Pirogue – Guinea (Africa)

This pirogue was constructed by two of the country’s youngsters in 1984. The trunk of the tree is hollowed with a sharp tool, whose marks are still visible. Another technique is to hollow out the trunk with fire. Next, the hull is cut to fit the irregular shape of the hollow. The pirogue is a fast sailing or paddling boat. The simplest Pirogue only carries 1 person, standing up, while those used for hunting, fishing or war can carry up to 10. The hollowed trunk canoe is heavy and given its weak planking, condemned to calm waters.