Boat Fever

I am a huge fan of wooden boats, so the Charleston Maritime festival this weekend is definitely on my to do list, and I have my boarding passes in hand. For several years I have attended the holy city's maritime festival and watched longingly as others participated in the family boat building event. The family boat building event introduces novices to the wonderful craft of wooden boat building, where experts mentor families as they construct a small skiff from pre-cut materials. The event culminates with a launch party. I have threatened to sign up for the event every year, but as usual, we waited until the last minute to register. The family boat building event only accommodates twenty entries, and it fills pretty quickly as one might imagine. Feeling a bit overworked and disappointed that I missed the cut again this year, I vowed to build my own wooden boat. This was no overnight decision. I knew what design I wanted build and have had her plans in my head for years. So, with a bit of research and a few phone calls, my son and I are well on our way to building a classic Bayou Pirogue (pronounced pee-row). The pirogue was first introduced to the bayou in the late 1600's. It is somewhat of a mystery how the pirogue got to Louisiana, but it has been there for centuries and has become a part of the Cajun heritage. Originally the pirogue was hewn from large cypress logs, some measuring more than 12 feet in diameter. The cypress log was split down the middle. Then the outside of the log was shaped to the builders liking using only an ax and an adze. After finishing the outside, it was turned over so that the insides could be "scooped" out with an adze and other chisels. I ordered measured drawings from UncleJohns.com, and a supply of epoxy resin and wood flour from http://www.raka.com/. Larry Steeves, owner of Raka, inc. was a huge help, and has built a pirogue himself. I also spent some time researching construction techniques and found that by increasing the length and width of the vessel it would be a much more stable craft. A few of the images are of Tom Hills pirogue. Constructed in North Carolina, Tom's version is a faithful derivative of the classic bayou pirogue. I have set up the sawhorses and the tailgate tent on the patio and I can't wait to get started, I'll make sure to post plenty of step by step pictures. I haven't done much fiberglass work, so this should be fun. See you guys at the festival!