I’ve been looking at Michael Storer’s PDRacer (Puddle Duck Racer) as a possible design for Family BoatBuilding for quite some time. And, as a designer, for consideration for MWBotW.
PD Racer
Reading Michael’s website a fews weeks ago, I learned that he was in the US. Last night, in fact, he was addressing a group in Portland, Maine.
A fast trip by Greyhound this morning brought Michael to the Queen City of Bangor, Maine. And I have just given him a tour of WoodenBoat in the fall. Pretty but oh so quiet… Tomorrow we’ll be touring a couple of neighborhood boatyards, and then he’ll fast ‘hound himself to Boston and thence to Sydney on Wednesday…
As Michael says about the PD racer,
“The perfect first sailing boat - cheap, fast to build and a good sailer.
Plans $20 (AUS) - but they are a boatbuilding course in a book.”
We’ve never really had a sailboat as a Family BoatBuilder boat. I think I like the PD Racer for this, a lot. What do you think?
And, then, for their second boat, the lucky family may choose Michael’s mouth-watering Goat Island Skiff (I NEED one!):
Goat Island Skiff
I’m posting this early (Monday) so I can spend some time with Michael. Please check out his website (www.storerboatpans.com) and feel free and encouraged to post your comments at the bottom of this page.
Tags: goat island skiff, michael storer, My Wooden Boat of March 2009, puddle duck racer
The PDRacer is a fascinating box which does a good imitation of a boat but the Goat Island Skiff is a real boat which most people could build as a first boat and be happy with the outcome.
The Goat is also a perfect boat for a pro to whip together in down time and get him or herself out on the water quickly so they can get back to working on OPB….”other people’s boats”.
I have sailed the GIS a few times. The last time we absolutely ate up some 420s sailing/racing in the same waters. It was a bit embarrassing (for them!).
Cheers,
Clint
Howdy,
The pic of the PDR above has it sailing along with the 105 square foot sail as part of the PDRacer record breaking process. You have to sail upwind and down to get listed for the yearly biggest sail area record.
The main site for the OZ styel PDRacer is not really my own storerboats site, but one put together my my friend Peter Hyndman.
http://www.pdracer.info
When I initially saw the PDRacer I thought “what a silly little boat”. But when I realised that they were introducing a whole lot of adults and families to sailing I started to think of it as a very worthy boat.
Since sailing them a lot I have realised that many ideas about shapes for performance are simply prejudices. The square box sails more than just fine (fine from this die hard racing sailor’s perspective) and is immensely stable.
It has led me to think that if you get the sail and rig right as well as the foils the hull is incidental providing you don’t do anything really stupid. As the hull is derived from Bolger, there is nothing stupid there to impede the little boat’s progress.
There are videos on the PDRacer.info website.