New Cajun here! | SouthernPaddler.com

New Cajun here!

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m4a34u

Active Member
Jan 18, 2007
35
0
Vermilion Parish, Louisiana
Hello, I am a new member here. I have been lurking for a few weeks and finally I decided it was time to post something.

My father and me had built an UJ pirogue about 5 years ago, it worked looked great and was very light. He then had it sprayed with glass and with chopped fiberglass, the weight added up to @ 140lbs :cry: . It tracked well and is durable as hell, but the weight kills us. It is a pirouge that will surely hold up for many years, I am sure it will be here for my great grand children :p .

I am looking to build another one as a project for me and my 2 sons(7 & 5 years old), we love to duck hunt and I thought it might be a good Boy Scout project.

My requirements are:
1) Need it to carry 2 adults or 1 adult & 2 children @500 lbs
2) As light as possible
3) fairly durable

After reading through some of the posts, I am sure there is enough knowledge on this sight to help me! :wink:
 
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JEM

Well-Known Member
Dec 27, 2003
2,467
1
54
Greensboro, North Kacalacky
jemwatercraft.com
Welcome aboard! I see the balance of grit-eaters vs. non-grit-eater continues to lean toward the South. :p

So you like pirogues? Need 500 pounds on board? How about the Pirogue 500?

http://www.jemwatercraft.com/proddetail.php?prod=Smpl

P500J-350.JPG
 
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seedtick

Well-Known Member
Jul 22, 2006
1,161
7
Denham Springs, LA
Three people hunting out of a pirogue is going to be exciting. You may want to consider a bateau, about a 3 foot bottom, 14 feet long. A bateau is going to be harder to paddle (you can hang a small motor on the transom) but will draw less water for a given load and be a lot more stable with the kids.

If your heart's set on a pirogue put in some spud poles like on this one. Built this one for a guy who couldn't remember not to shoot a shotgun crossways on a pirogue.

ef010993.jpg


When you get where you want to go, simply push them into the mud. They add a lot of stability when the shooting starts.
 
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m4a34u

Active Member
Jan 18, 2007
35
0
Vermilion Parish, Louisiana
Thanks for the warm welcome.

My initial plans for the pirouge was for transportation to and from our boat hide. We normally hide a pirouge close to the bind and our godevil or mudboat about 100-200 yards away. Our ducks seem to be real educated by the time they end up my way.

I do like the idea of spud holes, I have layed down in the pirouge, on land, and hunted like that before. But shooting out of a steady boat, with spud holes, in the middle of a shallow pond might be just the ticked. .....the ducks won't see me comming.... :twisted: :twisted:

I like the simplicity of the Uncle Johns boat, but will it hold my required weight? Is 15'8" long enough and how wide can I go with only using 2 sheets of plywood?

I will be lurking more and more as the summer comes, that's when I will attempt this project. I'll try to gets some pics posted on me and my dad's heavy duty pirouge as soon as I retrieve it out of the marsh.

Thanks,

Bill
 
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oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
A UJ Pirogue can be made any length you want ... I made one at 18 feet and one guy made one at 25 feet to take folks for swamp tours out there in Louisiana.

My 18 footer weighed in at just over 40 pounds.

The only restriction is the builders imagination or ability. Anything over 18 feet needs another rib in the center , actually some folks have made the normal ones at 16 feet with a 4th rib and it makes them as solid as a rock , ya can stand in them and fish without going swimming.

Just remember you will be making the boat so make the one you want ...... If you want something different then Matt is good at designing them.... He has done a couple for me.

As far as the others , you can stretch them out to do what you want. It just boils down to what do you want. It is not rocket science or brain surgery.

Figure out what you want and then we can come up with more answers or directions for you to go.

Chuck.
 
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bearridge

Well-Known Member
Mar 9, 2005
3,092
4
way down yonder
Friend Bill,

Glad ya joined up. Never kin tell when we mite run short on Cajuns. :wink:

Here iz some more on spud holes with good pichurs.
http://www.neilbank.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2125

regards
bearridge

ps Ya real name iz Boudreaux, rite? :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Doctors are just the same as lawyers; the only difference is that lawyers merely rob you, whereas doctors rob you and kill you, too. Anton Chekhov
 
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seedtick

Well-Known Member
Jul 22, 2006
1,161
7
Denham Springs, LA
PVC pipe works fine for spud holes. Cut holes in breasthooks and bottom and epoxy or use 5200 to glue the pipe in.

On your question about how wide can you build with two sheets of plywood...........

You've got four feet to work with, the sum of the bottom width and the height of the two sides plus a couple of saw kerf widths. If your sides are each 12" then your bottom will be something less than 24". Narrower sides will give you more bottom width, cutting a rocker in the top of each side will give you a bit more at the middle and adding an outside chine at the bottom give you a bit more effective bottom width.

If you flare the sides out (say 35 degrees) you'll gain more capacity as the pirogue is loaded vs. a straighter sided pirogue. Flaring and/or narrowing the sides of course gives you less freeboard but you could always add a tumblehome to gain freeboard without losing the original lines of the pirogue.
 
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m4a34u

Active Member
Jan 18, 2007
35
0
Vermilion Parish, Louisiana
My handle refers to the "gun nut" side of my personality. I have always had interest in the M16 semi automatic rifle, the military's new name for thier rifle in one particular configuration is a M4A3. Meaning it has a M4 barrel set up @14" length (plus muzzel break) and an A3 flat top (they removed the carry handle from the top to use a normal scope).

Hope this clears things up. :D

P.S. Seedtick, what is a tumblehome?
 
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oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
m4a34u said:
P.S. Seedtick, what is a tumblehome?
Click to expand...

Most wives would say it is when the husband is to intoxicated to drive home so he tries to walk but just tumbles - home. They don't know anything about boats.

Actually it is when the side of a canoe (or boat) angles in towards the center of the boat at the top of the side boards. "The curving inward of the upper section of the canoe. This produces a canoe narrower at the gunnels than at the bulging sides. An aid in keeping open canoes dry."

Chuck.
 
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seedtick

Well-Known Member
Jul 22, 2006
1,161
7
Denham Springs, LA
ec5d77d8.jpg



It's the little strip of wood perpendicular to the side of the pirogue. Gives you a little extra freeboard, especially when hauling that big catfish over the side.
 
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mosportsmen

Well-Known Member
Jul 29, 2005
299
0
Kirksville MO
mosportsmen.com
Welcome,

I built this one and streatched the width enough she seems pleanty strong and spudded into the mud it is a good shooting platform.
P1010349.jpg


Don't worry about buying an extra sheet or two of plywood. To me it is the least of the expense of building.. the glass and epoxy are more........
...but I used cheep luan to build this one. I guess it would start to add up if I bought expensive boat building oakum or some such. I don't have the choice because it is too hard to get it to this part of the country.

If I remember right my bottom width is 30" and my beam is 38"

I would have to measure before I started another... and I will becasue I like this one so far.
 
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m4a34u

Active Member
Jan 18, 2007
35
0
Vermilion Parish, Louisiana
I'll have to check Otto Hebert Lumber, they should be able to help me out seeing that they supplied all the lumber to my new house just last year!

Thanks for the info, I thought I might have to look for that at a specialty lumber yard.

Bill
 
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