Lifetime at the top of the tavern in Sailor's Grave. Head inside the tavern and climb up to find the journal on a table with a red candle.

Off the Edge of the Map Journal Location

You can find Off the Edge of the Map on the table with cards in the area with two skeletons playing chess.

Dissent in the Ranks Journal Location

You can find this journal on the back side of the ship where you dropped the Cursed Captain's cage down.

From where the cage dropped head, head northeast towards the area with purple leaves and open the door to find a skeleton reading a map on bed. Find the journal on the drawer on the right side.

Strange, Yet Familiar Journal Location

You can find this journal on a shelf at the top of the lighthouse in Sailor's Grave.

Lights Out Journal Location

You can find this journal on the captain's quarters of the ship with red sails.

Somewhere in the Caribbean Journal Location

Head to the steering wheel of the ship to find a skeleton with the Headless Monkey Key and the journal beside it.

Raising the Mad Monkey Journal Location

Head to the back side of the ship where the steering wheel is and find the book sitting on the mast.

A Headless Monkey Journal Location

You can find this journal beside the destroyed mast of the shipwreck.

A Fateful Pursuit Journal Location

Head to the steering wheel area of the ship and pick up the Headless Monkey Key from the skeleton. Drop down on the left side from the key location to find a door.

Unlock the door using the key and find A Fateful Pursuit on the map table.

Fresh Waters Journal Location

You can find this journal on the leftmost bookshelf in the locked room where you can also find A Fateful Pursuit inside.

Sea of Thieves Related Guides

List of All Tall Tales

All Tall Tales

Maiden Voyage
1	Maiden Voyage
Shores of Gold
1	The Shroudbreaker
2	The Cursed Rogue
3	The Legendary Storyteller
4	Stars of a Thief
5	Wild Rose
6	The Art of the Trickster
7	The Fate of the Morningstar
8	Revenge of the Morningstar
9	Shores of Gold
Ashen Age
1	The Seabound Soul
2	Heart of Fire
A Pirate's Life
1	A Pirate's Life
2	The Sunken Pearl
3	Captains of the Damned
4	Dark Brethren
5	Lords of the Sea
The Legend of Monkey Island
1	The Journey to Melee Island
2	The Quest for Guybrush
3	The Lair of LeChuck