Build Your Own Stitch-and-Glue Wood Duck Kayak

Location: The Art of Boat Building Academy, Eureka, Illinois
Dates: Sunday, June 1, 2025 - Saturday, June 7, 2025

This Class in Eureka, Illinois, is offered by The Art of Boat Building Academy; for registration and class inquiries, please email [email protected] 

Registrations for this class are through The Art of Boat Building.

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All inquiries not about boat technical details to [email protected]

Instructor: Bob Emser

Tuition & Materials: 

Other Considerations:

Details:

In this 6-day Aclass you will build your own Wood Duck12 or 14 kayak from a Chesapeake Light Craft kit. Starting with pre-cut plywood parts, we will assemble the hull and deck of the kayak using copper wires and epoxy glue. We will then cut hatches, fiberglass the boat and install the cockpit coaming. During construction, we will discuss outfitting the boat with seats, footbraces, hatch fittings, and deck rigging. After the class, your boat will be ready to sand and paint or varnish.

Compact, easy-to-launch boats just seem to get used the most. In a tenth of the time it takes to launch a heavy boat on a trailer or drag the big canoe down the lawn, you can slide one of these little kayaks into the water and be on your way. Keep your Wood Duck on top of the car, ready to toss into all the interesting creeks in your county. CLC commissioned Eric to draw and prototype the Wood Duck line to our specifications. Eric had a huge hit with his Shearwater kayak designs, also designed for CLC as fast sea kayaks. We think he has another huge hit on his hands with these fun, good-looking recreational kayaks that anyone from age 8 to age 80 can enjoy on the water. 

The deck is cut from "Sapele" mahogany plywood for extra good looks and natural contrast with the Okoume hull and sheer panel. 
Wood Duck - Build Your Own Boat in One Week
Wood Duck Recreational Kayak
Wood Duck Kayaks - Build Your Own Boat
Wood Duck 14 Recreational Kayak - Build Your Own Boat

The recreational Wood Duck line offers comfort, stability, and excellent performance in a visually pleasing form.

More than 7000 Chesapeake-series kits have been shipped since 1996. An enduring favorite among paddlers, the award-winning Chesapeakes are the gold standard for build-it-yourself sea kayaks. They are easy to build but handsome and fast. High-volume bows lift you over rough seas - or powerboat wakes - while the skeg-like stern prevents weather-cocking in blustery winds. CLC's signature cambered decks shed spray, increase the storage space inside the hull, add strength without weight, and look great. Chesapeake kayak builders explore quiet local rivers and paddle the length of the Sea of Cortez. They are used in expeditions above the Arctic Circle and for day paddling in Florida. Chesapeakes are built in garages, apartments, living rooms, television studios, and in at least 50 countries from Iceland to Australia.

We regret that it is not possible to build the "Hybrid" versions of the Wood Duck in this class.  There's simply not enough time in a week to strip-plank a deck.

Chesapeake Light Craft has been manufacturing stitch-and-glue kayak kits since 1993. CLC’s many designs emphasize easy construction combined with good looks and uncompromised performance. By using the stitch-and-glue method, each student will build a kayak without the complication of frames, molds, or a strongback.

Note:  Boat kits for classes are specially prepared at CLC and delivered directly to the classroom.  These kits include essential supplies and may have certain parts pre-assembled.  Because of the particular nature of these kits, discounts and other promotions do not apply.