How to Make a Boat in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Craft a boat with 5 matching planks in a U shape: 3 across the bottom row and 1 on each side of the middle row. Combine a boat with a chest to make a chest boat for hauling items across water.

What you need

5 matching planks of any overworld wood type

Step by step

Turn logs into 5 planks of one wood type (all 5 must match).
Open the crafting table.
Place 1 plank in the middle-left and 1 in the middle-right.
Fill the bottom row with the other 3 planks.
Take the boat.
Place it on water (or land) and board it; paddle with your movement keys. For storage, craft the boat together with a chest to get a chest boat.

Java vs Bedrock

The boat recipe is the same in Java and Bedrock today: 5 planks, no shovel (the wooden shovel in the recipe was removed from Bedrock). Bamboo planks produce a bamboo raft with a flat deck, which works identically. Boats travel about as fast as sprinting, never break from collisions anymore, and can capture mobs that walk into them, the standard way to move villagers and zombies.

Versions: javabedrock

Frequently asked questions

How do you make a chest boat in Minecraft?

Craft a normal boat, then combine it with a chest anywhere in the crafting grid. A chest boat carries a full chest of items but only one passenger.

Can a boat break in Minecraft?

Not from crashing anymore. Modern boats survive collisions and only break from damage sources like attacks or cactus. Falling far in a boat no longer destroys it or hurts you.

How do you move villagers with a boat?

Push a boat into a villager (or place it touching them) and they sit in it automatically. Row the boat where you want them, even up one-block ledges by jumping, then break the boat to release them.

Why does my bamboo boat look different?

Bamboo planks craft a bamboo raft instead of a classic boat. It is flat and open-decked but behaves exactly like any other boat.