{"title":"Kayak Chooser - Beginner Tandem Recreational","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"Recreational\" means fishing, birding, photography, casual day-paddling, and so on. Beginner builders have never done anything like this before, but are patient.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"sassafras-16","title":"Sassafras 16 Canoe","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe lapstrake canoe is an ancient craft. In its recreational form it had already reached a very high pitch of refinement by the 1880s, in the hands of artisans like \u003cstrong\u003eJ. Henry Rushton\u003c\/strong\u003e. Something about the combination of lightweight utility and easy, graceful lines makes the lapstrake canoe a very desirable creature indeed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChesapeake Light Craft first introduced the lapstrake \u003cstrong\u003eSassafras \u003c\/strong\u003ecanoes in the late 1990’s.  Named after a placid and scenic river on the upper Chesapeake, these handsome canoes are at home in rivers, lakes, and bays, able enough to surmount wind chop and powerboat wakes, and to carry a good load.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLapstrake canoes built the way Rushton built them require extremely sophisticated skills and equipment. Using CLC’s exclusive LapStitch™ process, assembly in  similar manner is accessible to beginners.  There’s no mold, no lofting, no spiling, no tricky joinery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy 2011, hundreds of Sassafras canoes had been built, and the 13-year-old designs were ready for freshening. The\u003cstrong\u003e Sassafras 16\u003c\/strong\u003e design was overhauled for the 2011 WoodenBoat Show, where a \u003cstrong\u003edozen were built during a “family boatbuilding” event\u003c\/strong\u003e. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnother 18 of these tandem canoes were built at the show in 2012, with additional refinements, and still more were built at classes and shows in 2012 and 2013. This is probably an unprecedented field test for a new boat kit design!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith much feedback in hand, by 2014 we were ready to make the Sassafras 16 Mark II available to the public. \u003cstrong\u003eImprovements \u003c\/strong\u003eover the 1998 original include \u003cstrong\u003emore stability and payload without the loss of speed and handling\u003c\/strong\u003e, and much-simplified construction. Plans, which for the early models had been all but schematic, were upgraded to include full-sized patterns for every part, and the manual was given an expansive rewrite.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Sassafras 16's hull is 6mm okoume with fiberglass cloth on the lower strakes, inside and out. Watertight flotation compartments are fitted at the bow and stern. The kit features\u003cstrong\u003e ash-caned seats, sapele decks, mahogany outwales, and an ash thwart\u003c\/strong\u003e. Like many traditional canoes, the Sassafras 16 is symmetrical, bow and stern. This allows a solo paddler to sit facing \"backwards\" on the forward seat for better trim. Her hull is slightly rockered - not for maneuvering in whitewater, but rather to reduce wetted surface area - making her almost effortless to paddle. She has a smooth or \"well dampened\" feel that is characteristic of good wooden canoes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Sassafras 16 Mark II also boasts an \u003cstrong\u003eentirely rewritten and vastly expanded builder's manual\u003c\/strong\u003e, with 115 pages and 400 photos and illustrations. Those building from plans will also appreciate the detailed instructions for parts fabrication. Along with improvements to the kits, which include pre-drilled wire holes, puzzle joints, and computer-indicated bulkhead locations, the manual makes this kit extremely friendly and accessible to first-time builders.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConvert your \u003cstrong\u003eSassafras 16 to a rowboat\u003c\/strong\u003e using our Canoe Rowing Rig. We also offer a drop-in sliding seat rowing rig. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Chesapeake Light Craft","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50173988765989,"sku":"4872-1647","price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0854\/4839\/2997\/files\/sassafras16canoe_new-lead.jpg?v=1746539167"},{"product_id":"shearwater-double","title":"Shearwater Double","description":"\u003cp\u003eDoubles can be big, like our voluminous Chesapeake Double, or they can be small, like our handy-but-compact Wood Duck Double.  How could we create a double kayak that combined the speed of a longer sea kayak with the convenience of a smaller boat? It was a challenge we handed to designer Eric Schade, and after a long development the Shearwater Double was revealed. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor speed, the hull is multi-chined and plumb-ended, with a long waterline for minimal wetted surface.  We borrowed the Shearwater kayak’s handsome deck pattern to fit two large cockpits and three big storage compartments while maintaining a sleek profile.  The Shearwater Double is remarkably fast and comfortable.  The most discriminating paddlers will enjoy its responsiveness and speed, while the solid stability and roomy cockpits will reassure beginners.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe hull is okoume while the deck is standard in Sapele.  Flush hatches---three of them---are standard in the kit, as are seats, footbraces, deck rigging, and hardware.  Holes are pre-drilled in advance by our CNC machine for stitch-and-glue assembly.  All surfaces are fiberglassed, inside and out.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDo you fit in this kayak? \u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/pages\/compare-kayak-specifications\" title=\"Kayaks need to fit right---check your height, weight, and shoe size in this chart.\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eStudy our kayak fit chart.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Chesapeake Light Craft","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50173989191973,"sku":"3610-928","price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0854\/4839\/2997\/files\/shearwater-double_new-lead.jpg?v=1746473616"},{"product_id":"wood-duck-double","title":"Wood Duck Double","description":"\u003cp\u003eLike all of the Wood Ducks, the \u003cstrong\u003eWood Duck Double\u003c\/strong\u003e moves with little resistance through the water. Stability is sufficient for stepping down from a low dock, which is always a great test of a kayak's stability.  Tracking is solid, even though we have not fitted this model with a rudder. A rudder is still a nice upgrade to any two-person kayak, as it eliminates the need for committee decision-making on which direction to go from minute to minute.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eWood Duck Double\u003c\/strong\u003e will take two average-size adults, or a total payload of up to 400 pounds. The essential attributes of our Wood Duck line of kayaks are \u003cstrong\u003ecompact dimensions\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003ecomfortable cockpits\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003efaster speed \u003c\/strong\u003ethan the average recreational\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003ekayak, \u003cstrong\u003eversatility \u003c\/strong\u003eon the water, \u003cstrong\u003ehandsome looks\u003c\/strong\u003e with great character, and \u003cstrong\u003eease of construction\u003c\/strong\u003e.  So harmoniously do these features fit with the needs of recreational kayakers and boatbuilders that we have sold hundreds of Wood Ducks in just a few years. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe began with the Wood Duck 12, then added a 10, followed by the 14-footer.  \u003cstrong\u003eEric Schade's 14-foot hull design\u003c\/strong\u003e, meant to create an exceptionally commodious single kayak, struck us as a good starting point for a small two-person kayak.  So Eric tweaked the lines and after several prototypes we're delighted with the result.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt only \u003cstrong\u003earound 60 pounds\u003c\/strong\u003e, the Wood Duck Double is easy to handle off the water, too, and with an \u003cstrong\u003eoverall length less than 14 feet\u003c\/strong\u003e it is exceptionally handy to transport and store.  We expect to see a great many of these equipped for fishing, and many others with various combinations of children or dogs aboard. Because of the large open volume, we have made watertight bulkheads standard at the bow and stern, with flush hatches for access to the storage compartments.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"related-content\"\u003eConstruction is as simple as possible in a kayak.  Our computer cuts out the panels and drills the holes for wire stitches.  \"Puzzle joints\" aid in quick, precision assembly.  This is \u003cstrong\u003ean ideal first boatbuilding project\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"related-content\"\u003eConstruction begins by joining the plywood hull panels with “puzzle joints” to reach the 14-foot overall length.  Then the panels are brought together along their edges with stitches of copper wire, with four bulkheads helping to form the hull shape.  The seams are reinforced with thickened epoxy, then fiberglass fabric.  The deck is assembled separately from the hull, then stitched and epoxied in place.  All of the copper wire stitches are removed prior to the final sheathing of fiberglass fabric.  Finally, the cockpit is laminated in place and the front and rear hatches assembled.  Comfortable seats and footbraces, included in the kit, are mounted after the hull has been varnished.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"related-content\"\u003eDo you fit in this kayak? \u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/pages\/compare-kayak-specifications\" title=\"Kayaks need to fit right---check your height, weight, and shoe size in this chart.\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eStudy our kayak fit chart.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Chesapeake Light Craft","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50173990142245,"sku":"6539-8236","price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0854\/4839\/2997\/files\/wood-duck-double_new-lead.jpg?v=1745950338"}],"url":"https:\/\/clcboats.com\/collections\/kayak-chooser-beginner-tandem-recreational.oembed","provider":"Chesapeake Light Craft","version":"1.0","type":"link"}