Trenasse Cutter Circa 1954
A "trenasse" is a small waterway in the brackish marsh, important to trappers for gaining access to furbearing animals. Some trenasses are natural, many more are created by man, often using a homemade craft like this one. The rotating blades in front, powered by a large automobile V-8 engine, bite into the marsh and pull the craft forward. The resulting waterway is 4 feet wide and about 2 1/2 feet deep, adequate for the pirogues that use it.