JEM Watercraft

Wanted to update:

I considered showing more of how I did the internal bracing, but there was some trial and error. Plus I didn't want to give of some hard-earned proprietary knowledge.

I guess you could call that "experience" which is also known as "Lessons learned of what not to do next time if you want to get it right!"

But this a good thing. It will help make my plans even better.

We did rough finish the hull and Tom and I took it out for a paddle. We discovered the bow was a little low for the program of the this boat. So mods will have to be made to give the bow a little extra height and also add a couple other handy modifications to help make a better paddling experience.

We'll get pictures posted after the mods.

I will share this though: The hull shape is predictably manuverable (no sudden sweeps) and is very stable even though you're sitting 6+" above the hull bottom. Secondary stability was also nice and predictable. No edgy-ness or twitching. Just a smooth role when you lean into the sides.

Even though this boat is not intended as paddling for it's primary purpose, it paddles well with a dual blade. The higher seat position helps with that. I can see this being a nice fishing machine...can spot those tails easier.

The self-bailing cockpit kept very dry and the taper in the cockpit floor drained any water that got quickly. Without the daqger board installed, water shot up the trunk and gets your crotch wet. But the dagger board installed, that should not be an issue. Plus the hull floor will be tweaked to adjust that as well.

This will make one sweet little sailer and adding provisions for that are on the drawing board. Kind of a skinny Sun Fish that should be fast.

That's a really interesting project. Even though it is a bit difficult to see the lines from the photos it remind me of lines form the time before the schooner America won the 100 guineas cup. At that time the prevailing lines was so called ‘cod’s head and mackerel-tail’. It looks as there is not so much cod’s head but the mackerel-tail is there I think. Properly why you called it Tailboat.

The propulsion system is unique, can’t remember to have seen anything like it. Hopefully you or Tom will share a video when the system comes in action.

There's some video on Tom's site showing his prototype tail drive system in action. I'm sure more footage will be available with the production version of the drive and new hull.

Boatplans.dk wrote:That's a really interesting project. Even though it is a bit difficult to see the lines from the photos it remind me of lines form the time before the schooner America won the 100 guineas cup. At that time the prevailing lines was so called ‘cod’s head and mackerel-tail’. It looks as there is not so much cod’s head but the mackerel-tail is there I think. Properly why you called it Tailboat.

The propulsion system is unique, can’t remember to have seen anything like it. Hopefully you or Tom will share a video when the system comes in action.