Project rRaft - Building a Raft out of Water Bottles

Step 12 Maiden Voyage

Unfortunately, this project came during the coldest time of the year; but just for you guys, I braved the cold waters and took my raft to a nearby lake. Here are the results.

I brought with an electric screw driver with me, and using it, I was able to assemble the entire raft in about five minutes at the lake very easily. I took trips both with someone else, and by myself. I weigh around 170 pounds, and so did one of my passengers. We rode pretty close to the water, but it was definitely still stable and buoyant. As you can see below, it's stable enough for both of us to stand up at the same time. With a (much smaller) girl, we were a few inches above the water, and by myself, it was perfect.

I haven't gotten a chance to use my home made paddles outside of the pool, as they hadn't been sealed by the time we went on the lake.

The rope-loop-step and plastic bumper worked amazingly for getting back onto the raft, and not a moment too quickly - the water was freezing! My lightweight passenger did get slightly wet when I was getting back on, however.

Overall, rRaft was a huge success, and a project that i'll continue to use when the summer comes around. I encourage anyone interested to embark upon a journey such as mine. Enjoy!

The video isn't great, but you can still see that it works.

Comments

[Blacklight]

This is wicked, you could even add pedals and maybe a sail to make it easier to use too!

[jeff-o]

It doesn't look too cold where you are... Shorts and a T-shirt! *envy*

[Weissensteinburg]

No, the air temp wasn't too bad (florida) but the water is ridiculous!

[Weissensteinburg]

For the record, it was 22 degrees a couple nights before.

[temp]

was that the water temp?

[Weissensteinburg]

No, I didn't take the temperature of the water.

[Tommyhzy]

Over here in Canada, it's -43... AIR TEMPERATURE. The water's frozen by the way... AND NOT ALL OF CANADA IS LIKE THIS(for thick-headed people) I LIVE UP NORTH>>>

[ryguy9]

in the summer it gets to +40C in the Okanagan some days!

[instructables4ever]

Dude. You are so right about this, not all of Canada is cold, i go up their for the summer and sometimes the winter and its not always effing freezing like people think. They're always like Canada!! In the summer, you must freeze when in reality its nicer, because isn't 75 nicer then 90, I think so! CANADIANS UNITE! yay.. BTW really cool instructable, I'm going to try this with 3 Liter pop bottles. :)

[Tommyhzy]

Wow, look at all this great feedback and rantings about common stereotypes of Canadian people! I NEVER EXPECTED THIS MUCH... >.>

[jongscx]

but all of canada is up north... I don't undertand. :-p

[dreamwords]

I know what you mean...we get that here in the Deep South (US), too, only the opposite. We are NOT all barely surviving in intense heat and humidity with mosquitoes swarming us. Great tut, by the way. We live on a river and have resourceful kiddos who definitely need to try making a copycat of your raft.

[ChrysN]

Vancouver is 6C.

[spiffytessa]

Brr.... Here in southern Alberta it is only about -10.

[FunkNattidelic]

I live in southern ontario and its the same. canada is cold, but its not as cold as everyone makes it out to be. like those people that think we have dog sleds and igloos. i have actually run into an american who thought that when i went to buffalo. like, some on. BUFFALO. that is pretty brutal.

[jeff-o]

Heh, I must admit, I have perpetuated these lies to Americans I've met, just to see if they'd believe me. Sadly, sometimes it works. I don't remember if they were from Buffalo...

[mman1506]

yay my cousin once lived up north and somone asked did you ever see a pequin and live in a iglloo

[noelle_tan]

I wonder if it's too late to inform them that penguins inhabit Antarctica...in the South...which is far from the North...which is where Canada is... When I went camping in Kansas, I ran into a family of nine kids, who were bewildered that we didn't have igloos. They also thought that (since I was Chinese) I only ate fried rice...everyday. NB: Has anyone realized that nearly all the Chinese Restaurants in the United States of America have a name consisting of either the words Panda, Dragon, or Great Wall? In Wyoming and California I came across restauraunts of the same name with no connections (excluding Panda Express and Panda Inn which are owned by the same company)

[Speedmite]

I really enjoyed reading this cause some of my freinds tried to make a raft out of logs at camp. It was more of a gigantic kickboard for one than anything really but it was fun.

[lambman64]

great job man ! there must be some way to cover the neting, because you could get snaged on somthing

[Mig Welder]

ya that was mean about cubans Im cuban but i have an actual life believe it or not.

[Weissensteinburg]

He didn't mean it as a slur against any particular nationality...it was just an observation that we looked similar to the stereotype of home built rafts washing ashore with immigrants.

[songkipark]

kOrea is 42. HAHA! unlucky americans!