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The very first boats were probably made from logs, and tied together with strands of rope made from plants. Some of the logs may have been hollowed out a bit, to make them more seaworthy. |
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Dugout canoes were hollowed out from logs, often using very primitive axes, made only from sharpened stone. It would have taken a long time to make a canoe like this! |
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Later on, canoes were made from bark sewn on to thin branches bent into a half circle. (This is a modern bark canoe, and you can see the wood has been cut with a saw). |
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In some places, hollow reeds were dried out, and then tied together in bundles to make a very light boat that could be carried easily. |
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The earliest boats were rowed or paddled, but then people learned to use sails, to let the wind move you along. Over thousands of years, many different forms of sails were developed. It meant that it wasn't always possible to go in the direction you wanted, though. You can't sail a boat straight into the wind! |
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The sails used were different in different parts of the world. This is a Chinese junk, and it has quite different looking sails. But it still works in the same way. |
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When the steam engine was invented, it was used to make ships go. This is a paddle steamer, where the steam made the paddles go round, and move the boat forward. A paddle-steamer was only good in smooth water, in rivers. |
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Modern boats use an engine which runs on either petrol or diesol. They start with a key or with a switch, and are very easy to run. |
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But people still use canoes, and sailing boats, for recreation. They just have lots of fun using these boats! |
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