5 Panel Decked Canoe | SouthernPaddler.com

5 Panel Decked Canoe

woodman

Well-Known Member
Oct 31, 2010
346
0
71
Bates city Mo.
Re: New Design

With a bend in the ply. that direction does it mean you don't have any rocker? Ought to have an interesting feel to it.
 

beekeeper

Well-Known Member
Mar 4, 2009
1,917
59
Re: New Design

Jack you ought to like this design, a round bottom pirogue. The boat has rocker. That line is a pencil mark not a cut.
woodman, I think swampwood has a secret method for bowing plywood. I just hope he lets me capacity test this one. :wink:

beekeeper
 

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
Re: New Design

beekeeper said:
Jack you ought to like this design, a round bottom pirogue. The boat has rocker. That line is a pencil mark not a cut.<SNIP>
A round bottom is what they had originally - until builders started using planks and plywood. And, JD, that pencil line was drawn with a pencil that had about 28 teeth to the inch. (He signs his name in a clumsy fashion, too. :wink:)
 

beekeeper

Well-Known Member
Mar 4, 2009
1,917
59
Re: New Design

Jack' I'm glad the pirogues are now built with lumber and plywood. seedtick and Keith would be the only guy's building on here. I don't know if I have the patience to build one with a round bottom. I know, I would not like all that chopping. Too much like real work. :wink:

beekeeper
 

seedtick

Well-Known Member
Jul 22, 2006
1,161
7
Denham Springs, LA
Re: New Design

The Chitimacha Indians built a pirogue with a slightly rounded bottom like that. Their reasoning was that it didn't suck in the mud, i.e. it didn't pull a vacuum in the mud like a flat bottom boat would.

Here's the pic. It's the blue one. Unfortunately I don't have a pic of the bottom

jan22007026.jpg


The man that shared the building process built boats in his yard under a big oak tree and his wife tended a small fire of burning moss and continually moved it upwind to ward off the mosquitoes
 

swampwood

Well-Known Member
Aug 6, 2010
276
2
Bayou State - Louisiana
Re: New Design

seedtick said:
The Chitimacha Indians built a pirogue with a slightly rounded bottom like that. Their reasoning was that it didn't suck in the mud, i.e. it didn't pull a vacuum in the mud like a flat bottom boat would.
The man that shared the building process built boats in his yard under a big oak tree and his wife tended a small fire of burning moss and continually moved it upwind to ward off the mosquitoes
Seedtick,
Beat we aren't talking about plywood bottoms though :?: (Chitimacha Indians)
If so, he had to use ribs or shape lumber :?: (Blue boat)
 

seedtick

Well-Known Member
Jul 22, 2006
1,161
7
Denham Springs, LA
Re: New Design

i'm certain the first Chitinacha boats were dugouts that had a rounded or soft chine as opposed to a hard chine. The blue boat is indeed plywood and yes you curve the bottom ribs and the plywood bottom follows. It does have a hard chine.

We have tried something similar in plank construction and, while doable, is more work. The best approach with planks, I believe, is to use say a 14" board down the middle and slightly angle two 5" boards on each side. That makes a 24" bottom that while not rounded is also not flat.
 

beekeeper

Well-Known Member
Mar 4, 2009
1,917
59
Re: New Design

seedtick
About what angle would the 5" boards rise from the 14" one? How do you handle the boards coming to the stem? Are they treated as one board? The two 5" boards would stop befor reaching the stem. Or are they tapered/fitted to the stem as a point, like a strip build?

Thanks
beekeeper
 

seedtick

Well-Known Member
Jul 22, 2006
1,161
7
Denham Springs, LA
Re: New Design

At the center of the boat, on the outside of the boards - maybe 1/4 or 3/8"

The two 5" boards didn't go all the way to the stems. Don't have a pic from the outside but here's an inside pic. That shows the two narrower boards alongside the wider board

ella2007026.jpg
 

beekeeper

Well-Known Member
Mar 4, 2009
1,917
59
Re: New Design

An upside down tumblehome or something? A 5 panel pirogue. Did any of the old time builders do this. It would be so interesting to compare similar designs with variations side by side on the water.

beekeeper
 

seedtick

Well-Known Member
Jul 22, 2006
1,161
7
Denham Springs, LA
Re: New Design

Not enough deviation from flat to call it a five panel boat

The norm was a three board pirogue - one for the bottom and one for each side. Old timers had access to plenty good wide, long boards. We have the access most of the time but finding a 24" planer without having to pay an arm and a leg to use it is difficult. So we don't usually bring home boards wider than 20". Besides, a one or even two piece bottom throws away a lot of wood in the trimming. We'll still build a one piece bottom, but it costs more.

Personally, I can't tell any difference in a one board bottom vs. a two board bottom vs. a three board bottom. But then, I'm just not as sensitive as some others. :D