JEM Watercraft

My late wife had canoed with me. But - the first time she got into a kayak, took two paddle strokes, and experienced the extended glide - her eyes lit up and she said, "Wow!".

She was hooked at that point. Next, I built her a boat.

Now how am I going to break to the wife that I'm going to build another boat!? Great job!

Easy Louis, Build her one too

Hi Ron,

I keep coming back to this post.

When I first saw you had put the decks on cross grained, I thought OMG what has he done!. But it has grown on me and now I really like the effect. It is very different.

What is even better, you have built your boat, your way and modified it to suit your needs. Great job mate. I am certain you will get a lot of enjoyment out of her.

Hairymick
Whats funny about my build is most plywood is built with the grain running at 90% degrees from the next layer the same as gluing several pieces of wood together so the grain doesn't line up increasing the strength over a single piece. with the ridge line on the freedom creating
stiffer
line there could be a case made that it is actually stronger than running longways and is cross grain to the Hull which is running length wish.
Now that I have you thoroughly confused if you read the post on here I didn't run it across the grain was that way in the ply I used.
I have a question for you. On your South wind have you used it very much and do you still feel the same about it. We need more trip and info on her.
Ron
Do ya'll have let down after you finish a boat think I need to go to wood boats anonymous

tx river rat wrote: Do ya'll have let down after you finish a boat think I need to go to wood boats anonymous

Hi, I'm Dangermouse01 and I am a kayakaholic.
Welcome to the group.

DM

tx river rat wrote: Do ya'll have let down after you finish a boat think I need to go to wood boats anonymous

Only a few cures for that , Either take her on a camping and paddling trip or start dreaming about the next boat you want to build.... The thought of it is a pacifier for a short time.

I hate to say this ..... There is NO Known Cure for the sawdust , epoxy and wood boat addiction known to mankind .... Dang ... Look at Mick , Bad example ...Forget I said that.... Better not go there since he is a lost cause about building wood boats.

Jezeeeeeee.... he wants warmer weather so his epoxy will set up faster.... Nothing about him or his lovely wife , Robin or the pups freezing , only worry was his epoxy and the time it would take to set up while working on a wood boat.

Chuck.
PS. Been there and done it just like Mick..... Yep it is an addiction.
TX... Ya ain't alone an it is all Matt's fault.

Ron, I'm not sure at all that your plywood is "stronger" running cross-grain. Given a single, sharp blow it may not make much difference. But, if a force is applied and sustained, then increased, I'm thinking a piece of plywood would last longer if the grain runs lengthwise with the length of the piece. Maybe someone has data on this.

Think of two pine boards a half an inch thick, 12" square. Support each of them on two cement blocks. Arrange one with the grain lengthwise, and the other cross-grain. It will take less force to break the one arranged cross grain. That's what the two outside plies of your deck are like.

But, two things. First off, I think they are strong enough for the job you gave them, and they look damned interesting.

Jack I agree with you till you laminate them together at 90% then there stronger than if there were running parallel.
Ron
I realy didn,t change the ply it is three laminations so one side has to be cross grain.

Hi Ron,

I don't think that I made myself clear enough on my last post mate.

At first, I was shocked to see the grain on your decks running across it, but I kept coming back to your piccies and the more I look at it the more I like it. Now I bloody LOVE it. I think it will be plenty strong enough.

Re the Southwind, Robin and I have been away on vacation, and I am busy at the moment building her a pirogue. I haven't had time to get her wet much but I am delighted with this boat. I hope to get her out in the bay this week to put her through her paces in some chop and swell.

I am absolutely confident that she will be a star performer in the conditions we have here. There are a bunch of us kayak fishermen, planning a week long paddle/fish/camp along the length of our Great Sandy Straights later this year. I will be taking the Southwind and you can expect a very detailed trip and performance report shortly afterwards.

Do ya'll have let down after you finish a boat think I need to go to wood boats anonymous

Heck yeah Generally, by the time I get to the stage where I am at with Robin's P5 now, I start planning on the next build. Soon as I get the P5 done there is another prototype I am busting to get started on then after that - two more decked canoes, then a nice solo touring canoe and after them, etc etc.