How to Find a Shipwreck in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Shipwrecks generate in oceans and on beaches, sometimes even inland or in ice. Sail the ocean watching for wooden masts, and loot up to 3 chests - the map chest in the stern always holds a buried treasure map.

What you need

Boat
Weapon (drowned guard wrecks)
Air supply plan for deep dives

Step by step

Take a boat out into any ocean biome - shipwrecks generate in all of them, plus beaches, snowy shores and even embedded in ice or inland terrain.
Scan the water for dark wooden shapes: masts, hulls and upright or capsized ships, often with drowned hanging around.
Check the shallows too: many wrecks sit half-buried on beaches, visible from land.
Loot smart: wrecks hold up to 3 chests depending on intact sections - supply chest in the bow, treasure chest in the upper stern, map chest in the lower stern.
The map chest is the prize: it always contains a buried treasure map leading to a heart of the sea.
Watch for drowned while diving - wrecks are their favorite hangout. Bring a door or conduit for air pockets on deep wrecks.
Cheat option: /locate structure minecraft:shipwreck gives exact coordinates.

Java vs Bedrock

Shipwreck generation and chest layout (bow supply, stern treasure and map chests) are the same in Java and Bedrock, and both editions made them rarer in 1.16. The /locate structure command works in both.

Versions: Shipwrecks were added in 1.13 (18w11a, the Update Aquatic) and made somewhat rarer in 1.16. They remain the only reliable source of buried treasure maps in the game.

Frequently asked questions

How many chests are in a shipwreck?

Up to 3, one per intact section: a supply chest in the bow (food, coal, tools), a treasure chest in the upper stern (iron, gold, diamonds, emeralds), and a map chest in the lower stern (paper, feathers, and always a treasure map). Broken wrecks can hold fewer or none.

Can shipwrecks spawn on land?

Yes - wrecks generate on beaches and occasionally fully inland or frozen into icebergs, a leftover of Aquatic-era generation. Land wrecks are the easiest loot in the ocean update: no diving, no drowned ambush.

Why do shipwrecks matter?

Their map chests guarantee a buried treasure map, and buried treasure is the only source of hearts of the sea - the conduit ingredient. Every serious ocean playthrough starts with a wreck.