Because Stephen Crane writes "The Open Boat" from a third-person omniscient point of view, he occasionally offers a narrative perspective that is outside the point of view of the story's characters. These instances function as dramatic irony because the author is letting the reader in on information that the characters don't have. Interestingly, Crane uses only a few of these narrator's intrusions. Most of the story provides the thoughts and dialogue of the characters.

One example of dramatic irony occurs at the end of section II. Crane lets readers know that the boat is making progress. Previously in the story, the passengers of the boat had been able to gauge their progress by their position compared to a clump of brown seaweed. Crane writes, "The little boat . . . made progress that in the absence of sea-weed was not apparent to those in her."

In section III, the passengers discuss whether there is a life-saving station in the vicinity or whether it has been abandoned. In section IV, Crane answers that question for the reader, but the characters have no way of knowing the truth. When they come within sight of a house on shore, Crane clarifies that no life-saving station is within twenty miles of them. However, the characters hurl epithets at the men they suppose are in charge of the station. Since readers know the station is vacant, the passengers' reaction displays dramatic irony.

Section VI contains another example of dramatic irony. The oiler and the correspondent curl up in the bottom of the boat and fall into an exhausted sleep. Crane describes details that they are unaware of, such as the shark that swims next to the boat and the wind and spray that splashes them.

Toward the end of the story, another example of dramatic irony occurs when the correspondent imagines how comfortable it would be to just give in to drowning. Readers know that this is a delusional line of thought because the correspondent does not really want to die.

Crane's occasional intrusion into the story from the perspective of the all-knowing narrator adds greater interest to the story as readers receive extra information that the characters don't have.