JEM Watercraft

I have the stripping forms for the 17 Northwind and the 15 Northwind. Which one would be better suited for a 125 lb girl? My daughter and I want to make some extended trips and I want her to be able to keep up with me to some extent. I will probably carry the majority of our gear.

When I make my half round, I cut 1/4" strips to the width and length I want the halfround. Then I tack them together using micro pin gun nails from the back side so the nails are not in the part of the wood that will be routed off. Then, I use a router with a round over bit and make a pass from...

I have only built the Sabalo 15 SOT, so I can't compare it to Matts other designs. I can tell you that I have had many novice paddlers use the three that I have built and they have all been impressed with the speed and stability. I recently went on a paddle with my son, he was paddling a Sabalo and ...

I have used half round on the inside and outside gunwales of a canoe and at the tops of the cockpit and tankwell walls on several Sabalo kayaks. They make a good continuous grab rail. I make mine by tacking 1/4" strips together and then routing them with a round over bit on a flat surface . The...

Merry Christmas to all you fellow epoxy addicts from SW Florida. Happy boat building and paddling in the New Year. May your decks stay high and dry.
Jesse

I used 5/8 mdf for my forms. I fastened the bow form to the first form and spaced the rest of the forms 12" front to front. Then I fastened the stern form to the last form which made the forms total length 17'-0 5/8". When the stripping was complete I had an overall length of 17'-2". ...

On my first Sabalo 15, I floated it in the pool and stacked weight in the seat to simulate my weight. Then, I taped a sharpie to a sheet of foam and carefully traced the waterline. Every little motion set up waves in the pool, so it was a long process. The end results were good. After that, I have j...

Happy Birthday Matt, Thanks for all you do.

I made the seat with several layers of 6oz and epoxy, using an old metal lawn mower seat for a mold. I bought the tractor style seat at a mower grave yard for $5. I covered the mower seat with packing tape and pulled a mold off of it, then I faired and waxed the mold and formed a finished seat. The ...

I got tired of getting wet by my kayak paddle and took it apart and used one blade. I like that so much better that I made a doulble bent shaft canoe paddle and I will only carry my kayak paddle for a spare now. My seat is vertically adjustable and when the water is calm, I sit about 10" up. I ...