Events | Wooden Kayaks and Small Boats by Nick Schade and Guillemot Kayaks

Big Little Boat Festival

Fri, 01/31/2020 - 12:52

Big Little Boat Festival nick Fri, 01/31/2020 - 11:52

Event Date Sat, 05/23/2020 - 09:00 Sun, 05/24/2020 - 16:00

Join me with Chesapeake Light Craft as OkoumeFest morphs into a full-on two-day waterfront celebration of small boat culture that will:

Introduce the joys of small boats -- especially homebuilt wooden ones -- to everyone
Help paddlers, rowers, and sailors of all skill levels expand their abilities
Highlight the broad spectrum of small boat designs and construction methods
Foster camaraderie among bayfaring enthusiasts
Showcase the Chesapeake Bay's history, culture, and art
... and MORE!

Plan to spend Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend with us at the beautiful Camp Wabanna campus just south of Annapolis. Centered at the intersection of the Rhode and West Rivers, there will be plenty of space to launch boats, exciting new seminars, live music, interactive boatbuilding, kids' activities, a mini-lecture series, and a new Expedition Race Series. There's also ample room for camping in tents and campers and even on-site lodging available.

More Information at Chesapeake Light Craft On Land On The Water

Live Music

CLC Boat Demos

Interactive Boatbuilding

Rowing/Paddling/Sailing Instruction

Kids Boatbuilding Activities

Boat Parade & Judging

Skill Seminars & Demonstrations (fiberglassing, sailboat rigging, etc.)

CLC's Small Boat Expedition Race Series:

1 Mile "Beginner's Luck" (Entry Level)

3 Mile "Triton Three" (Intermediate)

8 Mile "Gobble Gauntlet" (Intermediate)

20 Mile "Deale no Deale " (Advanced)

Showcase of Local Arts & Craft

Boat Raffle

Canoecopia - Madison, WI

Sun, 01/19/2020 - 21:27

Canoecopia - Madison, WI nick Sun, 01/19/2020 - 20:27

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Event Date Fri, 03/13/2020 - 12:00 Sun, 03/15/2020 - 17:00

I will once again be attending Canoecopia supporting Chesapeake Light Craft. Said to be the largest paddlesports show in North America, it is a great event to see what is going on in paddlesports of all kinds. I usually am out front of the booth doing some sort of building demonstration. I'm not sure what I'll be doing this year, but it is sure to be interesting.

Elements of Coastal Kayaking with Nick Schade - At WoodenBoat School

Fri, 11/08/2019 - 15:10

Elements of Coastal Kayaking with Nick Schade - At WoodenBoat School nick Fri, 11/08/2019 - 14:10

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Event Date Sun, 07/19/2020 - 18:00 Sat, 07/25/2020 - 12:00

I am very excited to announce that I will be teaching a week-long on-the-water sea kayaking class in Maine this summer. If you have one of my designs, or you are interested in learning how to handle a sea kayak on the ocean, this is your chance to gain some great experience, while enjoying one of the prettiest places to paddle in the world.

Based out of the world famous WoodenBoat School in Brooklin, Maine. We will explore the islands, shores and waterways of Eggemoggin Reach. You will work on getting comfortable in open water, learning safety skills and efficient paddling techniques.

Selecting an appropriate kayak; safety skills; basic gear and equipment; transporting kayaks; paddling strokes; launching and landing; nautical charts and navigation; capsize and recovery skills; and better understanding of weather and sea conditions are a sample of the many topics covered in this fully comprehensive course. Good fun and a great education!

I'll also be bringing a selection of my wooden kayak designs as well as other designs to give students a chance to try a variety of kayaks.

August in Maine is spectacular. The air is typically fresh and warm and the water is as warm as it gets. This is a wonderful opportunity to spend a week on the water in a beautiful location.

Tuition: $825

Note: Students should be in good physical condition, have reliable balance and agility and the ability to enter and exit kayaks from beach or rocky shore. This is a five-day course ending Friday afternoon.

Registration starts January 2nd, 2020 and is handled by WoodenBoat School

Fine Strip-Planked Boat Building Class at WoodenBoat School

Fri, 11/08/2019 - 14:55

Fine Strip-Planked Boat Building Class at WoodenBoat School nick Fri, 11/08/2019 - 13:55

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Event Date Sun, 06/14/2020 - 18:00 Sat, 06/20/2020 - 12:00

If you want to build a lightweight, rugged, and beautiful small boat, combining thin strips of wood with epoxy and fiberglass will make a cartoppable, low-maintenance, and gorgeous vessel. Nick Schade has been building strip-built boats for over 30 years. He has written two of the standard texts on the subject, Building Strip-Planked Boats and The Strip-Built Sea Kayak, and his efforts have guided thousands of people through building their own boats using the popular strip-planked method.

In this six-day course, students will explore this method of construction while building two very different boat designs created by Nick. This class will be building an Adirondack Guide Boat and the microBootlegger Sport sea kayak. The School only had room for one of these classes this year, so sign up early.

Speedboats built in 1923 are not your typical inspiration for a kayak, the George Crouch designed “Baby Bootlegger” was the starting point for both the microBootlegger Sport. The speedboat was an instant classic with elegant rounded, muscular lines. The “Sport” version is a 15.5’ x 23” sea kayak with beautiful lines suitable for exploring lakes or heading out to sea.

The Guide Boat is Nick’s own design based on the H. Dwight Grant guide boat "Virginia" documented by John Gardner in 1963. Nick's interpretation incorporates the older recurved stem pattern into a boat that rows easily and can carry a good load. We will be building the boat using standard strip-planking methods that do not include ribs, so the interior will be clean and smooth.

Day One will have students fairing up the forms, shaping the inner stems, fabricating the kayak coaming and guideboat parts, and getting a start on the planking. Tuesday will have us continuing with planking, installing stems, and working on hatches and gunwales. Before you know it, we will start sanding the hull and deck and applying fiberglass on Wednesday. On Thursday, the kayak and guideboat will come off the forms. After fairing the insides of the hulls, fiberglass fabric will be laid-up on the interiors. Come Friday, students will start finishing up the guideboat while the hull and deck of the kayak are joined together. The class wraps up midday on Saturday with final fiberglass work and completion of details on both boats.

Throughout this course, Nick will take time to discuss the many variations on the strip-building process that students can use on their own boatbuilding projects. After a week of fine craftsmanship and fun, we’ll step back to admire two stunning boats that will raffled off to two lucky students.

Location: WoodenBoat School, Brooklin, Maine

Cost: $875 (50% Discount for High School and College Students)

Registration starts January 2nd, 2020 and is handled by WoodenBoat School