Trying to escape the hold in Return to Monkey Island? Part two of Return to Monkey Island starts with Guybrush Threepwood disguised as a Swabbie and trapped in the hold of his nemesis LeChuck’s ship.
After a bristly confrontation with First Swab Gullet in this adventure game, the player is tasked with escaping the hold so that Guybrush can rise above his Swabbie station and continue the search for The Secret of Monkey Island. We’re going to show you how to escape the hold so you can continue the second half of Return to Monkey Island.
How to get out of the hold
First off, you should pick up Gullet’s patronising pamphlet and crack open the x-marked crate in the middle of the hold. In here you’ll find Murray, the talking skull companion from 1997’s Curse of Monkey Island. Murray is very important to Guybrush’s quest in Return to Monkey Island, so have a chat and convince him of your usefulness before you continue.
Now grab the mop and get to work, Swabbie! One thing the hold has in abundance is Ghost Chickens, and the strange mess they produce is what you’re going to use to get out of this sticky situation. Pick up the mop and use it with the Chicken Grease on the floor to coat the mop in gunk. Then, turn your attention to the porthole at the back of the hold. Grease up each of its screws individually to make them loose, and then use the trusty knife in your inventory to remove them and create an opening.
Job done? Not quite. Guybrush can’t fit through the porthole in its current state, so, much like the screws, you’re going to have to lube it up with the greasy mop so he can squeeze out of it. One coat won’t do though, you have to continually coat the porthole with Chicken Grease until Guybrush can edge his pirate butt through the hole.
Once it’s sufficiently greasy, slip out of the hold and you’ll find yourself in a precarious position on the outer trim of LeChuck’s pirate ship. Heading to the left will let you dip in the sea water and test your breath, but you really want to veer all the way to the right and climb up and over the railing. With that, you’ll escape the hold for good, and enter the main puzzle of part two which involves flattening the skull of Murray, the skull friend Guybrush made during his time in the hold.
If you’re wondering whether you made the right decision at the start, check out our guide to casual or hard mode, or if you’ve stumbled upon this guide but you haven’t finished part one yet, our guide on how to get the mop in Return to Monkey Island will lend a helping hand.