strange idea for a 2 in 1 boat | SouthernPaddler.com

strange idea for a 2 in 1 boat

jdupre'

Well-Known Member
Sep 9, 2007
2,327
40
South Louisiana
Ok, stick with me now. o_O Short , manuverable boat transforms into a long and lean cruising machine. Nesting and 2-4 piece boats are nothing new. My take is a little different. Picture a two piece pirogue type boat about 16-17ft long with, say, a 24-26" bottom. Now the rear piece is not located around midships like in most 2 peice boats. It is located at about the 13ft mark. You're left with a front section that is basically a skiff with a somewhat smaller transom. Really handy for fishing ponds and short river and creek trips. When you want to cover some serious ground, attach the rear section and you have an all day cruiser. The rear section would nest easily in the front section for ease of carrying. The draft really wouldn't change much in losing just that few feet in the skiff mode. It's mostly skinny and wouldn't add much to the bouyancy anyway. Whatcha think?
 

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
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Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
Good idea. Two wooden tubs that clamp together. The clamping joints can be tricky.

One of the things that I like about you, Joey, is your fertile mind. It’s always simmering. I wish we lived a lot closer together. (Our Moms would have thrown their hands up into the air had we grown up living near each other,)
 

oldbuffpilot

Well-Known Member
May 13, 2014
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80
Central Kansas and Central Texas
Ok, stick with me now. o_O Short , manuverable boat transforms into a long and lean cruising machine. Nesting and 2-4 piece boats are nothing new. My take is a little different. Picture a two piece pirogue type boat about 16-17ft long with, say, a 24-26" bottom. Now the rear piece is not located around midships like in most 2 peice boats. It is located at about the 13ft mark. You're left with a front section that is basically a skiff with a somewhat smaller transom. Really handy for fishing ponds and short river and creek trips. When you want to cover some serious ground, attach the rear section and you have an all day cruiser. The rear section would nest easily in the front section for ease of carrying. The draft really wouldn't change much in losing just that few feet in the skiff mode. It's mostly skinny and wouldn't add much to the bouyancy anyway. Whatcha think?
I like your idea. Would be easier to transport. I rarely use my 16' just because it's hard for me to put it on the ladder rack, especially on a windy day.
 

beekeeper

Well-Known Member
Mar 4, 2009
1,917
59
A joint/seam in the bottom may increase the drag enough to overcome any gain made by the longer hull. Hard to design one boat to do all things well. Only one way to know. Looking forward to your results.
 

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
I saw a canoe in Canada once, that was in three sections. One stem end was short, and could nest inside of the other stem end, which was longer than the first end. Then, they both nested inside of the mid section. That mid section wasn’t symmetrical. It was off center, because of the asymmetrical stem ends.

The trick is in the strength of joining the sections, and in the .rak proofing of those joints.
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
I say some plans for one years ago and where the two pieces joined there was a step ( lip ) from the front piece back a inch of so for the front of the back piece to sit on when joined together. I assumed it was to cut down on any drag from the seam. I believe it was in a Popular Mechanics or Popular Science monthly publications. I believe in the early 60's.

Fear not they still have folks making them today.

Chuck.
I have to go and look at the kayak plans they have.
 

jdupre'

Well-Known Member
Sep 9, 2007
2,327
40
South Louisiana
Thanks for the link, Chuck. Lots of interesting things there.

I'm not too concerned about the strength of the joint. The stern section would only be about 4 feet long with little in the way of bouyancy, so not a lot of strain. Mostly concerned about logs and running up on bottom. About four 5/16" bolts should give it all the strength it needs.

The bulkheads would be put in and attachment hardware drilled and installed BEFORE cutting the boat apart. That would hopefully solve any alignment problems. I would fair in the edges until they meet with almost no tolerance, so the joint wouldn't cause much turbulence.

Haven't actually pulled the trigger on the project, but am REALLY thinking hard about it.
 

beekeeper

Well-Known Member
Mar 4, 2009
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59
Your idea of one boat for two different functions may be doable but I would prefer two different boats, each designed specifically for one task.
I have enough to do at the launch without having to assemble the boat. I guess you could put it together before going. It does sound like a fun project.
How long of a hull are you considering for the cruiser? The bulkheads could pose a problem for seat location and trim. Rocker will also be a challenge.
I would guess the pond (skiff) hull will need more than the cruiser. Probably will not have any stern rocker for the skiff. The increase in drag may not matter but it may effect turning.
 

jdupre'

Well-Known Member
Sep 9, 2007
2,327
40
South Louisiana
Bee, I'm thinking in the 16' length range. A 16 footer leaves an awful lot hanging out the back of the truck. About 13 feet would be much handier to transport. I'm kicking around ideas for quick assembly......maybe some kind of hooks on the bottom and some kind of quick cam lock type of deal on top. Like I say, the last 3 or 4 feet of a pirogue is not contributing much to the bouyancy or the overall strength of the boat.

12-13 feet would leave the seating position well ahead of the transom. As far as rear rocker, I think it's not much of a concern. The skiff section would only be used for short trips. I've found that, unless you have too much, rocker is a minor player in performance. Anywhere from 1/2" to 2 1/2" has always worked for me. The Swamper has about an inch or less, front and rear, and it cruises well and turns well enough to do what it needs to do.

Still not commited to the idea. I LIKE the idea, though.