4" PVC Tube Canoe Outrigger Kit by dirtybirdnj

Last crawled date: 3 years ago

This is a collection of parts for making outriggers out of 4" PVC tubes you can find at your local big box hardware / home improvement store. The design is purposefully made to work with easy to find off the shelf parts. I want to make it easy for anybody to turn an old canoe into a much more safe and enjoyable experience.
This is a great way to make a canoe more suitable for fishing as well, if you plan on attaching a trolling motor this kit is designed to provide the added stability and buoyancy required to account for the weight of two people plus a deep-cycle marine battery and trolling motor. This is actually the reason I decided to design the parts, and I'm still in the progress of finishing up the first version so this is a live and breathing project... subject to updates so check back often if you like it.
Warning: Users of this guide take must 100% responsibility for the safe operation of any craft that uses the parts or guide.
I'm going to be really mad if someone goes and kills themselves with a boat they made using this plan... it may not be a gun but do not underestimate the danger of a vessel you make sinking and either stranding you or putting you in a dangerous or life threatening situation. Make sure to test your setup in a safe and controlled environment before you embark on any longer journey. Test with one person before you test with two... use your best judgement and always be willing to try again to make sure it's built sturdy and correct before you put your or someone elses life in danger.
Now with that buzzkill PSA over... let's get to the fun part!
Process: (First Draft, more details soon! 5/19/18)

Cut down your stud wood to estimate how far out you want your outriggers from the boat sides. I would start with 60" if you are unsure, but the best thing is to put the uncut piece of stud on the boat and look at it to determine what makes most sense.

DO YOUR RESEARCH ON THIS ONE! Here's the type of thing you should be researching:
https://wavewalk.com/blog/2009/02/25/how-effective-can-a-fishing-kayaks-outriggers-be/
Figuring out how far the outriggers should be out isn't rocket science, but put some effort in and be rewarded with comfortable stability.



Once your first horizontal stud is cut, put it on the boat and try to hold the boat level. Measure the distance from the stud to the floor / ground that the boat is on. You will need to cut two pieces of wood roughly this size per each cross bar. If you don't do this step right the canoe will be stable but still have some undesirable tipsiness before the outriggers actually get in the water. The goal is to have the outriggers at the level of the water that the boat rests naturally at when normally loaded.


Once you have your cross bar and down bars cut, use the 1" or other screws you have to attach them at a 90 degree angle. You may want to add an additional piece to brace the angle, but depending on how straight your cuts and screws were this may not be necessary. If you have any doubt, lean into it with your full weight. If it breaks, it wasn't strong enough... go back to the store and spend another $2.50 on a cheap piece of wood.


Once your crossbars and down bars are attached, cut the pool noodles so that they go over the bars you are going to use to attach the outriggers to the canoe. The foam should be in-between the wood and metal/plastic/wood or whatever the canoe is constructed of. Depending on your canoe you may or may not need this, but that's up to you.


Once your pool noodles are cut and wrapped around the bars, put your newly made cross bars over the noodles and use the U-Bolts to attach them to the cross bars of the canoe itself. Make sure the U is facing upwards, and that the flat bar of the U-Bolt is resting on the wood.


Using your power drill select a low number (between 1 and 20, choose 3-5) on the clutch setting and begin to tighten down the U-Bolts... alternating sides so you don't tighten one side 100% and then the other 100%. After you tighten all eight bolts (4 U-Bolts with 2 nuts per) your cross-bars are attached!


Take the 4" tube adapter and put it on the downward part of the outriggers. It should friction fit nicely... and might need a little force to go on but should not require hammers or any other more powerful application of force.


Avoid damaging the PVC tube adapters! Take care not to let the 4" tube adapters hit the ground while you are attaching the 4"pipe clamps. Just find someone to help you hold the canoe steady while you do this part to avoid the tipping that can ruin your day. It's very easy to bump the canoe and have it tip to one side and break an adapter. Ask me how I know this.


Slide the 4" pipe clamps over the PVC tubes, and then run them over the side shelfs of the 4" tube adapters. Use the other socket you bought and the power drill to tighten down the clamps. Again, take care not to use too much torque as this can break or destroy your PVC adapter.

----- Current Project Progress Point! 5/19/18
So I'm currently printing a full set of end caps, the first trial actually only used
one outrigger. It wasn't bad but it wasn't good enough either. Currently
we're just waiting for nice weather to go out and try the double outrigger setup!
Ok... back to the plan....



After printing two "tall cone" caps, and two flatter ones, insert them into the ends of the PVC tube. Use glue and/or marine adhesive spray to seal the caps onto your 4" PVC tubes. MAKE SURE TO TEST THAT THESE ARE WATER TIGHT BEFORE YOU GO TOO FAR WITH YOUR BOAT. Boy would it suck if you did a crappy job sealing this and your boat sank and took down all your fishing gear... just saying don't let this be you!


Congrats! You made it all the way to the end! Make sure you do a few dry-run assemblies of the outrigger setup in your garage / driveway etc, before you take it to try on the water for the first time.


Assembly Protips: When you use the boat for real, you will end up putting it together at whatever boat launch you use. Try to find an area that provides an extra parking spot for you to work in. Always have extra scrap pool noodle, the first few times you put it together you may realize additional places that need more padding.

Testing Protips: For your first voyage, don't go too far out or plan to be out for an extended period of time. Test with one person before you test with two. You most likely will need to adjust the positioning of both outriggers after your first trials to achieve proper weight distribution / buoyancy. Use a permanent marker to mark on the 4" pvc tube what works once you figure it out. Use your best judgement, listen to that voice in your head that says "maybe this is dangerous...". You can always try again tomorrow!