My Strip Pirogue

[Kayak Jack]

BK, if you get concerned about a thwart, here's something to consider. Other than to lean on or tie something to, the main job of a thwart is to keep the gunnels together. Under stress, the two ends of a boat will try to fold in onto each other. This buckles the sides (and gunnels along with them) outwards.

A thwart doesn't need to withstand compression, just tension. IE: you don't need a stick, though it will work. A rope across from one gunnel to the other will do the job. Light weight, no moving parts, easily added and adjusted, easily removed, cheap.

 

[beekeeper]

1st. trip. :roll: Sort of.

Swampwood's turn:

beekeeper

 

[mike]

That's a durn nice lookin' boat and no stray fingers, either. 8)

It took a bit, but I finally found the boat with the stray fingers. You can view it HERE

Mike

 

[beekeeper]

I was at Keith's Monday and saw the spare fingers. They were under the band saw. I'm not sure why they were covered in ketchup. :roll: I guess that is where they store them until they need pictures. :wink: :lol:

beekeeper

 

[rhutchinson]

I love the amount of flair you have on this boat. The third picture in this set really shows it off. I'm not talking about functionality. I just think it adds a lot of elegance to the lines.
Also, I don't mind ribs in a boat at all, but the cleanness of this one inside really sets it apart.
Beautiful
Richard

 

[beekeeper]

Richard
Thank you for the kind words. I like the way it looks also, but I'm biased. I hope it performs as well as it looks.

Initial stability seemed less than my hard chined pirogue, but as I leaned the flaired sides increased the secondry stability. Leaning over It felt very firm, like my other boat. Swampwood thought it might have turned better. I think it might be a little faster (easier to paddle). Time will tell, one way or the other.

beekeeper

 

[beekeeper]

The "finished" celebation was premature. I have decided the boat needs to be stronger. The sides and bottom flex too much. Waiting on glass and epoxy to put on the inside. I now know why they call these boats stripers. This is the second time I have had to strip the finish off. :cry:

Oh well, it will give me a chance to fix all the mistakes I made the first time.

beekeeper

 

[Kayak Jack]

A hand-made boat is never completely, all-the-way, wholly done. There's always a thing or two yet to finish.

 

[captaindoug]

Well, it is such a pretty boat, it at least makes it easy to look at while you are at the "doit agin BK" stage. Did you find the side flexed during use or just when getting up and out of the boat? If it is the later, you could try an "assist" rope up in the bow. I did that in my little boat because when tried to pry my, shall we say, no longer petite backside up outa the chair, I heard some loud creaking coming from the sides of the boat. Now I pull myself up with the "ski rope", and the bayou skiff Lite has ribs, fiberglass, inwales, and rub rails. No fat jokes Jack....

 

[beekeeper]

captindoug
It is not so pretty know. Stripped down to the wood on the inside. I still have tears from removeing those 5 coats of varnish. They are NOT from the finish remover, or the four days of sanding.
I only tried the boat for a few minutes. I noticed little movement while underway. Launching and getting out it was obvious it was too weak as is. Nothing but doing it correctly would work in the long run.
I made an error by not glassing the inside. Looking back, I should have seen the need. I used 1/4" srips on the sides. 3/8" strips on the sides, like the botom would have helped also.
The gunnels and inside rails are cypress. Whiteoak would have been more ridged.
The fiberglass and epoxy arrived this afternoon. The fun begins 7:00 am.

beekeeper

 

[Kayak Jack]

Dear Generous Doug, I'm not in much of a position to rib a fellow paddler about the size of his backside. (Not that I wouldn't do it, just not in a good position to.)

I have to heave myself up from the bottom of my boats too. Not only am I ratcheting up weight, my knees just don't seem to work well any more. I used to sit cross legged, lean forward, and spring up. HA! Those days are gone. There are compensations, though. I can stay up late, sleep in, scratch what I want to when I want to, and fart at will. 'Tain't all bad.

Need for and wisdom of glassing the inside of a wooden boat is something that is not intuitively apparent at first. But, if you ever get it pinned up on a sharp object (rock, protruding limb, etc.) and the bottom bends inwardly a sickening amount, the glass is worth its weight in twenty dollar bills. It will greatly deter cracking and splitting of the wood from tension trying to spread it apart on the inside of the boat. That's why laminated bows (as in bows and arrows) have glass on the back, where the wood is under stress of tension, trying to tear it apart. On the belly of the bow, like on the outside of the boat pinned on a rock, the wood is in compression.

I glass the inside of my boats to a bit above the water line, and all over the outside. Some builders like a tight weave glass for inside; I much prefer a loose weave glass. It is much more forgiving of placement and wiggling it around to fit boat curvature.

 

[makenmend]

''I can stay up late, sleep in, scratch what I want to when I want to, and fart at will. 'Tain't all bad''

Amen

MM

 

[rngrbill]

The boat is awesome, thanx for sharing the pics. just felt a little compelled to say what a great site this is and how much I enjoy reading the good hearted fun and friendly ribbing. I'm a deployed Soldier from Michigan and you all's post have given me a good place to spend some free time.......I don't get much but free time but find this a good way to spend it. BTW I will be building a pirogue for my grand daughter when I get home so thanx also for the inspiration.

 

[captaindoug]

Not to de-rail this post, but rngrbill, welcome sir, and thank you for your Service. You got it all wrong though, these guys are all mean and hateful.. :lol:

 

[beekeeper]

We finaly finished the glass on the inside. More sanding now, and after the epoxy cures more varnishing. I'm getting lots of experance on this one boat.

Took it to the offical pirogue weigh station ( Keith's Shop) to have the weight recertified. :wink: The weigh master declaired it 53 lbs.+. It will be at 54 lbs. with the varnish. I liked the origanl 45 lbs. but I was not building for ultralightness. It is well under my other boats. Pretty good for a full grown, man size pirogue, I think.
I also had it seaworthy certified at the water testing site (swampwoods pond) It passed with flying colors and was declaired done.
Some fishing trips will be in order soon. A boat is not complet untill it gets slimed.

beekeeper

 

[Kayak Jack]

That IS a pretty boat, BK. (Next project is prettying up you. :wink: )

 

[beekeeper]

My first impressons are compared to my other pirogue which is similar in size, and my sons pirogue that this one was patterned from, except his has hard chines.
This boat is light enough. No problem loading , carrying, or launching it. Could not enter or exit from the side, so I beached the boat with the bow on the bank and walked in and out. No bending, oil caning, or cracking. Floor is solid. The sides have a little flex, but not enough to be a problem.
Initial stability is less than the hard chined boats. Not a big problem with a little seat time. Turning over is not the issue, but it does feel more tippy. Sort of a faster lean until the boat stiffens up. The wide flaired sides help a lot.
It paddles very well. Seems to be a little faster (easier to paddle), glides farther, and may turn better. It may be effected by the wind a little more. More trips needed to know for sure.
The graphite bottom may live up to its reputation.
I like the boat a lot. Time will tell if the soft chine was a good idea. Guess I'll have to go fishing agin.

beekeeper

 

[Kayak Jack]

<SNIP> More trips needed to know for sure.<SNIP>

BINGO! I have the same problem with the new kayak paddle I bought four years ago. I still don't know if I like it or not. Need more trips to tell for sure. :wink:

 

[TopWaterboy]

Nice Job Mr. B. I'd like to ride in her when she makes the trip north.

 

[beekeeper]

Nice Job Mr. B. I'd like to ride in her when she makes the trip north.

Thanks
Check your PM.

beekeper