french style sailing barge

Good stuff here......well, seems we had the same idea of hauling a motorcycle on a boat for the Great Loop, that was years ago and the idea was not as well received as your idea at this time....lol
A bit more about the Great Loop;

You need a boat that IS sea worthy, saying the ICW is protected is not really true, from New Orleans heading to south Florida you can be 100 miles out in the gulf or more. A well designed scow is fine, even a Bolger box boat. More importantly will be your skills, it's not like running a bass boat or pontoon across a lake.

I love the landing craft idea, that is still on my back burner, however;

I was probably about your age when I had the same thoughts, now I am retired. Then I had a Honda 650 XR. then a Transalp, today I really can't ride those or not for very long and I just bought a Honda VTX 1800 Trike for touring, a 1000 pound machine where I don't need to put my feet down !

On the Big Muddy, check out the shore and decide if you really want to try and ride any dirt bike in that mud, it is generally slick and deep. I'm not real familiar with the whole river, but the banks are steep too. Next is the issue of fenced private property, so you're restricted to public docks and ramps. To use a dock you'll need a gin boom or crane, lift the bike on and off, (at 65 you may not be able to pick it up) at launching ramps you can drop the ramp and go. But you can't leave your boat there.

I'm not raining on your parade, I still have the same ideas, but realistically the GL isn't motorcycle friendly. If you take a bike, I'd rap it up tight to prevent salt water spray out, otherwise you'll have a quick rust bucket with alloy wheels and parts.

Anyway, there are other issues, like how to secure a bike on or in a boat to take 3 or 4 footers, but for me a light went off and I realized many places rent bikes,even better rental car folks will deliver a car

Secretly I still want to do the build a boat and do the GL, but the cheapest way is to buy an old glass sail boat and build a "Strawler" just sail when you can otherwise use a small OB (and one for salt water).

Another matter, these boats are considered a "Shanty" no matter how much lipstick you put on it, so expect run ins with local authorities and the CG because States and Municipalities are already waging war on Shanty liveaboards. They want you at a dock, not blocking the water view of some million dollar vacation home, ahhhh but check out the ports as many don't allow wood boats! This issue will likely get worse in time as laws and regulations erode our "rights" in the "land of the free".

I still want to build basically the same boat you're wanting, but 24/26 foot is big enough for me, wifey and my dog. Originally I was at 34 feet, it's the difference between 50+ hp and less than 10 hp to cruise at about 7. Consider Escargot with a 6 foot beam and 24 LOA, but for the ICW you'll need to modify that bow a bit or wait for perfect weather. I can wait, I'm retired

Proper prior planning prevents boat dreams, lol, early on this thread you were asked to define your life style, saying minimalist isn't getting down to how one functions. I can tell you, in 15 years you will not feel like you do today, so consider the tasks of sailing and cruising carefully.......

Best thing to do is buy an old bucket, modify it and take vacations, do it now and you can do the GL in sections for the next ten years. You can also build a good boat to stay on after you know the gunkholes and favorite cruising grounds.

All the best!

 

They aren't letting wooden boats in some marinas? Or just boats that people build themselves?

... OTOH I hear people on the buying yachts shows talking about Italian styling and I think of McMansions or Hipsters who are so individualistic that you can't tell them apart....

 

Part of my picture collection so far.

 

More

 

Agreed, I have heard several excuses, insurance for larger homemade wooden boats, especially liveaboards, I don't think there are any issues for small sail, row or even motored (like under 16 feet). Appearance goes a long way pulling up next to some guy's $XXX,XXX.xx yacht, hope it doesn't rain because some would drown with noses skyward. Safety, no survey no stay homie. I think it's a shanty thing.

I doubt they are asking you to move along if your wood boat is glassed with a nice finish, well appointed with proper brass fittings, and it's not that you can't go in for fuel or whatever, just can't stay overnight or have dinner and drinks at the club.

Anyway, I'd love to have that first boat shown above at the lake!

 

Some more Toue Cabanee videos:







Be careful, these boats are very addictive.

Regards

WD

 

If you come to France and want to sail on our rivers, you can rent a Toue Cabannee :
Village Toue - rent an houseboat in Burgundy for your French holidays http://www.village-toue.fr/en/toue-cabanee/your-toue-cabanee.html
Contact : Village Toue - Formulaire de contact Village Toue http://www.village-toue.fr/fr/contact-acces-infos-pratiques.html

You can also buy one, new or second-hand, at this shipyard :
Toue cabanée - CPC Chantier Naval http://www.bateau.fr/modeles-de-bateaux/gamme-vintage-habitat/toue-cabanee/
Contact : Contact us - CPC Chantier Naval http://www.bateau.fr/en/contact-us/contact-us/

Toue is old french, derived from english towed
Cabanée is also old French, means hut made of wood, i.e. shanty I think in English
>>> so literally, Toue Cabanée means Towed Shanty

 

Random aside: a paddlewheel would look might nice at the back of one of those.

 

Perhaps you could help us get some specs on the nice toue that grace these pages Dolfiman ?

The craft with the classic interior featured above is available for hire as accommodation. LeVent de Travers is the name, and I have emailed them for some specs on the toue.

I might struggle with French v Australian (note I didn't say English there, have been to France, learned very quickly to make sure they knew we were Aussies, not Poms...haha)

Could you perhaps help us with a phone call, tell them how much we like their boat, and would like to study her lines and dimensions. Details are here:

Contact::Loire-valley-concept https://www.loirevalleyconcept.fr/contact/

All help greatly appreciated.

Regards

WD.

*UPDATE* Have found the designer and builder on their website. Drew Lamneck's tumblr website link is below, heaps of great pictures of the design and build of Le Vent d'Travers.

 

Here's a couple of links that will wet your appetite.

Toue Cabanee https://www.pinterest.com.au/striderboats/toue-cabanee/

Loire-valley-concept https://www.loirevalleyconcept.fr/

LAMNECK BOATS https://dlamneck.tumblr.com/

 

Hello all. Warren mate.. I too have a strong pull towards the beautiful toue cabannee. Did you end up coming across some Plans?

 

I too am looking for the plans for a Toue/Loir Boat. my length about 40' width about 10'/12'. must have shallow draft as I plan on using it for the Great Lakes to Gulf of Mexico river system. Also may want power (slow and steady) and sail. I have built a Punt which is almost the right shape, but to small to even sleep in.

 

The river system from the Great Lakes to the Gulf is fairly deep. You can definitely go without problem with a 5' draft.

 

In France, the shipyard Robert Frères proposes such Toue model, I did not see the plans on their site, but they are open to new project, may be you can contact them :
Toue Cabanée De Loire | Construction Toue Cabanée De Loire | France (touecabaneedeloire.fr)
Another more modest model, proposed by CPC :
La Toue Cabanée, hébergement écoresponsable made in France https://www.bateau.fr/toudoo/sur-leau/toue-cabanee/

 

Association Kaïros Chambord Loir-et-Cher http://kairos-chambord.fr/
I visit this boatyard, own by a very friendly association and had a great pleasure to discuss with them many aspects of their work. They have been choosen to build "The Royal Suit" of the Chambord Castle, which is a Toue de la Loire.
You can also check this boatyard :
https://www.pannier-bateau-bois.fr/