Chapter 4

A NEWSPAPER BOAT WHICH WILL SAIL ON REAL WATER

YOU can fold a thirteen-and-a-half-inch square of newspaper into a fine boat measuring thirteen inches from stem to stern. It will be a good, stanch craft like Fig. 25, to float and sail out in the open on pond, lake, or river, or at home in basin or bath tub.

Cut your square of paper even and straight. Place it out flat on top of a bare table and fold at the centre along the dotted line (Fig. 26), which will make Fig. 27. Bend each side of this down outwardly along its centre at the dotted line and bring the edges a quarter of an inch lower than the bottom fold A; then your paper will be four layers like Fig. 28. Turn up the lower edge B of Fig. 28, making Fig. 29. Fold back the three lower layers of the corners at the dotted lines (Fig. 29) and you will have Fig. 30. Bend back the upper corners at the dotted lines to make Fig. 31. Open Fig. 31 at the top and it will be your boat. Turn the boat upside down and slide one loose edge on the bottom under the other loose edge; then pinch each bottom point and bend it down toward the centre of the boat, creasing it flat (Fig. 32). Turn the boat right side up again, set it on the table, bend the two sides well up and crease them along the bottom until the boat resembles Fig. 33.

To render the craft water-proof melt a piece of wax candle, turn the boat upside down again and give the bottom a coat of the melted white wax, extending the coat half way or more up the sides. Use a teaspoon for pouring the wax over the boat; the hot wax soon hardens and in a few moments you may launch the little craft on the water.

If you want to make a

=Sailing Vessel=

of your boat, roll up a one-inch-wide strip of newspaper into an old-fashioned paper lighter, which is merely rolling the strip spirally into a round stick; this is the mast. Cut a paper sail, not too large, puncture holes in it and slide the sail on the mast; add a small paper pennant on the extreme top; then insert the base of the mast into a common wooden spool and glue the spool tight to the bottom of the boat at the centre of the bow.

With thread and needle take a stitch or two in the lower corner of the sail and attach it with a short length of the thread to the stern; fasten securely. Also fasten the pennant to the mast, so that it cannot turn, for in this vessel both sail and pennant must be stationary and not swing to either side. Be careful not to have the sail too heavy.