Boat Moves Without an Engine Or Sails

As a child I used to do this very thing. Take a popsicle stick, put a little notch in one end and squish a little piece of soap there - and off you go.

You can also make a boat move without an engine or sails by using those strange wooden things called "oars".

I have a boat like this. When there's no wind and the motor isn't set on the transom bracket I use some neat long sticks with flat wide ends to move it. I think they're called oars.......

This one reminds me of the kid's experiment where you cut a little boat shape out of paper and put a tiny drop of soap at the stern. Then set it on the surface of some still water and watch it scoot forward.

I'd like to see the energy calculations. I suspect I'll be sticking with my funny shaped sticks.

Ed Weldon