building a boat! need help!

Discussion in 'Sailboats' started by sail102, Nov 3, 2011.

  1. sail102
    Joined: Nov 2011
    Posts: 63
    Likes: 2, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 42
    Location: carbondale IL

    sail102 REBEL!!!!!!!

    thanx can u enter these in races? how old do u have to be
     
  2. PAR
    Joined: Nov 2003
    Posts: 19,126
    Likes: 498, Points: 93, Legacy Rep: 3967
    Location: Eustis, FL

    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    So, I was right? You are a pre-high schooler or possably just entering high school? Zero, engineering, sailing and wood working experience, except for the 6" x 8" log cabin you made from popsicle sicks a few years ago? Do you still have your Lego set?

    In all seriousness Sail102, building a boat is fairly easy, if you use a set of plans and follow the instructions. Designing a boat, even a small puddle jumper, isn't easy. The worst part of all this is the "unnatural environment" it can place humans (like you, your family and your friends). From an engineering point of view, you have to have a pretty good grasp on things, before starting down this road. Your experience indicates you have zip.

    Lets try this another way, which many here have heard before. Would you ride an elevator to the top of 10 story building, if the designer was as experienced as you? How about an airplane ride at 15,000 feet, that was designed by someone who asked a discussion forum, how long to make the wings? Of course you wouldn't and it's simply because both of those devices, place you and other humans in an unnatural environment. It's not normal for people to be at 15,000' or 10 stories above ground, as any mistake can get your butt killed fairly easily. The same is true of a boat. Where not talking about a swimming pools and water wings here, but a little boat that can easily take you well beyond the point, where you couldn't possably expect to swim back to.

    So, maybe your a prodigy engineer or something, though based on your current effort, either really young or not so much the prodigy. If not the gifted, empirical savant engineer, then you'd be best advised to get a set of plans, get some sailing experience and some swimming lessons, as 8' sailboats capsize (yep, every single one). So, if you take one out, you can just bet this will occur and you'll be splashing around wondering do I save the 6 pack or myself. Having been in this situation many, many times myself and having made both decisions (I'm an excellent swimmer and not willing to sacrifice beer) your design needs to resist this small boat tendency and your current attempt will be quite prone to it.

    Don't take the comments here as a personal assault on your integrity as a yacht designer and structural engineer. Frankly, you can't because you are neither, but I was intentionally harsh to hopefully convince you how truly bad your design is (hello, this is the real world calling). You can keep going to spite me and the vast majority of others posters here. Maybe we will not read about your drowned butt being washed up on a shore some place, which is the whole point here.

    Lastly, you don't think you're the only one that's come down this path before do you? In fact, you picture looks just like a MS Paint sketch I saw here about 5 years ago, 45 degree garboards, angled bow and all. Not a curve on either design (clever). I think I laughed for a half hour before replying. It's not your fault, at least you're trying, but we'd like to see you survive sea trials (never bring a woman on trials, trust me on this) and publish you latest project, if for no other reason then to stuff it up the butts, of the nea saying old farts . . .

    A PDR would be a great start and is precisely 8' and sails pretty good (okay it's a concrete mixing tub with a sail), but it's pretty good for a concrete mixing tub with a sail. I'd recommend Michael Storer's version the OZ PDR which is only 20 bucks for well detailed plans. It's likely the most simplified version of the PDR (there are several versions).

    http://www.pdracer.com/ link to PD racing.
    http://www.duckworksbbs.com/plans/storer/ozracer/index.htm link to Michael Storer's OZ PDR plans ($20).
    http://www.pdracer.com/free-plans/ link to free USA race legal PDR plans.

    The OZ PDR isn't exactly PD rules compliant, but it incorporates many features that are far better then the free plans show, plus have a mountain of instructions and details, all that can be incorporated into a race legal (in the USA) Puddle Duck.
     
  3. sail102
    Joined: Nov 2011
    Posts: 63
    Likes: 2, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 42
    Location: carbondale IL

    sail102 REBEL!!!!!!!

    wered the afro come from? or is that his hat:confused:
     
  4. sail102
    Joined: Nov 2011
    Posts: 63
    Likes: 2, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 42
    Location: carbondale IL

    sail102 REBEL!!!!!!!

    I already downloaded and printed the plans u guys gave me and got some material.
     
  5. troy2000
    Joined: Nov 2009
    Posts: 1,738
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    Location: California

    troy2000 Senior Member

    Well played, sir!

    That'll teach me to make smart remarks about crotchety old designers....:p:p
     
  6. sail102
    Joined: Nov 2011
    Posts: 63
    Likes: 2, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 42
    Location: carbondale IL

    sail102 REBEL!!!!!!!

    +I dont drink.
     
  7. sail102
    Joined: Nov 2011
    Posts: 63
    Likes: 2, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 42
    Location: carbondale IL

    sail102 REBEL!!!!!!!

    you dont have to make a post this long just to tell me this. but thanx:D
     
  8. Frosty

    Frosty Previous Member

    Boy do I know what you feel. you want to build a boat and --well it looks easy enough, but then someone says you need to read books first when you want to get hammering nails.

    I remember what it was like to be a kid even though it was more years ago than I would care to remeber. I too would build stuff, hey my dad would have me in stiches talking about stealing garden fences to make boats that sank in seconds in the local canal.

    He tried to build a wooden roller coaster becaue he couldnt afford to go to one and ride it.

    Build it --sink it- dry off and think a bit then have another go.

    Or do whats wise and take advise, but I do understand that you will not want to do that Its life,-- every generation thinks they invented sex! or even building boats.

    You've gotta get burned to know its hot. Continue with you build! it seems it is the quickest way you will learn.

    Dont listen to the old farts,-- theve ALL done what your doing.

    Just trying to save you some time thats all.
     
  9. LP
    Joined: Jul 2005
    Posts: 1,418
    Likes: 58, Points: 58, Legacy Rep: 584
    Location: 26 36.9 N, 82 07.3 W

    LP Flying Boatman

    This one.

    Davyjones3.jpg

    Plus this.

    DavyJones1.jpg

    Gets you in a whole lot of trouble.

    Davyjones4.JPG
     
    1 person likes this.
  10. BATAAN
    Joined: Apr 2010
    Posts: 1,614
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    Location: USA

    BATAAN Senior Member

    I speak of Davy Jones because I spent quite a bit of CG surf boat time looking for dead idiots who thought they could BS the ocean.
    Sometimes we found them all full of crabs, but one family of 5, Dad, Mom and 3 young kids, washed out of their beefy 17' Boston Whaler we never saw again. The boat was fine, just wet and empty. There were more stories.
    Davy Jones may be a myth or a bad Disney character, but to those who make their way on the water he's the trickster waiting for you to screw up the least little bit at the wrong time and he never sleeps, has no remorse etc, like Terminator.
    3 rules of boats:
    1. Don't be stupid.
    2. Sh*t happens.
    3. Bring beer.
    By following #1 you'll find that #2 is quite rare.
    Survivors get good at #1.
     
  11. lumberjack_jeff
    Joined: Oct 2010
    Posts: 101
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    Location: Washington State

    lumberjack_jeff Sawdust sweeper

    Excellent! Keep us posted.
     
  12. lewisboats
    Joined: Oct 2002
    Posts: 2,329
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    Location: Iowa

    lewisboats Obsessed Member


    As you are too young to know who the first picture is... his name is Davy Jones and he is from a '60s group called the Monkeys...they also had a zany TV show for a year or two.

    The second you should recognize from the Pirates of the Caribbean

    Hmmmm...seems the pictures didn't come with but you get the idea.
     
  13. rberrey
    Joined: Oct 2010
    Posts: 554
    Likes: 56, Points: 28, Legacy Rep: 112
    Location: AL gulf coast

    rberrey Senior Member

    Make sure you post your build on the builders forum, you will get more wanted and unwanted advice. But the people on this site will walk you though your build, and it might be the start of your boat building or desighing carrier. Rick
     
  14. sail102
    Joined: Nov 2011
    Posts: 63
    Likes: 2, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 42
    Location: carbondale IL

    sail102 REBEL!!!!!!!

    who me?:confused: yes I know who davy jones is. my bro still listens to the monkees. how else would I have gotten that picture.
     

  15. Frosty

    Frosty Previous Member

    And the question is folks--who is the real kid on this thread.

    Answer _______________
     
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