Kate Ropchan's

A longstanding rivalry exists between many powerboaters and sailors. I myself have some experience with both types of boating and think that they each have their advantages and disadvantages. Many mariners, however, fall firmly into one of the two categories and are quick to criticize the other. So what do powerboaters and sailors have against each other? Powerboaters hate sailors, so the thinking goes, because sailboats creep along at 5 knots, zigzag unpredictably and hog the right of way. Sailors hate power boaters because powerboats ruin the peace and quiet with their loud engines, foul the air with their exhaust and rock other boats with their large wake. These are all obvious generalizations, but the "rag boat vs. stink pot" rivalry has existed since the dawn of the outboard engine. The bottom line, however, is that there is much more uniting boaters than dividing them. The ability to experience a nautical adventure is a luxury that not everyone gets to have. Whether it is by sail or by power, the best part of the journey is just being out on the water.

By integrating features of both sail and power boats, it is possible to capitalize on each vessel's benefits. Similarly, learning most effectively occurs when undertaking an interdisciplinary approach because "in the real world, a graduate will not be provided with subject-based problems to solve” (Wee, Kek, & Sim,  2001, Integrated Knowledge Base section, para. 2). Power boaters can learn a lot from sailors, and many sailboats benefit from the addition of power. Click on the links below to read more about each issue, and how they relate to teaching.