skiff | SouthernPaddler.com

skiff

seedtick

Well-Known Member
Jul 22, 2006
1,161
7
Denham Springs, LA
friend Keith and I just about ready to send this one out the door

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Ozark

Well-Known Member
Oct 23, 2007
627
0
Ozark Mo.
For our new guys would you guys (Kieth and Seedtick) Tell us again on your materials gathering. I always enjoy that.
Paul
 

seedtick

Well-Known Member
Jul 22, 2006
1,161
7
Denham Springs, LA
OK Oz, Here's the quick story

About a hundred years ago, harvesting the old growth cypress around here began in earnest. Mechanization advanced to give us the steam driven pull boat (skidder) and logs could be harvested year round instead of just floating them out during the spring high water. Trees were girdled (killed) and left to dry before cutting. A green cypress tree will sink not float. They were cut then pulled to navigable water where they were bound together in large rafts called booms. These booms (some a mile long) were then towed to the sawmill. Not all logs were completely dry when they were pulled and the subsequently sank when they hit the deep water - hence the name sinker cypress. Some logs in the boom were torn loose, got resaturated with water and sank.

Folks began harvesting these sinker logs in the 50's and it continues to the day. Some of the waterways here are restricted to pulling logs and most of the easy logs have been picked up. But, to folks who know how to do it, there's still logs available.

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finding the logs is the easy part. getting them up is work

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this is a 15 ton winch hooked up to a ford 351 engine

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some of the logs are pretty good size

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seedtick

Well-Known Member
Jul 22, 2006
1,161
7
Denham Springs, LA
I it submit button too quickly, that large log is over six feet in diameter

When building a boat, we try to use boards that were adjacent to each other on the log for the sides, the grain will be almost identical and they will have similar bending characteristics. Logs are cut up wet and the boards are stickered and stacked for at least a year before using.


Chuck, this one is small it's a little over 10' long with a little less than a 24" bottom and a little less than a 36" beam. The sides flare out at about 30 degrees. I don't remember the side width at the center of the boat but i think it's about 9 or 10 inches. This one was built for Bass Pro and while it can be paddled, poled or powered by a small motor, it will likely never get wet.

Friend Keith and I are currently working a Lake Ponchartrain Skiff, 16' long, 44" bottom, 20" bookmatched sides. Wait 'till you see her transom..............
 

seedtick

Well-Known Member
Jul 22, 2006
1,161
7
Denham Springs, LA
ya'll asking questions faster than i can answer.......

the lake is only 10 or 12 feet deep so diving to the logs isn't that difficult. Most of the logs are at least partially buried in the mud so a set of log tongs will just pull out and you have to get a cable around the log to pull it
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
seedtick said:
Chuck, this one is small it's a little over 10' long with a little less than a 24" bottom and a little less than a 36" beam. The sides flare out at about 30 degrees. I don't remember the side width at the center of the boat but i think it's about 9 or 10 inches. This one was built for Bass Pro and while it can be paddled, poled or powered by a small motor, it will likely never get wet.

That is about the same size as some of the ( Aluminum , car topper ) Jon Boats around here, most folks run a 3 to 5 HP on them.

Chuck.