oz goose sailboat

Boat Profile

A box that takes flight

From Issue Small Boats Annual 2022 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.”

A look over the stern of the Oz Goose highlights the straight lines and right angles of the dinghy

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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Plans & Kits
Kits and Packages

OZ Goose Plans PDF

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Description

Additional information.

To purchase printed plans for OZ Goose, click HERE

A kit for this boat is available from JO Woodworks .

fast - 12 knots is easy and top measured speed is 13.8 knots on a tideless lake
excellent carrying capacity - it sails very well in very light winds with three adults aboard (or two adults and several kids) making it an excellent family boat and TEACHING BOAT
Easy to handle - when heeled in a gust the helm is very balanced and neutral - a small child can steer very easily.

The Goose was introduced as a larger family version of the OzRacer some 6 years ago. But it was overlooked as "just a bigger OzRacer" until three years ago when Ian Henehan in Texas started to put videos of the boat going very fast with one on board (up to 12.9 knots) and sailing well with a payload of two adults and three or four kids. We have put some of Ian's videos below.

It became clear that the Goose was a boat with unusual capability.

Since moving to the Philippines in 2012 Michael, along with the members of the PHBYC (an internet group for home boatbuilders in the Philippines), have been developing the OzGoose through a number of refinements with two group builds of 10 boats and development of a plywood production boat with Monsoon Marine . The boat is now simpler, faster, prettier and easier to build and importantly much easier to sail.

Set up properly it is almost difficult to sail badly. The fleet of 27 boat in the Philippines are regularly being used as sail training boats with three adults aboard - instructor and two students. The boat is very responsive with these payloads moving very well in very light winds while being predictable and stable in strong breezes.

They are raced with one or two adults as crew in all weathers, often experiencing big waves common on Taal Lake and the ocean (photo).

If you are interested in the shorter, lighter, simpler boat, look at the OZ Racer , or the more family style OzRacer RV . Some of the Back Story Bob Alston contacted me a couple of years ago wondering how to change the just under 8ft (2.4m) OzRacer into a just under 12ft (3.5m) boat more suitable for two people. The standard OZ does take a passenger fine and sails well, but it is not a particularly participatory place to sit.

However, stretching the boat to 12ft allows two people to sit side by side as in the cover illustration. So it would be simple to share the sailing responsibility. One with the rudder and one with the mainsheet. Much better for sharing and learning.

The nice point about the PDGoose (Bob's name for it) is that it uses ALL the bits the same as the OzRacer - so rudder, tiller, centreboard, mast, the same two sail options. So if you have an OZ ... you can build a OZ PDGoose hull and go sailing with friends

The 12 footer will be able to carry quite a lot of weight and might make a good boat for events like the TEXAS200 event, though a lot of preparation and knowledge about the boat is necessary for tough events of this type. We recommend the lug sail with an extra reef point.

A bigger boat when friends drop round

The PDRacer is the ultimate in cheap, light and easy. It is a boat that a sailor can dominate because it is so small, simple and light. Not to mention easy to store and transport.

There are lots of arguments for not getting a bigger boat if you really don't need it. Listen to them! The great thing about the original PDRacer is that it is so simple and quick to use. The hull only weighs about 65lbs.

However I think some PDRacer owners will enjoy having a PDGoose as well as more people can go sailing with you and it will be a little bit faster than the PDRacer which might be useful sometimes.

The goose has the same enclosed side tanks as pioneered on the OzRacer so if you do capsize the boat will float on its side and then will come upright with very little water aboard. See the capsize sequence for the PDR here .

Uses the same bits as the OzRacer

Everything for the OzRaceracer and the OZ Goose is identical except for the hull. This means if you have a PDRacer, you can just build the Goose hull and transfer all the working bits across.

One Caution

The mast for the OZ is strong enough for one person leaning out hard - so you can sail the PDGoose very hard singlehanded. However when sailing Two up I would recommend that the crew only sit comfortably on the side decks and not lean out hard - otherwise the mast might break. If you do want to build a real two person OZ PDGoose mast I will be designing a new mast for it later.

Some videos from Ian Henehan (pictured above) below

I will bet you thought I dropped off the end of the world when I never got back with the results for the PDR Goose version. I must confess I did not take the boat out at all last year, but, the goose is FANTASTIC!!! I had a bout with the "big C" last year, and didn't get much done at all. However, the hull you designed is so great I intend to build another one just for use with a motor. In 2007 I took the PDR GOOSE out a couple of times with a motor before my health probs kicked in, and I went in the water, on purpose, and brought all 155 kilos of me up over the side of the boat with NO problems. got caught out in a sudden blow where the wind was hitting 38 miles and hour with my wife on board and took no water in. the hull design is fantastic.

(Michael says: this is probably an exaggeration as to wind speed and probably represents a high point for the day taken from the weather report in the evening. I don't recommend that beginning sailors go out in that wind strength and some experienced sailors will probably decide not to as well!)

Do I owe you something for the hull I am building now? this one is only for use with a motor, but adhering closely to your design. Sorry I took so long to get back in touch, but just thought you would like to know about the goose. Have a great day, and have some FUN with it Bob Alston

Goose Rigging details for many lug boats - rudder fittings, three blocks, stainless ring and a 4" horn cleat. All other fittings are 4mm spectra. We have worked out how to bypass some of the cost and the fleet allows us to check reliability of the solutions.

Click HERE for rigging details

Capsizing PDR #486 2

My son and I doing some capsize practice.

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OZ Goose Printed Plans

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RSS OzGoose/OzRacer Sail

Oz Goose Sailboat – Cheap Simple Plywood Boat

Oz Goose Plans, Agents and Details

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

To see the Oz Goose is an effective sailing boat look at our National Title Video! Top Right of every page.

Oz Goose Plans teach you to build a boat Framed or with Fillets

The Oz Goose plans covers two styles of building.

Built with timber framing – this is the cheapest option for North America and developing nations.
Built with epoxy fillets – this is the fastest building option. It is cheaper in countries where suitable timber for framing or shipping of timber is expensive (EEC, Australia, much of central Europe).

Very Detailed Sailing Dinghy Plans.

Not just a plan – A boat building course in a book.

The Oz Goose plans are very complete and include details of every aspect of building the boat, links to rigging methods etc.

They also include complete details on making a sail out of polytarp which can help reduce the budget for the boat by a few hundred dollars.

It is easy to build – it is a box with only two curved lines.

Ten Oz Goose Sailing Dinghies for the price of one Laser

Photo is another of our ten boat building projects in the Philippines.

We can built 10 boats with some sponsor help for the same price as importing a single Laser sailing dinghy.

Our first Family Boatbuilding Weekend 2015 saw family and corporate groups assemble 10 Oz Geese in three days.

Preparation for the weekend took 8 people 6 days. We have information available to assist group builds

Oz Goose Sails well keeps going when other boats find it too rough

Boats built from the Oz Goose Plans can handle all sorts of difficult conditions with ease.

With one …

… or three aboard

Article on Oz Goose sailing in rough water

Oz Goose Sails are available ex Stock

.We also have our stock sails available for the goose for those who want an excellent quality sail built of conventional materials – also through Duckworks and other agents – order here .

More Oz Goose Information

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

1 thought on “Oz Goose Plans, Agents and Details”

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All Videos – Oz Goose – OzRacer and other “Squareboats”

Motherlode of oz goose videos..

Vidoes of the simplest and best performing family sailboat – the Oz Goose – , teaching the family to sail, racing, videos of speed sailing records (stands at 13.8 knots currently), building, our first regatta and more.

Just so you can see the good speed, weight carrying ability and predictable handling of the Oz Goose and related boats yourself. Not to mention a capsize video or two to show how quickly they come up … and no water aboard.

OzGoose, OzRacers RV and Mk2 , Ocean Explorer and other Squareboats

This is a playlist showing over 35 videos. They have been ranked for most informative ones first.

Click on this icon at top right of video to choose what you want to see. The most informative videos are first.

Stability and speed in strong winds.

Here is a video of me in the Philippines with a mighty nosedive at a lot of speed. No water in boat and it sailed out happily without any weird steering tendencies. I did three of these on this day because racing was cancelled and the start boat had a camera aboard :)

Imagine trying this in a Laser!

Oz Goose sailboat with massive nosedive in 25+ on Taal Lake

And here our first ever Nationally sanctioned regatta – 17 boats built for less than cost of importing two Laser Radials.

Sailing is for everyone! ...with the Oz Goose

Find out about the Oz Goose Plan

The Website for the Oz Goose is here.

Goat Island Skiff group on Facebook Open (Oz)Goose group on Facebook Storer Boat Plans group on Facebook (for all other of my designs).