Greetings to Everyone,
I've been reading Old Sparkey's Forum over the last few weeks and this is my first post. Great bunch of folks! And it seems I found you just in time, before starting my next pirogue project. Yes, I'm hooked. I built my first boat last year after moving back to SC. (Some people call SC Pirogue Heaven.) I had wanted to build a boat for years, so when I found myself back in SC with plenty of time, space and all that beautiful black-water calling me, I took the plunge. My first was a modified UJ. It is now anchored on the bank of a large beaver pond behind my brother's home. She may be a little rough around the edges, but wow does she slide through the water like glass. Since then I've built a Jon boat, but I love the pirogue the best.
I'm now considering a second pirogue to explore more of the swamps and rivers that wind their way through the low country where I live. So here's my question. I hope to increase the carrying capacity of my next boat. I know I could make my boat longer, wider, or raise the sides, but how about this. With most of the pirogues I've seen, the sides are basically parallel. Of course when assembled, such a design changes the "flat bottom" to more of an elongated U, creating that "rocker effect. My guess is that while the rocker effect helps maneuverability, it actually lessens carrying capacity. This is because the boat is meeting the water, not along the entire length of the flat bottom, but at the base of the U first.
What if I cut a slight arch at the bottom of the sides (nothing extreme, maybe 2" - 3" at center) so that when assembled the bottom would be more flat, offering greater resistance when placed in the water? I may lose maneuverability, but I would expect a measurable increase in carrying capacity. Am I way off base? What do you think?
:? Duffy
I've been reading Old Sparkey's Forum over the last few weeks and this is my first post. Great bunch of folks! And it seems I found you just in time, before starting my next pirogue project. Yes, I'm hooked. I built my first boat last year after moving back to SC. (Some people call SC Pirogue Heaven.) I had wanted to build a boat for years, so when I found myself back in SC with plenty of time, space and all that beautiful black-water calling me, I took the plunge. My first was a modified UJ. It is now anchored on the bank of a large beaver pond behind my brother's home. She may be a little rough around the edges, but wow does she slide through the water like glass. Since then I've built a Jon boat, but I love the pirogue the best.
I'm now considering a second pirogue to explore more of the swamps and rivers that wind their way through the low country where I live. So here's my question. I hope to increase the carrying capacity of my next boat. I know I could make my boat longer, wider, or raise the sides, but how about this. With most of the pirogues I've seen, the sides are basically parallel. Of course when assembled, such a design changes the "flat bottom" to more of an elongated U, creating that "rocker effect. My guess is that while the rocker effect helps maneuverability, it actually lessens carrying capacity. This is because the boat is meeting the water, not along the entire length of the flat bottom, but at the base of the U first.
What if I cut a slight arch at the bottom of the sides (nothing extreme, maybe 2" - 3" at center) so that when assembled the bottom would be more flat, offering greater resistance when placed in the water? I may lose maneuverability, but I would expect a measurable increase in carrying capacity. Am I way off base? What do you think?
:? Duffy
