I am watching this threads closely, JD, because the PVC idea is a damned good one.
I've owned a few pirogues and always miss them once I sell them. I've been wanting another, but this time I'm really getting the itch to build it instead of buying it. Again, the PVC idea is intriguing. I want to build a "dugout" style (there are some fiberglass ones on Ebay from LA for $300 pick up) with some rocker added (similar to Paw Paw's Pirogues) because they would be more nimble, maneuver better and have more tumblehome; which would make tiny adjustments while maneuvering into position for jump shooting ducks that much easier and quieter. The kicker is that it will make the craft more unstable than it'd already be, and it'd be a light load craft, but that's what I want in a pirogue. The other issue is this that this type of craft would be much harder to make.
I don't like not having a pirogue, and I refuse to hear of not having a canoe. One day I will make one. They are a sportsman's best friend, IMO. Not to hijack, but the video below is one of me running a little 2hp gamefisher I bought from Anatidae. You could jump shoot ducks and then motor back up stream and only need one truck. With some modification, it was the ultimate swamp rig.
Somebody mentioned weight and Gheenoes. IMO, the factor of adding/subtracting weight to affect stability of a craft is so minimal that it should be way down the list of factors to consider, especially with a pirogue. Weight, or it's absence, is EVERYTHING on a pirogue. The reason gheenoes are so stable vs. standard canoes is because they have a reverse chine running the length of the craft. Old Town guides have the same concept. This gives the craft winning points in secondary stability.
I'd rather have a craft with secondary stability then that of initial stability, or, in the case of a pirogue, just throw out the word stability altogether and reassure yourself that she
will roll over- she
loves to roll over. That said, her owner must learn the art of keeping
her from rolling; whereas it's usually the
owner's responsibility to keep himself from rolling his craft. Secondary stability is why those who own Gheenoes, or any reverse chine hull, for any amount of time, almost always love them: They got used to the slight "tippy" feeling only to realize that they had to do something bad to flip her, and it's also why those who only tried out reverse chine hulls such as Gheenoes disliked them: Because they felt so "tippy." My next all around fishing hull will be a tricked out LT25. They are everything but a canoe.