Louisiana Boatbuilding...Gotta see this!

[Roger Stouff]

Hey kind folks,
One of the rare rewards of this job as a small town newspaper in south Louisiana is every now and then I actually run across a story I care about. Remarkably, I've found TWO just this month.
These are two old gentlemen in my area who are continuing the rapidly dying craft of Louisiana boat building. The first, Mr. Elwood Marcotte, recently finished this bateau for a collector who intends to show it around the country in boat shows. It'll be powered by a Lockwood Ash. It's cypress all through except for a plywood bottom. He said these were common until the 1950s or so.
http://www.native-waters.com/Wooden%20Boats/marcotte1.jpg
http://www.native-waters.com/Wooden%20Boats/marcotte2.jpg
The next is being built by Mr. Courvillier, a cypress rowing skiff, no plywood. He's building this one with and for his son:
http://www.native-waters.com/Wooden%20Boats/couvillierboat1.jpg
http://www.native-waters.com/Wooden%20Boats/couvillierboat2.jpg
http://www.native-waters.com/Wooden%20Boats/couvillierboat3.jpg
Here's the boat he used to get the lines
http://www.native-waters.com/Wooden%20Boats/oldskiff.jpg
Hope ya'll enjoy this little peek into Louisiana boat building as much as I did!
Best regards from the Rez,
Roger Stouff

[mmd]

Hi, Roger! Thanks for dropping by and sharing those pics with us.

What an interesting way to finish off the bottom plank on the rowing skiff. Any idea as to why it is done that way?

[Roger Stouff]

Michael, my man. Good to hear from you!
No clue, but next time I go over, when they get it wet, I'll ask him.
Hope you're well!
R

[htom]

Both splendid -- as is hearing from you!

[erster]

Dangit, now thats just pretty neat! Great to see you pop in while I was lost here.;) I will be down your way in Oct. for some water borne activities.

[Concordia...41]

Indeed!

- M

[Thad]

Thanks much from me too! Good to hear from you! Good men there!

[paladin]

Glad to see that they let you off the rez once in a while.

[kenjamin]

A friend of mine bought a license and is pulling very old and very good condition cypress logs out of a nearby river. I was wondering what kind of a boat one could make out of cypress. Thanks for answering that question. The skiff looks great. Do you happen to know how it's fastened?

[JimD]

Nice reporting, Roger :)

[davebrown]

that skiff is the real thing. i love a good skiff with sweet lines.

[Roger Stouff]

K, he used Titebond III and galvanized screws.
Thanks, all. It's always good to come in here and renew old acquaintances!

[nedL]

Roger, its great to hear from you! As others have said - Thanks for stopping by. - As soon as I saw it I thought the same thing that Mike asked; I'm curious about that bottom planking treatment?? Please let us know if you find out. Beautiful stuff!

[nedL]

Roger, I'm curious, any chance that orignal rowing skiff had a small inboard in it at one time?? I see a half round cut-out in that second frame forward & it looks about right for prop shaft clearance. (??)

[Tom Lathrop]

Roger,

Popped in on my local outboard dealer last week and saw a really nice (and new) Zip in for engine tuneup and thought of your beautiful boat. How is it working out?

[Mrleft8]

Good to hear from you Roger!
I saw that bottom plank (on the skiff), and my initial thought was that it hadn't been trimmed yet. Then I thought it might be a sacrificial worm shoe... This is where your pitbull reporter genes will really kick in! Go git the story! ;)

[Roger Stouff]

Roger, I'm curious, any chance that orignal rowing skiff had a small inboard in it at one time?? I see a half round cut-out in that second frame forward & it looks about right for prop shaft clearance. (??)
I don't think so, because the forward bulkhead has the exact same cutout. I think it was just stowage.
The boat has a helluva lot of rockerthat doesn't really show in the photos.
Hey Tom...Zip is cool, though I rarely use it anymore. I think it's been out once this year. I am planning to redo the topside finish this fall, as it's starting to show its age.
Hey Lefty! I'm going to find out about that plank...I doubt it'll be trimmed, seems like he would have done it before the turned the hull.

[seedtick]

By the time inboards showed up down here, folks went to the bateau style boats (first picture). They were wider and more stable than the rowing skiffs. The old 8 Hp Lockwood Ash motors weighed about 300 lbs and took up the rear six or seven feet of a boat from flywheel to prop. They didn't go well in smaller boats.

I've also been curious about the extended bottom on the rowing skiffs. The gentleman that showed us how to build one did the same thing on his.

Here's a couple of shots of one we're completing




http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm117/seedtick/skiff/DSC05204.jpg


A strip of wood attached to the transom also backed up the rear keel strip.


http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm117/seedtick/skiff/DSC05205.jpg

The strip is eventually trimmed to be flush with the keel


Also curious to see what style of joug (rowing station) he plans to use. These skiffs were meant to be rowed standing up, facing forward

[Bob Triggs]

Roger, "Elias Wonder"...all of that and fly fishing too!!!

[Roger Stouff]

Roger, "Elias Wonder"...all of that and fly fishing too!!!
Heck yeah. Wooden boats, fly fishing with bamboo fly rods...what else IS there? :)
Seedtick, that's it! I actually brought him an old oar from a pair that I have I found under my house tucked into the floor joists. He's going to copy it to use on this boat. I'm not sure what kind of oarlocks he'll be using, but I will post pictures here when the boat is done.
R

[seedtick]

Here's the style joug we use

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm117/seedtick/IMG_0388.jpg

There is a horizontal board tieing the two sides together. There's several different designs that i know of but would very interested in his design. The "oarlock" is a not quite vertical 1/2" metal shaft and the oar is laced to it with leather.

BTW that's me bringing a modern day Evangeline up Bayou Teche in St. Martinsville, celebrating the arrival of the first Acadians.

on the other style boats, come to wooden boat festival in Madisonville this fall and you'll be able to ride in one of the "putt-putts" with a turn of the (last) century engine

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm117/seedtick/boat2.jpg

[Roger Stouff]

Awesome photos. I do plan to make Madisonville this year. I see you're in Denham...I'm on Bayou Teche, down near Franklin in Charenton on the Indian Rez.