Specifications
Performance
Stability
Speed
Cockpit Room
Payload
Ease of Construction

Overview
THIS IS A PRO-KIT
The photographer John Guider has traveled thousands of miles in small open sailboats. At least 8,000 of those miles were in the original Skerry Raid. which we developed for planned expedition to sail and row around the Great Loop (circling the eastern portion of the United States).
In 2019, Guider returned to us for a new boat, this time so he could participate in the Race to Alaska. In his honor we named this design "The Guider." The new boat is almost four feet longer (18'7" versus 15' length), heavier, and has more storage than the Skerry Raid. It also is fast and handy under sail and oar, and has room for two adults to sleep in the 6'6" long cockpit in comfort. Our emphasis is on safety, so the boat is built with the intention of handling rough and windy conditions.
It's quite possible that no CLC design has been subjected to such rigorous on-water testing before or since the Guider was launched in March 2019. From the unforgiving Race to Alaska course, to Chesapeake Bay gales, and a winter-time capsize drill, the Guider has proven itself to be a polished cruising machine for rowing and sailing.
The interior has plenty of built-in storage and flotation with a total of 12 watertight compartments. The footwell is small to reduce the amount of water that will stay aboard. The Guider is ballasted with 200 pounds of lead, which may be increased if daysailing or lightly loaded. The pivoting centerboard is cut from aluminum plate.
The rudder is in an inboard trunk, doubtless one of the more controversial features of the new design. Although it complicates the build slightly, designer John C. Harris likes the trunk-rudder for its efficiency and good looks. But most of all, to avoid having to grope awkwardly over the pointed stern to adjust the more typical kick-up rudder.
Construction is intended for builders who are already comfortable with epoxy, fiberglass, and stitch-and-glue boatbuilding. From stitching the plywood strakes to rigging and launch, we built the first Guider at CLC in 22 working days. Your building time will be longer; we did this with 3-5 professionals working from a pre-cut kit.
Reports from our builders are that the assembly of the hull has proven to be smooth and efficient. Of particular note is the excellent 38-page manual, created by CLC's Dillon Majoros, which features beautiful, detailed drawings and plenty of assembly details. We highly recommend downloading the PDF of the manual as a first step so you can get a feel for the scope of the project.
Main Gallery
Construction Gallery
Line Drawings
Videos
Frequently Asked Questions
We Can Help You Build this Boat
We offer classes for many of the boats we sell. For boats, such as this one, we can offer private classes upon request. Some customers also ask us to build the boat for them.
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Need Help Building it?
We’re here to help with any questions you might have during the build process.