Conclusion
When you hit your ship cap you have two options: make room or buy more room. More room means the paid Port Expansion (母港拡張, Bokō Kakuchō): +10 ship slots and +40 equipment slots per purchase.
For making room, the way I read it is: feed spare duplicates into Modernization (近代化改修) instead of scrapping them, and lock every ship you want to keep first so you can't throw it away by mistake.
Lock Your Ships First
KanColle saves every action instantly, so there's no undo for a scrapped ship. The lock (ロック, rokku) feature exists for exactly this:
- A locked ship can't be used as Modernization material — it doesn't even appear in the list.
- A locked ship can't be scrapped (解体, Kaitai) — it shows up, but the confirm button is disabled.
- Nothing else changes: locked ships sortie, get modernized and level up as normal.
- To lock one, open Organize (編成), press Change (変更) on any slot to open the ship list, and tap the lock icon on the ship.
What to Keep and What to Let Go
| Usually keep | Usually let go |
|---|---|
| The first copy of every ship, especially ones with remodels (改, 改二) | Extra copies of common ships you already have leveled |
| Ships named in quests you haven't finished (e.g. the Sendai and Kongou classes for the fleet unlock quests) | Low-level duplicates with no quest use |
| A spare duplicate or two of useful ships during an event — an untagged copy can sortie where the tagged one can't | Duplicates once the event is over |
| Cheap destroyers and light cruisers that run your expeditions |
This is a rule of thumb, not a rule — but every point above follows from how quests, tags and expeditions work.
Modernize Instead of Scrapping
Scrapping (解体) a ship returns a few resources. Feeding it into Modernization (近代化改修, Kindaika Kaishū) from the Refit (改装) menu frees the same slot and raises stats such as firepower, torpedo, anti-air or armor on the ship you keep. If you're going to remove a ship anyway, modernization is usually the better use of it.
FAQ
Is Port Expansion the only way to raise the cap?
It's the standard way, and it's a paid item (1,000 points in the item shop).
I scrapped a ship by accident. Can I get it back?
No — actions are saved immediately and there's no undo. You'd have to find or build another copy. That's why locking comes first.
Should I scrap duplicates during an event?
Usually no. With event tags, an untagged duplicate can sortie into a map the tagged one is locked out of. See Event Ship Locks.
Continue reading
More KanColle guides
KanColle guide home · 1-5 Guide: Fleet and Anti-Submarine Tips · 1-6 Guide: Route and Fleet · 2-4 Guide: Okinoshima Sea Area · 2-5 Guide: North and South Routes · Construction: Build Time Lookup & Recipes · Daily Quests: Full List and Routine · EXP Calculator · Equipment Development Recipes · Equipment Improvement (Akashi's Arsenal) · Event Difficulty Explained · Event Ship Locks (Tags) Explained · Exercises (PvP) Explained · Expedition Efficiency Calculator · Expedition Requirements: Every Expedition · Fatigue and Sparkling Explained · Fleet Builder · Fleet Speed: Slow, Fast, Fast+ and Fastest · Heavy Damage: When to Retreat · How to Get Akashi · How to Get Destroyer Escorts · How to Remodel (Kai, Kai Ni) · How to Unlock the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Fleet · Land-Based Air Squadrons for Beginners · Marriage (Kekkon Kakko Kari) Explained · Playing KanColle Without Japanese · Quest Not Completing? Common Reasons · Routing Explained: How the Compass Decides · Running Out of Resources? How to Recover · UI Translation: Every Menu Button Explained · Which Ships to Remodel First · Your First Event: How to Prepare · Your First Week as a New Admiral