Leafblower Sailboat Can This Idea Work?

Question

Me and my friend were discussing this and I think if you took a piece of wood (a skimboard), and put wheels on it, and put a pole with a sail (bedsheet or something) on it, and then you sat on it and held a leafblower up to the sail could it possibly move the device that was just created. Even if the sail wasn't built right or we were to heavy. We basically just want to know if the leaf blower is somehow on or attactched to the device could it still move you because he thinks I'm wrong. but i can dream can't i.

Answer 1

As you sit on the skim board, you may move in the OPPOSITE direction of the air flow out of the leaf blower due to the principle of action-reaction.  The sail will reduce that effect depending on how far away the sail is from the outlet of the blower.

So did your friend explain why he thought you were wrong?

Answer 2

You would have to walk behind the skimboard holding the leaf blower; it would be easier to just push the skimboard. Or you could forget about the sail and use the blower like a jet engine; the efficiency would be a small fraction of 1%.