Thread: Oklahoma OZ PDR

A fantastic explanation of the dynamics Mick. I did not know the fore/aft volume was so critical, but it all makes sense to me now. It's good to know the Goat is quite well behaved in this respect. I am looking forward to getting mine into the water soon, although a winter launch is looking more realistic at the moment as I have yet to sort out a launching dolly and trailer mods after the varnishing is done

Thanks for the replies Mik.

The OZ rules should keep the cost very reasonable. The biggest problem with expense in any kind of racing is there's always someone who's willing to spend what ever it takes to win and I think you've got that covered. Compared to production one design boats the PDR is dirt cheap. Most of the one design classes here have a one new suit of sail per year rule to control cost. That can add up to $2,000+ per year for my boat and I race a relatively inexpensive class.

I can do some things cheap. Shown below is my cheap foil clamp, from left to right is a 2x4 screwed to the workbench, foil staves, floating (loose) 2x4, 2x4 sawn on a long angle making two wedges with parallel sides, and another 2x4 screwed to the workbench. When you're ready to put clamp pressure on just drive the wedges together until there's good squeeze out.

Also shown are my cheap c-clamps. 4.5" o.d. schedule 40 PVC 1.5 " wide.

If you look close you'll notice the cheap knotty lumber I'm using for the foils.

yes .. the OZ subclass rules are also a critique of all the areas where conventional classes have gone wrong. The best spars for an Optimist are around the same value as all the materials for a PDR for many

About $700 for three dark anodised spars in 7000 grade aluminium.

MIK

I can easily see the PDR going the same way as the Optimist. It also started out as a cheap amateur built "fun" boat.

My search for 6061 T6 0.065 wall aluminum tubing in anything longer than 12 feet failed and I caught so much flack when I mentioned carbon that I've now started building a mast out of (cough, cough) Pine.

I got my hull numbers today, 431 and 432.

Brad

Carbon is just cellulose heated up high in a reducing atmosphere so all the oxygens and Hydrogens burn off and the carbon cross links more.

Put it this way - you haven't lost all that stuff that smells nice and makes that nice shrrrrrr shrrrrrr sound when you plane it.

PAR will make a liar of me and say the plane goes RRRRRRAAAAAAARRRRRRRRR at 10,000RPM.

MIK

Our club held the season opener regatta today so the PDR's didn't get much attention.

Air temperature was nice, 78 deg F, water temp cool, 55 deg F, and wind 17 gusting to 31. Only six center boards were crazy enough to sign up.

The beats weren't much fun but the runs more than made up for it. Our last spinnaker run we were on plane all the way down, something that doesn't happen often DDW in a Flying Scot.

A first and second place finish gave my wife and I the overall win in our fleet and we brought home a nice trophy.

Brad

Mik,

I'm nearing the point where I need to start thinking about rigging. I've read what you have on your web site for the GIS Balanced Lug Rig. Does the PDR use the same measurements such as 400mm from the mast to the sail tack, downhaul at the center of the mast, and is everything else rigged the same?

Thanks,
Brad

I have a rigging guide for the PDR. Can you email me and I will send it to you tomorrow. It has all that stuff in it.

Anyone else who has a PDR plan can have one too.

[email protected]

MIK

It's taking me a while but I am making progress.

Looking very nice Brad.

Is the interior varnished in this shot?

MIK

Originally Posted by Boatmik

Looking very nice Brad.

Is the interior varnished in this shot?

MIK

Yes, that's the first coat of varnish.

looks nice and shiny.

My boat isn't finished but there is a handicap race I want to enter today so I got it where it will sail. I took the boat to a large pond yesterday but the wind was so light I couldn't really do much.

One thing I did notice is the tiller would hang up on my big butt every time I tacked. Knowing that could be a safety issue in big wind I shortened it about 100 mm. I really hated to do that since I had laminated a mahogany grip into the end and it's gone now.

I'll probably have several questions after sailing the boat a bit more and some of the things may sort themselves out when I get out in decent wind. A couple things I'm concerned with now. When I pull on the downhaul the head of the sail slides down the yard putting tension in the head and making the tension lashing at the throat go slack.

I rigged up the 6:1 downhaul shown in the GIS rigging guide with a line going over the boom to a becket block and the boom keeps sliding forward. If I attach another block to the boom instead of running the line over it the problem may be eliminated but there isn't enough room between the boom and deck to get the tension I think I need before the downhaul goes block to block. I have a line going from the forward end of the boom to the mast now to keep it positioned aft. I may need to run the downhaul line going over the boom through an eyestrap to solve the problem. A better option may be to run the boom to mast lashing through an eyestrap.

That's enough for now. I'll let you know how the race turns out but I'm not expecting to do well since I only have an hour sailing time in the boat and that was in very light winds.

I've attached a photo of yesterdays sail.

Brad

Originally Posted by BradLH

I've attached a photo of yesterdays sail.

Fine! Thank you!