Puddle Duck in the UK

[animatedsnail]

Hi all,
Just thought I would introduce myself. I have just finished making a malamut canoe with my son (12) and we started to look for our next project.
It started as a 14 ft dinghy and soon became a 100ft cruise liner!
I wanted to make something cheap and something that would teach us to sail.
I had a Mirror dinghy before but it was too small for myself and two boys to sail in and I found it quite unstable in gusty conditions, so gave up on the idea! I know, we are very bad at sailing!
I eventually came across the Puddle duck and realised we could make one each and from looking at the videos on Youtube, be able to teach ourselves to sail as well.
So, this week , I bought the plans - Twice, and now we are saving up for the wood to get started. It probably won't be until after Christmas now, the wife wants the front room decorated etc before I can spend money on wood!!
So I'll be reading your posts in interest, learning as much as possible before I start. Thanks all,
Jon

[m2c1Iw]

It probably won't be until after Christmas now, the wife wants the front room decorated etc before I can spend money on wood!!


Hi Jon and welcome,
Ah yes.....the Finance Minister, they always have trouble with true priorities.:D

We do like pics here so make sure you take plenty.

Mike

[Boatmik]

Welcome John,

To the forum and PDRacer mayhem. Building the PDRacers will equip you very nicely for building the 100ft ocean liner!

MIK

[Theodor]

Hi all,
It probably won't be until after Christmas now, the wife wants the front room decorated etc before I can spend money on wood!!

G'day Jon .. welcome to the forums and Storer fan club!

Peter (Koala) and I are making some PDRs over here on the continent (Slovenia), so its good to know we might have someone else to race one day (once we've all learnt how to sail the things properly).

I just thought I'd mention, that Pete and I have started doing the build backwards - we're starting with all the small parts and bits which don't require a lot of space or financial outlay to make e.g. rudder, centreboard, rudderbox, mast, boom, yard (for me with lug rig), and Peter has even built his centrecase. I will be moving sometime soon (May 09 at the latest) so I didn't want to try and move a half complete 3D PDR with all the plywood and wood. Building the smaller parts means we've only needed to get a few planks of pine which is pretty cheap. We have had the plywood from other woodworking projects (I used 3mm oak veneer ply for my rudderbox which was left over from some oak bookcases I built).

Otherwise, I hope you don't get frustrated by reading plans and not being able to get your hands dirty!

Cheers,
Mark

[animatedsnail]

What a great idea. Thanks for that. I have loads of off cuts and have been scrounging hardwood from relatives!
What would you advise working on first?

[koala]

Hi Jon

I would recommend first rudderbox, tiller and tiller extension. Second centreboard and rudder. Then the spars (these are the longest and more expensive bits than others due to a best choise of timber).

If you have some suitable ply leftovers then you can make all this without buying ply sheets. And there's plenty of work to do with this:U.

I had (bought) the plysheets already. :D So I've draw everything on them, cut out all the pieces and sanded them down to the line. Now they don't take much space and are waiting to be used when ready. I will epoxy them just before assembly. Then I made the centrecase, frame#1 and #2. And so on.

I'm really enjoying this build and I think It will be a great :2tsup: project for you and your son.

Pete

[animatedsnail]

Thanks again. Its trying to find the correct wood here in the UK that isn't made from a hard to find tree. I contacted my Timber merchants and they hadn't even heard of Oregon/hoop!! I think its going to have to be the best pine I can find!! They had Douglas Fir but wanted me to sell my house and kids to buy it!! (I was tempted!)
Jon

[animatedsnail]

OK!!! Stupid question already. The first of MANY!!
I 'm looking at making my centreboard and rudder. Why are they made from strip wood. Is it stronger that way? Can I put some hardwood in the middle to make it look pretty!!??
Thanks all

[jmk89]

Oregon = Douglas Fir:D

OK!!! Stupid question already. The first of MANY!!
I 'm looking at making my centreboard and rudder. Why are they made from strip wood. Is it stronger that way? Can I put some hardwood in the middle to make it look pretty!!??
Thanks all

Yes (stiffer, actiually)and Yes (just a slight weight penalty)

[Boatmik]

The main reasons for the small strips is that ones out of planks will not be the same shape a few months later.

Basically all the components and the way that the boat goes together are chosen from the most reliable boatbuilding methods from conventional raceboats. This keeps the weight down and the reliability, simplicity and performance up.

I am not terribly good at thinking of new ideas .. but I am quite good at stealing them from lots of different places.

Best wishes
Michael

[animatedsnail]

Nice one. Thanks.
Last question for tonight, so I can start getting my materials together for the centre board and rudder.
With the rudder, is it best to have it in a rudder box as in the plan or as a kick up rudder.
Is it simpler to make the rudder box and then you slide the rudder down when on the water?
You can see I have very little sailing experience!!

[keyhavenpotter]

Hi Jon

nice to hear of a UK Puddle Duck on it's way. Look forward to hearing of your build and seeing your PDR's out sailing. I sail on the south coast, near Lymington. Where abouts do you plan to sail?

Brian

[Boatmik]

Howdy,

Stick with the rudder in the PDRacer plan.

It is so superior to a swinging blade that you will cringe when you finally get on a boat with the swinging version and wonder why people persist with such an archaic, unwieldy, heavy, imprecise, poor steering in shallow water, popping up at higher speeds, hard to construct alternative.

(I hope this comes across as humorous but true)

There is one good place for swinging boards .. and that is where you cannot get to the rudder to pull the dagger version up.

Otherwise the dagger version is so superior that no other choice is warranted from little dinghies like this to 60ft 30knot offshore racing trimarans.

If you hit something the dagger version will swing back and over the obstacle if possible and spring down to its former depth when the obstruction is passed.

MIK

[animatedsnail]

Hi Brian,
I live near Tavistock in Devon, so will do most of my sailing down the River Tamar or on Roadford Reservior near Lifton. Saying that, it probably wont be for some time, and when I say sail, that will be a real loose term!!

[Boatmik]

Howdy Jon,

The PDRacer will train you and your son into real sailing dudes in quite a quick time. They are so responsive ... if you are not doing everything quite right they sail OK ... but get things JUST right and they really take off.

Not that they reach any super high speed of course ... but mmm ... feels just right on the water!

Thus a positive feedback loop! So you know when you are doing the right thing.

Michael

[animatedsnail]

I've found some hardwood!!! But it isn't long enough!!
Is it best to butt join all the bits together like it says in the instructions, or, to make the centre board and rudder separately?
Its also all a heavy hardwood (I'm not sure which, I'm new to this!). Will this be OK if I alternate with a knot free softwood?
Thanks all. Hooked already. Asking and scrounging from everyone I know!!

[Boatmik]

Howdy ... sorry,

Missed the reference to hardwood.I f you are wanting to use it for the appearance then make the hardwood strips a bit narrower (or a lot narrower - depending on the appearance you are happy with) so the boards don't end up too heavy.

Great that you are making progress!!!!

Best wishes
Michael

[animatedsnail]

Almost there!! Thanks for your help.
Is it alright to make the centre board and rudder separately? or should I butt/scarf join pieces together to make the correct length?
Thanks

[Theodor]

Almost there!! Thanks for your help.
Is it alright to make the centre board and rudder separately? or should I butt/scarf join pieces together to make the correct length?
Thanks

If you've got enough wood for each (i.e. pieces are long enough with some waste which you can cut off later), then there is no point joining them all together just to saw it in half later. Pete and I did our rudders and centreboards separately. It also means your clamps can be closer together, unless you have an excessive amount of clamps!

Cheers,
Mark

[Boatmik]

Howdy,

No problems either way from the designer's point of view.

We made them together because the Biting Midge had an excessive number of clamps ... also because when I have done multiple foils in the past I usually make them in one piece because it makes it easier to get them accurately shaped.

Or at least ... I think it makes them easier.

OK, OK ... it is a psychological reason!!! No one has that many clamps!!! Make them separately if you want.

If you are short of clamps you can fill some of the void with brown packaging tape. Also I have sometimes made up temp bar clamps with pieces of wood or a piece of chipboard that acts like a bed for the foil blank. Use the screws to put a block either side of the blank on the bad. Then tap some wooden wedges in either side.

Of course like all more complex gluing jobs ... make sure the whole system works dry! And then do it with the glue the second time when you know it all works.

Michael.

MIK :-)