Thread: An exercise in the beauty of constructing a racing puddle duck

Oi, cut it out. Now we have to hijack this thread as well

Richard

In an e-mail; it was said....

quote.

just decided to bite the bullet and build a puddleduck (www.pdracer.com) this weekend.

end quote.

So you have to wait til Monday.

I'm dying to know if it does go faster when you lean forward (& phart) like the old coot in the pic.

Well chaps, with this much sail on board, I don't think I'd be game to eat any beans the night before a big event... turbo chargers are allowed, but won't be necessary methinks.

One of these things claims to have recorded 3.9 knots, but we think we can do that in a mere 5 knots of wind. (Which for the uninformed is about the same amount one normally gets on the renovation forums )

Roll on Friday night I say!

(and thanks for the new thread Christopha!)

P

Originally Posted by bitingmidge

...with this much sail on board, ....

Holy spit!!!! Are you going to have a trap on that thing?

Originally Posted by Cliff Rogers

Holy spit!!!! Are you going to have a trap on that thing?

No, Boatmik and I think that our magnetic personalities will be enough to keep the birds on board.

P

Is it just me or do others have an aversion to:

Seriously Fugly Boats?

Handsome is as handsome does!

Define Fugly?

There are a few examples of the Puddleduck on the web which are something less than handsome to my eye I must admit, HOWEVER:

On the other hand, what the sport of sailing is desperately lacking is a cheap entry-level knockabout.

Sabots used to be that, made by Dad for not much money, then came the Optimist, even boxier and more basic, but in both cases a competitive boat is going to set the family back around ten grand now...:eek: :eek: :eek:

So.... here's a boat which we think we can build in a weekend, which will cost $150 if we buy all the bits (I've already used scrap fingerjointed pine to laminate the foil blanks - no cost), and we expect will provide a bit of a challenge to sail!

If the kids don't like it, or get tired of it after a week or two, we could use it for fuel for the snag-sizzle and we'd still had our money's worth! Several websites have photos of them being used as bookshelves during the depths of the northern winter- you can't get better value than that!

Besides, if Boatmik can't tweak it to make it look alright, no-one can!

So benny, I dare you to build one and turn up at the nationals.... or are you just a deck-shoe wearing, g&t sipping, couldabeen? Go on, put down the latte, and find out what it's like to smile again!

Cheers,

P

Originally Posted by bennylaird

Is it just me or do others have an aversion to:

Seriously Fugly Boats?

Benny, with heads like ours Fugly isn't somewhere we should go!!!!
And the Duck is a thing of unsurpassed Beeyootee!

LOL Midge, didn't say it wasn't practical, just fugly. Like model aircraft a practical trainer is fugly but it doesn't take much to dress them up. Sure you can do the same with one of these, but, I intend to have a go at a Eureka canoe cos it appeals to my eye. I would have a go at sailing too if I find a "nice lines/unfugly Jemima Pyddle Duck". Must be something about?

Still looking for some gabbon ply close to home, any ideas?

Originally Posted by Christopha

Benny, with heads like ours Fugly isn't somewhere we should go!!!!
And the Duck is a thing of unsurpassed Beeyootee!

My head on display out on a duck???? Would scare most people off the water.:eek: :eek:

Benny,

Marine timbers in Seaford, aren't close, but the delivery cost will be less than you'd pay in fuel to pick it up anyway!

I've had ply sent to me from there, good service, good product.

I've got my pretty boat, and it's a ripper, but these'll be fun too!

I'm hoping you don't finish the Eureka before me though!
Cheers,

P

I love the Weekender, the lines appeal. Anyone building one of these?

Originally Posted by bitingmidge

then came the Optimist, even boxier and more basic, but in both cases a competitive boat is going to set the family back around ten grand now...:eek: :eek: :eek:

Ten grand for an Optimist! Strewth :eek:

Originally Posted by Auld Bassoon

Ten grand for an Optimist! Strewth :eek:

OK I lied! But from $3,750.00 new, (about the price of a Sabot foam hull!:eek: ) it may take a season or two to get to Ten but at $350 for a centreboard, $700 for a sail......

On the other hand a basic bitingmidge/Boatmik style Puddleduck will set you back a weekend and say $200, less if you can scrounge materials.

We'll publish a full breakup of cost when they're done.

Cheers,

P