JEM Watercraft

I have pretty much decided the Northwind will be my next project. I have slapped together two flat bottomed pirogues, and built my extreme stretch TV S&G. Learned a lot in the process. I am thinking the stripper might be easier to build than the S&G just because there are so many panels to the S&G design even though I have never built a stripper. I am thinking the stripper would be worth more resale also, for the pretty and the weight factor.

What say you?

Tom

There's several factors to consider but a lot comes down to personal preference. If you think you might resell the North Wind one day, then you might have more buyers interested in a woodstrip design if you are going to incorporate multi-colored strips. I wouldn't plan on making a profit until you've built several wood strip boats and can fine-tune the craftsmanship.

Some other things to think about:

-Space for strongback
-material availability (wood strips or plywood)
-material cost: woodstrips cheap if you have the equipment to mill your own. Gets expensive if you buy them milled.

more people will chime in with their thoughts.

I like the s@g even with this many panels as far as speed of construction.
No strong back, not nearly as much sanding . It is just a whole lot faster build.
That being said the new Northwind 15-9 by 26 I am fixing to build will be a full striper ,I want to try it, something new for me,and it will give me some experience I need for another project I have in the works.
I expect it will take me a third longer to build it and a lot more sanding
Ron
Ps performance on the two seem identical

I am basicaly just a novice, having only built the Okwata before I started my Northwind, so I really cant speak with great experience. Yes there is a lot more work than probably many of Matt's other plans. There are 36 panels alone to cut out just to make up the hull. That is in addition to frames, jigs. coamings and deck etc. I have also made mine more difficult by going the lightwieght option with 3mm. ply for all the upper panels.
Having said that I am suprised just how good the plans are and just how well it all comes together. The satisfaction of seeing this boat materialise is well worth the effort.
I have never built a stripper so unfortunately I cant make any comparison. It is something I would like to do one day however, but unfortunatly I dont have all the necessary equipment or expertise at the moment. One look at Darrels boat shows just how good a strip Northwind looks though.
I'm sorry I cant be more constructive in my comments. It really is a personal choice you have to make knowing your own capabilities and desires.

Good luck
Roger

Thanks, these are some good considerations. Yep, the milling of strips perplexes me a bit, doing them right will require more saw than I own and I will need to beg the services of someone that does. Seems to me the best saw would be a good band saw with a good rip fence, from what I have read a table saw can get a little scary cutting thin strips.

I am currently moving into a house with a long narrow area in the basement......can anyone say boat shop so I think I should have room for a strongback.

Yea, I know I need to hone my skills and my first stripper won't be all that. The market I am involved with though is mostly interested in light weight speed. There are several MR 340 people forking over 5K to buy Krugers as it stands. So I figure there would at least be someone interested if I decided to sell it and it should be worth enough to break even on..........at 5 $ an hour labor I got in it. Good thing I like building them so much.

Tom

Mo
Strips are not a problem. All mine or cut on a 99.00 dollars Harbor freight table saw with a fine tooth blade ,Diablo is the name.
I have a 200.00 dollar planer that helps but isnt an absolute neccesity.
A saber saw and ros sander and you are off to the races.
Another option that really helps is do the ss@glue like I did , Matt has the full length strip prints . that stops all the slicing and reduces your cutting of panels in half plus it is cheap
Ron

Ron, You mean making flat panels from strips then cutting out the pieces from them? I would think as narrow as some of the pieces are in the S&G Northwind that might look a little funky....might look pretty cool also.

Mo
Go back and look at my Northwind ,that is the way it was built.
Ron

Decisions, decisions. Both Ron and Darrels boats look absolutely beautiful. To throw one more idea into the mix however, I keep looking at mine and thinking that an s&g hull with a simple rounded strip planked deck would be an awesome compromise. Im even tempted to go that road myself, but I guess I've just gone too far to bother about turning back.

Roger

Rodot that is the way I am doing the Freedom.
Ron