More Algebraic Story Problems: Boat Current etc

Soon on Crewton Ramone's House Of Math, there will be a password protected page that shows you how to do these kinds of problems and other story problems with the blocks! When you can see what you are doing solving these becomes child's play.

Start off easy…and work your way up. Easy means easy. No fractions nothing complex, that way the concept comes through. A few easy ones and your students will be solving these quickly and easily.

Boat and stream, boat and river, airplane and wind etc.

Two assumptions we are going to make the speeds remain constant for the boat and the river current. I always say average speed to make up for getting started at the beginning and slowing down and stopping at the end. Bright kids will always over think these at first. Note they are set up for children that are still learning to tell time as an added bonus.


Neb has canoe and a paddle. He paddles upstream against the current for 24 miles. It takes 6 hours. (He leaves at 8 and gets there at 2.) On the way back the same 24 mile trip only takes 4 hours with the current. (He leaves at 8 gets back at noon.)
How fast does Neb paddle in still water? What is the speed of the current?

Neb takes another trip this time the river is swifter so he gets a new motor for his boat. The trip is longer too. Neb heads downstream for 30 miles and it only takes 2 hours. (He leaves at 6 and gets there at 8.) On the way back he takes 6 hours. (He leaves at 7 and gets there at one.) He is carefully breaking in his new motor.
What is the speed of the boat in still water? What is the speed of the current?

Feeling confident about his boating abilities and his new motor, Neb, takes a longer trip and works his new motor a little harder by going faster. This time he travels 60 miles upstream against the current, to Camp Titikaka were there is a summer camp for belly dancing Swedish Stewardesses. Neb is delivering several cases of suntan oil. The trip takes 5 hours. (He leaves at 5am and gets there at 10, so he can spend as much time as possible there.) He ends up spending a week there. On the way back, with the current, the trip only takes 3 hours. (He leaves at 5 and gets back at 8.)
What is the speed of the boat in still water? What is the speed of the current?

Neb and his new friend Helga take a little trip in a canoe for a picnic, they go up a side stream and it takes 8 hours to cover 16 miles to the picnic grounds. Downstream the trip back only takes half the time for the same distance. What is the speed of the canoe in still water? What is the speed of the current? (Assume they have 16 hours of daylight and they leave at dawn and get back before dark, how much time did they have for their "picnic"?)

Neb is taking a trip to Sweden to visit Helga and her friends. Flying into the wind the 3000 km trip took 6 hours. A plane flying in the opposite direction at the same speed only took 5 hours. What is the average speed of the planes and what is the rate of the wind?

Helga takes Neb on boat trip while he is there. They travel up a beautiful fjord and take their time sightseeing. The trip is 12 km upstream and takes 6 hours. The trip back only takes 4 hours.
What is the speed of the boat in still water? What is the speed of the current?

The pass a tributary that has delicious Swedish Salmon in it. A salmon swims 100 meters in 8 minutes down stream, up stream the same fish would take 20 minutes to swim 100 meters. How fast is the salmon? How fast is the current?

Neb and Helga take pictures of a Swan flying by. The Swan can fly 2400 meters in 10 minutes with the wind. Against the wind the swan only flies two thirds of that distance before it decides to rest after 10 minutes. How fast would the swan fly if there was no wind? What is the rate of the wind? BONUS: What is the rate of the wind in kilometers per hour?

There will also be a few bonus problems not listed here like these but also video's about working together, percents, % solution problems, constant rate etc.