1. Kits & Plans
  2. Kayak Kits
  3. Performance Kayaks
Sale
Sale
Night Heron SG being paddled by a customer at a Yonkers, NY Demo day.
Sale
Stitch & Glue Night Heron
Sale
Stitch & Glue Night Heron
Sale
Stitch & Glue Night Heron
Sale
Tanya F. paddling a Stitch-and-Glue Night Heron kayak that she built.
Sale
Stitch & Glue Night Heron
Sale
Stitch & Glue Night Heron
Night Heron SG being paddled by a customer at a Yonkers, NY Demo day. Thumbnail
Stitch & Glue Night Heron Thumbnail
Stitch & Glue Night Heron Thumbnail
Stitch & Glue Night Heron Thumbnail
Tanya F. paddling a Stitch-and-Glue Night Heron kayak that she built.  Thumbnail
Stitch & Glue Night Heron Thumbnail
Stitch & Glue Night Heron Thumbnail

Stitch & Glue Night Heron

Builder Testimonials

Kinetic art in the form of a stitch-and-glue kayak, as only Nick Schade can draw. Fast and sporty performance for the skilled paddler.

  • Skill Level Intermediate
  • Estimated Build Time 100 Hours

Build this boat if...

  • You are a skilled paddler looking for a sophisticated sharp-handling kayak for waves and speed
  • You like the looks of the jigsaw-puzzle construction with multiple wood types

  • For Woodcrafters

    Boatbuilders, sharpen your block planes! 

  • Sophisticated Design

    Nothing else like it to buy or build

  • Need for Speed

    For racers seeking escape velocity

  • Quality Materials

    Only the best professional-grade materials

Build Your Kit

Take One of our Boatbuilding Classes

We offer classes for many of the boats we sell. Teaching sites stretch from Maryland to Washington State and from Maine to California. Click here to find out more.

Specifications

Length
18'0"
Beam
20"
Cockpit Size
29" x 16"
Hull Weight
41 lbs.
Paddler Weight
150 - 220 lbs.
Max Payload
300 lbs.
Knee Height
11-1/4"
Max. Men's Shoe Size
11

Performance

Stability

2 out of 5
Very Tippy
Very Stable

Speed

4 out of 5
Cruiser
Racer

Cockpit Room

2 out of 5
Close Fit
Huge Cockpit

Payload

2 out of 5
Day Tripper
Freight Hauler

Ease of Construction

3 out of 5
Requires Patience
Very Easy
Night Heron SG during the Schoodic Sea Kayak Retreat, ME
Night Heron SG during the Schoodic Sea Kayak Retreat, ME

Overview

Buying Options

Choose Your Boatbuilding Experience

Start your kit-building experience by selecting the option that best fits your goals. Don’t have the confidence to build on your own? No worries! Join a boatbuilding class or hire us to build a custom boat for you.

  1. Select Your Configuration

    Build From a Kit:
    Most builders start with the Base Kit. It’s all there.
    Build From Scratch:
    Build from scratch using full-sized plans.
    Build From a Wood Parts Only Kit:
    For those who have their own supply of epoxy, fiberglass, and hardware.
    Order Study Plans or Manuals:
    Like to study up a bit first? Download study plans or a copy of the assembly manual. 

  2. Choose Options and Add-ons

    Additional Components:
    Add rudders, skegs, hatch options, spray skirts, and more.

  3. Get Building!

    Computer-cut kits feature all of the latest tweaks to ease assembly, including pre-drilled holes for stitching-and-gluing, puzzle joints, and precision in the fitting of parts.

Standard Configuration

Sale
$1,699.00 $1,440.00

The Night Heron kit includes extensively illustrated 49-page ...

Alternative Configurations

$989.00

The Night Heron kit includes instructions, okoume parts, hat...

$149.00

  For builders who want to start from scratch.  Includes a ro...

Additional Options

$75.00

Nick Schade suggests MiniCel Foam for bulkheads in his boats....

$195.00

Many kayaks can benefit from a retractable skeg. There will b...

Night Heron SG seen during Schoodic Sea Kayak Retreat 2021
Night Heron SG seen during Schoodic Sea Kayak Retreat 2021

What builders are saying

The maiden voyage of my Stitch & Glue Night Heron started at Crownsville Dock, on canal C-14 in Pompano Beach, Fort Lauderdale (about a half mile from where the cruise ships dock).  It was two years ago I had initially launched my Night Heron and I'm still in love with how well she handles and looks. Thanks for creating this avenue to unlimited FUN!

Erik Z. | FL
Verified Builder

The Stitch-and-Glue Night Heron was the perfect size for a 10-day paddle around the Apostle Islands on Lake Superior. Might have a bias, but I'm pretty sure I had the best looking boat out there. I thought it looked good on the car, but it looked even better in the water.

Sean K. | WI
Verified Builder

I've now made several CLC boats and I enjoy reading your hard print catalog in part because of interesting images of customers and CLC staff in action.  One of me on an extended GA barrier islands trip finally made it into the good book. I made two Night Herons.  I did the stitch-and-glue with my massage therapist and then needed to make the stripper version for myself. These images were taken on a three-day trip to Long Island (Little Tybee)

William R. | GA
Verified Builder

Videos

Assembing a Stitch and Glue Night Heron Kayak

Build Your own Kayak Fall 2014

Stitch and Glue Night Heron Kayak - Making the Coaming

S&G Night Heron Kayak Building Class

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I order this kit?

Click on the Buying Options tab the top left of this page and follow the directions.

If I buy one of your boat kits, what else will I need?

Chesapeake Light Craft kits contain all the parts and materials you need to build the boat. The kit includes pre-cut parts, hardware, epoxy, fiberglass, plans and instructions. Our standard kayak kits also have the seats, hatches, bulkheads, footbraces, and the deck-rigging. About the only thing kits don't include is the final finish: paint or varnish. Your boat's color scheme is entirely up to you.

You'll need a few ordinary tools, like a cordless drill, a decent 5-inch sander, and for most boats a wood plane. You'll need disposables such as sandpaper and paint brushes and mixing cups.

You need a workspace a couple of feet bigger all the way around than the boat you want to build, and you'll need to be able to maintain temperatures between about 55 degrees F and 95 degrees F during steps when epoxy is being applied or curing. Since a lot of boatbuilding gets done during winter, we've written up some tips on how to heat a cold space cheaply, easily, and safely.

How much does this boat weigh and how much can it carry?

The weight and payload of this boat, along with other statistics such length and beam, can be found under Specs in the Specifications section, which is just below the lead image seen at the top of this page.

Can you send me the plans digitally?

Sorry, but until digital rights management technology for marine architectural work catches up to that used for books and music, we are unable to transmit digital plans. Currently, only study plans and manuals can be sent digitally.

Classes

Take One of our Boatbuilding Classes

We offer classes for many of the boats we sell. Teaching sites stretch from Maryland to Washington State and from Maine to California. Click here to find out more.

View Classes

Need Help Building it?

We’re here to help with any questions you might have during the build process.

Phone

Available Mon – Fri, 9am–5pm EST

410.267.0137

Email

We answer emails 7 days a week and within 24 hours

Contact Support

Chat

Available Mon – Fri, 9am–5pm EST

Start Chat