JEM Watercraft

G'day Mick.

Awesome job on the boat mate. I love the close up pic of the deck, gunwhales and bow/stern, the light hoop pine looks great against the darker ply.

Well done, enjoy it this weekend.

Mick.

Hi Mick,

Top looking canoe mate, well done. Be interested to see what you think of it on the water.

You must be about ready to start the next build

Hi Mick great job
where did you get your seats from..?
Regards Paul

Here is my problem,


I have been down the shed tonight after work and sanded and applied the second last resin coat. My gabboon ply has come out splotchy is places and I don't understand why. It is not stain from the wood flour and i have no clue what it could be. I am as dissappointed as I can be about it.

Mick,
I had the same thing happen to me. I blame it on mixing too big a batch of epoxy. During the saturation coat I mixed up a 6oz. batch(larger than any before or since.)
I think it "went off" before I got it worked all the way around. Now I'm faced with either painting the hull or telling everyone(including myself) that I meant for it to be that way.
Either way it'll still be awesome to paddle a boat I made.

Lee

Thanks fellers and Lee, the "splotches' completely dissappeared in the sunlight!

Had her out all week-end and working up a deatiled report and review now. Will post shortly but in short, this is a great canoe! - very big, very fast and very stable. I love it.

Looking forward to the report and pictures.

Chuck.

Fantastic Mick! Inspiring.

Thanks Chuck & Louis,

This really is a great boat.

Have done a rough draft of my review and am still waiting on others' piccies of me in her so that I can post them. I couldn't bring myself to part with her long enough to get photos of SOMEBODY ELSE PADDLING MY BOAT. That is how much I love this one.

Short version is this.

SPEED Very fast for a Canadian canoe. Way faster than any other Canadian I have ever paddled.

STABILITY, Immense - but still nice and responsive to leaned turns etc. - sweeeeet

LOAD CAPACITY Immense. Matt puts it at 650 pounds and I am guessing it will safely carry much more than that.

MANEUVERABILITY Tis a big boat and turns like one. But very good just the same.

TRACKING superb. I don't bother much with fancy "J" strokes and such but 4 or 5 strokes on each side at a time and she just sort of slowly moves the bow across. Beautiful.

GLIDE When you stop paddling this boat, it just keeps on ghosting along, seemingly for ever! This will be a great boat in which to cover a lot of miles - with a big load.

She is everything I was hoping for and more. Thank you Matt for yet another superb design. This boat is very definately a winner and I would not hesitate to recommend her to anybody looking for a serious tripping/expedition canoe.

A few of my piccies from our trip.


Put In



Banjo Country!





Bush Camp



Supply Ship - HMAS "Hairy" Dehydration is a dangerous thang - ya know.

Mick,

That is one good looking boat, I may well have just seen my next project (especially if Matt gets to the littlefoot plan ).

look forward to more pictures in action.

Tor

Thanks Tor,

Somebody finally has sent me some piccies of her in the water.

Sorry about the ugly old bugger paddling her.