Greetings! Welcome to Wooden Boat People. I hope that you will find this site as rewarding as I have. Please post some pictures of your boat and the build, I amongst others love to learn from your project and work.

Rick Newman

I can't help myself, I had to lookup the story of the GEM. The history of river running is fascinating for me. I would bet that you have spent some time on Southwestern rivers? I spent my early river running days in the Northwest and Central Idaho. No wooden boats then just big rafts, kayaks and open 1-man canoes. However my later day river running has been in pursuit of fish. I didn't say catching, just pursuing. Some days I can catch some but I spend a lot of time behind the oars as my fishing partner fishes. So it goes. However my interest in Wooden boats may lead me back to Central Idaho. time will tell, the desire is there, the money isn't and I have two boats to finish. the Lazarus as someone suggested you can see on these pages. The other hasn't been started but the parts await me in the garage. Now I just need to make enough space to get in the garage as well as work there.


I received great welcomes from other members of this site and I feel it is important to welcome others in a similar fashion. Welcome aboard.

Hi Rick, thanks again for your note. Where did you look up the GEM story? Could you please point me in that direction? Thanks so much, yours, tom

http://209.85.173.132/search?q=cache:o1sQzlyYHGwJ:www.gcpba.org/pubs/1999_08/Aug_99_1-9_.pdf+Moulty+Fulmers+GEM&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a Here's the link, I haven't read everything but I did a search and started here.

Rick Newman

Hi, Tom. I suffered from tunnel vision during my research phase on the Litton influence. There are so many interesting pieces to the Colorado river boats stories that if I didn't, I'd never finish my book. I did come across Fulmer. I also visited the N Ariz Univ digital archives and located some photos of his GEM. I retained this link, if you haven't seen it. Good photos. As I recall there were more. Go to --http://www6.nau.edu/library/scadb/peoplereferal.cfm?people_note=Fulmer%2C%20Stephen%20Moulton
I like what you are doing and would be pleased to visit with you about your project. I'm afraid, though, that i can't lend any substantive info about Fulmer. Have you had any conversations with Brad Dimock. Brad has a deep interest in these boats and may possibly have some good info about the GEM and Moulty. By the way, nice model, and it looks like you have decently framed up your re-creation of GEM. One of the trickier pieces of boat recovery is recording the lines -- easy enough to do but a bit of a challenge with "wrecks." I applaud what you are doing. Feel free to call me anytime. I have abandoned my land line at the shop to a cell (503 559 0204), and the cell is usually on between 10 and 5 each day.

Forgot to mention that when I saw the GEM the first time I was struck by the lines' similarities to the Galloway boats, and to a lesser extent the original McKenzies, especially the Rapid Robert. Boats can be hung together in only so many ways so it's not surprising one would find such similarities. Perhaps it was that downriver transom that caught my eye. The Julius carried similar features.

Hello Tom,
Last year Debbie and I had a guest at Eagle Rock Lodge on the McKenzie River that was a computer archaeologist. He was using a LAZER scanning device to build computer replicas of the cliff dwellers. He had just been contacted by the parks department to put in a bid to use the same technology to "scan" the old boats of the Colorado. I see that you have beat him to the task of saving the old lines. Great job and thanks for all the photos.

Some more great photos. No scarfing with the system they used. More framework and more strength from impacts I would assume. Also were there any glues that would have held a scarf together as well as today's glues?

Thanks again for the photos. I can't wait to hear more and see more!

Rick Newman

I wasn't questioning your construction techniques, just commenting on the differences in techniques over the years. Scarfs seem to be common now days and larger /longer sheets of plywood available then. I think your modern take on the 1950's construction might even have a few things to teach us. The boat looks great.

I was on another wooden boat site recently and thought I recognized the shop, especially the band saw with the big wheels. I actually compared photos from Kyle's post with yours to see if they were in the same place. You confirmed it the other day. It is fun to investigate and study even modern events to see paths of congruence.

Rick Newman

Hi Rick, Thanks for your comments, i really appreciate them! Please DO question the construction technique. Maybe i should have scarfed the floor??? I really don't know. Time will tell. There's still a bunch of oak to lay down on the bottom.

All the best, yours, t


Thanks again, yours, tom

hi Tom...thanks for the compliment. I, too, am watching your project w/interest. good stuff.

nope, no pigment in the epoxy. just a few coats of oil based enamel, satin finish, not gloss. and trust me, there are PLENTY of "irregulatities" in the finish...

and I'm using mostly Southco latches:
http://www.southco.com/class/c5-sealed-lever-latches-7381.html
and a few misc./experimental latches that I will probably upgrade to Southco at some point when I'm sick of them not working!

Hi Jeff, thanks for your info! Your boat's finish looks great to me! Thanks so much for the Southco lead. That's very helpful! Yours, tom

The boat is looking great. I can see that much hard work has been accomplished. I have been busy with some medical issues, now that they are resolved and the weather better I can get started on clleaning out the space for my boat build. Thanks for sharing your photos. Good luck with everything.

Rick Newman

Hey Rick, thanks so much for your support and encouragement. Hope you recover soon, and get a chance to do a little boat building yourself! Good luck to you too! Yours, tom

what is an IK?

Den in New Hampshire
What a great project!

Hi Den, thanks for the encouragement! Good luck to you on your Rogue River Dory! Do you know Bigwater Bob Donovan, the Maine tree cutter? Small world, so i thought to ask.

IK = inflatable kayak...

I used a Don Hill 10' mini drifter plan, duplicated the center frame and added 16" in length in center of the boat. I don't think it's from a old design.

Tom, your boat is progressing really well. I am very envious of your trip and respectful of your efforts. Keep up the good work!

Rick Newman

Hey no problem Tom.... Rain has been holding the boat building process still. No inside building to store the boat so its all being built outside. A blue tarp is keeping it from the elements. Being so close to North GA, I thought I was going to have to flip it over, slap some tar around it and use it to get from place to place (finished or not). With the amount of backed up water and septic tanks empting out, there is a abundance of "brown trout" floating around now, so we are holding off fishing for awhile.

Thanks Tom. This boat has been a real pleasure to both float and rebuild. Through it (and Rogers book), I've learned so much local history. I love being able to drive up the Mckenzie and know the stories of the early guides and boatbuilders who first plied these waters. Besides the magic of being on the river, the history is really the second draw. I have been reading your posts and look forward to some journal entries and photos of you trip (trips).
All the best,
Brian