Planning new powered pirogue

[tw541]

Greetings. I have just joined the group after spending a few days reading most of the old posts. There is obviously a lot of knowledge and experience here, and I don't mind asking for advice. I am planning to build a trolling motor powered pirogue. I am not just going to clamp a motor to the side, although I have done that in the past and it works pretty good. I am going to have the motor built into the design, with foot pedal steering and the motor controls in easy reach on my left side. I actually have the motor modifications and steering system worked out, but am not sure which hull to use. I will square the stern and install a transom.

I have bought the plans for the Uncle John's and also JEM's touring T. The UJ would be easy to square the stern and install a transom, But I really like the tumblehome design of JEM's boat. However,I also don't think I could shorten it enough. I really would like to keep the length to about 12 ft. to be able to haul it in a truck. I am comfortable with 12 ft. in the shallow water where we fish. I have spent many days in a 10 ft. pirogue. They are pretty popular back home.

I probably should tell a little about myself. I am an experienced woodworker, over 40 years. I used to build expensive furniture and grandfather clocks for rich folks with more money then sense. I've even build a few pirogues over the years. I am leaning towards using the UJ design for the electric boat project, and building the touring T later (without modifications) The UJ boat would be very simple to build, but I am not afraid to build a more complex design. If anyone knows of a design that might be better for this , I would like to hear about it. I don't mind buying more plans, that is the cheapest part of building something. I use my pirogues pretty hard hunting and fishing, but only in shallow and protected water.

I am currently exiled to Arizona, although I am from Texas. I am gainfully employed with the US Park Service. At least for three more years when I will retire and go back home.

If anyone here has built or seen something like this, or even just thought about it, I would like to hear your ideas.

Thanks

 

[Kayak Jack]

Terry,

Thanks for chiming in. Would you consider a stern end design that had a squared off transom ONLY above the waterline? That would retain your fine entry and exit lines. (Without peeking, I think that Matt has one or two like that. Gawd! I hope I'm right.)

I concur with you on a short boat for handling light work. My canoe is a 13 footer. Slower than other craft, but goes into spots they can't. It will become my granddaughter's boat when I age out of it and she ages into it.

There are some Texans on here; we lament that fact, but have to admit to it too. From what part of Texas do you hail? I'm going to join Texas River Rat in a little less than three weeks to paddle the Brazos with him. I'm really looking forward to that.

You are a cabinet maker the, I'm guessing. You want to cozy up to Island Piper, who makes violins, cellos, guitars, and mandolins - along with prodigious amounts of wood shavings. You two guys oughta make a pair! (Actually, Piper San is a pair all by himself.)

I'm pretty sure that you would find a lot of interested readers if you describe your steering and operating mechanism you have in mind.

 

[oldsparkey]

The UJ has been made to accommodate a trolling motor either on the stern or on the side by folks building it.

You stated that you want it to be 12 feet , there is a modification of the pirogues that might be better for a trolling motor set up. It is one of Jem Watercraft designs and is very stable in the water , wider then a pirogue but with the shallow water capabilities , the Swamp Girl.

It is a back water boat , low side for fishing but stability where you can stand or just have a little more room in the boat. I made the 1st one after we came up with the design and in the process I squared off the stern thinking it would be an ideal boat for a trolling motor.

Matt has never forgiven me for bobbing off the stern but I was thinking ahead about how I could use it with a trolling motor. The boat is 15 feet so by taking off 3 feet on the stern you would have a wide transom and an area for the battery and motor. I only took off 12 inches.

Have you seen the Electric Pirogue , page #5 of the pirogue section?

Chuck.

 

[hairymick]

G'day Terry, and welcome aboard mate!

I pretty much concur with Chuck on the swamp girl. They really are superb backwater fishing boats. My youngest daughter has never forgiven me for selling mine. :cry:

I would respectfuly suggest you have a look at the Swamp Girl 14 and shave two feet of the back of it. - Perhaps ask Matt for the panel cross section at what ever distance from the stem you want.

 

[tw541]

Hello

Thanks to all for your quick response to my post.

Jack. I looked at the boats with the squared off transom above the waterline. Interesting boats. I am from a little town in east Texas called De Kalb. It is about 30 miles west of Texarkana, the town where my wife and I were born and raised. I will take lots of pictures and document the building of the steering and motor controls of this boat. I think it can be adapted for use on many boats.

Chuck and Mick. The Swamp Girl may just be the boat I am looking for. I will definately order plans. Whatever boat I build, I will definately need to buy license to build two. As much as I love boats and fishing, my wife may have me beat. She would go fishing every day if she could. She hates cities and crowds of people as much as I do. We live less than 100 miles from Las Vegas, but she hates to go there as much as I do. A good day for us involves crappie fishing and cypress trees. We definately feel out of place here on the edge of the Mohave desert.

It probably sounds strange to be building pirogues here in the desert, but I am from Texas, what can I say?

I am really glad I found this forum. It seems perfectly normal to me to build 6 or 8 or 20 boats. My boat inventory is the lowest it has been since I finished high school. I am ashamed to say that I only have 3 boats. (and I built none of them) Even worse, all of them have motors on them.

I bought my first boat with a motor when I was 15. (I had a pirogue when I was 8 or 9) My friend was 16 and had an old Ford pickup truck and drivers license. We pulled my boat with his truck and what a summer!!
A lot of boys in high school had cars, we were the only ones with a boat. The girls loved it. WHAT A SUMMER!! (1970)

I have one boat that is a blast to drive, but it burns $1.00 of gas per minute at full throtttle. I am beginning to realize that simpler is usually better. All my power boats are now for sale.

The electric boats I want to build now will be worked hard and put up wet. They will be built to take abuse and will definately be painted. We do some serious crappie and catfishing in some rough areas. We still enjoy paddling, but my wife has a weak back and I have a weak shoulder, that is the reason for the electric boats. I will still build the touring T, but not as a powered boat. I have always wanted to build a strip boat since I saw a cedar strip canoe. I wonder what a black walnut strip boat would look like. I have several hundred board feet of highly figured black walnut back home in Texas. Something to think about anyway. There is also a local sawmill that had 16 ft cypress 1X12's the last time I was there. May have to try to figure out a way to haul a few back when we go there in April on vacation.

 

[a Bald Cypress]

P

Yo, Friend Terry,

Just what is the name of the sawmill.?

Living in Shreveport, I could make the trip if the wood was "clear". I can always save it for a later build :wink:

 

[jdupre']

I have several hundred board feet of highly figured black walnut back home in Texas. .

And where exactly is this highly figured walnut located? :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
I would bet that it would look fantastic. I don't think it's a really heavy wood so you might want to give it a try.

Joey

 

[sheena's dad]

tw541,

lemme know its location 'n' I'll guard it fer ya's. :roll:

Steve

 

[Kayak Jack]

I think that black walnut is one of the heavier woods available in the CONUS. They used to make RR ties of it. I have some tables here that Dad made during the war when I was a kid. It is dense and hard, but splinters easily as I remember.

You might want to look for some red and white cedar for the stripper, and use that valuable black walnut for cabinets or furniture?

 

[tw541]

Hello Mr Bald Cypress

The name of the sawmill is Cecil Phillips, De Kalb, Texas. They are in the business of selling lumber, so they should not mind me posting their name on the net. They are a specialty hardwood sawmill. Definately not the largest, but what they have is quality. You should be able to find them on the internet. Probably no web site, but you should be able to find their phone number. If not let me know, I probably have it somewhere. I used to buy a lot of oak from them. Nice folks. My wife reminds me it has been almost two years since I saw the nice cypress there. Their stock depends on what the local people bring them as saw logs. If they don't have nice cypress now, check back in a few weeks.

Joey and Steve The lumber is hidden so well that I may have a problem finding it myself.

Jack You got me thinking about the weight. I don't remember it being overly heavy,but I never weighed it. Wow. It is hard to believe walnut was ever plentiful enough to make railroad ties from it. It has always been sort of scarce here. When I say I have some of It, I am not exaggerating. I bought a number of standing trees and had them cut at a friend"s sawmill. I have more than I will use in 2 or 3 lifetimes. I may build a boat from it. If I had to buy it at retail, I would probably not.
But I don't have much invested in this.

 

[tw541]

Hello All. I ordered the plans for the Swamp Girl tonight from JEM. Even if I don't build this boat. I will enjoy looking over the plans. I think we need to support our local boat designers. If we don't, they might be tempted to get an honest job. Then where would we be on our next boat? Draw it ourselves? I tried that. I'll tell you sometime.

 

[oldsparkey]

You said you have always wanted a strip built boat , why not do a pirogue ?

A while back I was talking with Uncle John and asked him if anyone has ever made one , he said no one has and why was I asking. I told him I had a nutty idea and might try it. He is use to my nutty ideas ( a 32 pound pirogue at 15 1/2 feet that I still paddle plus the folding pirogue chair ) and sounded worried.:lol:

After some digging around I located some California Red Wood 1x4's at 20 feet that a local had in his barn. I had to cut them at just over 8 feet to fit on my trailer but I got $55.00 dollars worth and fifty cents a foot. Brought them home and cut the strips out with my band saw , they were 3/4 x 1/4 inch strips , 8 feet long.

To make a long story short here is the finished item. 16 feet 1 inch at 40 pounds.

Chuck.

 

[sheena's dad]

Terry,

I know De Kalb. Stopped over there a few times on my way into visit my step brother, a retired sheriff's deputy. I tell you what, if you were to ever decide to rid yourself of that walnut, let me know. I have a few furniture plans I've drawn up that would sure to make wonderful walnut pieces.

Y'know, Chuck....for all the boat science I dish out on here occassionally, ev'rytime I see your redwood pirouge, I just stare in lust at the picture. Wouldn't do for me to see it live and in person I hate to admit. But, I have been planning to build myself a travel trailer and I think that Grade B redwood strips like you used on that boat would really make for a beautiful "Woody". A truly inspiring pirouge, m'friend.

Steve

 

[Ozark]

Walnut is readily available here in the Ozarks. They use lots of poor quality walnut to build horse stalls as the horses don't care for the taste and not chew them up. Burled Walnut is very expensive as the gun makers like it as much as the furniture guys do.

 

[oldsparkey]

Dad...

If the Red Wood pirogue is ever missing , give me a year and I will find the location of mauriceville, tx and retrieve her , until then happy paddling.

Chuck.
PS. I drive slow and get sidetracked really easily , that is why it would take a year.

 

[jdupre']

I remember reading somewhere that the walnut that grows in the South pales in comparison to the dense stuff that grows up North. I have a couple of pieces for knife handles and it doesn't seem very heavy for it's size-- somewhere between white pine and fir.

Joey

 

[bearridge]

Friend Joey,

Dont believe it. Next yer eatin' Wisconsin cheese 'n pullin' fer Green Bay. :wink:

regards
bearridge

The copier is currently out of whack. More whack is on order. Unknown

 

[jdupre']

Green Bay?? Is that north of Shreveport? :?

 

[tw541]

Joey, I think you are probably right about most southern walnut. Most of what I have seen over the years is junk, with too much white sapwood on it. Most of the old, really big trees here were cut many years ago. I bought some standing trees from an old man, the land had been in his family for generations. This wood compares favorably with any I have ever seen. The son of the man who sawed it for me counted the growth rings on one log. It had 340 something rings. Old tree. We used a backhoe to dig up the stumps, and cut them. This produced the most highly figured walnut I have ever seen. Some of it is custom gunstock quality.

I have talked off and on for years about building a boat from walnut, but it is just that..talk. I use my boats and would really be hesitant about putting a furniture grade boat in the swamp. This wood is destined to be furniture in our retirement house. I might use a few walnut strip in the one I build just for accent, but I am not deliberately going to build a boat heavier than it has to be. Walnut is not extremely heavy, but I agree it too heavy for boat building. Would be pretty though. (There I go again)

Chuck, I have been admiring the pictures of your strip pirogue for a couple of weeks now. Beautiful boat. The quality of the boats built by the people on this list is truly amazing.

 

[Bayou Buddy]

I would surely be interested in your project for a electric powered boat. I remember my first one. I grew up in NW LA and bought a home made pirogue from a friend in Bossier City back in the 70's. It had a built in trolling motor in the back and underneath. Similar to the one that Bobcat Boats makes. It had stick steering which was OK, but I think a foot pedal would have been better to keep the hands free for fishing. Anyway, I loved that boat and fished with it on Caddo, Bistineau, Toledo Bend, and later after moving to Alabama used it there on several lakes and rivers. I have thought about building another myself but I can't remember how everything was set up on it. I had another boat that had a foot controled trolling motor mounted on the front but didn't like it as much as the other one.

I would be interested in your design and maybe we could share ideas. Anyway, good luck with the project.

Mac