Puddle Duck Racer

What is a Puddle Duck?

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PDR What is the Puddle Duck Racer?

According to the designer, Shorty Routh: "The PDRacer is a one design racing sailboat that is basically a plywood box with a curved bottom, and is the easiest boat in the world to build . . . A simple hull can be made from 3 sheets of plywood, titebond II glue, and latex house paint. If you work hard for 2 weekends, you can go sailing on the 3rd weekend. . . . We use the same shaped hulls and go play with them together in fun and goofy ways, and sometimes for very serious racing. . . . Our boat is not just for racing, she is great for all sorts of other purposes - and in most states a boat this small does not need to be titled or registered. " [A launch permit good for all PA State Parks costs $10; it can be purchased online or at state park offices.]

How Can You Puddle Duck Too?

The PDR is designed as the simplest and cheapest of beginner boats. You can read much more about PDRs at the website PDRacer.com, where the creator of this design shares free plans and building advice. Handy carpenters can probably take it from there. But if you live in the Indiana, Butler or Pittsburgh area, you should contact friendsofyellowcreek@gmail.com for information on a group build. We're taking names of folks who would like to participate in a group build this winter.

Free plans, sail design, and more at the official Puddle Duck Racer Website: PDRacer.com

Don't know how to sail?

You can build a PDR and learn at the same time. It's a very stable learning platform. This summer 2011, Indiana Puddle Duckers will learn to sail through free, informal lessons at Yellow Creek; build yourself a boat and come join us. Contact friendsofyellowcreek@gmail.com for more information

How did the FOYC Puddle Duck Project begin?

Ken Sherwood: I have been sailing on Yellow Creek Lake for four years now. Some afternoons, my boat may be the only one on the lake sporting a sail. So when another sail shows up, I make it a point to "gam" with my fellow sailor. Almost all the sailors I met, whether they trailered in their own boat or rented from the park concession, told how they learned to sail at Yellow Creek "back in the day" when there was a university sailing base active on the north shore. For those of us who sail, it's such great fun as an activity that we can't imagine why everyone doesn't sail. But it can take a little practice, perhaps some lessons, to feel comfortable; and it takes access to a boat! Visiting Lake Arthur (Moraine State Park), we saw how an active sailing club can really spawn a great deal of activity. There the MSC sponsors economical lessons, races, and a community sailing program. One of the most generous volunteers at MSC is John Bridges, who not only teaches sailing lessons but also teaches aspiring sailors how to build boats. In the picture above, you can see the kids solo sailboat - an Optimist -- we built with John's help. At this time, John was not only teaching families how to build Optimists for kids, but he was encouraging adults to look at Puddle Duck Racers. Quickly we got the idea that this might be a way to introduce more people to sailing, create some new opportunities and Yellow Creek, and make for an interesting group project.

Find all the FOYC Puddle Duck Articles

Sailboat Building - March 24, April 1 2012

Submitted by admin on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 11:42

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A Puddle Duck Racer "hatch" is scheduled by the Friends of Yellow Creek for March 24th and April 1st, 2012.

The PDR is an economical, safe, and easy-to-build box boat designed for beginners and families, as well as being suitable for experienced sailors who wish to build XL sails and race. Six Indiana families built them as FOYC projects during 2011 and sailed at Yellow Creek State Park this past summer.

FOYC volunteers will lead a group-build next month. The basic hull can be completed in one day; families then take home the boats for sanding and painting. Cost is approximately $200; only basic carpentry skills are required. Currently 2 slots remain for families who would like to be involved.

FOYC co-chair Ken Sherwood observes "it is a great winter project." "This year the Friends will also be sponsoring free learn-to-sail sessions for Puddle Duckers."

"So if you have always wanted to learn to sail, this is your chance."

Contact friendsofyellowcreek@gmail.com for more information or to reserve a spot.

Sailboat Building Opportunity - 2 Spots Left

Submitted by admin on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 11:41

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A Puddle Duck Racer "hatch" is scheduled by the Friends of Yellow Creek for March 2012.

The PDR is an economical, safe, and easy-to-build box boat designed for beginners and families, as well as being suitable for experienced sailors who wish to build XL sails and race. Six Indiana families built them as FOYC projects during 2011 and sailed at Yellow Creek State Park this past summer.

FOYC volunteers will lead a group-build next month. The basic hull can be completed in one day; families then take home the boats for sanding and painting. Cost is approximately $200; only basic carpentry skills are required. Currently 2 slots remain for families who would like to be involved.

FOYC co-chair Ken Sherwood observes "it is a great winter project." "This year the Friends will also be sponsoring free learn-to-sail sessions for Puddle Duckers." "So if you have always wanted to learn to sail, this is your chance."

Contact friendsofyellowcreek@gmail.com for more information or to reserve a spot.

Septemberfest Success

Submitted by admin on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 20:23

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Thanks to all those who attended and helped organizing Septemberfest 2011. We ran successful 5K, bike, and sailing races. We enjoyed many kinds of music, played games, got out in kayaks, and learned about the flora and the avians of Pennsylvania. We'll share more pictures as they're made available. Email friendsofyellowcreek@gmail.com if you have some to share!

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Get your own

Puddle Ducks Launched - July 3rd, 2011 - Yellow Creek Lake

Submitted by admin on Tue, 08/09/2011 - 18:02

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The Launch

On July 3rd, 2011, Yellow Creek Lake was the scene for an happy if unusual launching. Six new, homebuilt sailboats made of wood took to the water. These six Puddle Duck Racers were built by groups fo Indiana families in a project organized by FOYC with the help of Moraine Sailing Club's John Bridges. We gathered as a group for construcion oft the hulls in February and sail building in March. Now after much sanding, caulking, and painting, we had sailboats.

There were last minute questions about rigging. Is this boom supposed to be 8 or 10 foot? Some of the builders had never sailed, so we held a 20-minute crash course. How do you sail up-wind? What if you capsize? What is the main-sheet for again? But the winds were gentle, and even first-time sailors made it off the shore and back again! Our sails made as cheaply as possible from Tyvek and stuck together with carpet tape held! Not only did the boats float but, thankfully, but they sailed pretty well and only mine leaked!

In the picture below, you can also see a pair of wooden Optimist sailboats and a Weekend Skiff that came along for the ride. In the gallery, you can see that we launched from shore. The soft mud is gentle on boat bottoms, but you sometimes need a push to get "unstuck." We found ourselves having to launch the boats into deeper water before hanging on the rudders.

Building and sailing a PDR offers a few chances to be create. Our PDRs sport some colorful, custom paint jobs. For our first build, we suited up the six boats with a popular sail style called the "Leg-o-mutton" which is efficient and easy to build. You may see other PDRs with very different sails, since while the boat hulls should conform to the same shape, sail design is totally open to experiment.

More images from the PDR Launch

Puddle ducks, and other wooden boats; Optimist, far right. Yellow Creek Lake 2011 - From PDR

Puddle Ducks Launched - full Image Gallery

Submitted by admin on Tue, 08/09/2011 - 17:48

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Yellow Creek Lake 2011 - From PDR

PDR

Working out the rigging.

launch

Strong kids can be quite useful!

sailing

That's much better than paddling.

celebrating

A break for refreshment on the south shore of Yellow Creek Lake.

Heading out in the PhDabbler. You can see that the dagger-board and rudder still need to be finished. For future reference, sealing the edges with yellow duct tape looks cute but doesn't hold up very well.

G Smith and Ken Sherwood playing follow-the-leader, or maybe waiting out a lull in the wind.

G. Smith, first-time sailor, practices upwind sailing. Note colorful paint job Amanda created for "A Foat Under the Boat." Young son Griffin was aboard later in the day once Dad got the hang of things.

John Bridges, who has built many larger and finer boats, enjoys the simple pleasure of a PDR.

Ben works on getting the rudder attached; not an easy one-man job when the wind starts to blow your boat way.

Radeau heads out toward the north shore. Lookout kayakers.

The Cope's take to the water.

optimist

Clara and Lili show that you're never too young to sail. This is a wooden optimist, designed in 1947 by Clark Mills. Is it faster or slower than a PDRacer? We're not sure, but Clara does a pretty good job of keeping up!

Friends Malcolm and Liz haven't had their own sailboat for a few years. John brought this Weekend Skiff out for show-and-tell. It's the product of an MSC project from the 1990s. The boomless lug-sail keeps you safe from being clunked on the head. It should row well too. She went home with her new owners at the end of the day.

See the album or slidehow on Picasa web PDRs

Puddle Duck - Sail Building - Feb 26

Submitted by admin on Thu, 03/03/2011 - 23:50

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Our boats have gone "3 D" We've joined five hundred others who've built and registered Puddle Ducks at PDRacer.com.

#529 Ken Sherwood     "PhDabbler"
#530 Brian Cope     "Luna"
#531 Ben Ford and Hilliary Creely     "Radeau"
#532 Baumers
#533 G. Smith     "A Foat Under the Boat"
#534 Bo Villemain

Now that the hulls have been constructed, but these boats need sails. As a budget boat, the Puddle Duck tends to use unconventional sails. In this case, we're making them of donated Tyvek and carpet tape. Couldn't be much simpler or cheaper.

Puddle Duck Hatch - Feb 19, 2011

Submitted by admin on Sat, 02/26/2011 - 13:56

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FOYC helped organize a community boat-building activity with six local families. Organized by FOYC co-chair Ken Sherwood with the expertise of John Bridges, from the Moraine State Park Sailing Club, six boats were build in one weekend. Puddle Duck Racer is a simple, pram-style sailboat made of out of simple plywood with economical sails and hardware. The budget is to complete a boat for less than $150. The boats are celebrated as good for learning how to sail but can be fitted with larger sails to entertain the aspiring racer. More information and free plans for PuddleDucks can be found at PDRacer.com A Puddle Duck race will be held at the next Septemberfest. If you are interested in participating in the next group build in Indiana, please contact friendsofyellowcreek@gmail.com