You can make a Boat in Minecraft with only wooden components. This means that you can make one and begin sailing very shortly after starting a new world. With this simple crafting recipe, you can make it happen.
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What You Need to Craft a Boat
You can craft a Boat by combining a Wood Shovel and 5 Wood Planks on a Crafting Table. The crafting recipe will involve you placing the Wood Shovel in the top-middle slot and then surrounding it on all sides with Wood Planks. When done correctly, the bottom row will be empty.
While the type of Wood Planks used doesn’t matter, all of the ones used to craft a Boat must be of the same type. For example, you can use 5 Oak Wood Planks to make a Boat. Alternatively, you can use 5 Dark Oak Wood Planks. However, 4 Oak Wood Planks and 1 Dark Oak Wood Plank won’t work together.
How to Craft a Wood Shovel
A Crafting Table is also needed to make a Wood Shovel, however, the recipe is even simpler than the one for a Boat. On a Crafting Table, place a Wood Plank in the top-middle slot. In the remaining middle slots, put 2 Sticks, and then you’ll have your Wood Shovel.
How to Get Wood Planks
Wood Planks are made from Wood Logs. Simply place a stack of Wood Logs into any kind of crafting grid to get Wood Planks of the same type. For every 1 Wood Log converted this way, you will get 4 Wood Planks.
How to Use a Boat
To use a Boat for traditional purposes, you’ll need to place it into water. It’s possible to place a Boat on land, but it can’t move very well. While the Boat is in your hand, walk to any lake or river and then use the Boat to place it where you want. Getting into a Boat is pretty easy–just interact with it when the Boat has been placed to board it.
You can get out of a Boat in multiple ways. The first way to exit a Boat is to jump, however, you can also sneak (crouch) to get out of one. You’ll always get out in the direction that you are facing.
How to Sail a Boat
You’ll always move in the direction that you’re facing when you’re sailing around in your Boat. However, the turning ability of a Boat isn’t very good, which means you’ll have to make wide movements to turn around. Unfortunately, you can’t reverse in a Boat or move sideways–only forwards. Trying to sprint while in a Boat will increase your field of vision, but won’t make the Boat go faster.
About Breaking and Destroying Boats
If you ever want to move your Boat or pick it back up, you can do so without destroying it. When you break a Boat with either your hand or a tool, it will drop itself. However, you can still destroy it by normal means if you want to (fire, cactus, etc.). If you collide with something while sailing your Boat, it won’t get broken or destroyed.
The exception to this is if you drop a Boat from a high place. While Boats negate fall damage for their passengers, they can fail. From very specific heights, Boats will break into Wood Planks and Sticks if they hit the ground. Here are the elevations at which Boats will shatter into Wood Planks and Sticks:
- 12
- 13
- 49
- 51
- 111
- 114
- 198
- 202
- 310
- 315
How to Transport Passengers by Using a Boat
A Boat can have up to 2 passengers at any given time. This means that you can transport someone or something over the water easily. Any kind of regular-sized mob can enter a Boat. Villagers, Spiders, Cats, and more can all be transported via Boat.
However, keep in mind that mobs can’t get out of a Boat by themselves. The easiest way to get them out is to break the Boat, though you can pull them out with a Fishing Rod or a Lead as well. Although hostile mobs can be transported in a Boat, they’ll still attack you if you get into one with them.
Advanced Tips for Using a Boat
Thankfully, Boats are pretty easy to use for getting around and ferrying creatures. However, there’s a lot more to them than meets the eye. Since Boats have unique physical properties, they act differently than other items.
About Boat HP
Boats have a total health of 4, which would be represented in-game by 2 full Hearts. If damaged, they’ll also naturally recover HP over time if left alone.
About Boat Speed
A Boat’s speed is decided by how fast you move while sailing in one. You can choose to speed up or slow down to certain degrees. However, Boats have different maximum speeds on different surfaces.
On land, you can move a Boat around, but it’s much slower than walking. In water, you can get up to decent speeds, reaching twice that of your normal walking speed, and Boats are even faster on ice. Using a Boat on regular ice blocks will allow you to move at over 10 times your walking speed! Even more impressively, using a Boat on blue ice blocks will let you reach speeds of over 15 times your walking speed.
Pros of Traveling by Boat
When you are sailing in a Boat, your hunger bar won’t go down. This means that you will need less food when traveling. This, combined with a Boat’s speed, makes it a far better way to travel than walking.
Playing With Dolphins in a Boat
When you’re sailing through waters with Dolphins, they’ll seek you out for some fun. Dolphins will chase your Boat as you move and will bump it gently. They won’t break your Boat, so relax and enjoy the experience.
Using Boats as Non-lethal Traps
Since monsters can enter Boats, but not exit them, this item can be used to trap things without hurting or killing them. As such, Boats can be very versatile tools to hunt certain mobs or protect yourself in a passive way.
