pirogue weight limits | SouthernPaddler.com

pirogue weight limits

thesandcruz

Member
May 20, 2010
9
0
I just started my pirogue today and was wondering about length/width to weight ratio. I weigh in at 260 and want to take a partner with me when i go fishing. how long of a pirogue would it take to accomadate me and another adult male safely? Also, are there any tips on how to add additional boyancy?
 

thesandcruz

Member
May 20, 2010
9
0
im building th UJ, but without the actuall boat to fill with water and do the calculations, is tghere another way to do calcs?
 

seedtick

Well-Known Member
Jul 22, 2006
1,161
7
Denham Springs, LA
for rough calculations, you can consider the pirogue to be essentially two triangles, with their bases at the center and their apexes at each end.

So a 14' long by 2' wide pirogue would have a bottom footprint (assuming a 1 ' cutback at each end) equal to two triangles,each with a base of 2' and an apex of 6'. That equals a footprint of 12 square feet so sinking the pirogue that first inch in the water would displace one cubic foot or 62.4 lb. As you sink farther displacement increases since the pirogue is flared out at the ends and the sides.

You may want to consider a skiff for your application since it offers a larger footprint than a similar sized pirogue. Beekeeper has a pic on one of his posts showing the difference in bottom footprint of his skiff vs. a pointed end pirogue.

Having said all that, a lot depends on you and your pasenger's skill level in the waters you'll be traveling. Here's a little 14 footer going up Bayou Teche with three hefty riders. Of course this isn't their first pirogue ride :D

IMG_0385.jpg
 

thesandcruz

Member
May 20, 2010
9
0
thanks for all the info guys... and piper, good idea about the 2 UJ, but then i might make more friends and that leads to more christmas cards, and who needs that:)
 

islandpiper

Well-Known Member
When Jdupre' and i retire from the taxpaying workforce we want to open up a pirogue tour joint......two stacks of six pirogues on a party barge, sell a dozen tickets twice a day to city folks wanting to see Jurassic Park up close......haul them out and show them the REAL SWAMP and then a fast ride back to the dock and pick up the next twelve. At about $45/ticket i think we could pay for gas and soft drinks.

piper
 

mds

Active Member
Jul 9, 2009
36
0
60
Delaware
I was concerned about the same issue as the plan has a 14' boat rated at 336. I skipped the calculations and made a boat the length of approx two plys, 15-6 and added a compartment front and back. I figured this reduced the interior volume and added floation at the same time. It also looks good and gives me a place to store lines and stuff. I did create a water-tight compartment and reinforced it. I have experience with a boat that only had a plug. When we flipped the boat we always seemed to kick out the plug, sinking the boat to the gunwale.