Thread: Louisiana PDR Oz3..Bubinga and cypress wood..Rudderbox complete

Nice one Mark!

As you have the bolt through the tiller and the rudder spacer ... I am a happy man!

If ever one of these boxes breaks it is because that bolt is not in there!

MIK

WOW!! What gorgeous wood! You'll have the Cadillac of PDRs for sure. Black paint will absolutely complement the bright parts. I can't wait to see this boat unfold.

My worry is the rudder hinge hardware versus tiller handle. I think you're going to need two short pins. The set-up you have would lend itself to one long pin (MIK's preference) but there's no space above to drop it it into place. Maybe drill an access hole through the tiller tube?


Regardless, keep up the good work.

My worry is the rudder hinge hardware versus tiller handle. I think you're going to need two short pins.

Just curious, why is that a worry? Sure, I understand Mik prefers a single, long pin but two short ones work, too. (Based on personal experience. )

Originally Posted by BobWes

Just curious, why is that a worry? Sure, I understand Mik prefers a single, long pin but two short ones work, too. (Based on personal experience. )

As long as the builder is aware, no worries! My worry is discovering the conflict on launch day...


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I have the Pintles and we tried it next to the pattern on the stern...everything slides on fine...I was worried a bit about that issue till I got all the parts in and assembled them. .

Originally Posted by BobWes

Just curious, why is that a worry? Sure, I understand Mik prefers a single, long pin but two short ones work, too. (Based on personal experience. )

I do like the strength of the single pin system and also if EVERYTHING goes wrong the rudderbox is unlikely to become unshipped from the Transom.

But it is not a hard and fast!

Also you can make your own pin out of suitable stock in a pinch.

MIK

Here are a few pics of my Oz 3...somewhat modified....The side air tanks are cut and fitted...I'm having a professional boat builder build it, due to time and lack of workshop. He is building it upside down and made a jig for the deck sheer line....No fasteners anywhere on the boat..its put together like a puzzle with the pieces fitting in the "slots" in the mahogany rails.

It will have two centerboard slots....one a little more in front of the other and both will tilt forward and back about 4 in....to dial in the CE of sail.....One sail will be the balanced Lug and the other will be a Windsurfer sail with carbon mast....hence the two positions off the daggerboards....I'll only use one at a time and just put some tape over the slot not in use.

I like the bubinga veneer on the rudderbox, nice touch.

Did you insert a dowell rod into the carbon tiller tube where it joins the rudderbox? My only worry is that if the tube wall is thin that it might snap easily. If it's the same material as used for tiller extensions, then it will be thin walled. When they break, they go suddenly and completely, so maybe just watch that. In a capsize, make sure you let the tiller go and only hang on to the mainsheet.

Okay, I'm really not understanding why you would get a professional boat builder to mess with a perfectly good building method? I built the first prototype, without instructions, taking pictures of every step, in two 2 hour sessions, and one 4 hour session. Complete. Ready for paint. It would have taken me 8 hours just to build that jig! Does this guy get paid by the hour?
Hey, it's your boat and your money, do with it what you will.
To the rest of you considering building one of these; Use MIK's instructions, some gaffers tape, some epoxy and four sheets of plywood and you can get the same results a lot easier, faster and still not use any fasteners.
*shakes head in disbelief*

Rick Landreville
Canada.

Hi Rick,
Well To answer some of your questions...I got a builder because I'm a "Finish" kind of guy...I like varnishing and painting is more fun to me (which I'll do on this boat) than the Building part...although the Main reason I didn't build it is because....I don't have a Shop!! And by the time I bought a Shop and Tools and all the other stuff...It was actually Cheaper to have Him Build it for Me .

He charges by the Boat...he basically added up the material costs and doubled it or maybe trippled it. ......He takes his time and does it "His" way...as he says, he's been doing it like that for 15 years ....He has Mik's Plans, I gave them to him to look at.

I really was interested in the Design part of it....setting up the Windsurfer Rig and The Lug rig to go on one boat and be able to switch them back and forth....I came up with the different ideas and I tell him what I wanted, and he builds it......

Besides, I'm a Dentist and have to work and I have 5 other boats to maintain and Sail, plus a few Kayaks and a wife and Two daughters who all like to go on the boats just about every weekend .....so I really don't have time to build the Whole boat....

Although I did enjoy Building the Rudder Box...I wanted to build one part of the boat, at least .....Took up the Whole dinning room table and Carport...just for that piece.......well, not the Whole carport. .

I agree, Mik's Plans are simple and I bought his plans and book.... I have no doubt I could build the boat.....I just don't have the time.....I'll make time to put a good Finnish on it.....I have a Car hauling Trailer (20 ft long) that I plan to paint and varnish the boat inside it.

So Now, I hope you don't have to Shake your head in Disbelief anymore....now you know Why.....

Here is our other boat...I hope to have the Puddle Duck behind it soon..we sail Pensacola Fl. area most of the Summer...we drive from La. to Fl. for 3 day weekends if the weather is good...then we sail the Big boat back to La. for the winter.

How does the Puddle Duck Tow behind another Boat?? has anyone done it??

Hi Woodeneye,

I don't think its thin walled...I did make a thickened epoxy plug that the end of the tiller butted up into...plus its thru bolted....the whole tiller seems real Stout, stronger than I thought...I can stand on the tube....I'm 215 lbs...I don't know if that is a good test or not . I think the Carbon is the same strength as steel, but lighter. But you are right, When they do break, they break like wood and don't bend like steal .
Mark

[QUOTE=woodeneye;1489937]I like the bubinga veneer on the rudderbox, nice touch.

Did you insert a dowell rod into the carbon tiller tube where it joins the rudderbox? My only worry is that if the tube wall is thin that it might snap easily. If it's the same material as used for tiller extensions, then it will be thin walled.

Howdy,

Be very interesting to follow through the building process. It always comes down to the same equation. Time vs money. People solve it in all sorts of different ways. From cheap material that give you a boat for a few years before it gets leaky, or premium materials that produce a boat that is trouble free for a couple of decades - apart from adding another coat of varnish or paint every 5 or 10 years (assuming the boat is stored out of the sun.

Then a few get professionally built. That's good too. Increases the variety and the types of experience we can all watch from a distance.

Now ... what I am really interested in is to see how the two leeboard positions compare! Might be a mod for the plan based on real data!

MIK

Yeah, the Two leeboard positions do interest me too and I can't wait to test them out......and they both pivot forward or backwards in the slot, about 4 in. either way to give even more adjustment......It may not make a bit of difference or it may.......Only real answer I get from builders is:.....YOU Never know till you Test it on the WATER ......

Since its harder to adjust the CE of the Sail....I thought it may be easier to adjust the positions of the Board....and if one is way off, then use the other slot which is more forward than on the plans. I'll let you know how it works out. Hope to have the boat at Sail Oklahoma in October......I hear we may have a "Special Guest boat designer" show up

Mark Milam
Louisiana

Sounds good to me Mark!

Michael