The
original definition for a Pirogue (pronounced pir-oh)
is: "A canoe made from a hollowed tree trunk".
Over
the years, the meaning has become interchanged with the definition
of a Dory: "A small, narrow, flat-bottom fishing
boat with high sides and a sharp prow."
This
design was requested to be a very simple and very short Dory for
rowing. It looks more like a fat pirogue. So we couldn't resist
the play-on-words and named it P-Row.
The
design called for 2 specific features: It was to have a completely
open interior (no thwarts) and be made from only 2 sheets of plywood.
To
achieve the 2 sheets of plywood objective, we had to get creative
with how the panels were nested on the 4' x 8' plywood sheets. The
result is requiring 2 splices per panel instead of the typical 1
splice per panel. It also resulted in a short boat at 11.5' (3.5m),
which will make for a great car-topper.
To
achieve the open cockpit without a thwart, we incorporated a strong
framing system. This system will not work for most boats, but since
this one is very small, we can successfully use it.
For
seating, builders can incorporate a removable seat box, or even
hang the seat from slotted gunwales like a canoe.
Specifications
