An ESA Journey

ESA's past and present came together last summer and fall as juniors Davis Curry and Clarke Patrone collaborated with Dr. David Tate to build two cypress pirogues. ESA past parent (Lyle, ’88, Matthew, ’91, and A’Dair, ‘00) and current grandparent Dr. David Williams, who holds a Ph.D. in wood science and operates Cypress Wood & Lumber in Maringouin, spent several months looking for clear 12-inch planks that would be perfect for the project. He generously donated the planks to the boys for their boats. Past parent Don Montie (Lacie, ’00), a cabinet maker, has experience building his own canoes. He drew out plans and instructions for the boys to follow. Th roughout the summer, Davis and Clarke constructed the vessels at Dr. and Mrs. Tate’s home.

In November, Davis, joined by Dr. and Mrs. Tate and Mr. Cabell Tutwiler, journeyed in his pirogue from ESA’s Cade campus to the Camellia Street bridge in Lafayette. Th e group launched at the bridge over Coulee LaSalle, took Bayou Tortue to Coulee Crow, which fl ows through the Cypress Island Swamp, and into the Vermilion River near the Lafayette airport. Th e 22-mile trip started at 7:00 am on a Saturday morning, and the travelers arrived at their destination just before 5:00 pm on Sunday. Th e small party of adventurers spent Saturday night in the fl ooded Cypress Island Swamp, where they ate well, according to Dr. Tate. Although this trip has been attempted several times by the ESA outing club, Cypress Island Swamp has caused most paddlers to turn back. Mr. Tutwiler and a crew made it to the Vermilion River once many years ago, but in modern times, Davis is the fi rst ESA student to make it – and uniquely, in a solo water craft he built himself!

My first thought was, ‘we can’t actually do this,’ and even when I decided it could be done, I still couldn’t imagine making the trip. I learned you just have to go for it!
Davis Curry, '17