Thread: Building the OZ PD Racer - now renamed the OzRacer

Matt,
I was hesitating to recommend that you do just that, after all how often can one spam one's own thread!
You'll find it the best $20 you've spent on anything to do with boating I think!

Don't be afraid to change stuff if your whim takes you, but you'll have to answer to Mik if you beat a "standard" boat!

Cheers, and good luck,

P

Matt , you are an experienced boat builder , and I am not , but you are welcome to come up to Newstead , and see my boat .
Where do you sail ?.
Rob Johnson

Originally Posted by catbuilder

Hi All

Not long after I went out to shed I was looking at what I'd drawn, and not that there is anything wrong, I've have since decided to go the whole hog and order the plans for a Mk2. They're gone to a fair bit of trouble designing it so I should take of advantage of it.

I've just emailed Michael, so I'll pause until I get them sorted out. But anyway, the intention to build is still there, just have til they arrive.

Matt

Your plans should be in your IN box as we speak. Thanks for the $20

MIK

Gday All

Yeah thanks Mik, i'll email you later tonight, just to run something by you.

Rob, No worries, I don't know when that might be though, I possibly have to go to Bendigo one day to pick up some gear for the cat, but like I said not sure when. Cutting all our failed crops at the moment as well, so when I'm not doing that, I'll putting the finishing touches to the cat for the National Titles at McRae, Vic, so much to do, so little time Oh and I sail at Derrinallums Deep Lake??? which is not quite so deep, actually its empty.

Regards

Matt

Matt , if you got to Bendigo via Ballarat and Creswick , you go past my place !.
Drop in and say g/day , I'm doing a bit each day on the boat.
If you are cutting your failed crop for hay , bring some up , I'll pay well !.
Rob J.

Rob

When we go to Bendigo we usually come home that way to stop at Ballarat for tea and stock up the cupboards.

As for cereal hay, theres plenty of it around this year, bad run of frosts, killed off the heads, the beer lovers will be happy, barley is about the only one that made it. I'd do anything for a beer too.

Anywho, I better mention PD racer in this thread somewhere, so there it is.

Regards

Matt

Hi All

Keen or what?? Cut the hull sides out yesterday, and found some more pieces of ply to cut out the smaller other parts.

Just a question, probably one for you Mik, I just want to clarify the rig or rather the sail, I understand it has to made of polytarp type material, but there is no shaping allowed as far as I've read, also are you allowed to have a batten or battens?

I've got an idea from my cat for the rudders which some of you may or may not have seen, I will take a couple of pictures tomorrow, but it basicially allows you to set the rudder from fully up to fully down without leaning over the back at all, and would hardly add any additional weight, and its so simple its ridiculous. I would have had the photos tonight, but there out there and I'm in here and its cold

Regards

Matt

Matt,

Battens are OK, as is any sail shape you like as long as it's flat! The luff curve on the plan is matched to the mast flex, and gives a workable shape when correctly tensioned!

I'm looking forward to seeing the rudder, although there's not far to lean on a PDR!

So pics tomorrow night then?

cheers,

P

Originally Posted by catbuilder

Hi All

Keen or what?? Cut the hull sides out yesterday, and found some more pieces of ply to cut out the smaller other parts.

Just a question, probably one for you Mik, I just want to clarify the rig or rather the sail, I understand it has to made of polytarp type material, but there is no shaping allowed as far as I've read, also are you allowed to have a batten or battens?

Howdy Matt,

I have been wondering whether they should be banned. Battens good enough to improve performance would probably add $100 or more to the cost of the boat and would then be required by everyone because of the performance improvement - not a lot but enough to outclass the other boats. So all boats would be $100 more expensive.

Midge - change the rules. Battens are banned until further notice.

Also be aware that Duck Flat have some really nice polytarp - about 10 times better than what we used on ours. You will be up for $35 for enough to make the sail.

I've got an idea from my cat for the rudders which some of you may or may not have seen, I will take a couple of pictures tomorrow, but it basicially allows you to set the rudder from fully up to fully down without leaning over the back at all, and would hardly add any additional weight, and its so simple its ridiculous. I would have had the photos tonight, but there out there and I'm in here and its cold

I know the one you mean - great bit of design (put them up so others can see - it works quite nicely except that they are very poor at steering if the rudder isn't all the way down in shallower water. Whereas the dagger/kickback works really well at all depths. The blade is held in place with a shockcord (like occy strap) looped around the rudderbox. I've attached pics at the bottom of this post.

Working at a shallow depth might be good for Goolwa if u want to be in the hunt - but being able to clear weed without going back in the boat might also be an advantage

MIK

Hey Catbuilder,

What are the dimensions of your cat centreboards?

MIK

Hi Mik

Are you taking about the one I want to make from the routing forum, or just want to know if they'll fit the PD?

Centreboards for my cat are 290mm wide and about 1000mm long, and are a carbon foam laminate and cost $950.00 for the two. The rudder are the same material and are about 200mm at their widest, tapering down to about 150mm (roughly) and about 750mm long and only cost about $700 for the two.

I bought a mast in Adelaide probably 3 months ago ($1000) and just bought an Ashby Pentax Main ($1800 new) with a set of Fibrefoam Glass Battens ($360 new) for $500.00. Bargain.

I don't have any money, and I wonder WHY?????

Regards

Matt Harper

Just on the subject of battens, not that I'm pushing, but timbers battens would only cost about $20.00 multiple battens, and as little as $5, for one. To say $100, isn't really looking at the options available, like poly tarps vs dacron sails.

Bearing in mind the 8-9 battens in my Taipan are $360 new, obviously these battens you not even give a second thought to putting on a PD, but battens made of oregon or say spruce.

But if they're going to be banned, can you make it official, because the sail design I'm looking at has 1 batten in the head.

Regards

I reckon battens are ok as long as they are cane or timber, no glass reinforcing, no glass battens, no composite.

(I remember how much fibrefoam battens cost for big boats! :eek: )

No rule change until you beat us!

P

Hi All

Firstly imagine these aren't made of carbon fibre and aluminium, and worth a fortune.

Its quite simple, but effective, and as Mik said are handy for clearly weed in just a couple of seconds, however he is also right in the fact that they a bit hard to steer until you get them all the way down.

Basicially you push back on the rod connected to the 'ear' on the rudder, then a pin in th end of the rod, fits behind a little bracket and on the really up to date ones its just a hole in the tiller arm. To raise, lift pin out of tiller arm and pull rod forward, they have a second pin here the ear end that fits in a second hole to hold the rudder up, thats it.

I have used this system on timber boards as well with no problems, just needs a little more reinforcement at the ear on the rudder, or just use a screw in type pin with a hole on the end, and make the rod fitting with a fork end instead of the other way round.

Oh, and if you hit something with the rudders it pops out the pin its self, you do have to hit something with reasonable force, but it saves on a bit of damage. And it doesn't pop out when you DON'T want them to.

Regards