subject: How To Build A Raft [print this page] Some days, going fishing in a regular boat just won't do it; it's on days like those that make you glad you know how to build a raft. It's also something to do if you're camping near water and feel like showing off to all of your friends and family.
A raft is usually built from nothing but materials you find in the environment but you can add things that do not come from the environment without worrying. A good length of rope is also needed. If you don't have rope, scout around for similar material. Vines or coarse seaweed can work in a pinch, but be sure to wear a life jacket if you have it because you don't know how strong your ad hoc construction materials are or how long they can last but you should do some basic tests before taking it out on the water!
Before you build your sailing vessel, you should collect all your materials as close to the water as you can manage. You will need to gather logs that are at least 12 feet in length. Your friends will come in handy at this point as you will to assemble 6 to 12 of these logs. These logs will form the base of your sailing vessel.
You will also have to find 2 logs approximately 8 feet long to form a brace for the giant logs you collected earlier. Logs that are uniform in shape are the best for this sort of construction, but you can always trim larger ones down to size with your axe if you have to. You do have an axe, don't you?
Now comes to easy part, relatively speaking. Assemble the longer logs together in the shape of a raft. Next, cut notches about 2 inches deep at either end of each log, approximately a foot away from the end of the log where you are cutting. Slot the 2 shorter logs into the notches and tie them in place with your rope, seaweed or vines that you found to form the undercarriage, so to speak. You can line the top of your craft with brush if you want a drier seat, and you're all set to set sail!
In the interest of safety, it is always advisable for you to test your new watercraft in a pool or somewhere similarly safe before bringing it out to open water.
