For a quick update on the floating paper boats, the yellow legal pad boats lasted for five days before they got soggy and sunk. The gum wrapper boat was still going strong. I tried to find out if there was anything special about yellow legal pad paper, but other than the yellow dye that is added, I wasn't able to come up with much. Do you have any ideas?
It might be that you made the gum paper boat better.
The gum wrapper boat is made out of plastic and paper and thus plastic does not sink easily so it stayed afloat.
Those are good ideas. Are you going to try this yourself?