The PD Racer is the brainchild of David “Shorty” Routh who believes that sailing should be a sport that is “cheap, creative, and …fun on the water.” PD Racers are basically 4’ x 8’ box boats that share a common hull up to a height of ten inches. After that, the designs and sail plans are left to the imagination of the builders. Below is the side view of an 18” high hull that meets the class requirements.

Because the PD Racer is an inexpensive, easy-to-build sailboat with minimal class rules, the class is expanding rapidly among both novices and experienced boat builders. Constructing and sailing a PD Racer is a wonderful learning opportunity for a parent and child, students, scouts, retirees, or any individual or group that wants to experience the joy of building and sailing a nimble, very stable small boat. That joy is enhanced even further when a group of PD Racers assemble for a messabout, an event that usually includes lots of food, fun, stories, sailing, and otherwise messing about in boats.

Work Space

PD Racers can be built nearly anywhere—in garages, outdoors, in an empty warehouse, in an apartment, in a large tent. Use your imagination. It’s helpful to have a couple of sturdy sawhorses or an old picnic table to hold your work at a comfortable height, but level ground will also do. Utilize a couple of 2” x 4”s to keep your work out of the dirt. If you are using power tools, you will need a power supply and a heavy-duty extension cord. Keep your tools organized and your work space consistently clean and it is more likely you will enjoy your building experience. Observe tool use safety precautions.

Tools

PD Racers are intended to be easily and inexpensively built with the need for only a few tools and minimal plans. A number of PD Racers have been completed (at least well enough to sail) in less than 24 hours in a process known as a Puddle Duck Hatch. Careful planning for a hatch is essential because the hatch usually involves building a number of boats to a single template or plan within a very limited time frame. In return for publicity, sometimes a local sponsor, such as a building materials store or a community sailing club, can be convinced to donate some of the essential materials and tools for the building process. If you are interested in sponsoring a hatch, join the pdracer group at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pdracer and ask Gordon Seiter for advice. Gordon is hosting the 2007 PDRacer World Championship.

Tools in the first column below are essential to getting started. Borrow or buy what you need. Tools in the second column are helpful additions you will want to acquire as you continue to build boats. It has been my experience that a person who builds one boat invariably will want to build several more—it’s an addiction.

Minimum Essential Tools

Helpful Additional Tools

16’ steel tape measure
Block Plane, at least 8” long
Clamps (many types can be made inexpensively. See Boat Building in Your Own Back Yard by S.S. Rabl.)
Combination square
Drill and a set of drill bits from 3/32” to ¼”
Portable electric jig saw (OK, maybe you could do without this saw, but It sure does save time.)
Hammer, 12-13 oz.
Handsaw (You might not need a handsaw if you have the jig saw.)
Sanding block
Screwdrivers, flat and Phillips
Paintbrush
Utility knife
Weights of some kind. Paint cans filled with sand work well.

Adjustable bevel gauge (for copying angles)
Bench vise
Carpenter’s wood rasp, Rattail file, Surform tools
Cordless drill, 3/8” chuck, variable speed, reversible, and additional wood bits
Circular saw with guide (Good quality cordless circular saws are really great, but expensive. Buy quality saw blades, always)
Drywall square
Hammer, 8 oz.
Handheld belt sander, random orbit sander, portable finishing sander
Jack plane, electric rotary plane
Nail sets/punches
Power router and bits
Quick clamps, pipe clamps
Wood chisels, gouges
Table saw

Materials List and Plans

Now it’s time to make some decisions. What’s most important to you? Cost? Stability? Speed? Unique design? World records? If this boat is to be a family project and/or a learning platform for youth, stability, stiffness, and high freeboard might prove very important, particularly if more than one person will be aboard at a time. Younger children can be easily frightened away from sailing if they don’t feel too secure. But as they reach middle school age, youths are usually ready to take some risks. So, if either you or your child enjoys flirting with danger, a light, speedy boat with minimal sides, and a huge sail plan might be a good fit for you. Or, if you are after a world record, PD Racer style, Shorty might just condescend to create an entirely new category just for you and then post your claim—if you can offer proof, of course. Biggest sail, peak speed, altitude??, land speed???…check out the existing records by going to: http://pdracer.com and clicking on “records.”

Other factors, such as where you plan to sail, whether you will try to sleep overnight in the boat, how you plan to store and move the boat, and if you can meet your own standards of fit and finish will all play a part in shaping your PD Racer design.

No matter what you decide, you will soon learn that boat design is all about compromises; and if your plans go awry this time, chances are that you will come closer to your dreamboat next time.

Shorty has posted a number of alternative designs on his web page at: http://pdracer.com/ that might meet your individual needs. The plans offered here are based on my own preferences and compromises. Lame Duck has the distinction of being recorded as hull #100 in the PD Racer class.

This particular design was originally conceived in response to the needs of a community sailing club in New York for a summer project for low-income middle school students. As a former educator, I thought that building and sailing PD Racers would be an unforgettable summer project for these kids. However, the Hudson River liability creature probably reared its ugly head, and the club lost interest in the project just about the time I began building the boat and trying to create a curriculum. As a result, the boat was finished, but the curriculum was not. However, I still firmly believe that the concept has great potential for a summer project-based learning program that could be funded by numerous grants. WalMart, Lowes, Home Depot, and other local merchants often offer smaller grants, but if a school is involved, federal Title I program funds could come into play—and those often involve thousands of dollars. Think of the math and science involved, not to mention the hands-on skills kids could learn. If you know a teacher or principal who could be interested, please have them email me at polysail@aol.com.

My experience with 4’ x 8’ box boats goes back a few years (See my Hot Tub and Z-Boat links near the bottom of the PolySail Home Page at http://hometown.aol.com/polysail/HTML/index.htm) Consequently, I opted for stiffness, stability, fairly high sides, and a large open cockpit to accommodate one or two crew members. I also made certain that most of the boat’s structural weight is carried low in the hull. I included Styrofoam flotation in all sides and a proven sail plan that would drive the boat well but was unlikely to cause an upset. I chose these options with first-time sailors in mind, and Lame Duck is no slouch as a racer having hit 5.5 mph by GPS in a moderate breeze; but Lame Duck might need some refinement for assaults on the PD Racer world records. However, with just a few modifications in construction and materials, I believe Lame Duck could easily be transformed into Super Duck!

Below is a common list of materials for this boat.

LIST OF MATERIALS
All boards listed are at least #2 grade. Sorting through common boards can result in considerable savings.
Description	Material	Dimensions	Number	Est. Cost	Source
Bottom skids (need to bend easily) Bottom frames Bow and stern transom support frames, top rails, rail support frames Keelson, keel, tiller, leeboard handle Bottom (Ply Floor, 5 ply) (Sort for fewest plugs/best back side) Sides, rudder case (doubled) Sides, bow, stern backing Bow, transom, stern reinforcement Bow, stern crosspieces Deck, stern seat Mast, boom 10’ x 20’ PolySail Kit Screws Screws White primer, latex enamel paint White latex enamel 3” Latex Brush Ring nails Weights, 5 lb. 10 lb. Paddle Tite Bond III Wood Glue, 8 oz. Colored Duck brand tape PL Premium adhesive Leeboard, rudder Fairleads Swivel block (pulley) Cleat Mainsheet line, dock line Pintles and gudgeons	Vinyl Pine/Poplar/Fir Pine/Poplar/Fir Pine/Poplar/Fir Plywood, Ext. Glue, Sanded Lauan Styrofoam BC Plywood Pine/Poplar/Fir Pine/Poplar/Fir Pine/Fir Polyethylene Brass/Stainless Brass/Stainless Nylon Bronze Cast iron Poplar Plywood Composite Various Composite Poly Chromed steel	1” x 2” x 12’ 1” x 8” x 8’ 1” x 3” x 8’ 1” x 2” x 8’ ¼” x 4’ x 8’ 5mm x 4’ x 8’ 1 ½” x 4’ x 8’ 3/8” x 2’ x 4’ 1” x 6” x 8’ 1” x 12” x 8’ 2” x 6” x 16’ 10’ x 20’ 1 ¼” # 8 ¾” #6 1 ¼” 4’ 1 ½” x 42’ ¾” x 2’ x 4’ 3/8” 3/8” 3” 5/16” x 25’	2 2 5 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 Box/25 Box/50 1 qt. 1 qt. 1 lb. 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 Set of 2	$18.00 $14.70 $13.65 $6.50 $21.99 $9.88 $15.85 $6.37 $10.60 $12.97 $9.60 $59.95 $5.69 $5.69 $7.00 $8.00 $5.00 $9.95 $9.00 $8.00 $6.00 $2.95 $3.89 $12.00 $1.90 $12.50 $2.10 $2.50 $21.38	Menard’s Home Depot Home Depot Home Depot Menard’s Menard’s Home Depot Home Depot Menard’s Menard’s Menard’s PolySail International Lowe’s Lowe’s Lowe’s Lowe’s Wal-Mart Clark Craft Wal-Mart Wal-Mart Wal-Mart Wal-Mart Home Depot Lowe’s Duckworks Duckworks Duckworks Walmart Duckworks
Total				$330.11

On the following pages are the rough study plans I used for completing this boat

Once the bottom frame member is cut to the correct size, you can cut the bow crosspiece and bow transom frame members. The bow crosspiece is 1” x 6” x 3’ 11 5/8” to allow for the addition of 5 mm lauan sides later in the building process. This crosspiece adds significant strength to the bow of the boat and also provides a stable platform for the bow transom frames.

Bow transom

support frame

Crosspiece

Lower frame member

Crosspiece

On this boat the bow transom frames are made from 1” x 4” stock. For a lighter boat, a builder should consider using 1” x 3” stock for these frames. Use a protractor set at about 77° to make the angled cut at the base and top of each of these frame members. For a PDRacer with sides of about 17 ½” in height at the middle like this one, the cuts are made at about 10” measured along one edge. For extra stiffness, the builder can cut three of these bow transom frames—one for each side and one for the middle. I attach these frames with glue and stainless screws to the crosspiece before attaching the crosspiece to the bottom frames. See the photos for this process.

Bow transom support frame

The next step is to build the stern transom framework. Cut a crosspiece measuring 3’ 11 5/8” from a 1” x 6” or larger. I used a 1” x 8”, but if you ever want to use an electric motor on your PDRacer or carry a couple of passengers, you might want to consider a 1” x 12” so that you have a solid platform to carry a marine battery or provide a seat at the stern. Of course, a 1” x 12” also adds a few extra pounds to the finished weight, but anything smaller is useless for seating. Consider a smaller crosspiece for racing and a larger one for cruising. Again, add the transom braces to the crosspiece before attaching the crosspiece to the bottom frames. The transom frames are cut from 1” x 4” stock and are 8 ¼” long. Cut four of these and attach them at the back corner of the crosspiece as illustrated.

Stern transom

support framework

Cutting the Rails and Rail Support Frame

Once the crosspieces, bow, and stern transom support frames are in place, cut the top rails from a 1” x 3” piece of 8’ stock. Temporarily nail these pieces in place with finishing nails on the tops of the bow and stern transom frames so that the outside edges are flush with the outer sides of the transom support frames. Leave nail heads exposed so that these nails can be pulled out easily. (As an alternative, builders might want to substitute 1” x 4” mahogany for these top rail pieces. Instead of making the rail edges flush, extend the top rail about ¾” over the edge of the transom frames. Use a router to round these exposed outside edges and create a nicely finished gunwale. In this case, the sides would be cut to lie beneath this extended gunwale providing better protection for the lauan edges from the weather.) Once the rail support frames are in place, the leading edge can be cut to match the angle of the front transom supports.

The next step is to cut in the rail support frame. Having an adjustable bevel gauge like that pictured below will help in this step. Place the 1” x 4” x 8’ support board flush under the rail and flush with the outer stern transom support frame. Where the rail support board intersects with the front transom support frame, draw a line to mark where to cut this piece so that it fits snugly at both ends. (More experienced builders might want to dovetail all these pieces, but I simply glued the rail support frame to the top rail and to the transom support frames with Tite Bond III, figuring that once the sides were in place these pieces were not likely to separate.)

Top rail

Top rail

support frame

Adding Bottom Crosspieces, the Keelson, Wedges, and Mast Step

To support the ¼” bottom at the front and stern, I added additional crosspieces between the bottom frames. Made from 1” x 6” x 3’ 10 3/8” stock, these pieces add strength to the potential impact area at the bow and support a keelson down the centerline of the boat. To help support the keelson, I added wedges at the bow and stern crosspieces. The front wedge, according to my notes, was cut to fit at 9 1/4” x 7 3/4” x 2 3/8” x 3/8” at the nose. The back wedge was 7 ½” x 7 ¼” 2 3/8” x ½”. My notes include a “front angle” at 42° and another at 24°, but I do not know exactly where these measurements were taken or their relevance to the wedges.

Before gluing and screwing the wedges in place, I cut a 2 1/8” square mast step into the top bow crosspiece starting about 2” back from the front edge of the crosspiece. This arrangement allows the mast to sit on the wedge and still be supported by the keelson when stepped so that water can drain off the bottom of the mast and the mast loading is still well distributed. This placement allows me to adjust the angle of the mast at the partner if I want. I tend to like a forward cant on my PDRacer mast.

Before adding the keelson, I also added a 1” x 3” x 3’ 10 3/8” crosspiece in the middle. This piece adds support to the floor and the keelson and keeps the spread of the bottom consistent. I did not add limber holes in this crosspiece, because at the time I was building Lame Duck, I thought I might want to put sand in the bottom in either the front half or rear half for ballast and I didn’t want the sand to leak from front to back. I just wasn’t very sure about the boat’s stability, not having seen one sail before. I soon discovered that sand ballast is not needed. The PDRacer is a very stable platform with about 60 sq. ft. of sail. However, if I ever decide to go with a huge sail plan, I might reconsider this idea using small sandbags that could be positioned for different points of sail.

The final step is to glue and screw on the 1” x 2” keelson at both ends and to the middle crosspiece. I didn’t record a length measurement, so I suggest the builder cut this piece from 8’ stock to fit.

Keelson

Bottom bow crosspiece

Wedge

Middle crosspiece

Adding the Stern Top Rail

At this point, the builder is ready to add the stern top rail. This piece is simply a 1” x 2” x 3’ 6 3/8” board that is screwed onto the top of the stern transom support frames. I would probably opt for a 1” x 4” piece if I were building this frame again. The larger width would allow additional Styrofoam flotation under this piece at the stern.

Below is a picture of the frame at this step of the process.

Stern

top

rail

Cutting the Lauan Sides

At this point, I could use the side framing to outline my sides. Laying a piece of lauan on the floor with the good side down, I upended the framework so that the top rail was flush with the long side of the lauan, and the stern framework was flush with the short side of the lauan. Using a pencil, I drew around the bottom frame and up the bow transom support frames then repeated the process for the other side. I marked each side as starboard or port and then cut out the sides along my traced lines. Next, I set these pieces aside to be fitted later.

Cutting and Fitting the Bottom

My next step was to fit the bottom to the frame. First, I turned over the framework so that the bottom was up and put glue on the bottom of the frames. Next I placed the ¼” x 4’ x 8’ plywood bottom over it. I had purchased a premium priced, 5 ply, knot- and void-free, exterior glue panel for the bottom. I wanted this piece to be as plug free as possible, because I knew that the steeply curved bottom could pop those plugs loose without fiberglass over the bottom. Recalling that this build was to be done by youths, I was hoping to build this boat without resorting to fiberglass and dangers it might pose for the unwary.

The bottom was fairly easy to fit to the frame. For this step, I chose to begin at the bow. Being careful to allow a 5 mm overhang on each side, I began driving 1 1/4” bronze nails through the bottom plywood into the bottom frames about every 4”. I didn’t drive the nails all the way in at this time since I was primarily concerned with lining up the framework evenly with the bottom. I would work one side for a few nails and then switch to the other to keep everything aligned. After I finally reached the stern, I nailed into the bow and stern cross frames as well. I marked where the 1” x 2” middle cross frame was located and added a few nails there. When I was satisfied that everything was aligned, I drove the nails home so that the heads were countersunk slightly.

After inspecting the fit, I added additional glue to any gaps and added some countersunk 1 ¼” x #8 stainless screws at the corners and where there appeared to be any significant gaps between the framework and the bottom. Finally, I trimmed the bottom at the stern, allowing a 3/8” overlap for the stern transom to be added later.

Locating and Attaching the Leeboard Support Frame

A board must be inserted between the top rail support frame and the bottom frame to support the leeboard. The front of this board as shown in the study plan side view is 2’ 9” back from the top of the bow. I used a 1” x 10” x 7 ¾” board glued in place and backed up by some metal tie straps like those that are used in home construction to tie roof supports together. The hole for the leeboard was placed about 37” back and 5” down from the top of the gunwale.

Adding Styrofoam Flotation and the Sides

Lame Duck plans called for 2” of Styrofoam flotation on the inside of the boat. My earlier experiments with Styrofoam in the Hot Tub series I built showed that a 1 square foot 1”-thick piece of Styrofoam was equal to about 4 lbs. in displacement. I figured that I could pack the equivalent of about 60 sq. ft. into this PDRacer and estimated that this would provide over 200 lbs. of floatation. Putting the flotation in the sides, bow, and stern also helps the boat pop back upright if it is blown over.

In order to “go 3-D” and get a prime hull number (#100, in this case), I filled in the “gaps” in the frame with 3/4” Styrofoam secured with polyurethane glue and/or a tight fit, then sent the photo below to Shorty. In reality, the best way to proceed would have been to add the 1 ½” Styrofoam that fits inside the support frames first. This layer should be painted with a protective layer of latex paint. (Do not use enamel on Styrofoam.) After this layer is installed, the leeboard support board should be fitted between the lower frame and the top rail support frame. (See the study plan for location.)

After the initial layer of Styrofoam was fitted, I glued and tacked on the lauan sides using copper tacks and an occasional bronze nail to make certain the sides were secure against the frame and bottom.

DID YOU KNOW?....

Styrofoam was originally developed as a lifeboat material for the US Navy.

Adding Additional Flotation and Skids

In this building project, the next step was to add the additional Styrofoam flotation. After giving a coat of primer to all exposed surfaces of the already installed Styrofoam, I cut and fit the additional 1 ½” thick sections to the sides, bow, and stern.

After priming everything with latex primer, I added a deck that included a 2 3/8” hole for the mast. This 3/8” thick deck has a reinforcing panel just beneath the mast hole. Later, I added a piece of 1” x 2” mahogany trim just aft of this mast partner to reinforce the deck and partner. The triangular pieces topping the stern corners add further stiffness to the boat.

Looking at the bow views above, you can barely notice two 1” x 2” vinyl skids that I added to the bottom for protection. Finally, I gave the exterior two coats of Sears Best white latex enamel over the exterior white latex primer. I painted the interior with a flat “Sailcloth” color that caught my eye. That done, I was ready to add some hardware, let the paint dry, then check to see whether Lame Duck would float dry with her bow and stern clear of the water. A cooler made a comfortable temporary rowing seat for the hull test.

PDR 100 floats for the first time

Examining the photos, I was pleased to see that this PDRacer only required about 3” of water to support my 190 lbs. At the same time, the boat was going to need a few touches before she could pass for a racer. I thought a contrasting stripe along the side might help break up the expanse of white on the sides and make her look longer, so I added that detail later in the form of dark blue Duck brand tape. The Duck brand tape comes in multiple colors, sticks well, and looks good as a design accent.

Making a Mast and Sprit Boom

I planned to use the standard 60 sq. ft. Bolger sail plan on this scow. It’s one of the easier sails to construct and use, and the size was about right for this boat. Besides, I already had the sail, mast, and sprit boom built courtesy of an earlier Bolger boat building project. The standard mast for this sail plan is about 16’. At its base, the mast measures about 1 7/8” thick. This thickness increases to 2 ½” at about 4’ then decreases gradually to about 1” at the tip. To make this mast, go to the lumberyard and find a clear 2” x 6” or 8” x 16’. Don’t even attempt to find a clear 2” x 4” of that length. Only the wider pieces will give you a shot at finding a good straight, clear piece. At the same time, buy two pieces of 1” x 3” x 8’ clear spruce, fir, or pine. Cut a 2 ½” x 16’ piece out of your large 2” x 6” or 8” piece. Butt the two 1”x 3” x 8’ pieces end to end and glue these flat to the 16’ piece so that the whole mast measures about 2 ½” x 2 ½”. See the diagram below. Saw and plane down the mast to the dimensions listed above.

The sprit boom can be a great deal smaller and lighter. The sprit boom is 10’ long x 1 ½’ in the center tapering to about 1 ¼” at either end. Cut notches facing the same direction in each end about 1” deep by ¼” wide.

Making a Sail from White Polytarp

On the next page is a diagram of the Bolger 59 sq. ft. Leg O’ Mutton sail. On Lame Duck, I actually used a reverse Bolger sail on this PDR. I reversed the luff and leech measurements in order to lower the center of effort and move it aft slightly. There are a couple of pictures of the sail following the diagram. I’m doing a 180° in the channel in very light air.

Detailed instructions for making this sail are online at my web site at: http://hometown.aol.com/polysail/HTML/article.htm

Head

Clew

Tack

Main sheet

Snotter

Building a Leeboard

Leeboard

Using a leeboard instead of a centerboard or dagger board just makes sense on a small boat like the PDRacer. Instead of a centerboard trunk cluttering up the interior, the leeboard can be mounted completely outside the hull. The PDRacer’s flat sides allow a leeboard to be mounted nearly anywhere along the sides, whereas a centerboard or dagger board trunk, once located, cannot easily be changed. A leeboard, on the other hand, allows the builder the option of changing his sail plan nearly at will, adjusting the board position and depth easily, and changing the mounting position from side to side, as needed. All these options seem to make the leeboard the obvious choice for a PDRacer.

As shown in the diagram above, I first located the center of effort of my sail (indicated by the dashed vertical line). The leeboard needs to be located so that its center is forward of that line in order to allow the boat to point its bow into the wind and stop if the helm is left unattended. This tendency in a boat is called “weather helm,” and is a very desirable trait for your boat to have if you ever fall overboard. A boat with “lee helm,” on the other hand, will quickly turn and head downwind if the helm is left unattended.

I like the big leeboard on this boat. Lame Duck’s leeboard has a 10 lb. weight embedded in the lower part of the board. That weight keeps the board from floating up and helps stabilize the boat by putting some serious weight down low in the water. In spite of the weight being all on one side of the boat, Lame Duck handles as predictably as boats with weighted centerboards.

The leeboard I put on Lame Duck is actually larger than pictured in the diagram. I cut the board from 3/4” plywood. The actual board, including the handle, measures 13 1/2” x 49 1/2” and just barely clears the water when fully up. The picture at the left of the leeboard propped up against my wife’s sports car provides some perspective on the size of this board. The front of the board is rounded in an attempt to imitate a NACA foil shape, while the back tapers to a ¼”-wide flat edge. A 24” x 1 ½” x ¾” mahogany handle is screwed and glued onto the top. The board is mounted about 34” back from the top front corner of the boat and down about 5” from the top of the gunwale. There is a small block (pulley) located about 32” down from the handle along the back edge of the board. This block allows me a 2:1 mechanical advantage when I hoist the heavy board upward from its down position. However, the line to that block really hums when the boat is moving on a tack, indicating that the 3/16” line is creating some unwanted turbulence. I am still searching for an answer to this problem; but, on the whole, I am very happy with this big board and the stability it lends to the PDR.

Building a Rudder

Rudder in down position

Pictured is the kick-up rudder, case, and fixed tiller (handle) I use on Lame Duck. The rudder is cut from a piece of ¾” plywood that is 3’ 3” long and 11 ½” wide at its widest point. The radius of the curve at the top is 3 ½” while the curve at the base of the rudder was freehanded. A 5 lb. weight is embedded in the bottom to keep the rudder down. Like the leeboard, the leading edge is shaped in a NACA-like curve while the trailing edge is narrow and flat. Fitting the rudder to the rudder case and getting it to lift properly required some alterations to the case size that I didn’t document at the time.

Pintles

Tiller handle is 32” x ¾” x 1 ½”

Rudder in up position

10”

12”

7”

18”

The rudder case is made from duplicate pieces of 3/8” plywood. The case measures 12” from just under the handle where the upper pintle is down to the lowest point just below the lower pintle. The back portion measures 7” down from the handle to the point where the angled cut is made. The case measures 10” from front to back. Sandwiched in between the two pieces of plywood that make up the outer parts of the case is a ¾” x 1 ½” x 12” that is flush with the front edges of the plywood, and another ¾” x 1 ½” x 18” piece that includes the decorative curved section that support the tiller handle. The back part of the case is left open so that the rudder will kick up if it hits bottom without damaging the rudder or the boat.

The tiller along the top of the case is fixed in place unlike some tillers that will tilt up to allow the captain to move from side to side more easily when he is near the stern. For a boat of this size, the tiller could probably be shortened by a few inches. There is an advantage to the longer tiller, however. The helmsman can easily steer from the center of the boat if he needs to move forward for any reason.

Adding Essential Lines and Hardware

To prepare your boat for sailing, you will need to add certain lines and pieces of hardware. Below is a listing of some of the lines you will need:

· A dock line or painter for tying up your boat or anchoring it. Usually this line is fairly long and strong to allow for towing if you need help getting back to shore when the wind dies. I recommend 3/8” braided poly.

· A mainsheet for controlling the main sail. With the Bolger sail, this line is attached at the clew (back corner) of the sail. The tail end of the line slips through the slot at the aft (back) end of the sprit boom where a figure 8 knot is tied in. The line then runs down through a pivoting block (pulley) attached to the top of the tiller right above the rudder case. For more purchase or leverage, this line can be run back up through another block attached to the lower part of the sprit boom a couple of feet forward of the clew. I recommend a 3/8” low stretch, braided poly line that is long enough to allow the sprit sail to swing all the way forward of the mast. (Important: Always tie a figure 8 knot in the end of this line after it is rigged for sailing to prevent the line from going overboard and causing a loss of control of the sail and boat.)

· The snotter is secured firmly around the mast at one end. The other end fits through the slotted forward end of the sprit boom. This line is knotted with figure 8 knots in several places along the loose end to allow for adjustments that will flatten or loosen the main sail. This line is usually ¼” low stretch braided poly.

· A halyard is used with some sails to raise and lower the sail. The halyard is attached to the top of the sail, run through a sheave, or pulley, at the top of the mast and down to a cleat on the mast, deck, or some other part of the boat directly below the mast. With the Bolger PolySail, the sail usually is attached directly to the mast with plastic ties and rolled around the main mast when not in use. A main halyard is usually not needed with this sail.

Fairleads	Padeyes	Cleats

Some of the hardware needed on your boat, such as cleats, pad eyes, and blocks, has already been mentioned above. Here are some additional pieces of hardware you might want or need:

· Pintles and gudgeons come in sets and are handy for attaching and removing the rudder. The pintle fits on the rudder (see the picture on p 24), while the gudgeon is affixed to the stern transom. Two sets of pintles and gudgeons are needed with one set attached high on the transom and rudder case and the other attached lower down. Usually, the top pintle is a little shorter than the lower pintle to make it easier to lower the pintles into the holes in the gudgeons. Some builders save money by using door hinges with removable pins to attach the rudder to the transom. A stop of some kind that will swing over the top of the pintle is needed to prevent the rudder from being pulled upward and loose during sailing.

· A swivel based block can be mounted on the back part of the tiller for the main sheet. Look closely at the pictures on pp. 23 and 24 for the one I have mounted on my tiller.

· Lifting handles are a good idea to have attached to the stern and bow of the boat for lugging the boat around on land. These handles can also double as steps to get back aboard if you fall overboard.

· Cam cleats allow you to pull the line through the cleat but will lock the line in place when the line is pulled from the opposite direction. These cleats are handy to have, but are much more expensive than most standard horn cleats.

· Oarlocks and sockets are a better backup than just a paddle if the wind dies or some other catastrophe occurs. Paddling a PDRacer can be very frustrating if there is current or wind to contend with. I highly recommend carrying a a set of oars onboard for emergencies.

Pintles and Gudgeons	Cam Cleat	Oarlocks and Sockets

Duckworks Boat Builders’ Supply at http://www.duckworksbbs.com/index.htm provided me with permission to use pictures of the hardware pictured above and is a good source for hardware. Duckworks is an invaluable resource for boat builders and is operated by two of the nicest and most interesting people anyone could want to meet.

Launching and Testing

Sailing can be life threatening. Before jumping into an untested sailboat and attempting to sail off, it’s a good idea to go over the following checklist and be able to answer each question positively:

ð Do you know the basics of sailing?

ð Have you set up and tested your boat at home on dry land with the sail up to make certain everything works as expected? (It’s good to have your tools nearby.)

ð Is the weather right for testing? Light winds about 7 mph? Warm water? No threat of storms?

ð Are you located on protected waters, such as a small lake, with some people around and possible help nearby? Does your family or a close friend know where you are?

ð Is the water relatively free of powerboat and personal watercraft traffic?

ð Are you wearing a personal flotation device (PFD) or life jacket?

ð Do you have a whistle or portable air horn that will float and that you can locate easily if the need arises?

ð Are your car keys attached to your PFD or to a belt loop so that they can’t be lost overboard? Did you leave your wallet locked and hidden in the car or in a waterproof floating container attached to your boat?

ð Does your boat have adequate flotation and can you re-board and recover easily from a capsize? (Test the boat in shallow water by upsetting it. Realize, however, that recovering from a capsize in deep water is much, much more difficult even if your boat takes on little water.)

ð Have you tied in figure 8 knots in the main sheet and leeboard/centerboard hoist after feeding the line through the hardware? Is there enough slack in the main sheet to allow the sail to swing all the way forward of the mast?

ð With the sail flapping in the wind (luffing),are you able to launch from a pier or fairly deep water by rowing or paddling out to a depth where your rudder and board can be fully down or nearly down to begin with?

ð Do you know which direction the wind is blowing? (Face your boat into the wind with your sail flapping.)

ð Do you have both your tiller and main sheet in hand?

If your answers to all these questions are “yes”, then you should be ready to give your PDRacer a shakedown sail. Move your tiller so that the boat will head off at about 90° from the wind and start “sheeting in” your sail, and your racer should start moving under sail power. Turn a little bit into the wind and pull in the main sheet a little more and you should start moving away even faster. From this point on, you are sailing on your own, and chances are high that you will soon learn how to handle your boat without risking disaster.

I highly recommend taking a boating safety course for certification. Go to the following US Coast Guard site: http://www.uscgboating.org/safety/courses.htm

Storing your Boat, Mast and Sails

One advantage of the PDRacer is that it can be stored vertically in a small space on its stern. If there is room in the garage, that is where I would store a PDRacer between uses. Otherwise, store it upside down on concrete blocks or some elevated surface. Once a season, give your boat a fresh coat of paint. Changing the colors or using a different theme can sometimes help rekindle your interest in the sport of sailing.

I recommend storing the sail rolled on the mast on some elevated brackets in the garage or some other protected area. Constant exposure to moisture and the sun’s ultra violet rays will eventually damage nearly any sail material. If your sail has gotten wet, lay out the sail and wipe it down on both sides before wrapping it around the mast for storage. The PolySail surface cleans up readily if wiped down with a towel occasionally after sailing. Following these recommendations will extend the life of both your boat and sail.

Welcome to the world of PDRacers!

Free and Low-Cost Boat Plans

PolySail International

2291 SE Gaslight St., Port St. Lucie, FL 34952-7332

Email polysail@polysail.com or call Dave Gray at 317 385-3444

PolySails–Sold on the Web since 1996. Customers in all 50 states and around the globe.

This page updated on 4/4/2009