I acquired a pirouette from a Cajun I know. The hull is glass but the gunwales were wood. “Were” is the operative word here. I am thinking of slotting some pressure treated lumber and using that to replace the rotted gunwales. Then I will have suitable poling hull
and a good loaner for the kids…
Pirouette?
I thought them things the cajuns paddled and poled were called pirogues.
I think of the Pirouette as a 1990s whitewater kayak from Perception.
I think you should consider treating
“the slot” that you cut before installation. The pressure treated wood I have used seems to only have treatment to a minimal depth. Cutting into it will expose untreated wood.
I thought your handle sounded cajun.
A true “coon-ass”.
It’s all how you spin it, Pete.
When Charlie go
in pirogue
he pirouettes we fogies,
then as he Pole it
don’t ya know it
the quite Franc hurl pierogis
Pole Reba dizzy, Charlie
That junk is heavy, and …
you’ll never find the length you want without knots. There will be much weeping and gnashing of teeth!
Why not use white wood and give it a couple of coats of marine varnish or epoxy.
Coat the slot too before you install it.
jack L
Pressure treated
also splinters and those splinters are nasty. Additionally, I believe the reason builders do not just slot a piece of lumber for the gunwales is that it would be more difficult to bend than the two piece arrangement that is standard. Could be wrong though, let us know how it shapes up.
Peter
I was thinking that too
– Last Updated: Jan-04-14 9:53 AM EST –
I also was trying to imagine how to bend a single, slotted rail. I think you'd need a steam box and then use a wrapping band along the entire outer edge during the bending process. There's a reason that the inwale of a two-piece gunwale is several inches shorter than the outwale if you lay the straight pieces side by side, even though they look to be the same length once installed to follow the curve of the hull.
Gunwale stock
Charlie,
Congratulations on the new style addition to your fleet. Pressure treated lumber makes lousy trim. Too many flaws in the wood and usually something too weak to hold up to gunwale stresses.
How long is this hull? Raymondo and I have some pieces of gunwale stock we milled from clear trim boards. You can have them. And there is a twenty foot ash log laying in my back yard if you want to mill your own. Let me know how long a piece you need and Raymondo and i will do a quick search. I can bring it on the next trip to Kelly’s.
Bill
Good thought
I agree what would you recommend to treat the slot?
the gunwales
actually look like a piece of pressure treated that was milled. I was told it was cypress but not being an expert it looks like pressure treated. Have no idea how it was bent after slotting but the curve isn’t to severe.
I will take
You up Bill on the gunwale stock. The length is under 16 foot . I will put a tape on it this afternoon and tell you the max length.
Thanks, Charlie