DIY: Making a Pirogue

The pirogue, first crafted by Native Americans, was later refined by French explorers and settlers in Louisiana’s swamps and marshes. These flat-bottomed boats, carved from massive cypress logs, could weigh thousands of pounds but glided easily over obstacles in narrow waterways. Unlike concave canoes, the pirogue's design made it ideal for navigating swampy terrain. Used in the fur trade, as well as for hunting, fishing, and transportation, the pirogue became a vital tool for survival and commerce. While some were equipped with sails, most were paddled or poled through the region’s intricate waterways.

From Louisiana Lures and Legends by Charles Connor:

(Top) “The fallen cypress tree is split, a centerline marked and rough shaping of the outside hull is begun with a hand ax.”

(Center left) “The hull is turned over and placed on sawhorses. The inside is “dugout” with a hand ax as the boat slowly takes shape.”

(Center right) “Hand tools were what Champagne used to craft his dugouts from a whole cypress tree.”

(Bottom) “As the hull thickness is made more uniform, Champagne would drill several small hole through the bottom of each dugout. He then inserted a special wooden gauge he made for determining hull thickness into each hole. The holes were plugged and the finished hull was later fitted with cypress trim around the gunwale and movable seats.”

 Photos and instructional copy from Louisiana Lures and Legends: The Decoy Collection of Brian Cheramie and Period Photography of David L. Hall by Charles Connor.