The PT 11 sailing rig is one of our creations that we are quite proud of. The carbon tubes are engineered specifically for this rig and manufactured in Washington at Innovative Composites Engineering. ICElogoIt is fun for us to imagine our tubes along side Space-X & NASA tubes, and among top name windsurfer and paddle boarding tubes. Mostly we are proud that this quick-to-set-up rig, with sail and all hardware & rigging, weighs a scant 10.5 LBS.

Our boom attaches to the mast with a custom gooseneck. For years we have made these goosenecks out of vacuum bagged carbon & epoxy in a multi step process that included a lot of carbon dust, finishing, tapping, assembling, and hand stitching tubular webbing onto the forks for a soft contact point on the mast. OrigGooseneck-smallDSCN0643After hundreds of these, there just had to be a  better way.

In 2021, as we sought to offset increasing costs in general and reduce labor where we could, one of the things we did was redesign our gooseneck. After years of trying to think of a better way, Russell began sketching out a new design based on using 1/2" Delrin plate and CNC router technology.

The resulting gooseneck is clean, practical, stronger, and most importantly, much less labor to finish and install. The new goosenecks are installed by pouring epoxy around them. A tight fitting foam plug traps the epoxy. Speaking of tight fitting foam plugs; there are 7 plugs in the 3 tubes that these rigs are made from, 5 of them custom made of different sizes from dense rigid foam. Why? To keep them from filling with water and sinking of course. Why do we need 7 plugs to plug both ends of 3 tubes? The seventh plug is a secret. 😉

The new gooseneck, right to left: blank, blank with edges rounded, installed in the boom.
The new gooseneck, right to left: CNC machined blank, post-CNC blank drilled & edges rounded, gooseneck installed in the boom.

PT 11 sailing rigs are still produced by Russell and drop-shipped from Port Townsend. They can be purchased through Chesapeake Light Craft. Customers who purchased their PT 11 kits from PT Watercraft pre-2021 should contact us directly regarding PT 11 options. We have experienced periodic delays so lead times vary.

Happy Sailing! ...AEB 😉

UPDATE September 2022- This boat is SOLD!

PNW local,  is currently seeking a good home for his PT 11 nesting dinghy. Please see his description and contact information below. Note that shipping is not an option. Buyer will need to pick up in Port Townsend WA.

Nesting PT 11 for sale fob Port Townsend.  Built in 2015 by the skillful John Caples. Wooden Boat Festival regulars will recall his immaculate wood GB 42 Xanadu and her PT 11 tender.  The skiff is available, complete with PT sail kit (gorgeous foils, carbon mast and PT 11 class sail which still exudes that brand new dacron feel).  Varnished, nearly flawless wooden oars included.  This PT 11 comes complete with a low-hours EP Carry electric motor with two batteries and spare key and prop.  Yellow canvas cover.  Bags for protection of foils and mast/sail. All in fine condition.

 

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Jzerro is the last Pacific Proa that Russell Brown designed and built for himself. After owning the boat for more than 20 years, a New Orleans native and seasoned sailor, Ryan Finn took over ownership of the boat.

{{ UPDATE: JUNE 2022 Latitude 38 article/ interview with Ryan Finn. }}

On March 21st, Ryan completed his New York to San Francisco solo voyage around Cape Horn in JZERRO, a 33 year old, lightly built wood epoxy boat, in an amazing feat of seamanship, a testament to wood epoxy boat building, and a real moment for Russell.

Photo clipped from original by Merfyn Owen
Photo clipped from original by Merfyn Owen

Curious?

See Ryan's FB page 2Oceans1Rock.  Sailing Anarchy thread following Ryan. Sail-world article. Sail Magazineincludes a pre-voyage podcast. Lat 38 articles. Youtube Channel with Jzerro videos.

A movie is being put together of the voyage. We are incredibly proud of Ryan.

Photo by Guillaume Beaudoin
Photo by Guillaume Beaudoin

If you don't receive Professional BoatBuilder Magazine, we recommend that you go to their site and sign up. The magazine has always been free for industry professionals but if you can donate to keep their operations running smoothly in this digital world, that would be great too. RBTaskSheetIntro

Last year, Russell was asked to write about epoxy and the editors decided to turn it into one of their featured Task Sheet formats. Russell is not comfortable in a classroom setting but he has received praise for his technical writing that has given many seasoned boat builders clarity and refinement on the subject of working with epoxy. Proboat has generously given us permission to post the task sheet here in a downloadable PDF.

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