JEM Watercraft

Hoz

You are making a fine looking boat but what can a person say .... Matt designed it.

I trust you will enjoy it as much as I enjoy the Swamp Girl, If you don't then I will send you my mailing address and you can ship it to me cause I sure like the looks of her.

Chuck.

Exterior ready for fiberglass

Top coat of epoxy over fiberglass.



Graphite/silica mixture for abbrasion resistence below the waterline.

I'm familiar with graphite in epoxy (about 20% graphite by volume) for abrasion resistance. Please explain the silica? How much? What type? etc. etc.?

Enquiring minds want to know.

I used 20% graphite and 3% silica for the bedcoat. The final is 30% and 5% silica. The silica makes the finish hard, like a bowling ball.

I decided to apply the mix starting with the 2nd (bed) coat instead of after the glass isdone. That way I think I can save on a pound or so of weight.

I did add stems. Matt has a pic. I hand carved cedar, epoxied them in and fiberglasses. They will add strength in the critical area , supply a place to drill painter holes and attach the gudgeons.

I wanted a 5' cockpit and room enough inside to be able sleep in the bilge. My idea is to have the sail (balanced lug) double as a leanto over the cockpit then have a mosquito net attach to the boom and drape down over me inside.

I have also decided to leave the bulkheads out (but may change my mind later on the rear bulkhead. I am going to reinforce the hull and deck with kevlar in the mast area and cockpit. I figure the extra strength and stiffness of kevlar will make bulkheads redundant. Also I want to be able to stow the sail, mast and boom below should a big blow come up unexpectedly on Gitchie Goomie.

Hoz,

Some of your thoughts echo waht my Son is thinking of for his Zephyrus he's building.

And - I echo your concerns about sudden blows on Gitche Goomi. A body of water worth keeping your weather eye on. Have you ever gone into Lake Superior Provincial Park? Lake Mijinemungshing?

I have only driven through on the way to northern rivers. I have cast a loving eye on the bays and definitely want to do the reach from Hattie Cove to Michipicoten someday. In fact, this boat will probably be the one to get me there.

BTW, if your son is interested I have several pictures of Verlen Krugers Sea Wind seat arrangement. If your son has never seen one it has a 4 position bracket that the seat snaps in. The seat also has a portage yoke on the rear. Just pull out, flip it around and over and put it in the top slots.

I intend to clone this for my sail canoe, but using a bench seat instead of tractor. With a sail I need to be able to slide to the weather side to help balance the canoe.

hoz wrote:(SNIP) BTW, if your son is interested I have several pictures of Verlen Krugers Sea Wind seat arrangement. If your son has never seen one it has a 4 position bracket that the seat snaps in. The seat also has a portage yoke on the rear. Just pull out, flip it around and over and put it in the top slots. (SNIP)

Thanks, Hoz. I paddle with a guy (Jon Young) who has a pair of them. I plan to show this to Eric so he can do the same thing. Verlen had some good ideas there.