Boat

A boat is both an item and a vehicle entity.

Obtaining
Boats can be retrieved by repetitively them.

Controls
Press the button on the boat to mount it.

A boat can be exited by pressing the key, the "Leave Boat" button, or the  key. [ Windows 10 Edition only ]  When exiting a boat, the player is placed in the direction the player is facing, or, if facing directly up or down, the player is placed in front of the boat. If possible from the dismounting position, the exiting player will be placed on land.

In the Computer Edition, boats are controlled using the, (turns left),  (turns right), and  keys. Using the key will increase the field of vision, but will not increase speed as if sprinting.

In Pocket Edition, two buttons for steering appear, and in Windows 10, the and  keys are used. The right button or key steers to the left, and the left button or key steers to the right. Pressing both buttons move the boat forward.

Computer, Console and Pocket editions
Boats move according to the player's control or water currents. Boats have the same speed as minecarts. If on land, a boat may still be controlled but extremely slowly. A boat does not turn with mouse-look. A player cannot both move (row) and use items at the same time.

Boats can be used to safely travel through water, and will not be damaged from collisions or from falling. If a boat runs into a lily pad, the block will be broken.

Boats effectively have just over (exactly 4 damage isn't quite enough to destroy it), and regenerate $1/10$ per tick. When on the ground, they have 0.455 the height of a block.

If a boat is pushed under water, for instance if moved under a waterfall, or if moved up or down into a current, it will sink.

Boats can support two riders, including mobs. Only the player/mob that boarded first can control the boat.

Riding a boat will not deplete hunger.

Boats move extremely fast while on ice. When moving fast enough, there will be "water spray" visual effect representing the bow wake. Being in a boat limits the player's mouse-look to the forward 180 degree arc. A boat will break snow layers that it runs into. Players receive no fall damage if falling in a boat.
 * Computer edition / Console edition

A sunken boat is sunk forever, unable to be retrieved until it is broken by the player.

For mobs to enter a boat, they must walk directly on top of it. A mob cannot control the boat.

A sunken boat will float again when it emerges from the current or the waterfall that is keeping it down.
 * Pocket Edition

Mobs can be 'picked up' by riding a boat near them, and a mob can drive the boat without the aid of the player.

Drops
When attacked, a boat drops its item form.

When crashed, however, it drops 3 wood planks corresponding to the wood type of the boat, and 2 sticks.

Fuel
A boat can be used as fuel in furnaces, smelting 2 items per boat in computer edition and console edition, 6 items per boat in Pocket Edition.

Entity data
Boats have entity data associated with them that contain various properties of the entity. Their entity ID is.

Trivia

 * Crashing into soul sand at water level will often (but not always) slow the boat enough that it won't crash.
 * A chest is short enough that a boat will fall onto it rather than crashing into it.
 * Sand, gravel, anvils and dragon eggs drop when they fall onto a boat that is in water.