ooze goose sailboat

Boat Profile

A box that takes flight

From Issue   June 2021

T he Oz Goose was love at first sight. Or was it finding a love lost? There is something wonderful about sailing a light, responsive boat. I grew up in The Netherlands in the 1970s and spent all my spare time sailing my 8′ dinghy. Since then, I’ve sailed and often raced dinghies and yachts in many countries, on seas and ocean. But the thing that got me into sailing was the response of a light boat, the chuckle of the water at the bow, and the pride of sailing a boat that was actually mine. Fifty years later, I am as hooked on my Oz Goose as I was on that first dinghy.

The Oz Goose is a squarish plywood sailing dinghy measuring 12′ long and 4′ 2″ wide. The “Oz” in its name indicates the nationality of the designer, Michael Storer, who hails from Australia. The Oz Goose is one of the many boats inspired by the Bolger Brick. The pilot version of the Goose was 8′ long and 4.2′ wide; later versions were the current size, 12′ by 4′ 2″. Only a handful of prototypes were built, but in 2014, when Texan sailor Ian Henehan started posting videos of an early Goose planing up to 12 knots in moderate wind, the design drew sailors’ attention around the world. It even surprised Michael that his “experiment” could sail so fast and so well. A MK2 version was developed, with a simplified construction method that made the boat lighter. With new plans available, the Oz Goose soon appeared in Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia. The Oz Goose fleet and community grew quickly through Family Boatbuilding Weekends, when families and community groups can build boats for themselves in just a few days. Sailing clubs popped up; I joined one that regularly brings together more than 20 Oz Goose boats to sail for fun and competitive events.

The plans come in the form of a 115-page manual illustrated with color photographs and a wealth of drawings. Measured drawings provide the shapes of the plywood pieces and the easy-to-follow instructions cover almost everything in detail. In addition to the instructions provided for the standard timber-framed construction, there are clearly marked directions for those who prefer to use fillets of thickened epoxy at the intersections of the panels; filleted joints can save time and may be cheaper. The build doesn’t require many tools: pencils and measuring tapes, a cordless drill/screwdriver to put in temporary screws, a jigsaw, and a hand plane. A random-orbit sander speeds finishing work.  When we encountered problems, the Goose Facebook group proved very useful with detailed answers in a few hours or overnight, and there are now also some excellent YouTube videos with coverage of specific sections of the building process. Just search for “Oz Goose sailboat construction.”

The Oz Goose layout is as simple as it gets. Both the rudder and daggerboard are retracted here, the daggerboard in its trunk and the rudder in its open-backed box with a bungee holding it in place.

T he rectangular shape of the boat makes it simple to mark out and cut its components. Only the 12′-long hull sides and the flotation tank sides have curves—sheer and chine—and they are all identical so only two curves have to be drawn and faired. The rest of the parts are straight-sided rectangles.

The Oz Goose is laid out around two full-length buoyancy tanks that form the cockpit sides and side decks. In the middle of the boat is the daggerboard trunk, instead of a centerboard trunk. It simplifies construction and maximizes cockpit legroom. The rudder blade is held by a ¼″ shock cord in an open-backed box. It can be set at any height and provides light and accurate steering in any depth of water. If the blade strikes an obstacle it swings back and, after passing over, snaps back down again.

The daggerboard and rudder are given foil cross-sections using the templates provided in the manual and scaled online by the designer. Especially for racing, it is most important to shape them accurately and keep them in good condition.

When an Oz Goose heels, much of the flat-bottomed hull rises above the water which significantly reduces the wetted surface area, adding to the potential for speed.

The 13 1/4′ tapered mast has a hollow box; the detailed instructions make it easy to build. The manual includes instructions for making the 11′ boom either hollow or solid. The 10 ½′ yard is solid.  The Oz Goose flies an 89-sq-ft balance lugsail. Several measured drawings for making the sail are provided. For those who prefer a sail less expensive than custom-made or sewn at home, there are instructions for making the sail from a poly tarp and double-sided tape. Commercial sails for the Goose typically have two reefs.

Fittings for the rigging are simple and straightforward. For such a high-performance boat, the hardware list is tiny: three simple blocks, one horn cleat, and some rudder hardware. You can opt to have an adjustable downhaul and outhaul by purchasing and installing additional hardware, but rules for the Oz Goose class don’t allow racers to make adjustments with such devices during a race, so rich and poor are on an equal playing field.

Working evenings, odd days and weekends, it took me around two months to build the boat. A group on Facebook indicated building times from around one to perhaps six months. With the cost of materials relatively low here in the Philippines, our self-built boat cost under US$1,000. In North America, the cost of the boat, sails, and fittings, may come to about $2,000.

At 110 to 130 lbs, the Goose is light enough for two adults to carry to the beach or place on a roof rack. The boat can be sailed solo or with a crew member, for casual sailing or racing. The Goose even has space in its cockpit to fit three people and in light wind it still sails fine, even with those three aboard.

Senior sailors find it less taxing to move about in the ample, uncluttered cockpit and will enjoy the Goose more than other small dinghies. There are several disabled people who have also taken to sailing the Goose, reassured by its high stability. If you do manage to capsize a Goose, the buoyancy provided by the side tanks will let you bring the boat upright by using the daggerboard as a lever, and the cockpit won’t take on any water.

The popularity of the Oz Goose got a significant boost from videos of it sailing at high speed, but it was initially developed for sail training and family outings.

In light winds, you might normally sit well forward while going upwind, but with the Goose, the square bow needs to be out of the water or you will be plowing the waves like a bulldozer. The boat comes alive once the right trim has been achieved, and very little water ends up on the foredeck. When the wind picks up, and especially when bigger waves are building, we sometimes sit really far back. Sailing on a reach is easier, and the helm and crew position are essential to keeping the boat level and getting it to plane, which is a rewarding experience in a Goose. It loves to plane and the transition from displacement mode to planing is hardly noticeable. When sailing with two, it is important that they sit right beside each other in that correct location to squeeze out the best performance from the boat. And with two, the Oz Goose sails at the same speed as singlehanded boats, allowing for fleet races with mixed crews, including adult/child, adult/teen, two teens, two adults, and solo sailors.

When the wind and waves are up, shifting the crew weight aft keeps the bow high and the ride dry.

Even with a double reef in heavy wind, the boat sails remarkably well and is controllable on all points of sail. One needs to be proactive with the sheet—keep it in hand. In gusts, a common reflex would be to steer the boat higher while relaxing the main just a bit but, in my experience, in a Goose it is better to bear down and release the main quite a bit to keep the boat flat and maintain speed. As soon as the wind allows it, I will pull the sheet in, then steer back on course.

Contrary to expectations, the lugsail performs better when the sail is to windward of the mast and creased by it.

With the sail either on the downwind or upwind side of the mast, there is sometimes a very different feel on opposite tacks, especially right after coming about. We have found that neither port-rigged nor starboard-rigged boats will lose out when sailing side by side. Interestingly, our “Geesers” have found that the supposed “bad tack” of the lug has been wrongly attributed to having the sail on the windward side of the mast; it is actually the opposite. When the sail presses against the mast, acceleration is instantaneous after tacking. On the opposite tack, when the mast does not contact the sail, it is harder to find the speed and angle combination. The trick is to find the same speed as on the other tack before trying to point high. Being too greedy by pointing high before finding speed will fly back in your face.

Thom Kleiss was born on the water, on a houseboat in The Netherlands, and has been sailing since the age of four. Now living in Ireland and the Philippines, water is never far away. He is passionate about dinghy sailing development, is the Commodore of the Bere Island Watersports Club in Ireland, and is active in senior Laser racing in Singapore and Oz Goose sailing development in Taal Lake Yacht Club in the Philippines.

Oz Goose Particulars

Length/ 12′

Beam/ 4′ 2″

Weight/ 125 lbs

Sail area/ 89 sq ft

For more information about the Oz Goose, see Michael Storer’s website . To purchase plans, see his list of agents . In the U.S., plans are available from Duckworks : $40 for PDF format , $75 for print . Duckworks offers several Oz Goose kits , prices vary. Precut plywood kits are available in the Americas, Australasia, Philippines, Africa, and Europe.

Is there a boat you’d like to know more about? Have you built one that you think other Small Boats Magazine readers would enjoy? Please email us!

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Comments (7)

Thank you for putting this article together, Chris and team.

Also a big thanks to Thom Kleiss. I had the pleasure to sail in company with him several times—he even beat me in some of our regular races. He has just departed the Philippines with his beautiful varnished Oz Goose (the one with blue sail in the article) in a huge plywood box being shipped to Ireland.

We were joking that the box would make an amazing MEGA Goose with a bit of added rocker!

Michael Storer

I love your article. I sail an East port Pram. It has a bit of a rocker. I would intersted in seeing the MEGA as I need room to add a cubby and sleep on board. Cheers

That version has been designed. See Duckworks for the Goose Explorer.

Very interesting observations about the supposed “bad tack” of the balanced lug rig. I noticed the same thing on my old Caledonia Yawl: the bad tack was better up wind than the good tack.

Following up on the “bad tack” surprising phenomenon, I wonder what would be the affect of putting the daggerboard slot to one side or the other. It would open up a lot of space.

See Michael Storer’s website.

Bolger insisted that boats don’t notice an off-center board, nor an off-center rig. Your idea should work fine.

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Product Description

The Oz Goose is a low-cost sailing dinghy that is easy to build and is perfect for clubs, regattas and learning to sail.

Australian boat designer Michael Storer created this fun sailing dinghy as a project that makes dinghy sailing accessible to everyone. Where he lives, in the Philippines, family and corporate groups are able to build ten Oz Racers for the same price as importing a single Laser dinghy.

The Oz Goose is light and simple to build, with no complicated woodwork. It also sails extremely well despite the low cost.

The Oz Goose will carry an instructor and two adults for sailing lessons, or one or two adults for club racing. It is equally at home with two adults and children aboard for family picnics.

The kit is for the epoxy filleted construction method. An alternative timber-framed method is also described in the plans, for builders in countries where timber is cheap.

The kit includes:

• Pre-cut wooden panels (6 mm plywood) with pre-cut joints
• Solid wood for gunwales, spacers and frames
• Epoxy resin and activator
• Epoxy fillers
• Woven glass fabric
• Woven glass tape
• Mast staves (for hollow wooden mast)
• Wooden blanks for boom and yard
• Daggerboard blank
• Daggerboard case
• Rudder blank
• Tiller blank
• Comprehensive building manual
• Free technical support from a competent builder

The kit does not include the sail or warp although we can supply them.

What else do I need?

The 114-page A4 plans for the Oz Goose are more like a book or a boat building course. They contain detailed information on each building step, including how to join the plywood, mark the shapes of the panels and use the epoxy.

The plans are highly detailed and fully dimensioned. That means that there is no poring over them with your scale rule and getting scale conversions wrong: the measurements you need to know are written in clear type and in the area that you are looking at.

An electronic version of the plans in PDF format that can be viewed using Adobe Reader. After credit card authorisation the file will be sent to the email address put on the order form.

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Okoume Plywood Sheets

High quality Okoume marine plywood in full or half sheets.

Epoxy Bundles

Bundles of epoxy and consumables for building or repairing canoes, kayaks and boats.

Cramps or clamps for holding wood in place while glue sets during the building of a boat.

• Fyne Boat Kits — Old Cooperage Yard, Gatebeck, Kendal, Cumbria LA8 0HW
• Telephone: +44 (0)1539 567 148
• Email: info [at] fyneboatkits.co.uk

Copyright © Fyne Boat Kits

OZ Goose Michigan

Build a boat. Learn to sail!

OZ Goose Plans

A BIG part of the preparation to building an OZ Goose (or any boat for that matter) is studying the PLANS.

Buy the plans from DuckWorks ( http://www.duckworksbbs.com/product-p/oz-goose-id.htm , download the PDF, take it to a print shop (it is 70-some pages!). – have them print it on 3-hole punched paper or have them spiral-bind it for you. (Note – the PDF does not include the OZ Goose logo as a cover page – OGM added that…)

Of course, you can print it at home and bind it however you want. The advantages of binding it is the pages all stay together and you get a blank page for notes or questions to the left of every page of text, drawings and instructions. On the other hand, when you build an OZ Goose with OGM , a spiral-bound (with logo) set of plans is included!

Then: STUDY the Plans! Make notes, jot down questions and be prepared to ask them at OZ Goose Orientation!

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1 thought on “ oz goose plans ”.

Great ideas. I have the plans on my computer but now need the print them.

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Inclusive Sailing in the Philippines with The Oz Goose

There are over 100 Oz Goose Sailboats in the Philippines. A simple boat, that is easy to build with locally available materials.

We teach you to build a family sailing for around 55K php (2022) finished and ready to sail. There are also used boats that are cheaper and your family can also join sailing events with the goose group by hiring a boat at low cost.

A fast and forgiving sailboat, ideal for new sailors and great for racing or relaxing on the water too.

The main fleets of Oz Geese in Butuan, Albay, Taal Lake, Cebu and Subic Bay. There are other boats and we are adding more sailing centres each year.

Looking for Legit Boatbuilding Suppliers for Plywood and Epoxy? Click here to find suppliers we trust. We don’t make any money, advertising payment or kickbacks.

Oz Goose is Low Cost Sailing

You can build a Goose for around 50K PhP, and there are used boats available for as little as 35K PhP.

You can also participate in a Family Boatbuilding Weekend (FBW) , wherein ready to assemble oz goose kits are put together by participants in three days or less. Or you can buy a kit and build an Oz Goose at home.

Even without a boat you can join our sailing events

If you’re not ready to build a boat yourself yet, you can also rent them in various locations in PH at reasonable prices.

• Learning to sail
• Fun Family Sailing
• Coaching sailing skills
• Picnic and Sailboat Cruising events.
• Whale and whale shark watching and sight seeing

We have Oz Goose Fleets in

Click an area to go to the relevant facebook group. But if not sure hit the first link for the General Discussion Group.

• Philippines Wide Discussion Group for all questions and all areas
• Taal Lake Yacht Club, Batangas
• Balangay Marina Sailing, Butuan, Mindanao
• Albay Yacht Club – Albay, Legaspi City
• Subic Sailing, Subic Bay
• Magellan Bay Sailing – Cebu
• Laguna Lakeside Boat Club, Laguna de Bay, San Pedro, Rizal

Sailing is part of Filipino Culture for 3000 years

Sailing clubs have started in several locations around the Philippines through FBWs, people around the islands are enjoying nature while learning the pleasures of sailing, seeing places the way our ancestors did, travel using just the wind. Contact us to find out how you can start your own sailing club through a boatbuilding event in your location.

What is the Oz Goose like to Sail

Teo built one of Mik Storer’s Goat Island Skiff designs about 5 years ago and produced many videos about that boat. He has just completed his goose.

Join our Sailing Events or Join our Volunteers Bringing Sailing To All Regions of the Philippines

We are a mostly volunteer group with the aim of bringing sailing to all levels of the Philippines Community. Oz Goose sailors organise regular events including group boatbuilding, regattas, fun events, sailing coaching.

Our sailing community is inclusive. From fisherfolk to CEOs. We all enjoy sailing on the waters of the Philippines together.

Start a Local Oz Goose Building And Sailing Group.

Two years ago there were no sailing boats in Albay. Now they have 12 boats and teach sailing and run fun events every week.

In 2021 a group of friends in Albay decided to build an Oz Goose Sailboat each. They ended up reinvigorating the Albay Yacht Club, which is one of the oldest yacht clubs in the Philippines.

It is our experience that families, and community groups with some help from local companies can create a Biglang Yacht Club. Four years ago we tested the Biglang Yacht Club to found a 20 boat Oz Goose Fleet built by the Seafarer Cadets of St Joseph’s College in Butuan. Sea Cadets that are now in love with the sea and go sailing whenever they have spare time.

Find out about the Biglang Yacht Club idea.

Building An Oz Goose Sailboat in San Juan, Batangas

A family build of an Oz Goose. They have never built a boat before! They started with one of our instructors, but then they used our Step By Step Videos.

See our step by step Videos and notes HERE

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2X OZ Goose/OZ Racer Sail Insignia

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Description

Polyester adhesive Insignia Port and Startboard for Oz Goose and OzRacer.

The Oz Goose insignia has a horizontal bar beneath the superimposed OZ – the OzRacer insignia does not have the bar as per the illustration above.

It is typical to place insignia in the top ¼ of the sail. Starboard side are placed higher than the ones on the port side to make sure both are legible with light behind the sail.

There are downloadable instructions below for the neat trick involved for placing the insignia on the sail without creasing.

HERE are instructions for applying the insignia. These are the same instructions as used for our RSS Sail Numbers .

The circle part of the insignia is 10 inches (253 mm) in diameter. Sold as a pair - one for each side of the sail.

Notes on Fitting Sail Numbers and Insignia.

The Class Insignia goes in the top Third of the sail. The Insignia on the Starboard side is traditionally higher than that on port. Unless the insignia is exactly reversible. Sail numbers are below the insignia in contrasting colour to the sail (we will be adding white for tanbark sails next shipment). The numbers on the Starboard side of the sail are higher than the ones on port with no overlap.

If using a single digit number it is typical to use a zero in front of it. 01, 02, 03 etc

Tips and Tricks for Attaching sail numbers

(It is not difficult and easier than you think)

Make sure sail is clean and dry. Lay the area you are working on as flat as possible and it is on a reasonably firm surface

Work out where you want the insignias and sail numbers. Avoid sail seams if possible. Draw a guide line in pencil on the sail or line up with a sail seam.

Now the cool tip … The numbers are already the right distance apart for legibility. So we want to transfer them as a block. So trick is to hold everything together by putting (clear is best) packaging tape directly over the numbers while they are still on the backing paper. Follow the number lines and do a couple of diagonals as well to hold the angles immobile.

Note that the digit 1 will take some extra consideration. To assist in lining it up draw a line on the packaging tape aligned with the bottom of all the digits. This is also a good method if needing three or four digit numbers.

Slowly peel back the packaging tape from one corner as one piece. Work slowly and peel in a diagonal direction. What will happen is that as the packaging tape lifts off .. the number segment you want to transfer may stay put on the backing paper. If this happens push the tape down and press down hard on the first part of the number segment that the tape is trying to lift. Segments you don’t want are often left behind by the packaging tape. But if segments you don’t want get lifted by the packaging tape they can be removed after they go on the sail.

Make sure the sail iis not wrinkled. In the working area. Once you have all the segments you want lifted by the packaging tape, line the edges of the numbers up with the pencil line you drew. And press that area down only. Then progressively work towards the other side of the numbers trying to get the tape and numbers down smoothly push it down with medium force. Small wrinkles are easy to fix in the next step.

Peel back the packaging tape from one corner. This time if a number segment you want on the sail lift … push down the packaging tape again and use more force to hold the segment corner down … before progressing across the numbers peeling back the packaging tape.

The numbers will probably have some small creases. Don’t be tempted just to flatten them, but lift up a corner of the segment and peel it back until the wrinkle is pulled out and then push the segment down smoothly.

JOB WELL DONE

Related Products

RSS OzGoose/OzRacer Sail

OZ Goose/OZ Racer Rudder & Tiller Hardware Kit

Goose Explorer Full Plans PDF

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OzGoose Epoxy Kit

OZ Goose Plans PDF

Substituting aluminium spars on the Oz Goose sail boat

The plans for the various Goose versions show timber spars, butwhat about Aluminium tubing for spars. Here are sizings in Imperial and Metric below.

Here is Brad Hickman practicing on Lake Eufala. Video below.

For information on Building and sailing an Oz Goose

• BUILDING VIDEOS -Our Step By Step How to Build an Oz Goose Sailboat
• Building the Oz Goose sailboat for peanuts
• Some of the sailing performance of the Oz Goose
• Video – one of our Regattas – 17 boats – this year 32 boats!
• How the Oz Goose goes together – CAD drawings
• Ropes sizes and Fittings needed for the Oz Goose and a Supplier

I do like the timber spars because they look nice.  But you can save a bit of weight on the yard by using an alloy tube.

Brad Hickman did all the work on this and with a suitably modified boat derived from the OzRacer went on to win the PDRacer worlds.  Six months after (???) there was an anonymous challenge to the legality of his boat.  So it was measured and was found to be class legal. His boat is the one in the pic.

Correct Choice of Aluminium Alloy for Lug Masts and Spars

The correct aluminium alloys to choose for boat spars are in the 6000 series. The Temper must be T6 or the alloy will be too soft and the mast dent too easily or fold at the partner.

So typical numbers you will see are 6061-T6 6063-T6

A newer alternative below is a lower temper but has the same strength. The T5 Temper is not appropriate for the alloys above. 6005-T5

Aluminium spar diameters and wall thicknesses for the Oz Goose and OzRacer.

Also Ocean Explorer, Ooze Gooze and Goose Explorer

1/ I do think the mast will look much less nice than the timber version which has a classic taper. 2/ We do have a nice timber box boom design now.  Contact me for details or see the “files” section on the Goose Facebook group . 3/ A class Legal Oz Goose can only use timber or untapered aluminium Yard. However the other boats have a Yard option of using a used 50% (or more) carbon spar from a windsurfer. Some regions they are very affordable. Here are the details and the instructions. NOTE – WINDSURF SPARS ARE NOT SUITABLE AS MASTS FOR THIS SIZE OF BOAT. THEY ARE FAR TOO FLEXIBLE AND THEY ARE TOO EXPENSIVE TO STIFFEN. Using a windsurfer mast for a lug rig yard on a Goat Island Skiff – Storer Boat Plans in Wood and Plywood

Aluminium spars in use on an Oz Racer

And just for general fun, here is Brad using the spars to motor upwind in his OzRacer derived boat using the Aluminium spars.

More Information about the Oz Goose

5 thoughts on “substituting aluminium spars on the oz goose sail boat”.

I need to build a 3-part mast. Would 2 1/2 OD still be correct? I’m figuring my inner sleeves would be 2 feet each– 1 foot on each side of the split. Does that sound right? And is there any problem with using wooden yard and boom with an aluminum mast?

Absolutely fine. One option is that the top third of the mast can be the same section as used for the sleeve. It will save a little bit if weight and the taper effect will help the appearance.

Thanks very much, Mike. Re-examining this (after looking at the vendor and shipping options), I’m thinking of a 4-section. Bottom 2 sections would be 2.5 OD, upper 2 sections would be 2.25 OD, and top 15″ would be 2″ OD. All wall thicknesses would be 1/8″, not the 1/16″ mentioned above. Sleeves would be inserted 9″ into the outer tubes. Total weight for the mast would be around 25 lbs. Does that sound reasonable to you?

Normally a two piece aluminium mast will be lighter than the timber equivalent. . A three piece mast starts to be somewhat heavier than a timber mast and four piece heavier still.

I don’t know why you are planning to double the wall thickness – it will be a tank. Is there a problem getting the approx 1/8″ wall in the table above?

if there is no real compelling reason to go four piece I would go two or three.

After all, the yard and boom are already longer than half the mast which defines the stowage length. Looks like overkill unless you have something really specific in mind.

Saving weight in the rig is probably four times more effective than saving weight in the hull, but both will give you noticeable differences.

Thanks very much. The vendor says that the shipping has a surcharge for pieces over 58″. I’ve asked for more specifics about that surcharge, but I would guess I’ll end up with a 3-part. The vendor hasn’t responded with more specifics, yet.

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