ConstructaBoat harbors the goal of deepening students' knowledge of basic principles of mass, buoyancy, friction, and acceleration. By working with a simple model powered by a batterydriven fan, students get a feel for the forces involved in moving a boat through water. In order to improve performance, students use their understanding of physics to analyze parameters and design a faster boat. This immersion in learningbydoing translates abstract concepts into tangible objectives and teaches students seaworthy lessons in modeling and design.