WANTED: Authentic African Dugout Canoe Wanted

[rafter3]

I don't know if this goes here, but does anyone know where I can get an authentic African dugout canoe? I am doing an African theme in my trophy room and want to use it, maybe someone in Africa has access to one? I know it will be costly to ship but I would like to see if anything is out there.

 

[skydiver386]

I think it's a fantastic idea. The ones I've seen in pictures immediately make me think the size, weight and cost to ship it will be astronomical.

 

[spike.t]

Do you have any idea how heavy they are?....very...we have 4 or 5 on the grass out back of the main house at takeri....taken from illegal fishermen.....be a pain to get them to lusaka let alone usa....

 

[Mort Hill]

I would think you could get an Amish craftsman to build and stain you one to look used from pictures in the USA for a fraction of the cost.

 

[rafter3]

Do you have any idea how heavy they are?....very...we have 4 or 5 on the grass out back of the main house at takeri....taken from illegal fishermen.....be a pain to get them to lusaka let alone usa....

Didn't know if one could be crated and shipped like hunters trophies are shipped

 

[VertigoBE]

I would think you could get an Amish craftsman to build and stain you one to look used from pictures in the USA for a fraction of the cost.

And that way, you won't feel too bad about yourself, once you start to drill into the canoe, in order to anchor it, or to attach a trophy inside it.

 

[Red Leg]

I can see shipping a traditional cypress pirogue somewhere - they were typically a one-person craft of very small dimensions and very thin hulls. The typical mokoros that I have seen in the Caprivi and Mozambique were fairly crude dugouts designed to carry two or three people and two or three times the length of a pirogue. I have never weighed one, but did help drag one into the water in the Caprivi once. It had to weigh four or five hundred pounds. Cube-wise it would be most of the length of a shipping container. I would say, throw enough money at it, and you could probably manage it, but you also will have enormous challenges with US customs bringing in untreated wood - particularly from an African country.

 

[D.M.V]

Cool idea. As others have stated I'd find someone local. And local can be relative term. I.E in the U.S to build a replica, probably be your best bet.

 

[rafter3]

I would think you could get an Amish craftsman to build and stain you one to look used from pictures in the USA for a fraction of the cost.

Good idea, not many of those folks here in Texas though

 

[Velo Dog]

Perhaps some above average minded high school kid/s would be willing to make one for you at a negotiated price.
Finding a teenager with an above average mind these days might be a serious obstacle though.

 

[Velo Dog]

I don't know if this goes here, but does anyone know where I can get an authentic African dugout canoe? I am doing an African theme in my trophy room and want to use it, maybe someone in Africa has access to one? I know it will be costly to ship but I would like to see if anything is out there.

Also, it looks like you have posted some great photos and information about hunting in Tanzania, elsewhere within this forum.
Good stuff, thanks for sharing those.

And, if the above post about the dugout canoe idea is your introduction to the AH Forum:

Khomas Highland Hunting and Fishing Safaris of Namibia, welcomes you to the greatest forum on earth.

I like your idea of an African dugout canoe, as part of a man cave display.
My guess is that if / when you complete that project, it will be an impressive sight.

I have repeatedly tried to attach a photo to my post here, of a dugout canoe on The Okavango River.
However, for the past few days, any pic I try to attach only loads to 99% and then defiantly dies right there on the vine.

Computers hate me (not that I blame them).

Cheers,
Velo Dog.

 

[Cajun Hunter]

I don't know if this goes here, but does anyone know where I can get an authentic African dugout canoe? I am doing an African theme in my trophy room and want to use it, maybe someone in Africa has access to one? I know it will be costly to ship but I would like to see if anything is out there.

Some time ago I spoke with a guy in Denham Springs, La who is a traditional craftsman. He makes dugouts when he can get the cypress logs to work with. He is very pricey but have seen his work displayed at BassPro and others outlets. Would not be genuine African but workmanship is definable old school.

 

[Piet-Vis]

DM me if you are real interested, there are plenty of old ones on Kariba and the Lower Zam which I can try and get for you.

 

[Mekaniks]

I saw a hand made canoe at the big curio shop in Windhoek last year. I can not remember the name of the place.....It may have been Tikoloshe wood carvers, but I am not sure....

 

[steve white]

Buy yourself a log, an adze, and use charcoal judiciously to hollow it out some, plus means of your choice to reduce cracking, and you could be in business part timing it to completion...chainsaw carving could speed things, too.

 

[Oil & Dirt]

I live around a lot of Amish craftsmen. They are used to recreating the hand hewn beam look for furniture/beams in homes. I just built a new home and finished an office so I have a lot of contacts in that community. If it’s something you’d be interested in entertaining, I could ask around for the art of possible. We could then just hotshot it or see if someone has a back haul heading back your way and could ship it cheap

 

[Sideshow]

You will also need a big ass croc and a hippo! One attacking from each side

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

Check with Tin Roof in El Campo Tx.
They do mostly custom furnishings for home and trophy rooms. The Pratka boys are big Africa hunters also.

 

[rookhawk]

Didn't know if one could be crated and shipped like hunters trophies are shipped

I bet the cost of crate and ship alone would be $30k on this endeavor, not counting permits and sterilization of the wood, and god help you if the wood is a protected wood species.

I’d call around to museums in the USA. 90% of a museums assets are not on display. Surely a museum has a pile of them stacked up in the warehouse. Would a museum “gift” you one for a $25,000 donation or research grant? For certain if it could be done with propriety so it doesn’t look like you’re buying merchandise from a museum.

 

[Sideshow]

Actually just had a thought……there’s a taxidermist in Botswana that makes elephants tusk, buffalo horn etc With the Okavango and all the Mokoro they have there it might be easier to get one cast out of fibreglass.
Sorry can’t remember who the taxidermist is but I think it’s a lady in Maun.
Kevin Robertson talked about her. The tusks are life like you apparently would not notice the difference between one real one and the imposter if they stood side by side. So a Mokoro might be a nice challenge