WORKING WITH FIBERGLASS

Tips from Mr. Mancebo:

I like the ease of using fiberglass.  But I have also heard horror stories of people becoming sensitized.  Before working with epoxy, download the System three's book http://www.systemthree.com/reslibrary/literature/The_Epoxy_Book.pdf and actually read it.
1.  Use Nitrile gloves and wear a double pair.  Keep gloves that aren't trashed in bucket and use them as the outer pair.
2.  I have a garage attached to the house and did not want to fumigate the rest of the family.  Mr. Mancebo recommended System Three General Purpose Epoxy.  Most nights I do wear a respirator, but on nights that I don't, the order is barely detectable.
3.  Use chip brushes to apply epoxy and work the fiberglass tape.  Cut the top third off the brush.  I tried it both ways and cutting the tip significantly improved spreading the epoxy.

Mancebo's Design

The neat thing about the PDR sail boats is they are relatively simple to build.  Mr. Mancebo's design uses 1/4" plywood and the stitch and glue ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stitch_and_glue ) method.  The sides are buoyancy tanks making the boat unsinkable.  The four side panels are exactly the same which allowed me to make one pattern and then trace the succeeding panels.  The mast, rudder, and centerboard are all made from cedar.  I'll hit Mr. Mancebo up for a write up on his design, once he makes them available.

Getting Started

A brief history.  I have always wanted to build my own sail boat.  However, extended work hours leave very little time for building.  I enjoyed reading the postings of Puddle Duck Racers such as http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/08/gatherings/tx200-2/index.htm and liked the concept of being able to race other designers that were interested in building a simple boat and getting out on the water.  The web site http://www.pdracer.com/ definitely emphasized the aspect of the home builder.  I ordered one set of plans and found the plan decipher too intense for my limited time available for building.  Essentially I get 1/2 hour to 1 hour 3 to 4 times a week and maybe two hours on the weekend.  I am very fortunate to work with a Naval Architect, D. Mancebo, who has history of building and designing several successful racing sail boats.  I must have struck a soft spot with Mr. Mancebo as I started designing my own PDR and asked for advice.  Mr. Mancebo started developing a set of plans that are clear and easy to follow.  It is my intent to add a little of what I have learned and hopefully some of Mr. Mancebo's insights and tips.  I also hope Mr. Macebo makes his plans available on Duckworks or somewhere similar.  The more of us building, hopefully the more of us sailing and racing.  Currently I am building two PDRs.  It seems once you start cutting out a pattern or ripping a dimensioned piece of lumber, it just doesn't take that long to cut or fit a few more pieces.