Pirogue heavier than expected | SouthernPaddler.com

Pirogue heavier than expected

jdupre'

Well-Known Member
Sep 9, 2007
2,327
40
South Louisiana
Finally finished the pirogue and will put in the water this weekend. Out of curiosity I weighed it and it came out at about 61 lbs. I've read some other builders of similar boats( bottom nailed on to chines with no glass or epoxy) claiming under 50 lbs. What gives? I see where I could have maybe shaved 3 or 4 lbs off at most but to be 10+ lbs over similar boats is kind of confusing. I didn't weigh them, but it did seem like the sheets of plywood (1/4" marine) were pretty stout. Does fir marine ply differ that much?

Heavy or not, she's a beauty and I'm proud of her.

Joey
 

jdupre'

Well-Known Member
Sep 9, 2007
2,327
40
South Louisiana
Thanks for the encouragement, Matt. I guess you guys just jaded me with your 35 and 40 lb boats. Most of you seem to use 1/8" ply --- half the thickness - half the weight. DUHHH ! wake up Joey! LOL
 

FlaMike

Well-Known Member
Jun 20, 2007
624
2
Spring Hill, FL
www.ptponds.com
If it makes you feel any better, mine finished out at about 80 lbs! :shock:

'Course, it was a bit larger than some. 15' 10", 30" across the bottom, 36" at the rails, and has 5 frames. Definately a stand-up and pole or fish boat.

My next one will come in a tad lighter! :D

Mike S.
Spring Hill, FL
 

JEM

Well-Known Member
on the first go-around, it'll always turn out a little heavy.

It's not a failure. It's your first boat that you built with your own hands. Keep in mind Mick and Chuck have a few hulls under their respective belts. It's like anything else: you get better as you get more practice.

If you build another lighter, then you have your first to look back on with found memories. It's your trusty stand-by. Your loaner that can take some abuse.

If, down the road, you decide you don't want it, you can easily find a new home for a new paddler, have a nice flower planter, book shelf, etc.
 

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
It seems to me that, when we first start building boats we are leery of thinner plywood. We tend to go heavier for strength. Later, we learn that thin plywood (say, 1/8") glassed inside and out is strong as all get out.

A single piece bottom that is flat, may flex and "oil can". This can be readily cured with some thin reinforcing strips (again, 1/8" plywood) applied along most of the length of the bottom. These can be either inside or outside. They will stiffen up a boat's bottom considerably.

I learned a lot about hull design and construction one day in Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario. There, is the Canadian Bush Plane Museum. I have many years experience under my belt with jet aircraft, but none with simpler birds powered with reciprocating engines and props.

The fuselages of those bush planes bear a very strong resemblance to hulls of displacement watercraft (canoes and kayaks). Ribs, stringers, longerons, bulkheads, stations, etc. on aircraft all come directly from the ship building trade. The planes have a semi-monocoque construction in many cases. Some are skin on frame. Our boats are either semi-monocoque or full monocoque. A full monocoque structure gets all of its strength from the skin; an egg is a good example of a fully monocoque structure. Semi-monocoque means part of the strength from the skin, and part from internal bracing.

And, the pointy ends for forwards in both aircraft and boats.
 

jdupre'

Well-Known Member
Sep 9, 2007
2,327
40
South Louisiana
Evidently, the weight didn't matter too much. I put in the bayou behind the house and paddled approx. 1.1 miles up current and back. Counting adjusting the seat, launching, standing and leaning for a couple minutes to test the stability,and walking back up to the house- total elapsed time--55 minutes. Not too bad.

She handled pretty good. Had to do a some J-stroking on every other stroke or so, but I could keep her straight without switching sides too often. Standing in a 25" bottom pirogue demands your full attention, but it's not that bad. I'm very satisfied with her so far.

Tomorrow I plan on putting in on another bayou and paddling a couple of miles and back. I think I'll carry my light mess kit with the Pepsi can alcohol stove and make me a little bayou-bank coffee. Don't get no better!

Joey
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
JEM said:
on the first go-around, it'll always turn out a little heavy.

It's not a failure. It's your first boat that you built with your own hands. Keep in mind Mick and Chuck have a few hulls under their respective belts. It's like anything else: you get better as you get more practice.

.

The 1st Pirogue I made was just over 50 pounds and that was when I decided I could make one that would be lighter.

The 2nd one was from thinner wood and without all the trim but built solid and it came out at 32 pounds. Could of shaved off the 2 pounds if I would not of used a wood and wicker seat in it and gone with the seat I later developed which is removable.

Building is a learning process. :D

Chuck.
 

islandpiper

Well-Known Member
Nice thing about those heavy boats...you just spend a half an hour in the morning getting them up to hull speed and then you can coast nearly all afternoon!!

Honestly, your boat is only heavy if you have to carry it any distance....if you can leave it out front of the fish camp and not have to cartop it then it's not heavy at all. Rock on.

piper
 

jdupre'

Well-Known Member
Sep 9, 2007
2,327
40
South Louisiana
It really doesn't bother me if it's a little heavy. I was just curious about the weight difference from some others I've read about. Could it be that some people might fudge a little on the weight of their boats? NO WAY!

But, I'll probably go with the lighter wood , glass and epoxy next time. Ya know there'll be a next time.

Joey
 

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
When I weigh a boat, the seat is in. Paddle, PFD, etc. are not. Hull weight and boat weight are two different things. "Boat weight" is in ready-to-paddle configuration, the way I see it. If I used an anchor, which I don't, I would not include it.

Weighing a boat requires two people. I can read the scales when only I am on them. but can't when I'm holding up the boat. (Maybe my assistant is a suspicious-type character? Probably so. She's sneaky-eyed and slick.)
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
Kayak Jack said:
When I weigh a boat, the seat is in. Paddle, PFD, etc. are not. Hull weight and boat weight are two different things. "Boat weight" is in ready-to-paddle configuration, the way I see it.

Weighing a boat requires two people. I can read the scales when only I am on them. but can't when I'm holding up the boat. (Maybe my assistant is a suspicious-type character? Probably so. She's sneaky-eyed and slick.)

Ready to paddle ..... My boats would weight somewhere in the 300 to 350 pound range , 209 for me and then the seat , paddle , camping gear ...."O" Don't forget all of the water and food.
I know you said without the paddle but I have a hard time paddling without it.

Now as far as you not being able to read the scale while standing on it , No Sir, I will not go there. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Chuckles.
 

jdupre'

Well-Known Member
Sep 9, 2007
2,327
40
South Louisiana
islandpiper, I weighed mine after paint and varnish. I used almost a whole quart each of oil base paint and varnish. That added a few pounds. I could have gone quite a bit smaller with the stems and cut them flush instead of the little flair I left on the ends. Lots of little things add up. I paddled 6.5 miles this morning and wasn't tired at all so it's not too heavy.

Joey
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
Forgetting the weight factor , that is from the shop to the vehicle and then the vehicle to the water , reversed in that order when paddling in the south since we don't carry the boats overland.
They carry us down the river of out into the lake for fun. Not like those Yankees who think it is more fun to carry there boats then to paddle them , Dang ... I sure hope you are not a Yankee. :lol: :lol: :lol:

NO matter what the weight is , the main ingredient or the weight that weighs on your mind is the fun factor. :D

Chuck.
 

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
No doubt about it, the best way for me to drastically reduce the weight of my boat in the water is a starvation diet. For me - not the boat.

My current diet works about as well as the one Gloria (Archie Bunker's TV daughter) has been on.