Ahoy!

On these pages, two guys -- let's call 'em Dude and Dude Jr. -- will build two boats on opposite sides of the US. Someday, they'll get these boats together and the older's will sail faster (or rather he will), but the younger's will look better.

The boats to be built are OZ Racers, Australian boat designer Michael Storer's take on the Puddle Duck Racer, itself a take on the Phil Bolger Brick.

The OZ Racer. Picture from the Storer Boat Plans Flickr Gallery

The boats are square-sided, and square-ended, too, for that matter. And while they may look "different," all accounts say they sail like "normal" boats, and better than many. We have chosen the design for the following reasons:

1. OZ Racers can be built at home with readily available tools from readily available materials.
2. The plans are cheap, downloadable and very detailed.
3. The build process involves many techniques used in modern boatbuilding, and includes making foils, spars and sails.
4. They are easily transported in the bed of a truck or on the roof of a car.
5. They are the perfect size for the small lacks and tricky harbors we each have access to.