JEM Watercraft

G'day guys,

My mate has just about finished tricking out his Touring Pirogue for fishing.

This was the prototype of this model and I reluctantly sold it to him to make room in my shed for more builds.

It seems the boat has gone to a very good home John loves this boat so much that he rarely uses either of his two stink boats now. He has kindly given me permission to post his piccies here.

He has fitted he with a 18 pound thrust, el-cheapo electric motor,



That he tells me will push the loaded boat at 3 knots (measured by GPS)

Ummmmmmm Mick....

I think you need to rotate the #2 picture a few degrees but it is great for someone stretched out in bed looking at them.

Yep...
I have to agree with you , we get the guys out of the stink boats and into something better and the wake up to the fishing possibilities. Our stealth crafts do let a person catch more fish , several reasons.....

They are not zipping around churning the water up with there motors.
They spend more time fishing and less time joy riding.
The boats are less intrusive on the water and the critters that live there.
They are part of the natural course of things , a floating log you might call them.
They are stealthy and don't scare anything out there in nature.
They are just a lot better , cost less and produce more in the long run.

Best of all ... They are easy to make and a pleasure to share with friends so they can enjoy them. I have transferred ownership of several of mine to friends and they really enjoy them. That to me is almost as much fun as building them for my use ... I said .. ALMOST.

As one person who knows me way to well told me .... Chuck you enjoy making the boats more then you do paddling them and darn it I think he is right. There is something magical about taking some pieces of wood and slapping them together , then having a boat to use.
I would say my 2nd pleasure is seeing someone in one I made having a good time with it .... The rest of the fun is when I paddle one. , so why not share the enjoyment.

One I charged the cost of materials on , actually less then the total cost , the others have been gifts to some paddlers who have gone to extremes to help the geezer paddling crew. I would rather see someone enjoying the boat then it sitting and gathering dust in my shop , besides .... I can always make another one if I don't have my sights set on something different.

Chuck.
PS. Right now I plan on keeping the 14 x 30 for my use.

Thanks Chuck,

I didn't have time to properly check my post this morning. (all fixed now )

John, my mate works where i do and is a maintenance plumber there and all round nice bloke.

I sold him my pirogue for slightly less than she cost me to make and I am happy with that. I wouldn't feel right making a profit from doing the things that I like to do most - build boats and I would feel even less right making a profit from a friend.

I guess I will never make a businessman.

The best part of it all is that John came up to my work shop to tell me all about how he had tricked out his boat and to show me the piccies. He really is thrilled with his pirogue and is kitting it up for a fishing expedition with some friends to Lake Awoonga in Central Queensland a bit later in the year. Lake Awoonga is a stocked impoundment and is recognised as our very best large barramundi impoundment in Australia. The Barra there are regularly taken in excess of a metre long and 40kg (about 85 pounds) in weight with multiple fish per angler per session being fairly common.

I think he will do well there in the pirogue.

He is now talking about building a boat (probably a Jem kayak for himself) I told him I would help him with the build if he wanted.

A tricked out boat is a sure sign of a happy paddler!