TV 19'1"- 32 racing pirogue

[mosportsmen]

I built this one for running the MR 340 this summer, lots of work yet to do but so far so good. Very stable, under 50 lbs, she is a long way from perfect but she's mine. Christened "The Amanda Lee" Feb 13th. Photo is solo but plan is for tandem. Carries two big adults pretty well.

I will be posting more of build and customization as time allows.

Tom

PS sorry having trouble with the bow not being cut off in the photo bucket photo

 

[Wannabe]

Tom,
Your bowis fine. There is water between the bow and the edge of the picture. It drove me nuts because when I would post a picture part of the right side of the picture would be missing. Finally figured out that everyone else was seeing the whole picture. So I figured that it was my computer. :?:
Bob

 

[mike]

Yep, I can see 4'-5' of water in front of the boat.

Mike

 

[mosportsmen]

Yea, now I can too. The preview and posting cut it off when I first did it.

Tom

 

[beekeeper]

Wow, that is a long pirogue. :wink: I would need hinges in the middle to turn around where we paddle. The bayou is not that wide. Tell me about "running the MR 340". Is that a race? What kind of water?
The best part about building a boat is building it to suit you. At least that is what I say when somebody asks why it is different.

beekeeper

 

[mosportsmen]

Yes, The MR 340 is a canoe / kayak race across the state of Missouri. This summer will be the sixth running of the race and there will be over 350 boats in it. It is the longest non stop human powered river race in the world. The Yukon Challenge is longer but there are mandatory stops in that one. The course is 340 miles from Kansas City to St. Charles/St Louis on the Missouri.

When the race started a few years back with only 15 boats the field included probably 50% good old aluminum canoes, in the years following the boats running the race have gone over the top as far as what people are using to do it. Very light skinny hulls with very little free board. The boat does not need to turn much on the big wide Missouri. I am very happy so far with great comfort and stability of this boat. There are basically two kinds of participants in the race, racers and adventurers. Racers are trying to place and get there as fast as possible, adventurers are just trying to finish. I am in the latter category.

The length will help with speed and increases the carrying capacity to comfortably hold two men. It has a low profile that will help in inevitable headwinds. So far tests have proved it does do well in a head wind. Cross winds are another story, I have a second hand rudder I will be installing to help with that. I am also making domed spray covers for the front and center to help with wind and possible rain.

Google the race, you will see many interesting things about paddle powered boats. In the history of the race I have not heard of anyone that has called their boat a pirogue, don't know if i could really classify this one as a pirogue but I am. I like being different.

Tom

 

[beekeeper]

Thanks Tom for the info about the race. How many places couild I find along the way to fish? :roll: Might take me a little longer. :lol: Looks like you will have a suitable boat.
I find it interesting your mention the side wind issue. Seems I address one goal or condition and then another one crops up. No boat design does it all, so we just have to choose which features are best for us.
Hope you have a good race.

beekeeper

 

[mosportsmen]

There are at least 340 places to fish along the way. I have been thinking about dragging a bait the whole way. Never heard of any one having success trolling for flatheads though.

I kept it light by using 1.5 oz cloth. I know it will not stand much abuse but there is not much to scrape in on on the Big Muddy. Boat ramps are a little tough but most of the boats in this race are pretty delicate. This was my first real stitch and glue. I sure am tire of the cold, turned on us up here again. I am now without this wonderful warm basement work shop.

Tom

 

[woodman]

Tom when is the Mo. run I'd like to be their to take pics. of some of the boats. I live down here in Bates City 30 mi. east of KC. Where do they launch?
Steve

 

[mosportsmen]

The race starts Tuesday morning July 19th. The start time may be staggered this year because they have more than 380 boats in it. So it might start at 7 and 8 this year. The start location is right downtown in KC, Kaw Point access. The start of the race is definately worth seeing but it is also something to see the check points down river and see the river weary paddlers stop to check in.

I am having trouble with photo bucket so here is a link to my FB album if you want to see more photos. Got the front splash cover mostly done this weekend. The sewing machine will not defeat me.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=67478&id=1371187600&l=935523970b

 

[woodman]

Thanks...And I have been toying with the idea of rip-stop nylon deck covers for some time..Using 3/16 fiberglass rod for the forms and Velcro to attach it to the gunnel's some-how.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=52 ... aid=278544
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=1 ... =523824794

 

[Kayak Jack]

You may consider something more robust than just Velcro? If it starts to come lose in a wind, you could be in trouble. Take a look at http://www.cookecustomsewing.com/ for ideas and materials. Losing a deck is even more disastrous than losing a hatch cover. (The Cap'n of the Edmund Fitzgerald found that out)

 

[beekeeper]

You may consider something more robust than just Velcro? If it starts to come lose in a wind, you could be in trouble.

If Velcro comes loose, I say you are paddling too fast, or it is time to go to shore! :roll:
woodman
It may not be a problem for your usage, but Velcro collects dirt and grim. It has not worked well for me, outdoors.
Let us know how the cover works out. I have considered one for my boat.

beekeeper

 

[mosportsmen]

Yes, you might have seen I went with snaps. So far so good. Figure that has worked for on the water boat covers that move at much faster paces than this one ever will so it should hold up and be clean and quick to take on and off. I have had trouble sewing Velcro by hand before so I did not really ever consider it. Now that I am such an expert "tailor" (maybe I have not reached this status but I don't know if there is a male version of seamstress) I could in fact sew Velcro. This sewing stuff will come to me. I figure if all those Indonesian kids can sew so can I.

The one photo of the boat with cover on the water was a temporary test with the cover attached with duct tape.

I ended up using PVC pipe for my stays.

Tom

 

[Kayak Jack]

Snaps - particularly ring snaps - are a much more secure fastener than Velcro was ever meant to be. I rest easier now.

 

[mosportsmen]

Yes, the paint job is looming and I have weather, work, and women getting in my way. (note the repeated "W" humor)

Gave the bottom one more coat of epoxy last weekend, so I am busy sanding out the last batch of drips. I have purchased BrightSides primer and paint the filling primer not recommended for Humid application (and rain predicted all weekend)

I have installed foot braces from Duckworks, had a booger of a time glueing in the studs for the rear and decided to put holes through the hull for the front,(cause I needed to rush and prep for a race March 19th) took those out and filled the holes with this last coat of epoxy, so I need to reinstall those with the glue in studs.

I have been using an ultralight "pirogue seat you can build" and a padded boat seat with a couple 1X2s screwed to the bottom for seats, these are not tall enough but this race requires a lot of padding for your butt to survive, so I am still experimenting with seating. I am thinking about buying a couple of these http://tinyurl.com/3uukgla boat seats, light and comfortable.

I would be very satisfied with the seats I have cept for a couple problems for the race. I have been just setting the seats in on carpet grip pad in the bottom of the boat, but with using foot braces and getting the good body/leg involvement necessary to complete this race the seat is moving on me. I am wanting the seats to be adjustable fore and aft because my partner and i are 40 pounds different and we plan on taking turns at the helm. So I need solid seat position that can be adjusted to accommodate boat trim.

I have a nice used rudder with no idea how I am going to rig controls, I am thinking about bucking up for the replacement rudder control foot brace from Duck works but I am also thinking I could make a good home made hand operated control that would work well. Others that have done the race tell me hand operation will require constant adjustment that would take my hands off the paddle too often and I would not be happy with that option.

The next sewing job is a arched cover for the center section, to cut wind resistance and prevent water intrusion from all the sources possible in a non stop environment.

I am also dissatisfied with the location of my thwarts. I put them in with screws to try them out and now I am pretty sure i want to move them both toward center about a foot to be out of the way.

Tom

( Tom , Chuck here... I used the tinyurl.com web site to drop that url from 372 characters to only 26 )

 

[Kayak Jack]

Reference a boat seat. One in the picture has a cushion pillowing upwards. Take a look at the tractor seats, or implement seats. they are concave, not convex. Your butt is convex; you want a seat into which it will fit, IE: concave. You can get some closed cell foam, glue several layers, and carve out a concave seat to fit YOUR butt. That will be more comfortable.

 

[mosportsmen]

Yes, I will be carving and complimenting the padding in the linked chair (any chair I choose) for this race. This is extreme paddling to the Nth degree, so there will be a lot of modification in the butt padding department. The seat will only be the foundation for the padding. I could make the "pirogue seat you can build" padded enough for the trip, and I would love to make two more that are a little taller, (so far I have found it very comfortable) just running out of time and need to be doing more training than boat building so I am thinking this plastic seat would be good and light weight and cost me less time (and not much more money actually) I don't have. Only 101 days till race day.

Thought just hit me, How about a 3/4" concave rounded track (the same width as my seat "runner/ feet") carved in 1 and 1/2" X 1" boards epoxied to the floor to allow as much as a foot of fore and aft travel. The convex rounded foot bottoms sitting in the concave rounded track would hold the seat in place side to side easily and I don't think it would slide in the track fore and aft with your weight in it no matter how hard you pushed on the foot braces. Light weight, fairly simple to build, simple to adjust fore and aft when you want to, and durable few if any moving parts to break. Tie a check cord from the seat to the track in case of capsize.

Is that a brain storm or what?

Tom

 

[tx river rat]

Look at the seat mounting in this boat. I have done it on several boats and it works well with a seat like you are looking at.
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7988&start=75
A little suggestion on the seat , have an extra pad you can put in the seat and change them once in a while , It will change the pressure points on your butt and feels so goooooooooooooooood
I do a little marathon racing to .
Ron

PS I have a 15 29 T-V and use a seat hight of nine inches to the top of the seat ,that should also help in the fatigue department.

 

[mosportsmen]

TRR,

I know, I have read about your 9 inch seat height. I started out at 5.5 added 2 inches and the boat cruised faster by .4 mph GPS. I haven't got my butt off the floor a full 9 inches yet. On my boat that would put me just a half inch under the top edge of the gunnel. The boat is very stable but I am just thinking that might be pushing it as far as comfort in stability. The photos of you in the TV I have seen don't really look like you are sitting that high.

I do like your sliding seat mount. The plate attached to the seat looks like it is simply a single sheet of luan faced top and bottom with glass cloth?

Your method there would probably be easier to build than the making tall runners I am thinking of. With your plate configuration would you add the spacers to increase seat height between the seat and the plate or would you make the runners attached to the bottom of the plate taller?

Tom