JEM Watercraft

Before you mentioned making paper patterns, Matt. Just curious: can a builder first make paper patterns then position the patterns on a sheet so he'd get maximum use of the plywood?

You could draw them on paper. I've even printed out paper templates for customers. But if you're going through the trouble of drawing them, you're better off using some cheap plywood, partical board, hardboard, etc.

Paper deforms and loses shape. Much easier to transfer the shape from something like a stiff piece of plywood.

Plus you could use it as a router template.

Last night we cut the fiberglass. We'll be glassing the outside tonight. My roll of fiberglass was not wide enough to cover the whole hull so we divided into 3 pieces. One piece covers the bottom up to the 2nd chine. The other two pieces cover the 3rd and 4th panels. There is a 2" overlap below the 2nd chine. Sorry guys no pictures but I hope I described it well enough to get any advice you might have. I'm all ears.

If all goes well, we'll be glassing the inside on Sunday.

Why the rush? Our local boatbuilders club wants to splash her on the 12th.

Friday night, glassed the outside

Saturday night, glassed the inside


Tilting the hull made it really easy to glass the inside


Tomorrow the gunwales.

The morning was spent sanding down the edges of the fiberglass, as well as cutting away that part where the gunwales would go. Matt, your procedure using tape worked perfectly.

In the afternoon, we worked on gunwales. I first intended to use screws that would also serve as clamps while the epoxy cured, not enough clamps to glue the gunwales in one sitting. After failing to find a way to put the screws in nicely, I gave up and decided I'd just have to work on the gunwales over several evenings. By later afternoon we had nearly half the hull done.



Tying the unglued gunwales at one end made the jobs easier.

Heya Louis,

That is turnout to be one fine looking boat. And some good ideas along the way. Well done mate. Please keep the piccies coming. I am really enjoying your build.

Thanks Mick. I having an awful good time doing this.

I have a couple of questions that maybe you and the guys can help me with:

1. I noticed that the hull still twists even though both sides are already glassed and the gunwales are half installed. So this morning we again leveled the horses and reseated the hull. Is the twisting normal? It will stiffen when the gunwales and thwarts are installed, right?

2. Since we did not have enough clamps for the gunwales and had to leave the glued portions enough time to cure, I though it would be a good idea to align and clamp, but not glue, the last two clamping positions (hope I wrote that understandably). Am I being to worrisome?

Thanks in advance guys.

Hi Louis,

I am no expert but here is my understanding of things.

When the hull is fibreglassed and just sitting on the saw horses, there should be no twist evident. You should, however be able to force some twist in it (not a good idea) and the boat should spring back into place when released.

If your boat was square and twist free when you tacked up the hull and then fibreglassed it, it should maintain that twist free state now.

Re being worriesome. Not at all mate. The only stupid question is the one not asked.

lncc63 wrote: 1. I noticed that the hull still twists even though both sides are already glassed and the gunwales are half installed. So this morning we again leveled the horses and reseated the hull. Is the twisting normal? It will stiffen when the gunwales and thwarts are installed, right?

Was the twist present before you installed the gunwales?

lncc63 wrote:2. Since we did not have enough clamps for the gunwales and had to leave the glued portions enough time to cure, I though it would be a good idea to align and clamp, but not glue, the last two clamping positions (hope I wrote that understandably). Am I being to worrisome?

Thanks in advance guys.

It shouldn't hurt to position the gunwales even though those parts won't be glue.