Guillemot Kayaks

Kayak and Small Boat Plansby Nick Schade

2011

Guillemot Kayakswww.Guillemot-Kayaks.com

54 South Rd

Groton, Connecticut, USA 06340

(860) 659-8847

nick@Guillemot-Kayaks.com

Dear Boatbuilder,

Thank you for your interest in my kayak and small boat

designs. I typically design boats for my own use and over

25 years of using and designing boats I have come up with

a wide variety of ways to use a boat. I’m sure that in these

pages you will find a vessel suitable for your needs.

If you don’t, I am continuously thinking of new ways to

use kayaks and small craft and developing new designs. If

you don’t see what you want here, please visit my website

Guillemot-Kayaks.com to find my latest efforts. You will

also find more information about the designs shown here,

including line drawings, photographs and more extensive

descriptions of the particulars of each design.

Thank you,

Cover: Solo Bootlegger © 2011 - Nick Schade - All Rights Reserved

Build-your-own Boat Plans, ξ

Boat Building Instruction Books, ξ

Complete Boat Kits Available, ξ

Custom Built Boats ξ

Drawing inspiration from sources ranging from the Inuit of Greenland to 1920’s runabouts, Nick Schade has drawn on his 30+ years of small boating experience to create beautiful, high performance designs

suitable for building at home.

These designs are special because Nick approaches boat design as a dedicated boat user. He started building boats because he wanted a kayak. The boat comes first, the beautiful, elegant lines are a side

effect of a form that is engineered to function beautifully on the water. With years of experience on the water Nick develops boats with performance on the water as the number one goal.

He understands that there is more to a good boat design than merely floating upright and paddling straight and a successful design must be created to meet specific performance goals on the water and these goals vary with the waters where the boat is used. The fact that these wooden boats are beautiful is a bonus that comes from obsessive attention to performance.

Nick offers do-it-yourself wooden boats plans for woodworkers and boater who want to build a boat. The plans include full size paper patterns for all the building forms. He has written two books that serve as

instructions that will lead you through the construction of any of these boats.

Photograph: Night Heron sea kayak in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. – photo by Richard Bergen

Build It YourselfBeautiful Wooden Boats

This adaptation of a traditional Inuit kayak form to modern construction techniques has the on-the-water performance to match its looks. With long, graceful lines, the Night

Herons flows across the water smoothly and easily. The narrow waterline makes this boat very efficient, while maintaining enough stability to sit comfortably in even the most unruly water.

This family of designs includes the Petrel, a shorter, more maneuverable version of the Night Heron which is suitable for smaller paddlers and women, or larger paddlers seeking a fun play boat. The Night Heron can be built with 3 different deck configurations: Standard height which is suitable for most paddlers, High Deck version for taller paddler and those who need more leg room, and a Greenland deck version with a smaller cockpit and lower back deck allowing easy Greenland style rolls.

The Night Heron design can be built with the stitch and glue method, strip planked, or as a hybrid with a S&G hull and strip deck.

Night Heron Family

PetrelA sporty, playful sea kayak that loves rough water.

Night Heron - plans include high-deck option. A fast, responsive sea kayak for open water and close to shore.

Hybrid Night Heron - plans include high-deck option. A version of the Night Heron with a strip deck and S&G hull.

S&G Night Heron A stitch and glue version of the Night Heron.

Greenland Deck Night Heron The Night Heron hull with a lower deck.

Tandem Night Heron An elegant, fast tandem for intermediate to advanced paddlers.

Petrel in Askehoved Peninsula Denmark, by Mikkel Gundersen

S&G Night Heron off Mistake Island, Maine

These designs fit a wide range of needs. With graceful curves throughout, from the stem to stern

and all sections in between, this family is sultry, smooth and sweet. The family ranges from a small play boat up to a capacious tandem, with an efficient expedition boat and well rounded solo boat in between.

Originally designed for an article in Sea Kayaker Magazine, the 17’ Guillemot will serve as a good day tripping boat with the capacity for short trips of several days. Petite paddlers can choose the Guillemot “S” for efficiency or the Play for stability. Larger paddlers may select the Guillemot “L” for increased capacity, or if you are looking for you need long-distance efficiency, take a look at the Expedition Single. For those looking at tandems, the Guillemot Double is roomy and comfortable, where the Fast Double is… well… fast.

Guillemot Family

Jari Temonen of Finland in a Guillemot

Guillemot Double and Guillemot by Greg Hughes

Guillemot ‘S’ A fun, playful sea kayak for small paddlers.

Play A responsive and playful sea kayak.

S&G Guillemot A stitch and glue interpretation of the Guillemot below.

Guillemot A quick and responsive sea kayak.

Expedition Single A responsive and efficient sea kayak for touring.

Guillemot Double A roomy and stable tandem sea kayak.

Fast Double An fast tandem for experienced paddlers.

Guillemot ‘L’ A responsive sea kayak for larger paddlers.

Back in 1986 Nick needed a kayak. He sat down on the living room floor and drew

up a kayak with the plumb bow and smooth curves of an early mahogany ChrisCraft. The Great Auk family of kayaks is the progeny of that early design. Characterized by a elegantly simple and functional form, these boats provide the perfect entry to building and paddling.

The baby of the fleet is the Little Auk, a cute little 10 or 11 foot long recreational kayak. Stepping up in length and capability the 14’ Great Auk is a good cross-over design for those who want an easy to handle boat that can move along at a moderate pace easily. For venturing out further and paddling farther, the 17’ Great Auk has the stability for long term comfort and the capacity for long distance touring. The High Capacity Great Auk was designed for extra large paddlers and paddlers engaging in extra-long expeditions needing maximum carrying capacity. The Razor Billed Auk design is suitable for racing and high-speed touring. Finally the Great Auk Double is an efficient tandem with good touring capability.

Great Auk Family

Little Auk - plans include both 10 and 11 foot long options. A small recreational kayak for poking around protected water.

14 Foot Great Auk A roomy and comfortable small kayak for lakes and harbors.

Great Auk A simple roomy and stable sea kayak.

High Capacity Great Auk A boat capable of carrying large paddlers and extended touring.

Razor Billed Auk An efficient sea kayak for touring and racing.

Great Auk Double A comfortable and efficient sea kayak for two paddlers.

Mario Giacummo of Uruquay built a Great Auk

Robert Ciappara paddles his Great Auk in Malta

Racing boats from the 1924 Gold Challenge Cup are not the usual inspiration for a sea kayak, but a picture of the George Crouch designed Baby Bootlegger got me thinking. Baby Bootlegger was an

innovation in its time, introducing the “rolled sheer” where the deck blends smoothly into the side and the long stream-lined stern. While this may be an unexpected starting point for a kayak, the graceful, efficient shape struck my fancy.

The µBootlegger (micro Bootlegger) is a roomy, efficient tandem kayak for cruising a lake or exploring a bay. While more sedate than her namesake, she moves easily through the water and, should a wind blow in, will handle rough water with aplomb. For those who are looking for flat-out speed, the Mystery is narrow, racy speedster. Designed to compete in the Blackburn Challenge, a 20 mile open water race, the Mystery is ready to go as fast as your motor can power it.

µBootlegger Family

In the 1880’s J. Henry Rushton developed a line of small, ultra-lightweight canoes designed to be propelled with a double-ended paddle like a kayak.

Based on the ideas of J. H. Rushton, I developed the Nymph using modern building techniques. This boat uses the strip-built method and the latest materials to create a fun and easy to handle little craft. At about 15 to 20 pounds Nymph is easy to carry down to the water. The tumble-home below the gunwales makes the paddle stroke easier while keeping good stability. At 10 feet long it can easily poke into hidden coves. The 12 foot version has greater carrying capacity but is a couple pounds heavier.

Nymph

microBootlegger A modern take on a double paddle canoe.

Solo microBootlegger An elegant solo decked double paddle canoe.

Mystery A sea kayak optimized for speed and racing.

Nymph A sweet double paddle canoe for small paddlers venturing out on ponds and sheltered lakes. Available in 10 foot and 12 foot versions.

Paddling the Solo microBootlegger by the big brother.

Designed for Use...

While these boats may make look like fragile works of art, their construction is well suited for serious use. Wood is a natural

composite material that is more rugged and fatigue resistant than the best high tech synthetics. This wonderful, beautiful material is then protected under a completely transparent layer of fiberglass fabric and sealed with epoxy resin. The result is a durable, rot resistant, lightweight vessel that is worthy of hanging on the wall, but capable of crossing an ocean.

Not just another white dinghy. The Coot is an able little vessel to get you out to your yacht and back. It rows along easily with room for a couple passengers and their gear. The design could be rigged for

sailing and can take a small outboard. This design can be built as a rugged little knock-about boat at about 65 lbs or as a little more delicate lightweight craft for easy stowing on a yacht cabin top.

Fishermen and hunters traveling to the bountiful lakes of the Adirondacks during the 1800 came to deeply respect the amazingly capable Adirondack Guide Boat. This lightweight vessel rowed quickly to their favorite fishing spot and was light enough to portage from lake to lake. The narrow waterline makes if fast, the wide flare makes it seaworthy.

Rowing Boats

The Aleut people lived in some of the most extreme conditions in the world. They hunted from an amazing form of skin on frame kayak. The Aleutesque steps off from these unique boats to create a

stunning, fast and fun sea kayak. The Aleut boats were named “baidarkas” by the Russian traders who first encountered the native kayakers. The baidarka was unusual for it bow and stern shapes. The bow was “bifurcated” with a split between the high volume top and a slim wave cutting bottom. The stern was truncated into a skeg. The Aleutesque vamps on these forms to create a high performance modern kayak suitable for fitness training on lakes and the ocean.

At the other end of the spectrum is the Simple. It is just that, a simple boat that is easy to build and comfortable to paddle. The shape was specifically designed to allow easy stripping while producing a boat that will be easy to paddle and comfortably stable.

More Strip-Planked Designs

Adirondack Guide Boat A seaworthy traditional rowing boat.

Coot A classic pram style dinghy tender to get to your yacht or do a little fishing.

Aleutesque A sleek and fast kayak loosely based on Aleut Baidarkas.

Simple A simple to build strip-planked recreational kayak

Rowing the Coot

Most Guillemot Kayaks designs are designed for strip-building, but several are available exclusively as “stitch and glue” construction. This method uses precisely cut plywood

panels temporarily wired or “stitched” together then glued permanently with epoxy reinforced with fiberglass. This method allows quicker construction than hand-fitting multiple narrow strips as is done with strip-planking. The results do not allow for as fine curves as stripping, but stitch and glue produces nice, rugged boats with less time and effort invested.

The Matunuck design is at home scooting down open ocean swell along side surf boards. This beautiful little boat is a highly refined for surf. While the small size is appealing for other, less extreme uses, it really isn’t well suited for anything other than sliding down steep waves.

If you are a first-time boat builder and want an inexpensive, quick and easy project to get your feet wet, the Ganymede design was created specifically for you. This simple, but distinctive little kayak can be assembled in a couple weekends or about a week of evenings. The result is a fun little boat with a lot of capacity.

Fishermen and paddlers who would prefer sitting with their legs out in the sun and wind will appreciate the Sea Island Sport sit on top kayak. Originally designed for a friend who had difficulty getting in and out of standard kayak cockpits, the stable and efficient kayak is easy and fun to paddle.

Stitch & Glue Designs

Ganymede An easy to build, fun stitch and glue design for recreational paddlers.

Sea Island Sport A fast and stable plywood sit-on-top kayak.

Matunuck A dedicated surf kayak for ripping up the local beach break.

Creating a Kayak

FormStrip-planked boats are built over a form that

defines the shape. Narrow strips of wood are shaped to fit tightly together.

FitEach of about 100 strips are carefully shaped one at a time by hand to

create strong, tight joints between each piece of wood.

FairAfter the forms are covered with the strip planks, the wood needs to

be sculpted and smoothed to create a fair shape.

FiberglassThe outside is reinforced with cloth. Fabric woven

from fine strands of glass is flexible and strong. This cloth starts out white as the thin threads of glass catch and reflect the light. It is hard to believe that this silk-like cloth is created from glass.

Creating a Kayak

SealThe white fiberglass fabric becomes completely transparent

when saturated with a two-part epoxy mixture. This high-strength adhesive bonds the ‘glass fabric to the wood with a rugged layer of waterproof resin.

StrengthenThe inside of the boat can be further reinforced with more fiberglass

or for even greater strength and toughness a layer of Kevlar or Carbon Fiber cloth may be substituted. While not transparent like the fiberglass, the exotic fabrics add a handsome contrast to the natural wood.

SandingAfter several layers of epoxy have been added to the surface of

the boat a multi-step process of sanding and further resin fill coats produce a smooth, hard surface ready for a glossy protective clear coat.

SatisfactionAfter many hours of careful work, the final

product is beautiful to behold. It is ready to be displayed in a great room or paddled across a bay.

Plans Prices

DesignOver All At Waterline Plans

PriceLength Beam Length BeamCoot 8’ 48” 7’ 45.5’ 110Matunuck 8 24 7.5 23 85Nymph 10 25.5 9.8 24 90Little Auk 10 28 9.5 26.3 8512 Foot Nymph 12 26.5 11.9 24.9 90Ganymede 13 25 12.2 22.9 5514 Foot Great Auk 14 24.5 13.8 23.5 90Solo microBoot-leger 14 26 13.9 24.6 100Sea Island Sport 15.5 27 14.2 25.1 99Adirondack Guide Boat 15.8 38.8 15.6 29.9 90

Guillemot “S” 16 20 13.8 20.1 90Play 16.5 22 14.4 21.7 85Guillemot 17 21 14.7 20.7 90Petrel 17 20 15 19.9 100Great Auk 17 24 16.6 22.7 90S&G Guillemot 17 21 15.2 20.7 60microBootlegger 17.4 27 17.2 26.1 105Night Heron 18 20 16.1 19.6 90S&G Night Heron 18 20 16.2 19.4 110Hybrid Night Heron 18 20 16.2 19.4 110Greenland Night Heron 18 20 16.2 19.5 90

Aleutesque 18 20 17.8 17.7 110High Cap. Great Auk 18 30 17.8 29.4 105Guillemot “L” 18 23 15.6 22.6 100Expedition Single 19 21 16.7 20.7 100Razor Billed Auk 19 20 18.6 18.4 90Mystery 20 20 19.9 17.4 100Guillemot Double 20 28 17.6 27.4 105Great Auk Double 21 26 20.1 24.3 105Fast Double 25.5 21 22.7 20.7 105

Other Products Price

The Strip Built Sea Kayak Book

Complete instruction book for strip-building kayaks.

19.95

Building Strip Planked Boats Book

In-depth book about building any small boat using strips of wood.

22.95

Paddle Plans Plans for making a kayak paddle 15

T-Shirt A Guillemot Kayaks Logo on front

16

Fleece Comfy fleece with paddler logo 49.95

Boat plans include all the forms and patterns needed to build your own boat. They are drawn

out at full size and individually. You can simply glue the plan drawings directly to your form material and cut out around the lines to assure no loss of accuracy.

The instruction manual for all the strip-built kayaks is the book The Strip-Built Sea Kayak. If you don’t have experience building kayaks, I recommend that you purchase the book as well as the plans.

Kits are available for all Guillemot Kayaks designs from Chesapeake Light Craft. Please visit our

website for more information.

Custom built boats are also available, please give Nick a call at (860) 659-8847 to talk about your

next family heirloom.

Nick Schade has been designing and building unique, beautiful small craft since 1986.

His work has been recognized worldwide for their performance and elegance. The author of two books on boat building, Nick has helped introduce do-it-yourself boats to thousands.

Making your own boat is a gratifying project. Even if you have never built anything, it is possible to construct a beautiful vessel.

Prices subject to change without notice. Postage and handling are based on your location. Please visit our website for up-to-date charges.

Please call, write or go online to place an order

Guillemot Kayakswww.Guillemot-Kayaks.com

54 South RdGroton, Connecticut, USA 06340

(860) 659-8847nick@Guillemot-Kayaks.com

Nick is recognized for his mastery of the skills of building small wooden boats using the strip-planked method. He has passed his skills on to others through two books. His first; The Strip-Built Sea Kayak

is the acknowledged bible on the subject of turning a small pile of wood into a rugged, functional kayak. His second; Building Strip-Planked Boats extends the method to any form of small boat.

Every year Nick brings his boat building experience to students at institutions like the WoodenBoat School, and the Connecticut Valley School of Woodworking. You can choose between classes in strip-planking or stitch-and-glue.

Complete kits with all needed materials for all the Guillemot Kayaks designs are available from Chesapeake Light Craft, the largest maker of small boat kits in the

world. Strip-planked kits include CNC-cut forms, and western red cedar cove-and-bead strips. Stitch & Glue kits include CNC-cut plywood panels. All kits include needed fiberglass and epoxy as well as seats and decklines as needed. Further information about these kits is available either through the Guillemot Kayaks website or at the Chesapeake Light Craft site at CLCBoats.com.

If you want a beautiful wooden boat, but don’t want to build your own, Nick can build one for you. With over 25 years of boat building experience, Nick’s boats are often mistaken for works of art. The

most common reaction when seeing one of his boats is “I would be afraid to put it in the water. It is too beautiful.”, but the boats look better on the water. Please visit his website www.WoodenKayaks.com for more information.

Master Boat Builder…Passing on His Craft

Boat Kits

Boat Building Classes

Custom Built Boats

Guillemot Kayakswww.Guillemot-Kayaks.com

54 South Rd

Groton, Connecticut, USA 06340

(860) 659-8847

nick@Guillemot-Kayaks.com

Price $5.00