(click images to enlarge)
Thanks for the great pirogue kit. I started learning about
pirogue building last fall and finally built the boat earlier this year. The
main panels are of 5mm Luan plywood, the rubrails are 16 foot 1x4 pine ripped in
half, the deck plates are 3/4 inch pine, and the keel
is pine 1x2. I also used Luan for the rib braces to avoid problems during
construction. I used RAKA for the fiberglass and
resin. Raka is great for their competitive pricing and the excellent help for
beginners like myself. I used 3-4 coats of resin on the entire boat, and
glassed the entire outside. The floor and the bottom 3 inches of the inside are
glassed as well. For finishing, the boat was covered with 3 coats of marine
varnish. The result was a nice-looking and very
durable boat. I also built the seat from your plans. The design is great and
the seat is lightweight and easy to stow, not to mention comfortable.
Construction took about 3 months of night and weekend work. It was done outside
under a temporary shelter. A garage would be very helpful. (curing resin is a
magnet for insects, pollen, the neighbor's pets, etc.) Using information from
your site, I didn't have many unexpected problems. I wished I had a belt sander
for the scarfing, but otherwise a circular saw, jigsaw, cordless drill and a lot
of sandpaper was enough. Since the boat has been
finished, I have used it quite a bit. I found a double blade kayak paddle that
works great. The seat from your plans balances the weight just right and gives
a good platform to paddle from. I built the boat in Savannah, GA, and there are
plenty of places to paddle around there.
It is perfect for the tidal creeks and marshes of the area. The boat is very
fast and shallow. I can go up creeks that many other boats cannot. It is also
fairly stable after some practice. I read once that the pirogue is like riding
a bike. After a few seconds of near-sinking you get the hang of it and you're
off. I've gotten many comments at the boat launch about how smooth and
effortless it paddles. Even kayak tour guides stop their tour group to ask
about the boat. People have been very complimentary about the boat overall. I
paddled a lot on the ICW near Savannah and found the pirogue to have enough
stability to handle big boat wakes and strong tides. I've also taken it on
overnight trips on the Altamaha river in south Georgia. It will hold a lot more
gear than I expected, and is much easier to paddle than a canoe. The
seat is a must for long trips. Since then, I've moved
to Gretna, LA. I'm looking forward to exploring the waters of South Louisiana
with my pirogue. It should be fun.
Jake Feagans