olsnappa's JEM builds | SouthernPaddler.com

olsnappa's JEM builds

olsnappa

Active Member
Dec 1, 2009
25
0
Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne (Oz) winter........
Too cold to paddle.. To cold to fiberglass... Don't feel like mowing the lawn......
The dogs have been walked....Hmm, what to do?
I haven't posted anything here for awhile, so I thought I'd take the Boat Bragging Board at its name and stick some photos up of my 3 (so far) JEM builds up.
Those who frequent Matt's JEM site might have seen these before.
The first one is the Cape Fear sit in, started in early 2008 and completed towards the end of that year, just in time for summer.
As with most first builds, it was a huge learning curve and I loved every minute of it :D
I've enjoyed many and varied adventures with the CF....some of which I've posted here earlier.
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The next one was a Laker 14 built for a friend.
I had a ball building this. I'd made most of my rookie mistakes with the Cape Fear so this build went nice and smooth.
She's being enjoyed by her new owner....and his kids
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Current build is another Laker 14 and is about 3/4 done.
I'll probably keep this one and thought I'd play around with the shape of the cockpit a bit by shortening the front decks and
squaring off the opening. I think Increasing the open space in the cockpit will make this a little ripper of a fishing kayak, with plenty of room and access for fishing gear etc.
Not least of all, room to adjust my sitting position to ease these poor ol' bones during the long wait for the fish to introduce themselves to me.. :D
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Thanks to Matt, his designs and the great blokes on the builders forum, I've rediscovered the joy and satisfaction of building kayaks....and using them.
Next projects:
A Paddle Board and a couple of Pirogues.......
Yes....it's an addiction. :D
 

olsnappa

Active Member
Dec 1, 2009
25
0
Melbourne, Australia
Thanks fellas.
Mike.... I just used a light gray, high gloss exterior enamel paint.....about three coats with plenty of drying/curing time between coats.
Seems to stand up pretty well.
I think our exterior enamel (oil based) paint is equivalent to porch paint in the U.S. (???)..... I might be mistaken.
 

olsnappa

Active Member
Dec 1, 2009
25
0
Melbourne, Australia
What a day!!! Beautiful weather, so I got a bit more done on the Laker.....
But even better, my footy team, Collingwood just won the AFL premiership!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
(insert boos and hisses from non Collingwood supporters) :D :D
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self adhesive weather strip around hatch opening.
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Hatch cover in place. It still needs a couple of coats of varnish
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A few more deck fittings to attach and then flip her over and finish off the hull
with a couple more coats of resin, paint and graphite.
 

olsnappa

Active Member
Dec 1, 2009
25
0
Melbourne, Australia
G'day Jack.
1/ The hatch cover will be held down by shock cord. The fittings for which are still to be attached to the deck.
2/ I'm in the habit of retaining the frames in these builds. Consequently frames 1 and 4 create a (theoretically) airtight chamber each end. I recall reading somewhere, either here or on Matt's site, that such chambers can be susceptible to condensation and mold so as insurance I include a bung plug over each to assist in ventilating them.
Not sure if it's so but I figure it's easy enough to do rather than regret not doing later.
 

JEM

Well-Known Member
Sealed chambers that never get a chance to air out "could" be an issue, eventually, if conditions are just right. I had an experimental canoe with sealed ends that sat in the back yard for a couple years. I finally excepted that it was not a good boat to try and salvage so I cut it up. When I cut open the end chambers, no moisture, no cracks, no nothing.

But even with that said, I'd say put at least a small hatch in it.
 

tx river rat

Well-Known Member
Feb 23, 2007
3,043
2
Waco Tx
You are going to like that bigger cockpit, the hatches will release any pressure that builds inside them ,now completely sealed float chambers are a diffident story
Ron
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
The one kayak I made that the kids came down to get was made back in 2000. It has hatches and have been sealed for a couple of years till they got it this year. No problems with it at all.
The trick is when you get home to check everything , clean it and get it ready for the next trip. Maintain your boats and they will work for you as you expect them to.
It was keep under cover in my work shop and not outdoors when not being used , none of my boats sit outside. By the way it made it from sea level here at the house , over the mountains and up to Canada with those sealed hatches and no problems. :D

The other boats that have short decks on them and a sealed area are all doing OK.

Chuck....
 

olsnappa

Active Member
Dec 1, 2009
25
0
Melbourne, Australia
Just finished the second JEM Laker 14.
She's undergone a bit of a colour scheme change from what I had in mind during the build.....
I'm sure I'd be quicker with these builds if I didn't dither about details so much :D
Anyway she's done and I hope to get her on the water soon :D :D
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rhutchinson

Well-Known Member
Jan 18, 2008
138
0
Middle Tn.
Love the choice of and the way you did the colors, and the elegant bright work on the front of the cockpit makes the whole boat look different. Very nice. Is this one yours?

Richard
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
olsnappa said:
Just finished the second JEM Laker 14.
She's undergone a bit of a colour scheme change from what I had in mind during the build.....
I'm sure I'd be quicker with these builds if I didn't dither about details so much :D
Anyway she's done and I hope to get her on the water soon :D :D

Appears to me like all of the thought panned out really well , that is on sharp looking boat and well thought out. :D

Chuck.