JEM Watercraft

Nice boat!!!

Laker #1 has been paddled a few times by her new owner and I'm glad to report that he's very happy....and planning a number of fishing and camping adventures with her.
Laker #2 commenced

Somehow I missed the pics of your first one

No wonder new owner is happy


I think the cover plate for botched hole cutout adds a bit of flair

The work bench is picking up some patina too...................enjoy the builds

Bemm 52 wrote: The work bench is picking up some patina too..................

Thanks Paul…….that’s one way of putting it
Laker # 2 build is going along according to plan…mainly.
She’s all stitch up and ready for tack welding....Umm.....except...
The only conundrum was the bottom panels sagging inward in the middle between frames 2 and 3…… I think it’s called “oilcaning” (?)
Despite no end of tweaking the stitching and fiddling about, I couldn’t get the centre line to run true.
I finally sorted it out and am posting this in case it’s of any use to other builders with the same problem. The solution was to employ a good ol’ fashioned prop.
Possibly fairly obvious an answer, but I stood there scratching my chin for quite awhile before it dawned on me so maybe this’ll save someone else a bit of time.
The pictures below sort of shows in profile the inward curve of the bottom panels. It doesn’t appear quite as obvious in the pics as it was to the eye…but you get the idea.


With the Laker upside down on raised stands above the bench.........

.......a piece of pine cut to the right length is wedged in from the inside centre of the floor (where it sagged).....

.....to the bench top. Chocking it with a piece of ply pushed the panels up just the right amount to straighten the line....

And now she’s ready to tack weld.


Hope that all makes sense.

Progress on Laker number 2 has been somewhat slow …… Lots of holdups due to work commitments, some honeydoo’s and watching my sons sport on weekends.
Having a further enforced break from the build as we are about to fly off to Sri Lanka for about 4 weeks.
Anyway here we are to date.

Interior is painted....will probably give it another coat


Number 2 frame with cut-out for access to the front
Much the same process as Laker 1 earlier in this thread. I'm considering having fiddle about with the shape and size of the cockpit.....which basically just means re-shaping the front deck a little ……but will think about it for awhile first. I might sketch out the proposed re-shaping and post it.



Seat supports in place


I like to include gunwales on my Lakers....partly because the look appeals to me, partly as a convenient mount for an anchor trolley if I decide to install one.
I also like to attach it with about a quarter inch lip which gives a nice edge to work to for the deck panels....giving me a neater finish at the join than I seem to be able to manage otherwise.

Well, we’re back from Sri Lanka and since it’s too cold to do much on Laker #2, I thought I’d post a rough diagram of the intended change to the deck shape and cockpit size.
This one was being built for a friend of Laker#1’s owner. Sadly however, as a result of a tragic accident, he’s no longer with us.
So I’ll either keep it myself or give it to my brother.
He and I both suffer a bit from dodgy backs (cursed sciatica ) and for him particularly, I wanted to make it a bit easier to enter and exit and a bit more open so that there’s a little more room to shift sitting and leg position while paddling.
Using Matt’s Laker 14 diagram as a basis this shows what I have in mind…… Hope it’s clear enough……

Basically I’m just shortening the front deck so that it stops at frame 2…squared off in line with the frame with a small taper to the gunwales. No extension of the deck down the side of the cockpit in other words, resulting in a bit more space at the sides and a slightly longer length of open cockpit. The gunwales are 8mm (outer) and 6mm (inner) and should maintain strength and rigidity along the hull in lieu of the side deck sections… especially when they’re being used as support getting in or out.
A reshaped cowling will be added at the front of the cockpit.
I’ll probably attach a rod holder vertically to frame 2 which will of course be flush with the rear edge of the deck.
I’m hoping to get a bit done tomorrow so might have some photos to put up showing some progress..

Some more progress these last few weekends.
Enjoyed a little winter sunshine a couple of weeks ago and got the front deck ready to stick down.




Also cut out the 9mm and 4mm ply for my modified cowling shape.



Deck is attached and first cowling piece being glued down





Hmmm.....time to tidy up the shed again

More progress........


Rear deck on.....and ready to be glassed



Front deck cowling top piece in place ready to be sanded and cleaned up
Front deck still to be glassed

Bum board in......


I'm finishing off the cockpit with 20mmx8mm top strap......still to be cleaned up and sanded
and painted.......Nearly there!

Ol'snappa, good work considering the cold...

Whats that big hole for on the front deck? not the big blue one the 1 inch one on the port side.

just seen there's a matching one at the other pointy end too

G’day Tor.
The holes are for bung plugs.
With the first Laker I anticipated the possibility of small children climbing around and on and off the decks and so thought it best to leave all frames in place for added strength and support. Consequently frames 1 and 4 created a (theoretically) airtight chamber at each end. I recalled reading somewhere here or elsewhere, that airtight chambers could be susceptible to a build up of condensation resulting in mould and/or rot. I’m not sure if that’s so but I included bung plugs over each chamber as a way of ventilating them when the kayak is in storage just in case.
The pictures of the first (white) Laker show them in place.
I did the same with this one because I realized an added advantage of retaining frames 1 and 4 was that items stowed forward of the cockpit or under the aft deck are contained within easy reach rather than sliding right down to the pointy ends.