Robinson Crusoe gets provisions such as guns and gunpowder by retrieving them from the ship. When the storm ebbs, Crusoe swims out to the ship. He is the only survivor of the terrible storm.

As for the ship, it is run aground on a bank of hard sand. The stern lies high up on the bank, while the front of the ship is almost dipped in water. Crusoe finds that the hold is filled with water. However, he discovers that the quarters are dry: this is where the provisions are kept. Thankful for this fact, Crusoe gets together as many food provisions as he can to take back with him. He eats some biscuits and drinks some rum while he works.

The next thing Crusoe does is fashion a raft to help him transport provisions back to the island. He strips the ship of some of its masts and planks of wood. Then, he uses a carpenter's saw to put together a working raft. When he is done, Crusoe packs the raft with a shipment of bread, rice, cheeses, dried goat’s meat, and some European corn. He also packs some clothes and a carpenter's chest, which he thinks will be valuable to him.

After securing his food on the raft, Crusoe goes in search of weapons and gunpowder. He finds two shotguns and two pistols and puts that aside to take with him. Then, he gets together a bag of shot, some powder-horns, and two old swords. After searching, he finds two barrels of gunpowder he can use. Crusoe packs the barrels on the raft and gets together a few more tools. After surveying his work, he is satisfied with what he has managed to salvage from the ship, and he begins to make his way back to the island.