What You'll Need
- 5–8 straight sticks of similar length
- Natural twine, long grass blades, or strips of bark for lashing
- One broad flat leaf (magnolia, banana, or elephant ear work great in Louisiana)
- A small straight stick for the mast
- A puddle, bucket, or kiddie pool for testing
How To Do It
- Gather Materials — collect sticks, choose your largest flat leaf for the sail, and find your lashing material.
- Build Your Hull — lay sticks parallel and lash them together tightly at both ends. Tie as tight as possible — gaps let water in. Cross two extra sticks underneath for stability like a catamaran.
- Add the Sail — lash your mast stick upright in the center. Pierce the leaf near the top and bottom and thread the mast through it.
- Test and Iterate — float it in the puddle. Blow on the sail. How many pennies can it hold before sinking? Redesign and improve.
The Science
You're exploring buoyancy (why things float), wind resistance, and structural engineering — the same forces that shaped every boat ever built.
Grandma Says
When your first design sinks, that's not failure — that's data. Every shipbuilder in history sank test models. The question is what you change next.