http://www.flickr.com/photos/22625264@N04/sets/72157622492439800/

Hi Steve,

It is a common misconception, but modern wood construction is much lighter than fibreglass. Even with carbon you would find it difficult to get close to the weights of the same structure in premium plywood such as the gaboon species. Sometimes called Okoume. Still much cheaper than Carbon particularly when considering the cost of moulds and materials that won’t go into the boat

Fibreglass will be about 60 to 100% HEAVIER than wood.
Glass specific density – 2.5gm/cm^3
Resin specific density – 1gm/cm^3
Okoume wood specific density – 0.35gm/cm^3

About 3hp would be more than enough for little boats like this. More will just make the boat stand up with its nose high in the air. Sensible speed is about 5knots (nautical miles per hour)

Best wishes
Michael

what do you think – could be done in glass fibre with no wood for 30 kilograms ?
(building a outer form, laminating in carbon or metal struts and using baloon pressure lamination techniques)

what about a 5hp suzuki engine (we have very few wind) ?

Perttu and Michael, thanks for the response! That’s certainly an impressive weight and well within the 75kg limit of my roof rack (all bulk concerns aside …). I think it may be doable with speed restrictions and short trips.

Regards,

~Rob

Hi Rob

I calculated the approximately weight for hull and it shoud be around 45 -55 kg ( birch plywood ) Approx 130 lbs.
and 5.5 kg for spars ( pine )
Thanks
Perttu

(Comment from Michael … the hull weight looks about what I would expect but would depend on the timber. The whole rig for the OzRacer (the first two Oz PDRacers we built) was about 18 to 20 lbs (7kg) for the sail, rig and the few fittings and ropes).

Howdy,

I will forward this to Perttu and ask him for an approximate figure. It will vary a lot depending on the plywood and timber selected.

One thing to be aware of is that BULK can be as big a problem as weight when roofracking.

Best wishes
Michael

Cheers!
~Rob

No, it is not stitch and glue. It uses timber with square cross section in all the corners.

This requires fewer building steps than stitch and glue because the hull shape is so simple.

Best wishes
Michael

Hi Paolo,

I would not recommend the Ocean Explorer for the Meditteranean. If you know it already, you know there are many beautiful sailing days when you could sail any boat, but then the screaming strong winds come from the mountains or the deserts. I don’t think it would be safe. It really is a boat for rivers and lakes with good sailing conditions because it is such a tiny boat.

As far as two people … It depends on the two people. I have slept in a very small tent with another person and it had been fine. I have slept in a much bigger tent with one person and they found it difficult. It is a small space with a small vertical dimension.

Not everyone will like it, but some who have the spirit of adventure will think it is cute and fun.

Best wishes
Michael

Sorry, I forgot one thing.

The “Stitch and glue” is the construction tecnique?

Thanks

Paolo