Thanks y'all. Of course it is Matt's design, I just followed his plans and added a few touches that I liked.
Mick, Thanks. Your build threads especially on the P5 helped a lot. I fact I first contacted Matt about getting the P5 plans and ended up with this one instead.
Chuck, I stole the idea of using the dowels from another build that I saw on either this forum or Matt's. I can't remember now just who did it first. but since I stole the idea, I guess that you are welcome to also. I hope that he didn't take out a patent. :twisted:
Dad, The ply came from Aircraft Spruce in Peachtree City, Ga. They had some more that looked the same at the time for twice as much. If I had looked at it closer, I might have bought the other one.
It still has quite a few runs and rough spots in the epoxy. Someday I may sand it down again and recoat it. I want to varnish it with a satin finish to cut down on the gloss and maybe that will hide most of the imperfections. Besides I plan on using it and getting some battle scars and am not worried about it looking like a museum piece that I am afraid to scratch.
Sometime over 15 years ago, before I moved into this house, I saw a show to TV where some boat builder in Louisiana was building a pirogue. Maybe that was Keith. That show first gave me an urge to build one. But back then, I used to spent most of my spare time running whitewater in my Bluehole OCA, sailing my Hobie Cat and hiking. When I first ran across this forum, I was thinking about building one similar to Uncle John's but with less rocker and painting it camoflage colors. As I continued to put it off and think about it, I started thinking about adding tumblehomes and using better and thinner ply and no paint. Then TRR built his Hot Air Piro and later Matt came up with the P5 which by then was almost exactly what I had in my head. So I contacted Matt about the P5 and by then he had come up with this one with ideas from jheger.
Thanks to every one on the forum for help and ideas and BS and friendship even though we have never met.
Jimmy
PS: I still have to build a seat and am going to try a couple of ideas for both a single and double blade paddle. Then I will probably start thinking about starting on the Southwind 15, unless Matt comes up with something more interesting by then. I spent over 4 months on this one, Southwind should last me at least 6 months maybe much more if I spend a lot of time paddling this one. Mick or TRR could probably do it in 3 or 4 days.
