Oz PD Goose Sailboat

We just finished up an Oz PD Goose sailboat project. It's a simple, inexpensive sailboat that is more capable than it appears. It was designed by Michael Storer to be light and sail well. This one turned out a little heavier than it could have been, but does sail great. Hopefully all the kids will start learning to sail this summer.

The PD Goose is a 12 foot stretched derivative of the Oz Racer and the original Puddle Duck Racer race class. It goes well with two adults and planes easily in light wind. It is easy to build and won't break the bank. The rectangular cross-section makes it extremely stable as you can see in the video. We're using the balance lug rig also designed by Michael Storer. We're using Tyvek instead of Poly Tarp for our budget sail. Time will tell if that is a good idea.

We are planning on finishing two of these and many of the parts for the second boat are already done. We just didn't have space to assemble both at the same time. I'm sure the second boat will go together even faster than the first.

Here is some video from the first run.

Here is one of the latest videos showing some of the performance potential.

 

And some pictures of the build.

  • Starting to shape the blanks for the foils.
  • A couple bulkheads going together.
  • Splicing the sides together to get out to about twelve feet long.
  • Sides spliced and the chine and gunwale sticks getting installed.
  • 3D! Sides and bulkheads assembled for the first time.
  • Bottom scarfed and installed.
  • Mast step details.
  • Air box and daggerboard well bulkheads going in.
  • Air box sides getting fit.
  • Top decks getting fit and installed.
  • Scarfing sticks of yellow pine together for the masts (enough for both boats).
  • Mast "ladder" glued and clamped.
  • Sides of mast glued and clamped to the ladder.
  • Side decks installed.
  • Bottom of the mast.
  • Fitting the mast to the boat for the first time.
  • Dagger board box details.
  • Front deck installed.
  • Bottom getting taped and filled.
  • Filling the bottom with micro for a smoother finish.
  • Deck joints glassed and smoothed. Coat of epoxy going down over the rest of the ply.
  • Bow water break installed.
  • Yard and boom details.
  • Bottom painted!
  • Top painted and one of the kiddos hanging out at the boat works.
  • Cleaning up the foil blank. Getting ready for glass.
  • Foils with glass, ready for epoxy.
  • Ends glassed on the rudder and dagger board.
  • Cleans up nice.
  • Rudder box going together.
  • Tiller handle coming together.
  • Painted foils.
  • Fitting the gudgeons to the transom.
  • Trim painted.
  • Leaving the hangar!
  • Figuring out the down haul. Looks a bit different now.
  • Sheet rigging.
  • Yard rigging.
  • Tyvek! Classy.
  • Looks a lot like a boat now. The sail got moved back about six inches from where it is here.