 they realized they needed to hollow them out. This makes them less dense and allows the water to exert enough force to keep it afloat.
Ponder This: which boat do you think will move faster, a flat-bottom or a v-shaped bottom?
Types of Boats
Since humans learned how to navigate through the water, they began to build many types of boats. Read on to see how many different boats we use today.
- Row boats
- Sail boats
- Cargo ships
- Cruise ships
- Motor boats
Ponder This: a megayacht is a type of luxury boat owned by a person or even a company. These boats can reach tremendous lengths. How long do you think the biggest megayacht is?
What NOT to Do On a Boat
Since people don’t float all that well, there are some things you should never do on a boat. Check out our safety rules for fun boating.
- Lean over the side as far as you can. This includes having someone hold onto your ankles so you can touch the water.
- Use your Nana’s underwear as a sail. She won’t be happy.
- Spit into the wind as you are zooming along.
- Yell, “man overboard” while flailing your arms with a shocked look on your face.
- Don’t yell “shark” either.
- Do cartwheels
- Rock back and forth as hard as you can, no matter how much your sister screams. It’s not a carnival ride.
Ponder This: what is the one thing you should ALWAYS do in a boat?
More Freaky Factoids
We haven’t floated over all the fun just yet. Here are the answers to your ponder this questions and more freaky facts. Check it out.
Did you know…
- the Egyptians used short planks in the construction of their early boats? These were hooked together then tied tightly with ropes.
- a v-shaped bottom boat will move faster than a flat-bottomed? This is because a flat surface has more contact with the water. This creates more drag on the boat, which makes it slow and harder to move.
- megayachts can reach lengths of 150 meters long (492 feet)?
- you should always wear a lifejacket in a boat? Even if you are a great swimmer, these specially designed vests will keep you afloat.
- the tall pole on a sailboat is called, the mast?
- the body of a boat is the hull?
- the back part of a boat is called, the stern?
- the front of the boat is a bow?
- the right, forward-facing side of a boat is called, starboard?
- the left side of a boat is the port?
- the person in charge of the boat is called, Captain?
Now that you have learned all these fascinating facts, you can float over to your friends and family to share your new-found knowledge. Who knows? You might just become known as “the captain of the best boat facts ever.”