Let's Rent a Boat! Trivia Quiz

Answer: It is in a museum

Believed by many scholars to be the world's oldest boat, the Pesse canoe can be found in the Drents Museum in Assen, Netherlands. Discovered in 1955 and made from scotch pine, this dugout canoe was built sometime between 8040 BCE and 7510 BCE. It was found during the excavation of a peat bog for the construction of a major motorway. Markings inside the boat indicate that it was crafted using antler and flint tools.

Answer: Venice

I would need to travel to Venice, Italy. The gondola is a rowing boat with a flat bottom that can be propelled by oars or by poles. These beautiful boats have been the primary mode of transportation in Venice for centuries. Today they have become a tourist attraction and are often seen in competitive regattas.

The long slender build of these boats was necessary to maneuver the tight places found in many parts of the city.

Answer: Kayak

Modern kayaks are usually made of Polyethylene resins, but were originally made of sealskin stretched over a wooden frame. Made by the Inuit and other northern peoples, the kayak has been used for centuries for transportation and hunting. They look somewhat like a covered canoe with a hole for the boater to climb in and sit.

The kayak is a sturdy boat that is usually used in the ocean as opposed to river travel. They vary in length and width but can usually hold no more than two people. Today they are used for white water rafting and other recreational water activities.

The other three options are all Inuit Gods.

Answer: Dhow

There are many varieties of the ancient dhow. They all have one large sail and may have two or three. They usually weigh 300-500 tons and were used for carrying various types of merchandise up and the coasts of India, the Arabian Peninsula, and East Africa.

They are still in use today in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf regions and can be rented to transport just about anything. This ancient, wooden, sailing ship was usually held together by coconut rope but today these boats use nails and other more modern techniques. Overall, the basic design of the dhow has not changed for thousands of years.

Answer: Airboat

Airboats are the most popular choice for travel in the Everglade swamps. Powered by a propeller that looks like a giant fan, this flat bottomed boat is usually capable of speeds of 150 mph (241km/h) or more. A ride in this type of boat can be an exhilarating experience. They are also used for water rescue during floods and hurricanes.

Answer: Totora reeds

Totora reeds, which grow wild around the lake, have been used for centuries to make boats of all shapes and sizes. The proper name for any boat made from these reeds is a "balsa". These ships can range from fishing boats to ships that are 30m long. These reeds and these boats have also been found on Easter Island, one of the remotest inhabited locations on the planet.

Answer: Hong Kong

The ancient sailing ship known as a junk has been in use in far-east Asia for centuries. They can be seen all around Hong Kong and are used for transportation of almost anything. The junk has unusual square shaped sails that are reinforced with horizontal strips of wood known as "battens". Known for their sturdiness, junks used rudders centuries before they were used in Western society. Rent one of these beautiful boats for a day and you can tour the beautiful coast of Hong Kong for the day.

Answer: Tyrrhenian Sea

Located on the west side of Italy, the Tyrrhenian Sea is part of the Mediterranean Sea. Because of the safety measures used aboard most Cruise ships I am able to write this quiz. The first modern cruise ship is usually considered to be the "Prinzessin Victoria Luise" completed in 1900.

Her career as a cruise ship lasted only five years. She hit rocks off the coast of Jamaica, which caused no loss of life, other than the captain who retired to his cabin and shot himself after the accident. Cruise ships today are much larger and much safer.

Answer: They are ancient Viking ships that are no longer in use

Longships were made by the Vikings of Northern Europe. They were used for warfare, commerce and exploration for centuries. This boat was built for speed and sported a shallow-draft hull to cut through the water more quickly. These ships were also very lightweight permitting them to land on beaches and then be pushed right off as soon as the need arose.

The maximum speed for a longship was about 15 knots. Most longships were double ended meaning that they did not have to turn around to go the opposite way, they just changed which way they were rowing. Famous Viking kings and warriors were sometimes buried with their longships when they died.

There was also a tradition of putting the body on the ship, sending it out to sea, and setting it on fire.

Answer: False

A sampan is actually a flat-bottomed wooden river boat that is found on all major waterways of China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh and Vietnam. This long slender boat will contain a small shelter on board. They are usually used for fishing but are sometimes used as a permanent home. Most sampans use oars or are poled.

But as technology emerges, and becomes more available, more sampans are seen being propelled with outboard motors. Sampans are a river boat as opposed to a sea boat and are not designed to withstand rough ocean weather.