A better idea for Congo - a speedy tug and a plastic bag

They might want not just your cargo, or personal valuables, but they could well decide that a hovercraft would be very useful for their purposes. And the very same goes for the government, and/or more-or-less corrupt local officials.

 

It seems like I have found my guy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ydRyLlI0AQ&feature=player_embedded (Part on the boad-building begins at 3'15".

This man and his boat will do fish and agricultural products on the Congo River. He's building a big "baleinière".

Perhaps some experts here can tell me whether the boat they're seeing is well-built or not?

 

Yes, this is very good, flat botomed boat, heavier than my construction but still very good cheap method of boat building, isn't is?
Three kinds of wood if I good understand french, Wenge is very very expensive in my country.
I don't know exactly size of this boat from movie. If I can help you, I can calculate how many stations shoud be, and thickness of hull.
Most expensive part is engine and propulsion. Tell us how big diesel engine from car or tractor you can find, I tell you, how big boat will be good for this engine

 

When he is cutting that big log I thought his toes were right against the chain saw.

No ear protection, no eye protection, no feet protection, no hand protection, no head protection....................these guys are cowboys by western standards.

I bet they have no idea what OSHA is.

 

Yes you found it. Wenge, afromorsia and others; the dream of a european boat builder!!!!. In Europe this woods are very expensive, pure luxury. I would dream to have such woods here! 6 meters planks of such beautiful wood, oh man...I've almost had a stroke by the emotion.

That's what Apex, others and I told you; wooden boat made by a local shipyard. The cheapest and simplest way. Add a good diesel and done. See for diesels able to burn vegetable oil, that's now the true job. To cut down the costs of fuel.

Think again of locally zinc hot dipped nails and screws if not already done: that doubles the life span of the boat. It's simple to make and needs very little investment.

I do speak French, and I has been naval carpenter. Very simple method, but largely enough for a river boat. The carpenters in the movie know their job for this kind of boat.

 

Threaded nails would be great!
Clous filetés serait super!

 

With hot dipped nails no need of threaded ones. The rough surface of the zinc grips incredibly. The zinc protects locally the wood and there is not softening (and blackening) of the wood by the ferric acid produced by the chemical reaction between the wood and the steel in presence of water -even very soft- and oxygen. That explains why you can double the life span of a wooden boat: the wood does not "eat" the nails and screws, and the wood is not "rotten" by the nails.

Hot dipping is also faster and cheaper finally than painting for the screws, bolts and small pieces of steel until 1*1 foot. A such zinc "furnace" cost less than 200 USD ready to work (made with steel, lime and salt for the walls) uses wood scraps as fuel and it's very effective.

Les clous zingues a chaud accrochent pratiquement aussi bien que les clous crantes et sont beaucoup moins chers.