SOLD!

As of today, June 3rd 2024, this PT 11 nesting dinghy is listed for sale on Facebook Marketplace. These do not come up for sale very often. This boat is nicely built, lightly used, includes sailing options and oars. For someone who can pick it up in Washington State. Click the image to visit the full listing, see more pictures and contact the owner.

Rivet-pt11-forsale

In the building manual for the PT 11 it says: "The PT 11 sailing rig is designed to be light and easy to use, not to be bullet proof." In developing this rig, weight and ease of use were the biggest priorities. "Hiking (sitting on the rail and leaning out) is okay for one person to do but not two.  Sailing with two and having one person hiking and the other sitting inside is okay too, just not two sitting on the rail." Molly-sailingDSC_0170
The PT 11 sailing rig arrives ready to use with all of its running rigging. One small item is up to you and that is the traveler line. This is the line needed to clip your main sheet to.
You can tie a line with a little slack, using the existing holes on the transom inwale to clip your main sheet onto that. This self steering blog post shows this method.
The traveler can be be made shorter as shown below by drilling holes about 7" from the centerline (14" apart). We drilled 5/16" holes and then applied a few coats of epoxy to the walls of the holes to seal the plywood.
The traveler line can be around 3/16 diameter and be held with stopper knots underneath the inwale.

PT 11 traveler with holes drilled inboard.
A short PT 11 traveler
This image shows the tiller/hiking stick in the self-steering position. Self steering is good for brief periods  and works best when there is opposing pressure on the rudder blade.
This image shows the tiller/hiking stick in the self-steering position. This is good for brief periods and works best when going upwind and only works when the boat is heeled.

When sailing, if you feel resistance on the tiller, check to see if the rudder is completely down or if you have caught kelp or other debris. Keeping the threads in the knob clean and greased is important. The threads in the knob are brass and the pin is stainless steel so it will corrode. A bit of maintenance will insure the knob does its job and keeps the rudder down.

Image shows using the forward daggerboard cap turndog to hold down the daggerboard by closing it over the hold down pin.
For post-2021 kits, use the forward daggerboard cap turndog to hold down the daggerboard by closing it over the hold down pin.
ptwatercraft.com
Pre-2021 daggerboards are thicker and shaped differently at the top. A loop of line at the right length becomes a hold down when captured by the aft turndog.
The Tack clips onto the boom as shown. (This image shows an older style gooseneck.)
The Tack clips onto the boom as shown. (This image shows an older style gooseneck.)

The outhaul (asymmetric) snap hook clips into the clew and the outhaul line should be snugged through the v-cleat on the boom:

Clew-clip-in-PT11

PT 11 Outhaul configuration during a regatta. Schooner Sir Isaac in the background.
PT 11 Outhaul configuration during a regatta. Schooner Sir Isaac in the background.
The vang clips into the eye strap on the mast.
The vang clips into the eye strap on the mast.
PT11-Vang
The vang controls the twist of the sail. Controlling twist is important for getting the most power out of the sail, but don't overdo it! Some twist is good but the boom isn't un-breakable.

When adventuring or in fluky winds, we carry our oars with the oarlocks in the forward sockets and the handles tucked under the bow as shown above.

If you are good at slip knots, you can do this in a consistent breeze. Avoid it if not and if it is gusty. Unsuccessfully yanking the slip knot free in a puff can result in capsize or at the least, thoroughly dipping the rail as Ashlyn can attest.
If you are new to dinghy sailing, avoid this use of a slip knot on the main sheet. Unsuccessfully yanking the slip knot free in a puff is a recipe for capsize.
If you capsize when sailing, after righting the boat, make sure the mast is fully seated in the socket before taking off again.
If you are new to dinghy sailing, it is better to start in protected waters or when there is an onshore breeze, preferably steady but not strong.
Keep your weight forward for speed, but move aft in stronger breezes and downwind sailing.
If the water is cold in your area like it is on Puget Sound, wear a wetsuit or drysuit in case you end up in the water. Hypothermia is no joke. It is always advisable to wear a life-jacket/PFD.
Learn to stall, or "park" by pointing into the wind and letting the sheet go. When the wind picks up more than you feel ready for, or you have taken water over the rail and you are feeling a little out of control, this is a good way to take stock: bail, check your rudder and daggerboard for kelp, sort out lines, and take a swig from your thermos before heading off again. The sail will flap and make noise but that is not a problem. When you are ready, reign in your sheet, and continue or head for safety.

Find discounts throughout the store from kayaks and canoes to sailboats and rowing craft, paddleboards to powerboats, even Teardrop Campers and ProKits. All of our complete kits and wood-parts-only kits are marked down. Most carry discounts up to 10%. This sale won't last long, so get on board now for the best prices! Through Tuesday, February 20th.

Savings on complete kits:

https://www.clcboats.com/pt11

clc-presDaySaleImage

 

THE SPEAR is identical in hull shape to the PT 11, but the interior geometry and construction are quite different and deserve explanation.  The PT 11 has a full width foredeck so that water drains into the aft compartment, otherwise there would be three areas that would need bailing of rain and spray. The Spear can have scuppers through the main bulkhead (the nesting PT 11 can’t) and therefore can have what I call a “trunk” seat.
When rowing with three, the trunk seat allows more comfortable seating for the person sitting in the bow. The areas to the sides of the seat are good for holding oars and other things in the boat.
The trunk seat also keeps the hull from twisting under sailing loads. It’s like a torsion box. (Shown below are the PT11, left, and the beta prototype of the Spear)
ptwatercraft.com

Below photo taken in March 2013 of the prototype being built to figure out the process and to write the manual.

ptwatercraft.comTwo of the watertight hatch kits that we offer as options fit really well in this boat, making the boat versatile for carrying (and keeping dry) groceries, camping gear, cameras, safety gear, etc.
The aft hatch is easier to access when sailing and is great for things like cameras, jackets, and food, but because of the baffles under the back seat (more on that next), the volume of area under the forward hatch is much greater.
While the hatches are work to install, the cost of the kits is very small compared to the utility and safety they offer. They also provide access and visibility to the daggerboard trunk, mast socket, and rudder hardware, not to mention a good place to hide valuables left in the dinghy. Coast Guard regulations play a large role in the interior geometry of the PT 11 and the Spear. This may sound like big brother getting in the way of art, but it’s quite the opposite. The regulations are to protect us, the kit provider and especially you, the end user.
Buoyancy built into the right parts of the boat is necessary for safety. Sealed air voids (compartments) have the same value as flotation foam, but access ports or hatches are not allowed in sealed air voids. If the builder insists on inspection ports, it is then necessary to fill these voids completely with foam flotation in order to comply with safety standards. The Below Photo shows the boat before the deck and back seat lid are installed. ptwatercraft.comptwatercraft.comThe bow area (forward of the mast step bulkhead) is a sealed air void in the PT 11 and the Spear. The PT 11 has built in buoyancy tanks in the back of the boat on either side (outboard) that are equal to the volume in the bow. This is what the Coast Guard wants, and it makes sense.
The Spear has a large back seat area, but because it has a hatch, we have to install baffles to form sealed air voids outboard of the hatch where they would do the most good in an emergency. Though the baffles under the back seat decrease the usable volume for storage, they make us legal and make you safer, and they make for a well supported back seat. ptwatercraft.comBelow; Rowing the Spear with 2

ptwatercraft.comThe finished boat pictured was a beta prototype built summer 2012. Due to less specialty hardware required, the Spear base kit will cost several hundred dollars less that the nesting version. The boat will be lighter by 3 - 5 pounds. The various options, including sailing rig, offered for the PT11 nesting dinghy will be the same for the Spear. As of April 2013, we are taking orders for the "SPEAR" kit.

See our website for full information. PTW:)

(Updated)

We took the sailing option very seriously for the PT 11 and it's a good thing we did. Most of the PT 11 builders have chosen our rig and foils.  The sailing performance of this boat is not only measured in sailing ability, but also in simplicity and ease of setting up the rig. Setting up and breaking down a sailing rig is always a bit of work, especially if you are doing it alongside a cruising boat. It's true that the easier the set-up, the more one goes sailing. Our rig is as light and easy to use as possible.         The carbon fiber mast is two-piece and sleeves together. The boom carries all of the hardware and running rigging. The gooseneck fitting is made by us. It has no moving parts, installs instantly, and is held to the mast by the sail and vang. High quality snap and "S" hooks make set-up significantly faster.

The sail is small (54 sq. ft.), but it's a powerhouse, thanks to a good sail designer, Sandy Goodall. The sails are made from DK 160 Challenge.(TM)

The PT 11 sailing rig is sold complete and ready to use.

The rig comes in its own bag shipped in an 8ft long x 7" x 7" box.

ptwatercraft.comIn the 94" bag: carbon mast, boom, running rigging, and 54 ft sq sail.    All this weighs barely 11 pounds! Assembled, the mast is 15' 1" tall with a 10" bury. (socket on the PT 11 and Spear dinghies.

ptwatercraft.comOut haul and main sheet tackle.

Line colors change with various batches.IMG_2416

ptwatercraft.comBelow: Gooseneck and vang  The red part is the sleeve on the sail.

ptwatercraft.comThe gooseneck left was our original design that turned out to be quite labor intensive.

We have since developed a machined Delrin gooseneck, (below) glued into the boom rather than riveted and  that has been working great. NewGooseFinDSC_0596

ptwatercraft.comEarlier model above with an S-hook, currently below with a snap-hook.

DSC_0492

Having fun!

ptwatercraft.comUPDATED INFORMATION:

Complete rig: includes a 2-part carbon mast + boom, all associated hardware and running rigging, sail and bag. It is extremely lightweight (barely 11 Lbs) and quick to set up.

Our Spar tubes are custom made in the USA + Harken, Ronstan, & Allen Hardware)

The masts and booms are made in state by ICE, a maker of the highest quality carbon fiber tubes on the planet. The two-part mast and boom (almost 23 lineal feet of tapered custom carbon tubes) weigh just 6.7 lbs and that includes all the hardware and running rigging on the boom (5 blocks, 2 snap hooks, 1 s-hook, 7 eye straps, 1 cleat, 37 feet of running rigging, and a custom gooseneck fitting. 

Pricing on the CLC website

We have minimal notes for builders to create their own sailing rig as an alternative, starting with 2 standard diameter 460 windsurfer masts.

About the PT Eleven sail :

A foil shaped, luff sleeved sail with 2 short battens, app 54ftsq.  (DK160) Challenge(TM) sail cloth is made in the USA.  This type of sail does not reef and we have not missed such a feature. It is a single, relatively small sail well shaped for a variety of conditions. There is no jib or spinnaker.

PT 11 Sails are designed by Sandy Goodall and prototyped by Sean Rankins of NW Sails & Canvas. Production modifications by Bob Pattison of Sails International. *Production by Neil Pryde/Sails International.

Read Sandy’s  Review of Sailing the PT 11.

Notes on the design; Look for ‘REEFING THE SAIL?

In dinghy sailing events placed in the same class as Lasers, we found the PT 11 to be competitive upwind as the foils and sail allow for pointing very high. However; The PT 11 is not designed as a racing dinghy, but it is a very fun boat to sail. AEB

Things are moving forward on the Nesting Dinghy.  With the idea of incorporating what Russell feels are important properties, and taking into consideration the wishes expressed by some of you following this boat, Russell has revised the design. A test hull is presently being built.
This hull is different from the prototype pictured on our website in 2 main ways.
1. reduced size of the nested package
2, changes that increase stability & usability

Once tested, he will begin working on the actual prototype and the builder’s manual.