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My younger brother, in 2nd grade, is doing a "Sink or Float" activity/ competition where he must build a 6" x 6" boat ( basically, a structure that can float; doesn’t need to be shaped or look like one) and small tiles will be placed on it, with the boat that can hold the most being the winner. Does anyone know what kind of structure and materials would be the best to support the most ammount of weight? Some restrictions are that you can’t use pre-made materials (like a milk jug, or tupperware) and it HAS to be the 6" x 6" dimension, or it won’t fit in the bucket. We constructed a small raft with straws wrapped in tin foil that worked fairly well, and tried to use toilet paper roll tubes to make a "pontoon style" floatation device, but they got soggy. Any ideas are welcome. Thanks.

Try putting your "pontoons" in ziplock bags so they stay dry.

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from your own experience.

I’ve used AutoCAD as a professional but found 3D Boat Design easiest to use. You can create all kinds of floating objects from just a single surface.

If you design boats, this is a great software for whipping out quick prototypes.

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The boat I am repairing is a speed boat. It has no seats, no gauges, no steering wheel, ect any body in sydney that can help me with repairing the stringers and new floor how much it will cost and very little fiberglass repair this was my grandads he has now past on my uncle wanted to throw it so i have nbow got it please all the help i can get i apreciate it.

Please re-think this project! You’re MUCH better off letting this boat go, it sounds way to shot to rebuild. I know it has sentimental value being your grandfathers, but the time and money put into it will be better off spent on a used boat that you can buy that already works. Does it even have an engine? Does the engine work? I would try to sell this boat for parts to get anything you can out of it. Then put the money toward a new (used) boat.

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I bought a new bow rider back in the spring, it has a 3.0 Mercruiser. I live in a warm weather climate, and plan to use the boat in the winter as well. We get a couple nights a year close to freezing is all. I keep the boat in my attached garage, and the coldest I’ve ever seen it in there is about 50 degrees F, and that is rare.

If the temp does drop down below freezing get a heater in the engine room to keep the engine from cracking.

Might want to think about a couple other things:
Oil change at some point
Changing the lube in the lower unit.
Running some SeaFoam thru to keep fuel system clean.

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Or should i learn to swim?

global warming will result in the end of the earth. so instead of building a boat or learning to swim we should find measures to reduce pollution and other gases which are responsible for this.

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In Concept Physics we are building boats out of aluminum that have to be able to float and not fall over and can hold a large amount of weight. We have a square size piece (half a meter) of aluminum that we must build a boat out of. We may not use any other material. Keep in mind water displacement.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!!!=)

Pound it into a bowl shape with a bowling ball or a shot put. Make sure that the amount of water that it would take to fill it up weighs more than it does. Then it will float on water when it’s empty.

Weight of water displaced = Weight of aluminum boat

Water is 1,000 kg/m^3 or 1g/cm^3

Hope that helped.

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and reinforced with fibreglass. Tell me how can i start with this design and how will it be possible for the concrete boat to float if the density of water is less than of conrete?

jakubu: I’m a civil engineer. The American Society of Civil Engineers sponsors an annual concrete canoe competition. See the link below of last year’s rules and regulations, which may help you with your project.

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We can use hot glue to hold it together.

The best material would be aluminium

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Here is a plan for a "one sheet boat" called the Prism. I was wondering if it would be feasible for me to use two 8×4′ sheets instead of one and to make it longer and narrower like a rowing shell. I admit I have zero boat building experience, so please don’t be a jerk about it if it’s something completely out of the question. I am simply curious. Thanks in advance.

Here’s the link: http://koti.kapsi.fi/hvartial/oss/oss.htm

I go along with Seattlesailor’s answer… and here is the reason;
boats are designed for specific purposes… when you double the length, then you are messing with the entire "strength and structural seaworthiness" of the vessel. Think about it… a 2×4 skeg may work fine for a vessel supporting 8′ or less length… double that, and now the weight, support, bending, and stress on both ends is not twice as much, it is more like 6 times as much. If you try to strengthen the joint or the entire skeg and even battens, with bigger, thicker, stronger timber – you have also messed with the vessels weight and possibly balance…

I STRONGLY suggest that if you want a Prism – build a Prism… if on the other hand you want a 17′ rowing shell… get plans for, and build the rowing shell…

I have been building all my own boats for 40 years… It is easy to do even for the novice, even if you have never done it before… but, if there is ONE THING I have learned from all my experience building boats it is this… FOR SURE… there is a very good reason for each and every one of the boat designer’s building instructions. Follow them to the letter… and do it right the first time – and I guarantee you – you will be very proud of the finished product.

John
PS. An excellent 17′ rowing shell plan is at the link below… You can get plans, bill of material, even hardware with sliding seat and oars – and build it all for under $1,000 And if you have any questions with building it along the way… these people will answer your calls, answer your emails, and give you all the help you need to end up with a boat you will be proud of…

One more thing… DON’T GO WITH FREE PLANS!
If this is your first boat building attempt… you will need help, and have questions even on the simplest of plans and simplest of boats. Free plans are worth exactly what you pay for them – NOTHING!
(To prove my point, you haven’t even started yet, and you already have questions… )
The plans for the 17 rowing shell are $82.00 I guarentee you, that you will save that in materials alone… as with your plans you get a complete "Bill of Materials" that tell you exactly what you need. Furthermore, you get support for as long as you need it, to complete your boat building project…
Especially with a "rowing shell" you want a vessel that will be absolutely true, straight, and perfectly balanced… These people don’t just send you a set of drawings, they have built the boat… and they will help you build yours. I guarantee it.
Just cruise through their entire website – it is great, you will learn alot, even if you don’t buy anything from them.

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i came across this book a while back, it was a friends but i forgot the title. The entire book was an instruction manual for anything. Meditaion, vitamins, unfamiliar plants, pressure points, and pretty much everything else. I’m fairly certain it was enititled "The Book of…" and i think the next word started with a z, but please don’t hold me to that as it’s based off of a 5 year recollection.

Is it by Chuck Norris?

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