pirogue plans

A

auto5man

New member
Hi All,

Love the new site Eric!

I'm interested in building a pirogue (Louisiana style). I've done the standard google searches on pirogue plans but have not really been happy with the results. Lots of guys advertising plans for 20 dollars or less, but with very little actual construction info. The various plans differ in points here or there (external chine or frame construction, for example.), so I was wondering if anyone has any direct experience building this type of boat? Did you like the plans/design you used, or would you have chosen another...etc. I'm looking for any suggestions or knowledge. Thanks.

David
Memphis, TN
 
I used the plans from Uncle Josh i beleive . IMG_0605.jpg I added covers over the bow and stern .IMG_0614.jpg .IMG_0639.jpg Then painted it with Lous open water Grey 34 . IMG_0780.jpg and i added a 1 by 3/4 keel .It paddels great and tracks strait as an arrow !
 
uncle john's for me too... 4 of em to be exact. i would recommend it to anyone. build the first one from his kit then you can make your changes on the next.

Jeff
 
Thanks for the replies...(and for the pics)

Yes, I saw the Uncle John's kit boats in my initial search, and I'm glad to hear good things about them. His was definitely the best looking and most informative website. Are the plans detailed enough to make the stems and ribs yourself for the next boat?

Dave
 
I am using the uncle john's plans with 8th and 9th grade students in my wood working class. Good instructions and illustations . I've got 2 boats being constructed so far we've got the stems cut , plywood scarfed together,and the ribs assembled kids are pretty excited.
What length boat are you going to be building?
 
I havn't made up my mind yet on the length. My rough plan so far is that my brother and I would like to meet once per week and help each other build a pair of pirogues after the arkansas duck season is over, because at the moment I'm to busy, hee hee.

My first thought is to lean towards longer (maybe 14 footer) something that would track well for the solo paddler. Its sort of a dream I've had ever since as an adolescent I hunted solo out of a plywood pirogue that my dad got a hold of. It was a dream to paddle solo and at jump-shooting ducks, but I don't remember the length ( I have kept the boat in storage for years so I can measure it and find out, but I think it was on the longish side at my guess of 14 ft). The application would be Arkansas flooded timber and swamps so maneuverability is important, but the attributes I remember so fondly were a speedy boat that tracked well, (paddled well solo) and its shallow draft. If you paddled along at a good clip you could slide right over all the submerged logs/timber without hanging up, all this while paddling along in 1 to 3 ft deep waters. These depths are a little troublesome for jon boat with motor, and you dont have to worry about lifting the prop up every 10 yards or so.

David
 
whoa whoa whoa back up a minute....

are you saying you LIVE IN ARKANSAS? if that's the case.. holler at me .. i'm in LR and if you are close, i could help you out.. i might even have a kit that i never used.

Jeff
 
David, I built one using someones plans but made mine out to about 15 feet. It carries a lot of gear, but is heavy. I made a second one about 13 feet and like it better in that it is way lighter, easier to handle by myself. Haven't tested it in real world conditions yet, but it should be more fun to use.
Good luck with it.
 
Hey Jeff,

I don't live in AR,,,I live in Memphis. But, during duck season its my second home. I'm sitting in my clubhouse in northeast AR as I type this. Just got back from killing a limit of ducks, as a matter of fact. Have some buddies in our club who are from LR.

Kevin, I'll be interested to here your performance report on the 13 footer. Capacity for gear carrying is not my primary concern, so I like the idea of a lighter boat. Because I need to be able to pull it over levees by myself, for example. Its purpose will be for paddling around and jump shooting on those slow days when a little exploration is in order...

David
 
Auto5 you may want to look at the free canoe plans (in reality it is a pirogue) at www.bateau.com . I have built two of them as well as one of the Uncle John's. You can download the free plan or if you require patterns they are about $10.

Regards,
 
David
That 15 footer went to Nevada with me and my partner. Carried my 75 lb. lab. six goose floaters, 11 swan dekes, 2 dz. duck decoys and some other gear. But it is heavy. Hope to test that 13 footer this weekend on the Snake. Won't do it sooner as we have some big winds coming in. It has a square stern which may help with gear capacity.
For pulling over dikes and such it should be much easier than the big one. Although I was able to drag the big one across some mud flats in Nev. with gear on board, I'm getting too old to enjoy much of that stuff anymore.
Will try to remember to send a report after the weekend. Send a note to me if I forget.
Good luck with it, as it really adds to the enjoyment of the hunt.
 
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