Paddle Boat

thingiverse

It's a test of speed to see who can return their boat to its starting point the quickest. The speed boat is specially designed to return to its original launch site. As soon as you place the boat on the water, the speed lever begins to take in water. Once it reaches maximum capacity, the lever swings down and reverses the paddle direction. The challenge: Weigh the boat using pennies in the penny trays on the boat to add more weight to the boat. See how fast you can return the boat after it reaches a distance of 20 feet. The more weight on the boat will cause the speed lever to switch faster, reversing the engine sooner. However, be careful: the more weight means more water displacement, making the boat move slower. Find the perfect balance and beat your friends in this exciting science game. All parts fit together easily. It's simple to print and assemble with the PDF instructions. Watch the YouTube video: https://youtu.be/fxd72qmHTqM More videos are coming soon... I was visiting Portland and admiring the big freighters that passed by hourly, wondering about the bilge water being pumped out of the ships and where it must have come from. The stability of a ship lies in its buoyancy displacement. The more water it takes in, the more stable it is. My cousin and I used to sit along the pier and call out the countries of these grand freighters as they muscled along the shore. As they got closer to port, they began rising out of the water while pumping water out from their tanks. The science behind buoyancy fascinated me and inspired me to build this boat.