JEM Watercraft

Could be JEMM or JEMs.

Thanks Matt

Hi guys,

I got a little done these past couple of days. going has been pretty slow but things should pick up a bit now.

Inside the hull has the final coat of epoxy


Bow shot.



Rudder post cleaned up (sort of)


Cockpit & cockpit frame are allmost done,



Foredeck & hatchways are cut & tacked

Nice! I've already decided my next one is a kayak, so I'm taking notes!

I noticed the rudder post is close to the stern and it might make it difficult to have full-range of movement by cables, off-setting out was needed for my Sabalo. What is your rudder plan?
Craig

Heya Craig, thanks mate but I am not the best builder here to be taking notes from My mistakes are many and varied and my work is pretty rough. Check out the thread by CC TX re his Sabalo build.

Re the rudder. The swivel post is for a rudder similar to my current sit in fishing kayak and it works very well. As I progress, i will post more detailed piccies of the set up and how it will work.

I am still playing with an idea for a retractable rudder/skeg set up that hopefully I will be able to mount further forward. There are a couple of problems with this.

1. designing a pivoting rudder that can be easily deployed and retracted from the cockpit

2. running control lines that won't interfere with hatch space (too much)

My reasons for wanting such an unconventional set up are that when a sea kayak is running down the face of a wave, a rudder mounted right at the stern of the boat is often completely out of the water (out the back of the wave) and of no use.

A rudder closer to the pivot point of a kayak will allways be in the water and allow greater manouverability to position the yak on the most advantageous part of the wave (hopefully) Aussie racing surf skis have been operating on this principal for years.

The rudder post is a fall back. it has been installed because it is much easier to fit now than later.

Hi Mick,

I don't call them mistakes. They are learning experiences. I had plenty of them, and a few others that I plan to take care of this winter.

The Wave Witch Kayaks http://www.huntjohnsendesigns.com/#woody have a rudder mounted as you described. I cannot see if or how the rudder is retractable. If you mount the rudder in a long scupper in the forward part of the tankwell, with a few changes to my design on the Sabalo, I think that it could be made to work. If you plan to mount it inside the hatch, I think that you may have issues with access to the rudder, or issues with sealing the water out.

If you are interested, I could provide more details.

Hi guys,

Thanks for the replies and the link Dave. Still pondering this one

Craig,

I noticed the rudder post is close to the stern and it might make it difficult to have full-range of movement by cables, off-setting out was needed for my Sabalo. What is your rudder plan

Sorry mate, I must have been having a moment

re the rudder, The one I am building is basicly a copy of a rudder I have on one of my SIKs. Very simple and works well. I only need about 45 degrees movement either way and will get that without any problems. I think a Sabalo has a square stern? My rudder could be a problem there. I will see if I can get a close up of my SIK rudder system to post.


Dave

I don't call them mistakes. They are learning experiences.

LOL They certainly are. and there are plenty of them here.
The points you raise are the very ones causing me problems. I might just go with a retractable skeg closer to the cockpit for manouverability in surf and use the rudder right on the stern for distance.

I got a little more done today, working on the end pours and backingplates etc. also I have re-inforced the foredeck apex by fitting and laminating a strip of fitted cedar to the underside. (Should also help the carry handle)


Also done the end pours for the mounting of the rudder/footbrace assembly


Started fitting the coaming for the forehatch. ( 3 layers of 3mm ply, 20mm wide cut to shape and glued round the lip of the hatch.) lit will be the opposite and fit neatly (I hope) over this lip

Hey Mick! I just got back from vacation. Your baby is really coming together!

When you glassed the inside of the cockpit, did you use multiple pieces of cloth or just one? How did you handle the straight vertical sides?

Heya Scott,

Thanks mate.

have a good holliday? hope so.

I'm getting really sick of all the fiddly little bits but I guess they are easier to do now than when the boat is finally together.

re glassing the inside, i did one side & overlapped the entreline by about 2 inches then did the other and again overlapped the centre line by about 3 inches giving a total overlap of around 4 inches. At the ends, i used several offcuts with lots of overlaps. this led to an awfull lot of sanding but it was easier to wet out that way.

Been in to town today to pick a fight with the taxman. Guess who won that one While there, and to console myself - I went shopping found a really good little ships chandlery and bought lots of goodies for my baby. I even spurged and bought a flash little Garmin sounder (fish finder) does anybody know if a transducer will shoot through plywood? I know they will shoot through fibreglass & alumuinium but not too sure about the laminations of timber. I may have to dremel a patch of wood away and fill it with woodflour. (hope not)

By the way, get a dremel mate. best thing since sliced bread. Especially for cleaning out all those tight, hard to get at corners. and the little fiddly bits that i hate so much.