I went to Lowe's this morning and got 2 sheets of sanded pine 1/4" ply and a few sticks of Western Red Cedar. Came back late morning and drew out the sides. After lunch, I cut out and planed and sanded the sides to shape. I just finished putting on the glass patches on both sides and what will be the bottom panel........two layers on the sides and one on the bottom panel. The epoxy started going off on me or I would have put the second piece of glass on the bottom. I may go back out later and start scarfing the stock for the chines and gunnels.
"Short Stuff" pirogue
- Thread starter jdupre'
- Start date
Oh, I made the executive decision to shorten it a bit. I cut the sides 12' long. Finished boat should be about 11' 8 and about 24" wide with about a scant 1" rocker. Lots of "abouts" in my boats. 
13" at stems and about 9" at midships. I'll may take a bit off of the top of the stems and plane the sheer line down a bit. The pine ply is pretty splintery and needs some dressing down.
I flipped the sides and applied a glass patch over the joints and the second patch over the bottom panel. I also scarfed a couple of pieces of western red cedar and glued them together. That piece will be ripped into the new chines with an angle to shed water.
I flipped the sides and applied a glass patch over the joints and the second patch over the bottom panel. I also scarfed a couple of pieces of western red cedar and glued them together. That piece will be ripped into the new chines with an angle to shed water.
I spread the sides temporarily on the form to check the lines. Wasn't feeling it. I ripped another inch or so off of the sheer line and planed a smidge more off of the reverse chine cut. Much better to my eye. Depth at stems - 12"...........depth at midships - 8 5/8" . I also put a spacer on the top edge of the center form to give me about 24-25 degree flair. It just looks better that way and will give me a bit more secondary stability.
Today I looked at my model and a full size pattern I have.
Both indicated about a 3" + or - a little difference between the midships height ( width of side panel) and the height at the stems. This seems to produce a sheer line that I think of as traditional Cajun pirogue look. I'm not sure that is a real thing but it looks good to me. I have had trouble achieving
that look in my last builds. Keeping the stems at only 10" high (reduces wind signature) and using the tumblehome panel to maintain an adequate midships height takes away from those lines. Function over form. Your choices will look good will working well for you
Both indicated about a 3" + or - a little difference between the midships height ( width of side panel) and the height at the stems. This seems to produce a sheer line that I think of as traditional Cajun pirogue look. I'm not sure that is a real thing but it looks good to me. I have had trouble achieving
that look in my last builds. Keeping the stems at only 10" high (reduces wind signature) and using the tumblehome panel to maintain an adequate midships height takes away from those lines. Function over form. Your choices will look good will working well for you
Bee, that 3" or so sweep in the sheer line is pretty much automatic when you flair the sides out 25-30 degrees. The sheer line is completely straight before I put the sides on the form. The sides go out and down and the stems come up. The reverse chine cut just takes care of the rocker. That's one of my favorite stages. Two flat panels "become" a boat in 30 seconds.
True and it looks nice, but if you need the midships height increased then the stem height becomes too high. If you lower the stem heights the sheer line sweep becomes less pronounced. Boats with near vertical sides and little or no ark cut from the chine look different. Because the width of the side panels from stem to stem is constant, and the lack of side flare equals little sweep.
I prefer the sheer line to flow from widest floor beam width point to the stems. If you want to maintain maximum side height pick a point on the sheer line that is the tallest you want and then bob off to the stem.
Bee, that's why I build the way I do. I can change just about any line, sweep, rocker or width at almost any time until I nail the bottom on. I like to build to a certain look rather than a certain number. I know from experience, what that look will give me in performance and stability.
I put the boat up on the center form and epoxied up the stems between the wires. Now that I'm into it, I don't think I gained very much in speed or ease of build doing the hybrid build. Oh well, it was an itch I had to scratch.
I took the whole contraption out on a flat section of driveway to check for rocker. Looks like an inch or less. Perfect.
I took the whole contraption out on a flat section of driveway to check for rocker. Looks like an inch or less. Perfect.
Chines are on. I plane the chines down flat and probably the bottom goes on tomorrow.
Next pirogue I'll do away with the fiberglass patches for the sides and bottom joints and just go with plywood patches glued with Titebond. I forgot about the waiting and the cleanup and the sanding when glass and epoxy is introduced into the mix. Bee, I might even go with wood stems!! Back to basics.
Next pirogue I'll do away with the fiberglass patches for the sides and bottom joints and just go with plywood patches glued with Titebond. I forgot about the waiting and the cleanup and the sanding when glass and epoxy is introduced into the mix. Bee, I might even go with wood stems!! Back to basics.
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I put the chine logs in after bending the sides. I find it a little easier because of the amount you have to bend them around the reverse chine curve. Putting them in after bending the sides holds them in place better and I can clamp them and nail them. I left about an inch and a half of space from the ends to putty up with epoxy.
I don't know if I showed this procedure before. It's a great way of flattening the chines prior to putting the bottom on. I plane the chines and the sides pretty close to flat by eye. I then put some pencil marks across and use the 36 grit paper on a long stick to sand until the pencil marks disappear. Checking with the straight edge of the sanding board, you can get it pretty much perfectly flat.
I don't know if I showed this procedure before. It's a great way of flattening the chines prior to putting the bottom on. I plane the chines and the sides pretty close to flat by eye. I then put some pencil marks across and use the 36 grit paper on a long stick to sand until the pencil marks disappear. Checking with the straight edge of the sanding board, you can get it pretty much perfectly flat.
The bottom is on , trimmed and sanded flush. The gunnels are scarfed and drying. I weighed the hull with no gunnels but with the center form.........37 lbs. 41-42 lbs finished maybe????
This one is definitely paint grade. I've been doing a little research and more and more people are going with gloss latex paint for boats. I know that for a home's exterior, latex is by far a better product. It gives a bit instead of cracking and letting water in.
This one is definitely paint grade. I've been doing a little research and more and more people are going with gloss latex paint for boats. I know that for a home's exterior, latex is by far a better product. It gives a bit instead of cracking and letting water in.
Well, I don't rightly know. I sold the boat after just a couple of months. I did find that it stained more than a slick varnish finish, but seemed to keep the water from sinking in. Someone accustomed to seeing a slick varnished finish might not be happy with it.
I just finished nailing on the gunnels and puttying up the ends where the chines didn't quite meet the stems. Tomorrow I'll put a couple of thicknesses of glass over the exterior stem ends and figure out something for some minimal breasthooks.
She's officially finished. Two coats inside and out with a semi-gloss latex paint.
Final specs: length- 11'8" , bottom width- 23 1/2" , overall beam- 30 1/2", waterline length- 11'6", depth of sweep of sheer line- 3 3/4", height at stems-12", height at midships- 8 5/8", rocker ( front and rear) less than 1" , weight - 40 lbs.
The flair relaxed a bit after taking off the form. No problem. I put one floor rib over the bottom butt joint. That stiffened the floor and, surprisingly the sides too.
Now, two days or so of waiting for the paint to cure.
Final specs: length- 11'8" , bottom width- 23 1/2" , overall beam- 30 1/2", waterline length- 11'6", depth of sweep of sheer line- 3 3/4", height at stems-12", height at midships- 8 5/8", rocker ( front and rear) less than 1" , weight - 40 lbs.
The flair relaxed a bit after taking off the form. No problem. I put one floor rib over the bottom butt joint. That stiffened the floor and, surprisingly the sides too.
Now, two days or so of waiting for the paint to cure.