Thread: Nick's PD Racer

Keep plugging away Nick .. be nice to get on the water this summer! (or in the next few weeks)

MIK

Hell yeah! Well, its pretty much summer all year round in Central Queensland, but I imagin I'm only 2 weeks from finished, Even if I leave the final varnishing coats on the spars and centreboard for later... Im so excited about getting out on the water!!

I cut out the whole sail and all the patches, Just have to get the wife to sew it tomorrow.... ehehhe

I made the templates today for the foil, Q: how wide does the trailing edge end up at? mine looks like it will be about 5mm? thats just checking by eye.

I was also supprised at how "small" the re-inforcement patches are on the sail. I have a fair bit of extra tarp. Thats from a DuckFlat PDR tart.

Cheers.

Sail is done....

Just finished the shaping the centreboard. Will do rudder tomorrow.

Whoo hoo...

NICK!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you trying to show everyone up? What amazing progress.

Michael

I want it finished. Like "shorty" says, Just get it finished and get out sailing, you can fix things later and make improvements along the way. I just hope I'm not cutting too many corners in the rush...

Im sort of pi$$ed at my self though. Ive had 5 weeks holidays, and Ive only started working on the boat in the last week. So I could of had it done in week 2 of my holidays and sailed for 3 weeks, but I was a big lazy... Ah well....

Centre board and rudder are shaped. Tomorrow I'll glass the ends.

Originally Posted by nickpullen

Centre board and rudder are shaped. Tomorrow I'll glass the ends.

I know... I'm sorry. i just haven't taken many... Ill take some over the weekend.

Rudder and centreboard are now covered in glass, sanded and then a final coat of pox. Tonight I'll give it a light sanding and then 3 coats of epoxy enamel.

I installed the foot hold straps and some rigging aswell. Its looking rather boat like now!

Only the mast left to now!

MIK, just wondering, for me so far the most time consuming and frustrating part of the whole build has been shaping the foils. Do you think there could be any easier way to get a good shape without having to plane away. But I also think it may be due to the cheap $40 plane I am using combined with the crapita pine. Next ones I make will be from Paulonia, its much nicer to work with and sands very well. I found it alot easier to shape the paulonia used for the paddle shafts ( Mik's free plans ones) than the pine PDR boom...

Hope to get heaps done over the long weekend...

Eat Lamb.

Howdy Nick,

The downside of making nice foils is the amount of labour. But the upside of doing it is probably about 20% or more extra upwind performance compared to any shortcut that gives a reliably strong board.

Happily ... most people don't seem to mind that part of the labour, but maybe the plane and timber let you down a bit or sharpening the plane. Also the glue makes quite a difference. Epoxy with the glue filler powder in it blunts the plane very quickly ... so often we use a low density filler for that part .. or like biting midge use one of the other non gap filling adhesives like the modified PVAs used for exterior work in the building trade or the water cure polyurethanes.

Are you going to kill me now? I think I did mention some of this in the plan.

The Paulownia would make it a lot easier next time too.

Best wishes and sorry it was tough!
Michael

HI Mik.

Well, I tried to keep the plane sharp. but yeah, I think it was more the wood ( blade hanging up on knots.) You did in fact mention in the plans not to use pox, I actually ended up using some sort of polyurethane foaming glue, it worked well and seems really strong...

My main concern is that I didn't quite get the foil 100% accurately shaped as per the template, it is very close though. I could have spent more time on them, pottering away, but I just want it finished. But my theory is that I'm still new to sailing so I wouldn't really know any better. But the foil is shaped like a foil so maybe I only get 15% instead of 20% +upwind performance. I think once my skills improve and I start to demand more performance from the boat I will make new foils, as accurately as possible. And even change to the lug rig...

Thanks for all your help!

Howdy .. yes ... KNOTS ... are the devil for foil making - or a lot of boat components. It is better to cut them out and then orientate all the smaller bits so they don't line up across the foil blanks.

Everything you do to improve foils has perhaps the biggest result in overall performance of the boat. Second is the way the boat is rigged ... getting everything setting nicely.

MIK

Mast is all glued up! last bit to go. Tomorrow I'll plane it down to size, and then Sunday I will give it and the boom the 3 coats of pox and bits of glass... Wooo hooo. Might be ready for the first sail next weekend!!! whoo hooEEE

I am teasing you here Dylan ... but where are the pics!!!

MIK!