1. Science on the High Seas
Name _______________________________________ Date ___________________ Period ___________
Science on the High Seas
Ahoy and avast, me maties! Your task for today is to design a boat. Now, to make a proper seafarin’ vessel, you have to know a few things. That’s why you’re going to do a bit o’ research to find out the various advantages or disadvantages of different hull shapes. You may work in groups, but you must ALL BUILD YOUR OWN BOAT! Each boat that you build must be able to hold at least 100g, but you can choose where to put the weight. The boats will be tested in our very own moat, which is 15 cm wide, and about 7 cm deep, so you boat should fit in those dimensions. Other than that, you are free to use whatever materials or designs that you’d like. Good luck, and happy sailing!
TERMS TO KNOW:
Hull: The “shell” of the boat; the part that is in the water
Chine: The corners of the hull on a flat-bottomed boat
Planing hull: A hull designed to lift the boat slightly out of the water
Displacement hull: A hull designed to push through the water
Strakes: Horizontal strips on the underside of the hull to provide stability
Pad: A flat area at the bottom of the hull to allow for some slight planing on a displacement hull.
FLAT-BOTTOM BOAT:
Pros:
Cons:
VEE-BOTOM BOAT:
ROUND-BOTTOM BOAT:

2. CATAMARAN:
Pros:
Cons:
TRIMARAN:
PONTOON BOAT:
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