Cajun rowing skiff design question. | SouthernPaddler.com

Cajun rowing skiff design question.

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jdupre'

Well-Known Member
Sep 9, 2007
2,327
40
South Louisiana
This is a good one for Keith. A friend of mine built a Cajun rowing skiff with the help of Raymond Sedotal a few years ago. These boats have an up swept bow and triangular shaped transom with a narrow flat section along it's lower edge. From a design standpoint, this should make for a sluggish boat. My friend assures me that his boat is responsive and moves right along.
Now this is the strange part. He tells me that the water flows around the boat and when it gets to the squared off stern, the water closes back in behind the boat and squirts it ahead like a watermelon seed!!??
I am skeptical.

Joey
 
J

jdupre'

Well-Known Member
Sep 9, 2007
2,327
40
South Louisiana
Yeah, Jack, I don't buy it either. Around here, these boats have the reputation of being great rowing boats. The upswept bow and the rear angled transom, in effect, makes the boat's overall length about 3 ft. longer than it's waterline length-- not a good recipe for any kind of speed. The upsweep and flat bottom combine to present a 3 ft.wide flat entry surface-- not good. On paper these boats should be fairly slow and sluggish. Any theories out there?

Joey
 
S

seedtick

Well-Known Member
Jul 22, 2006
1,161
7
Denham Springs, LA
March 17, 2007 I posted a thread in the trip section titled a history lesson. It has pictures of a rowing skiff based on Mr. Raymond's design. The back is narrower than the middle so it does shed the water past the widepoint instead of pushing water the entire length. Shedding water and adding thrust are two different things.

They were the station wagons of the bayou, meant for taking the family to church, the doctor or the store. Mr. Raymond told a story that he used to row his family from his home in Pierre Part to Morgan City to see the closest doctor, a distance of some 30 miles. He took the whole family because he couldn't make the round trip in a day and they slept in the swamp on the way back. Now 30+ miles a day with the wife and kids is some serious paddling but it doesn't qualify for any speed records
 
K

keith

Well-Known Member
Aug 30, 2006
249
0
South Louisiana
www.keithspirogues.com
I think seed said it best" Shedding water and adding thrust are two different things ". Squirt, glide as a popping bug in fly fishing. you use the oars to push the boat forward and when you pull the oars up and back for the next stroke the boat keeps going and the shape of the hull effects how far it will go. That hull is several hundred years old and it rows very well. Later Keith
 
J

jdupre'

Well-Known Member
Sep 9, 2007
2,327
40
South Louisiana
Seedtick and Keith, that's about what I thought about the design shedding water. I know one thing about the shape of those boats. With that pointed , upswept bow it makes it easy to weave between trees and pull up on the bank of the bayou far enough to get out without getting your feet wet.

The buddy that told me about the watermelon seed thing has 40 years carpentry experience and is a great craftsman. When a man like that looks you in the eye and tells you something like that with such conviction, you have to at least consider it.

Joey
 
J

jdupre'

Well-Known Member
Sep 9, 2007
2,327
40
South Louisiana
Kurt, I'm a little south of Donaldsonville. I don't know if you are interested in archery, but I've been making a lot of 3D shoots in the Baton Rouge area. I was a member of ARTAC traditional archery club. Might have met you at one of the shoots at Waddill Wildlife Refuge.

Joey
 
K

Kurt Loup

Well-Known Member
Sep 10, 2003
110
0
Baton Rouge, LA
www.loup-garou.net
Not into archery. I Thought you might be a friend of my cousin. You would recognize our last name if that was you. I wouldn't mind making a bow, but that would require another hobby and I have too many of them and not enough time for them as it is.

Kurt
 
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