Upcoming Events

OkoumeFest 2009

Location: Annapolis & Kent Island, Maryland
Dates: May 8, 2009 - May 9, 2009

Join us for OkoumeFest, a rendezvous for builders and lovers of small boats!
 
Updated 05-03-09

Our 11th Annual Customer Rendezvous is Friday and Saturday, May 8-9, 2009

Okoume (pronounced oh-KOO-mee) is the plantation-grown wood that is used all over the world to build small, lightweight boats, particularly kayaks and performance rowing craft.  So ubiquitous is okoume in amateur boatbuilding that we named our first annual rendezvous after it, way back in 1998.  

OkoumeFest is open to ALL small boats, however, whether they are wooden CLC designs, plastic, or whatever material. This is a family-friendly event centered on the joys of building and using small boats.

OkoumeFest is both a "show & tell" and a great excuse to play in small boats. Many CLC builders turn it into a deadline, planning to have their boat ready for launch at OkoumeFest. Others are just excited to share the results of their first (or second, or third) boatbuilding adventure.  Many attendees want to try out CLC’s ever-growing fleet of designs---nearly all of which will be available to try on the water.

If you're new to boats or boatbuilding - maybe you've been toying with the idea of building your own - there is no better opportunity for you to test out the various CLC designs, attend seminars, and have all of your questions answered. In addition to the CLC staff, you'll be able to pick the brains of dozens of amateur builders, all with their own experiences and ideas.

Friday, May 8th:  Friday is an open house at our shop here in Annapolis.  Throughout the afternoon we'll have shop tours and demonstrations, and a meet-and-greet with Nick Schade, our colleague and a boatbuilder with absolutely mad skills.  A free reception with food and drink follows around quittin' time, or 5:30, whichever comes first. 

We'll be blowing out a lot of old and new inventory at the shop on Friday.  There will be some outrageous deals on boat kits, supplies, and gear. Nick will be signing copies of his new book, "Building Strip-Planked Boats."

1:30 - Shop tour & CNC demonstration
2:30 - Fiberglassing demonstration with MAS Epoxies
3:30 - Varnishing seminar
4:30 - Q & A with Nick Schade, kayak designer-builder and author
5:30 - Reception with food & drink

Saturday, May 9th:  This year's on-the-water activities are moving to a beautiful facility at Matapeake on Kent Island, just across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge from Annapolis.  With a huge sandy beach, there won't be crowding as in past years.  We'll have the entire fleet out for demos from 9am to 5pm.  Yes, including PocketShip.

Lunch is not provided, but there's a cafe on-site in the Matapeake clubhouse and many other restaurants and sandwich shops nearby. 

With a high turnout expected, you may have a bit of a wait at the Matapeake Cafe during regular lunch hours.  But they're happy to take orders ahead of time -- peruse the menu here and call the clubhouse at 410-643-2509 to place an order anytime before Friday at Noon.  Alternatively, there are plenty of spots to eat nearby on Kent Island -- we've assembled a few on a Google Map here.

Judging of homebuilt boats will begin at 3pm and we'll award the winners at 4pm.  Categories include Best Kayak, Best Smallcraft, and Best in Show, plus whatever other awards we think are deserved.

We'll have lots of gear for in-water trials, but you can help us keep the lines down by bringing your own paddles and life jackets if you have them.  Bring beach chairs and other paraphenalia for enjoying a day on the water!

OkoumeFest is free for all to attend on both Friday and Saturday this year, but we do need you to register.  Please fill out our brief registration form here.

Camping is also available on-site for a nominal fee.  You can sign up for that here. 

Here is a map of the Matapeake facility, showing parking and boat drop-off areas, our demo beach, and the Cafe (View a larger image or a printable PDF): 

Here is the general location of the Matapeake facility through Google Maps.  Important Note: Google's satellite image of the Matapeake area is outdated.  Once you turn from Route 8 / Romancoke Road onto Marine Academy Drive, use our drawing as your guide.

Check out some recent OkoumeFests:  2008  2007  2006  More...