Boat

A Boat is a item that first appeared in the Secret Friday Update 5. Boats can be crafted by putting 5 Plank blocks in a U shape on a 3x3 crafting grid.

Boats allow the player to move much faster through water than by swimming. Unlike Minecarts, the player can use their arrow keys to navigate and build speed. Like Minecarts, they must be right-clicked to be ridden. When a player exits a boat, the game puts them on top of the boat, which causes the boat to be pushed away and sail a few blocks, an annoying mechanic for many players. It is possible to avoid pushing the boat away if you jump at the right time as you exit the boat. If a boat collides with a block at a fast enough speed, the boat will break and drop 3 Plank blocks and 2 Sticks and drop the player in the water.

In-Depth Boat Riding
Unlike Minecarts, boats move accordingly to the player's will. The boat also moves significantly faster than a player on water but is slower than a Minecart. While some movement bugs are still present, it's possible to steer using the WASD keys. Boats also have movement relative to the camera, so a player can maneuver them with the mouse. Boat changes direction if in contact with a player, another boat, or a mob. If you crash a boat into another boat your boat will be destroyed and the other one will just bump away. Boats cannot be used in Lava, but can be placed on a solid block. They can be ridden, although they move extremely slowly if you try riding them on solid block. Like Minecarts, boats can be used to make water slides. A video showing how a boat works (notice how the player uses waterslides for speed, and how it's possible to elevate boats by waterfalls).

Trivia

 * When placing a boat on ground, the graphic for splashing water appears.