Build your own little sailboat and sail

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SUMMARY

This discussion centers on building a small sailboat using materials from pdracer.com, specifically utilizing three sheets of plywood, lumber, Titebond II glue, and a tarp for the sail. Participants share personal experiences, emphasizing the boat's ability to sail upwind effectively, even in light winds, provided the sailor understands the necessary techniques. The conversation highlights the need for clearer construction directions on the website and encourages more individuals to engage in building and registering pdracers.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of basic woodworking techniques
  • Familiarity with sailboat sailing principles
  • Knowledge of materials such as Titebond II and tarps
  • Experience with DIY project planning and execution
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the physics of sailing, particularly upwind techniques
  • Explore advanced woodworking methods for boat construction
  • Investigate alternative materials for sails and boat construction
  • Learn about the registration process for pdracers and similar DIY projects
USEFUL FOR

Amateur boat builders, sailing enthusiasts, DIY project lovers, and anyone interested in constructing small sailboats using accessible materials.

Pythagorean
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pdracer.com

Three sheets of plywood and a couple sticks of lumber. Some titebond II, a tarp, and you have a sail boat.

From personal experience I can tell you that these things sail upwind great, even in very little wind (as long as you sit back on the rocker and know how to sail upwind, where the physics are more like airplane wings than parachute scoops).

The directions on the site are horridly arranged, bilut if anyone interested, I'll guide you through it.

We need more people to build and register pdracers!
 
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And I can tell you from personal experience that it will sail in whatever direction I am facing (provided that there was no shortage of salsa at lunch).
 
That's just disgusting, Zoob.
If you're on the thing long enough to sleep, you're on it long enough to need a ****. Where's the plumbing?
 
over the side, of course!

some have been known to carry a bucket
 
Now I'm even more disgusted.
 
I kind of want to build one of these, but I know that none of my friends would.
 
Danger said:
Now I'm even more disgusted.

You wouldn't have made it as a Viking.
 
zoobyshoe said:
You wouldn't have made it as a Viking.

That's why I had the foresight to be born in 20th-century Canada.
 
  • #10
Danger said:
That's why I had the foresight to be born in 20th-century Canada.
Very circumspect of you.

I think the ugly little 8 foot boat with its sloop rigged pretentions to being a yacht is hilarious.
 
  • #11
she's ready to sail, tomorrow morning she shoves off!

I used shorty's simple 18" plans at pdracer.com
 

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  • #12
Pythagorean said:
she's ready to sail, tomorrow morning she shoves off!

I used shorty's simple 18" plans at pdracer.com

Awesome! Did you use a tarp for the sail, as per specs?
 
  • #13
Pythagorean said:
pdracer.com

Three sheets of plywood and a couple sticks of lumber. Some titebond II, a tarp, and you have a sail boat.

From personal experience I can tell you that these things sail upwind great, even in very little wind (as long as you sit back on the rocker and know how to sail upwind, where the physics are more like airplane wings than parachute scoops).

The directions on the site are horridly arranged, bilut if anyone interested, I'll guide you through it.

We need more people to build and register pdracers!

Pythagorean said:
she's ready to sail, tomorrow morning she shoves off!

I used shorty's simple 18" plans at pdracer.com

Are you sure you're not an engineer? :biggrin: I love seeing a project coming to completion. Good luck on it's initial voyage.
 
  • #14
She holds water and sails upwind (after several tacks)

@zooby: yeah, I ordered a lightweight orange tarp online (couldn't find any locally). Had to be orange! And I use gorilla tape instead of duck tape. mixture of sawdust and glue to coat the plywood edges and cracks. And that's more than you asked for.

@digoff: I wanted to be an engineer at one point. But then I was bored to death by the engineering classes after getting a physics degree. And the engineering teachers weren't really interested in the kinds of questions I asked like my scientist profs were. So I went back to science :). The school here is not very interdisciplinary, I've had to do a lot of work to integrate physics and biology (which should be a know-brainer, right?).

Anyway, the engineering here is pretty humdrum. All of our engineering is industrial masses (mining, oil routing, civil engineering). Not a lot of creativity or curiosity about nature involved.
 

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