Rubber-Band Powered Wind-Up Pirate Ship

This instructable will show you how to make a very simple wind-up boat. If you wish to make any modifications to the design feel free to do so, and please share your attempts with me using the "I made it button"

For this project you will need:

• 2 plastic bottles
• 2-3 barbecue skewers
• a rubber band
• blu-tack/plasticine
• scissors and pens
• (optional) objects to add weight to the boat (e.g. pebbles)
• (optional) coloured card/paper

Take one of the bottles, and cut off part of one of the sides, as in the photos. the larger piece will form the hull of the boat.

To make the propeller, cut of the top of the other bottle, and make 3-5 slits down the side to create the blades.

Bend the blades out and slightly diagonally, as shown in the photos. After you've finished the project, try experimenting to see if changing the number of blades on the propeller will change how the boat sails.

Push a skewer through the cap of the propeller, and then through the rear and nose of the boat. To keep the boat water tight, put some plasticine/blu-tac around the holes. Make sure the propeller can spin freely.

Firstly, tie the rubber band onto the centre of the barbecue skewer. Then, take half a skewer and poke it through the centre of the hull and tie both sides of the rubber band onto either end.

To make the sail, draw a symbol of your choice on a rectangle of sail. Then, attach a barbecue skewer to the boat using plasticine/blu-tac and poke the sail onto it.

To launch the boat, simply wind up the propeller, place it in the water, and let go. If the boat tips over, try placing something heavy in the bottom of the boat, such as pebbles or sand to keep the boat upright. After you get the boat sailing consistently, try altering the design slightly - for example, you could try adding more blades to the propeller, or using multiple rubber bands.