Adventures with miniature boats
Published: Sun, 02/27/22
When I was a kid, it was either drawing boats or making miniature ones (or building model ones). I couldn’t get enough of any of the three. In fact I put them all together and created a “pirate game”. I drew the map and game board, and built the ships that were in the game. Then I wrote each of the adventures on the cards. We had a lot of fun and would play for hours!
Later, when I grew up, I built a miniature sailboat from a wooden frame that I created with wooden beams that I bent and shaped. I created it to be watertight and eventually sailed it across lakes and even into the ocean! It survived huge beach waves and getting flipped upside down by huge “monster” waves along the shore. It was built to be able to flip right side up - just like a real sailboat and it did! I was so proud.
I'm even creating a video adventure with miniature sailboats sailing with the wind. You can see it in a few days from now. I mean, there's excitement when a miniature boat gets a breeze across its beam, catches speed and begins to take off!
It took me over a year to build that boat in my spare time and I sure learned a lot about real boats in the process. I literally had no idea that you could take new wood and soak it in really hot water for half an hour and that it would then be pliable to bend along a frame. Later when the wood dried, it would hold its shape!
The other thing I learned was how amazing math was. I have always been bad in math and hated it since I was a kid (I had an abusive teacher when I was in elementary school who caused me to fear and hate it). What I wish I had known as a kid is that boats are built completely on math and I think it would be the most excellent way of teaching math to a child (or anyone for that matter). I mean, for instance, the width and length of the boat will give it stability and along with the weight of the ballast, will help it maintain its balance. The mast will stand if it’s the right size with correct proportions and will hold the sails full of wind - only if there is enough width and weight in the boats makeup. Symmetry is especially important too and math is everywhere: for example: how tall the mast is, compared to how long the boat length is and how much ballast in the hold. And there are a million other numbers you have to consider to make a beautifully working boat!
You can see some beautiful examples of miniature boats in my new video coming out soon. I personally love these miniature tall ships and how much detail is given to them - almost like the real thing!
In fact I spent a couple years volunteering on a couple real tall ships in San Pedro California to help inner city kids. We would take groups of kids sailing and teach them life skills at the same time. We would sail them out to Catalina Island and other places. It was actually very effective (which is kind of hard to explain unless you actually try it yourself). The thing is that being on a boat for a weekend, actually creates a natural environment to work together as a team and it can be life changing on occasions for kids and adults.
So, anyway, I learned a lot about real ships by being part of the crew for two years on a "Tall Ship" with masts and sails like the old Clipper ships and this helped me understand ships much better. It also helped me realize the difference between what a good miniature ship was and a bad one. I could tell almost instantly if the miniature ship was built according to real proportions of a real ship and if the lines and spars were correct.
Finally, if you want to give your child a little adventure, you can create a real live working miniature boat just with a soda bottle, some rocks, a stick from a tree, a knife or scissors, a piece of paper and a rubber band. I learned this on my own from a lot of trial and error and hope you enjoy it like I did!
Here’s how you do it:
First off, you cut a little hole into a soda bottle at the back of it (which will now be the top deck of your boat).
Make sure the cap is closed on your soda bottle. You can use any size soda bottle you want, you just will need a bigger stick and rocks based on what size it is.
Then cut a tiny little hole in the center of the bottle (still on the “top deck”). Place a few rocks into the first hole you cut out.
Then place the stick through the center hole and take a few rocks and “rubber band” them to the bottom of the stick.
You want just enough rocks to ballast the boat - not to sink it.
Now take the white paper and cut it in half. Put two small holes with the scissors unto the paper (one at the top and one at the bottom).
Then place the stick end or “mast” top through the two holes and you have yourself a sail!
Just make sure the rocks are below the mast and are “balanced” near the mast. You don’t want the rocks to imbalance the boat.
If the rocks are placed improperly, the boat will “list” on its side instead of float upright with the mast pointing directly up towards the sky.
First off, you cut a little hole into a soda bottle at the back of it (which will now be the top deck of your boat).
Make sure the cap is closed on your soda bottle. You can use any size soda bottle you want, you just will need a bigger stick and rocks based on what size it is.
Then cut a tiny little hole in the center of the bottle (still on the “top deck”). Place a few rocks into the first hole you cut out.
Then place the stick through the center hole and take a few rocks and “rubber band” them to the bottom of the stick.
You want just enough rocks to ballast the boat - not to sink it.
Now take the white paper and cut it in half. Put two small holes with the scissors unto the paper (one at the top and one at the bottom).
Then place the stick end or “mast” top through the two holes and you have yourself a sail!
Just make sure the rocks are below the mast and are “balanced” near the mast. You don’t want the rocks to imbalance the boat.
If the rocks are placed improperly, the boat will “list” on its side instead of float upright with the mast pointing directly up towards the sky.
Now launch the boat into a body of water, such as a lake. If you want to get it back, then simply tie fishing line to the back of it and pull it back gently towards you when you want it back.
If there is any wind the boat will move through the water. If there is too much wind, the boat will list and then possibly sink. You just want enough wind to push the boat gently through the water!
I hope you have enjoyed hearing the various “adventures” you can have with miniature ships and boats. Along with this you can also have adventures sharing what you love and earning online too. I’ve shown you an example of how I’ve shared my love of miniature boats with you and now I’m going to share a link with you to join us online and learn the skills you need to bring yourself prospects and paying members under you:
Go here to see the Free "Share What You Love" Report.
If you have any questions, all you have to do is simply reply back with the simple subject: “please share more details” and I will.
Talk to you soon!
~Albie
1-877-521-5505
cell: 626-379-5692
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