JEM Watercraft

G’Day All,

An introduction from another first-time canoe builder.

I am a Parks and Wildlife Ranger, in the Northern Territory of Australia. I live with my wife (last of the kids leaving home in a couple of weeks) in a remote National Park in the Gulf Country. The nearest town (for boat type supplies) is 500km -310 miles- away.

Like others before, I’ve been around the edges of this forum, looking in for awhile. The wealth of knowledge and information in the forum is fantastic. Also like some others before me, when the bug to build bit me, I started on the ‘net and found the DK Tourer free plans and this led to JEM.

I’d started collecting supplies for the ‘Tourer’ build already when I began checking out Matt’s canoe designs. Damn….that was the beginning of the end for the ‘Tourer’. I contacted Matt to ask about stretching some of his designs out to 18 feet ‘cause, as I wrote to Matt;“our rivers up here often have large ocean-going geckos (crocodiles) living in them and if my bum is going to be that close to the water, in something without a metal skin and an outboard motor, then I'd like that something to be of a substantial size, hence my fascination with 18 feet ” (Also, I figured the 18’6 Sasquatch may be a bit of a big bite for a first build)

We sent ideas back and forth for a bit and went from DK Tourer to an Iroquois and on to a Merrimac, before Matt suggested providing plans for an 18’ Trapper. Well, that was the winner by far. In fact, my cup runneth over (I spent four years in Canada as a kid, so there’s a certain strong attraction to that design)

So Matt performed his magic and fitted the 18’ Trapper onto the four sheets of ply that I already had for the ‘Tourer’. The plans arrived, were read, read and re-read. Marking out happened and then the hacking and slashing started….(cough)… I mean the precision cutting and sanding began.


The marking out, and yes (like many other obviously muscle-bound paddlers on this forum), I too have a supply of bar-bell weights AND, for those out there who have a "thing" about overly tidy workshops, please note this is not, I repeat, Not a workshop..... ...Ok, well, yes it is at the moment - but it didn't start out that way...

...and so it begins.......

As anyone who’s used Matt’s plans knows, they are bloody marvellous. I got a real kick out of doing the diagonal measurements after a piece was finished and having it check out to the millimetre.

I hope my skills are good enough to do the rest of this craft to the level it deserves. I’ll post some progress photos, (when I figure out how to-following the photobucket link at the moment) and otherwise I’m just happy to be a part of this group of skilful, talented and in some cases, down right fanatical, boat-builders.

By the way, there’s Col’s “Aussie Trapper” and Rob’s “Another Aussie Trapper” so I couldn’t very well call this “Another, another Aussie Trapper”, was thinking of something from the Territory like Buffalo Trapper or Crocodile Trapper, but have settled for “The NT Trapper”

Cheers, Whirly
PS obviously got the photo thing sorted (Thanks Matt)

Welcome to the MADNESS

Please be advised that building boats is an ADDICTION. Matt would be arrested except he suffers along with us

Great work-porch/patio, I really like it.

Can't wait to see how she turns out.

Did you get the #2 panel thing worked out?

G'Day Preacher, yes, I was thinking the same thing about Matt's "drugs", while my back was giving me grief when applying resin to panels on the floor and sweat dripping all over the place, (and loving it) but if this is how we get our "fix", then I reckon it's a damn good addiction to have.

The porch we call a verandah and I'd be buggered without it, as it's the wet season here at the moment and don't really have anywhere else to do the build that's out of the weather. Would've really been climbing the walls if I'd had to wait until the 'Dry'.

Matt, the #2 panels I just went with them as is. Everything else was spot-on, so I'll see how things line up when the stitching starts, which will be this weekend. I'll post some more pics soon.

Cheers,
Whirly

laying out on top of the first lot to mirror image them


Panels everywhere. Will start stiching tomorrow.

Hmmmm, may have to do a tidy up. This place is starting to LOOK like a workshop.......

Welcome Whirly.
Looking forward to seeing this.......let alone the launch and "out and about" photos in the magnificent gulf country setting!!
I don't care whether you call it a verandah or a workshop.....I envy the space you've got.
It seems even your work area reflects the wide open spaces of the "Top End".
Good luck with the build......and the croc's

Thanks John,
Yeah, I reckon I got lucky having this area to work in. It’s our visiting Rangers quarters and No-body can get here at this time of the year, so it’s all mine - and as for wide open space, I am really spoilt. The park I manage is 12,346Km² (4,767mi²) It’s bigger than some European countries. At the moment there are four of us permanently on the park and I hope to have another bloke and his family start next month, so that will double the population to eight.

As for “out and about”, I reckon I’ll be starting in some of the quieter creeks and gorges (especially if the Missus is onboard ). Trips (hunting trips with a Mate) down some of our major rivers will probably involve carrying an “Equaliser” somewhere in the 12 gauge department I’m thinking. I don’t expect trouble, but as part of my job I spent four years catching crocodiles, so I have a fair idea of their behaviour and capabilities. Either way there will be photos.

But I’ve got to get her done first. Panels are all together and the first stitching is begun.


The shape of things to come….whooo boy, she is BIG.

...and there'll be more of her tomorrow...........

Oh, and just one other thing before I call it a night, Matt that number two panel business, the measurements for the frame locations were correct to the millimetre, so I'm thinking perhaps the original 'string-line' measurement may need to be legthened by 8mm. Will see how it pans out tomorrow when I stitch the #2's on.......

Whirly wrote:Oh, and just one other thing before I call it a night, Matt that number two panel business, the measurements for the frame locations were correct to the millimetre, so I'm thinking perhaps the original 'string-line' measurement may need to be legthened by 8mm. Will see how it pans out tomorrow when I stitch the #2's on.......

Do keep me updated on this. I've double and triple checked and everything looks proper. But there must be a small error somewhere. It's only 8mm (less than 3-8") but we're this close, might as well make sure it's spot on.

Welcome to thwe addiction Whirly, and yes it is an addiction as you will see after finishing this build and start thinking about another. It's looking great, keep up the good work.