Gatherings

"Okoume" is the plantation-grown African hardwood used in tens of thousands of CLC's build-your-own-boat kits. OkoumeFest features an open house with technical seminars on Friday at the CLC plant in Annapolis, and on Saturday an on-the-water rendezvous at Matapeake State Park on Kent Island.

Chesapeake Light Craft is once again hosting an open house at their shop in Annapolis, MD and a large gathering of boatbuilders at a park beach in Kent, MD. This is a great event to meet other builders, get tips on boatbuilding, show off your boat, see and try other boats, and generally have fun hanging out with like minded people.

Once again we will gather to see what everyone has accomplished over the winter. Every year for over 10 years we have been meeting at the beach at Bluff Point State Park in Groton, CT to talk about making kayaks. If you are interested in making your own kayak, just like to look at kayaks or have built your own you are welcome. Bring a boat if you have one, but it doesn't have to be home made.

Every year since 1998 Chesapeake Light Craft has been hosting a gathering of small boat builders. On Friday they have an open house at their shop with demonstrations and a cookout. On Saturday it is on a beach on Chesapeake Bay.

I'll be bringing some boats down and giving some sort of demonstration this year. Come visit, bring a boat if you've got one, or just test boats you may want to build.

Location: Chesapeake Light Craft, Annapolis, MD

Kayak Builders Gathering

This annual gathering of kayak builders and people interested in home-built kayaks has been going for over 10 years. People drive from all around the North East to see what people have made over the winter. This is a good chance to see finished boats in person. The other boat builders are often kind enough to allow you to sit in and paddle the boats they built, giving you a chance to test before you build.

Location: Bluff Point State Park, Groton, CT

Once again I will be attending OkoumeFest hosted by Chesapeake Light Craft in Annapolis, MD. This is a great event to try different boats and talk to other builders. I plan to bring down my Petrel, Ganymede, Nymph and Expedition Single.

For over ten years now kayak builders have gathered at Bluff Point State Park in Groton, CT to share what we did last winter. This is an informal gathering of people interested in homemade kayaks and other small boats. If you have a boat or just like homemade boats, this is fun chance to visit with others with similar interests. Meet at the Beach Home Page

Chesapeake Light Craft's annual gathering of boat builders is happening again this year. I'll be bringing down some boats and signing books.

Here is what John Harris of CLC has to say about the event:

The premier open water race for human powered boats, the Blackburn Challenge is not always fun to do, but it is fun to have done. The event starts in the Annisquam River and goes clockwise around Cape Anne, and finishes about 20 miles later under the greasy pole in Gloucester, MA. Some 250 boats typically participate in this event from traditional Banks Dories to 6-man Outrigger Canoes as you would expect to see in Hawaii.