Whilst small speed boats can get up to 80 knots, large cruise ships – even those built for speed – can only get to speeds of about 30 knots. One knot is one nautical mile per hour, and nautical miles are a little bit longer than miles on land, so 21 knots is about 24 miles an hour – and 30 knots is about 34 miles per hour. Meanwhile in your car you don’t carry much, maybe 5 people, the backpacks and maybe one of the best coolers, a boat have that large have to carry literally tons of weight, so the speed it can reach is limited.
This video is part of Sean’s Science Around Ships – a Fun Kids series about ships and how they work. Filmed with support from Cammell Laird.
Click here to find out more about Cammell Laird!
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