DIY Wooden Boats

Cut the body of the boat from a piece of wood with a 3/4-inch thickness. Pine works well, but any wood scraps will do. Construct the body 3.5 inches wide by 8 inches long.

Round off the front end of the boat by sawing to a point. Leaving a 1/2-inch strip of wood on each side cut a 2-inch deep notch out of the back end of the body of the flat boat. This notch is where the paddle-wheel will be located.

Create the paddle wheel. Make this by cutting two pieces of wood. Use a thin wood, such as plywood. The dimensions of the paddle-wheel pieces need to be at least one-quarter inch narrower all the way around than the notch opening since these will need to fit inside the notch opening on the back of the boat. The paddle-wheel will need enough space to be able to spin around.

Cut a notch in each of the two thin pieces of paddle-wheel. The notch should be placed at the halfway point, lengthwise, of each piece and the cut for the notch should be made into the wood piece about half way across. The opening for the notch should be as wide as the width of the paddle-wheel wood. Put wood glue on in the notches of the two paddle-wheel pieces and slide the pieces together interlocking the notches. You have created the paddle-wheel for your wood boat. Let the glue dry completely.

Paint your boat and paddle-wheel. Adorn it with racing stripes. Use colors that glow in the dark. Your choices are endless. Allow the paint to dry completely. Apply a polyurethane sealant to protect the wood and paint.

Stretch a rubber band over the paddle-wheel and both back-end sides of the boat. Wind the paddle-wheel until tight. Place the boat in the water, let go of the paddle-wheel and watch the boat glide across the water. Small adjustments in the rubber band can be made to get the boat to go straight or in a circle.