Cajun Pirogue Boat Kit Photos

Just launched UJ Pirogue #2. 16' Canadian white pine strips for hull were ripped from 2x12x16 from Home Depot. Deck strips are from the same material, bead and cove routed to follow the crown. There is one piece of Spanish cedar at the center of each deck. Bottom is 3/8 exterior ply, scarfed per your plans. On the fore and aft frames, I glued 3/8 plywood bulkheads, using the frames as patters and as cleats. Gussets are 3/8 plywood cut curvy with an attempt at style. The rub rail is 16' closet rod ripped on the table saw and the inwhale is 16' door stop. Fiberglass on the bottom and covering the chines. 1/2" half-round brass strips cover the outer stem edges. Even with everything covered in epoxy and varnish, it only weighs around 80 lbs. Your plan gives me the room to experiment with different materials and styles of construction.

The real beauty is in the simplicity of your plans!

Best wishes,

John Toohey
Fort Worth, Texas

Dear Uncle john, I finished my pirogue last week and wanted to tell you how much I have enjoyed the building process and finally getting the boat wet last Saturday. She is a great boat and I can't thank you enough for providing the kit that has brought so much joy to me. I have to give a Big Thank You to Chuck and the Guy's at the www.southernpaddler.com for all their help and encouragement they are great and I would suggest going on their website for help with anyone's future builds.

I'm One Happy Boater. Thanks Again,

Chad Copsy (click here for more photos.)

Just wanted you guy's to see "Blue Fox" my 16' sailing pirogue. I've had a lot of fun with this boat and wanted to thank you !
(click here for photos and extensive comments by the builder.)

Happy Paddling,
E.C. Peters Rumford RI

Wanted to let you know I've finished my pirogue and have really been enjoying it. Here's the link to my site www.truckwithaheart.com/pirogue

Thanks a bunch!
Scott S.

Be sure and visit Scott's site, he has posted a comprehensive series on building his pirogue. A truly beautiful work of art.

I wanted to thank you again for the kit and all the advice. This was a fun project and a learning experience. I have a new respect for fiberglass. The Pirogue turned out better than I expected. I look forward to catching a few fish in it here in the low country of Charleston, SC.

PS: All my buddies are jealous.

Here are a couple of pictures of the completed Pirogue and one of me on Ruedi Res. in Colorado.

The building from the plans was straight-forward, easy to do and allowed me to build something that quieted the skeptics that appeared during the building. I have done woodworking as a hobby for a few years but never tried a boat. After this project's success I plan on at least two more boats. You got me started!

The first launch at Ruedi Reservoir had only my family there and was a cool windy day. But what else can you expect on a lake to almost 8000 feet in the Rockies! There was some choppy waves but the pirogue handled them fine and tracks very well with the 1x1 skeg along about 8 feet of the bottom. Thanks to the many fine examples of what other builders have done to their pirogues, I decided to go beyond the basic plans and add a few items gleaned from their prior skills. Several of my neighbors dropped by to watch the building process and were amazed that I could put the thing together. But the real surprise (that I did not tell them) was how easy it really is with the detailed plans/instructions. There are several options on what is a good first boat for the novice and this fine boat should be near the top of any aspiring boat builder's list. You can build it simple or you can add whatever detail you wish. It's your boat!

Thanks again!

Don Douglas, Colorado Springs, CO

Our Uncle John's pirogue that my sons and I built recently. We used 5 mil mahogany lauan from Home Depot and sliced up some 2X4's for the rub rails and ribs. Pieces were joined using the butt joint method, inside seams were fiberglass tape, and the entire outside was covered with fiberglass cloth. Most of the time was spent cutting and sanding. This is an inexpensive and fun project. We are planning our second one, the same size at about 13.5 feet and about 33 pounds. It is light enough to be put on top of the motor home. The boat paddles well and can carry around 350 pounds with no problem. We have gotten many compliments on this boat project.

Thanks Uncle John,
Mike Benoit, Natchez Mississippi