NORTHPORT — Students at Northport High School tested their engineering and teamwork skills this week during the school’s annual cardboard boat race on the bay.
The tradition challenges groups of students to design and build boats made entirely of cardboard and duct tape.
Each team receives one box and two rolls of tape but can bring in extra materials from home. The goal is simple: stay afloat and cross the finish line.
Northport teacher J. Evans said the project teaches more than just boat building.
“There’s a lot of learning about weight distribution and balance, being conservative with materials, and following a plan from start to finish,” he said. “It’s fun to see students learn in real time.”
Student Ada W. said teams spent about two weeks building their boats before race day.
“We’ve done it for a few years, so we know what works,” she said. “We make the front pointed and the back flat.”
Other students experimented with new techniques.
“We put one boat inside another and packed the sides with cardboard,” student Pierson said. “We even reinforced it with waxed cardboard. It helped.”
While some boats sank and others glided across the water, the laughter and lessons were what mattered most.
“My favorite part is watching my friends go in the boat,” Ada said. “A lot of times we sink or fall, and it’s funny.”
Evans said that sense of creativity and teamwork is what makes the project special each year.
“When a student thinks they’ve built something flawless and it still sinks, they learn together — and that’s the best part,” he said.