» Stitch & Glue Designs |
Thousands of builders have assembled Chesapeake Light Craft's stitch-and-glue boats from scratch. You might already have a stash of marine grade plywood and epoxy, or it might just be your preference to build the whole boat from the keel up.
Our standard boat plans are on 24" x 36" paper; parts that fit within those dimensions are shown full size. Other components are scaled and dimensioned. Shearwaters, Shearwater Hybrids, Wood Ducks, Sea Island Sport, Matunuck, and all of our strip-planked kayaks feature full-size plans sets that show all parts at their full size.
More than 7000 Chesapeake-series kits have been shipped since 1996. An enduring favorite among paddlers, the award-winning Chesapeakes are the gold standard for build-it-yourself sea kayaks. They are easy to build but handsome and fast....
Kits from $1234.05
Plans from $71.20
More than 7000 Chesapeake-series kits have been shipped since 1996. An enduring favorite among paddlers, the award-winning Chesapeakes are the gold standard for build-it-yourself sea kayaks. They are easy to build but handsome and fast....
Kits from $1234.05
Plans from $71.20
More than 7000 Chesapeake-series kits have been shipped since 1996. An enduring favorite among paddlers, the award-winning Chesapeakes are the gold standard for build-it-yourself sea kayaks. They are easy to build but handsome and fast....
Kits from $1233.10
Plans from $71.20
More than 7000 Chesapeake-series kits have been shipped since 1996. An enduring favorite among paddlers, the award-winning Chesapeakes are the gold standard for build-it-yourself sea kayaks. They are easy to build but handsome and fast....
Kits from $1233.10
Plans from $71.20
More than 7000 Chesapeake-series kits have been shipped since 1996. An enduring favorite among paddlers, the award-winning Chesapeakes are the gold standard for build-it-yourself sea kayaks. They are easy to build but handsome and fast....
Kits from $1262.55
Plans from $71.20
The Southwester Dory is a lightweight and highly capable expedition boat, designed for sailing, rowing, motoring, or any combination of the three. Elegant and straightforward to build from a kit or plans, this is an ideal boat for family...
Kits from $2968.75
Plans from $175.75
In 2012 we built the first 23'9" CLC Team Dory with a group of volunteers from the Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia. Many more have been built since and the feedback has been uniformly positive. A performance report and design...
from $3789.55
It can be hard to find the right boat if you don’t fit in the middle of the bell curve. If your stats run towards the larger end of the spectrum there are not many choices available for performance sea kayaks. The Petrel Play SGL is...
Kits from $1600.75
Plans from $119.20
John C. Harris designed this light but sturdy 15-footer. It’s a “crab skiff,” as they’re known in these parts. We’re calling it the “Peeler” after the Chesapeake slang for a local delicacy,...
Kits from $3595.75
Plans from $183.20
A kayak divided into three, but a sum greater than the parts. Spin loose five sturdy stainless bolts at the watertight bulkheads and the Shearwater Sectional packs down to fit in a hatchback car. Or in your garage. Or...
from $1604.55
Nick Schade’s line of strip-planked Greenland-style sea kayaks are renowned for sophisticated performance on the water, beautiful lines, and sculptural hull details. But strip-planked boatbuilding is not for everyone. Novice woodworkers and...
from $1804.05
Paddlers are demanding versatility AND performance from their sea kayaks these days. Little by little, designers like Nick Schade are squeezing huge performance out of compact dimensions. Watch the Petrel Play in surfing action...
from $1490.55
Build this boat in a week! 2024: May 6-11: Annapolis, MD July 15-21: Seattle, WA Sept 8-14: Brooklin, ME Doubles can be big, like our voluminous Chesapeake Double, or they can be small, like our...
Kits from $1980.75
Plans from $95.20
The Mill Creek 16.5 Hybrid differs from the original in that a cedar-strip deck is substituted for the standard okoume plywood deck. It's a "hybrid" because it combines a stitch-and-glue hull with a cedar-strip deck. We've been seeing Mill...
from $1660.60
The Ganymede and Io are designs from Nick Schade's "Jupiter Point" series of kayaks. This family of lightweight kayaks are versatile, easy to build, and fun to paddle. With distinctive and attractive 3-panel hulls and decks, these kayaks are...
Kits from $1015.55
Plans from $55.20
A dory is a lot of boat for the money, which explains the enduring popularity of the type going back 150 years or more. Relatively few planks means less construction work. The narrow waterline results in a fast hull under sail or...
Kits from $2018.75
Plans from $127.20
Stitch-and-glue sea kayak design has grown up a lot in the last fifteen years, driven by enthusiastic paddlers who prefer ultralight, beautiful boats that handle like extensions of themselves. For a new line of high-performance sea kayaks,...
Kits from $1410.75
Plans from $95.20
"[T]he Shearwater is an eye-catching, light and fast cruiser that does many things well. It is a strong contender for the budget-minded paddler looking to answer the 'if I could only have one kayak' question." - from Sea Kayaker's October...
Kits from $1423.10
Plans from $95.20
"The Shearwater is an eye-catching, light and fast cruiser that does many things well. It is a strong contender for the budget-minded paddler looking to answer the 'if I could only have one kayak' question." - from Sea Kayaker's October...
Kits from $1423.10
Plans from $95.20
More than 9000 Chesapeake-series kits have been shipped since 1996. An enduring favorite among paddlers, the award-winning Chesapeakes are the gold standard for build-it-yourself sea kayaks. They are easy to build but handsome and fast....
Kits from $1082.05
Plans from $71.20
Beautiful, easy to use recreational kayaks - Here we have two beautiful little kayaks designed for just about everyone to enjoy on the water. With big cockpits and ample stability, the emphasis is on comfort. But these boats really...
Kits from $1262.55
Plans from $95.20
Beautiful, easy to use recreational kayaks - Here we have two beautiful little kayaks designed for just about everyone to enjoy on the water. With big cockpits and ample stability, the emphasis is on comfort. But these boats really...
Kits from $1262.55
Plans from $95.20
Finally! A sit-on-top with style - Traditional sea kayaks are elegant and sleek but their cockpits exclude a lot of people who paddle where it’s hot, and almost anybody who has stiff knees or who doesn’t want to be confined in an...
Kits from $1680.55
Plans from $103.20
Ever since WoodenBoat Magazine featured the Mill Creek 13 in a two-issue spread in 1997, the Mill Creek models have been built in the thousands. And why not? They look good, they're easy to build, and even though they are more stable than most...
Kits from $1177.05
Plans from $95.20
Ever since WoodenBoat Magazine featured the Mill Creek 13 in a two-issue spread in 1997, the Mill Creek models have been built in the thousands. And why not? They look good, they're easy to build, and even though they are more stable than most...
Kits from $1490.55
Plans from $95.20
There is certainly no other boat that offers the performance under sail and ease of construction of a sharpie. Developed in southern New England as workboats, their speed, shallow draft, easy handling, and quick construction caused sharpies to...
from $71.20
Plans updated and expanded in August 2019. PDF download now available! 16 years after Mbuli's release, we've revisited this fun design. While no changes have been made to the design or construction, we've taken this opportunity to increase the...
Kits from $113.05
Plans from $103.20
Kayaks are so easily driven that the urge to equip them for sailing must be as old as kayaks themselves. This neat trimaran-conversion kit, first introduced in 1995, has been built in vast numbers. Read this article for the entire 17-year...
Kits from $1695.75
Plans from $71.20
Like the strip version of the Night Heron, this S&G version is at home out on the open water and exploring the shores of distant islands. As drawn, it has the exact same profile shape of the lower deck version of the strip-built Night...
Kits from $1614.05
Plans from $119.20
The original Oxford Shell, from 1996, is a swift, smooth running "recreational" shell suitable for all skill levels. The narrow hard-chine hull provides speed and good initial stability in a shape that's easy to build. The...
from $71.20
The Sassafras 12 canoe is so light that you can put it on your shoulder and stroll casually down a wooded trail to a hidden lake or stream, fishing rod and tackle box in the other. That was the idea behind the original "trapper" or "pack" canoes....
Kits from $1177.05
Plans from $95.20
The lapstrake canoe is an ancient craft. In its recreational form it had already reached a very high pitch of refinement by the 1880’s, in the hands of artisans like J. Henry Rushton. Something about the combination of...
Kits from $1471.55
Plans from $95.20
A great family boatbuilding project! Build it in a weekend from a kit, or build it from plans using local materials. The Peace Canoe is an interesting new addition to the Chesapeake Light Craft fleet. Call it a canoe, a pirogue, a bateau,...
Kits from $1372.50
Plans from $55.20
Easy to build, easy to row, and easy to sail: the Skerry is a terrific rowing and sailing boat with timeless good looks.The Skerry design combines elements of traditional working craft of the British Isles and Scandinavia, with a little bit...
Kits from $1898.10
Plans from $127.20
The Eastport Pram, with more than 800 built, is one of the most popular small dinghies in the world. Classic good looks, stand-out performance, and ease of construction are hallmarks of this John C. Harris design. Now in production for ten...
Kits from $1258.75
Plans from $95.20
The success of the proven Chesapeake hull shape led quickly to demands for similar tandem and three-person designs. The Chesapeake Double and Triple are high-volume touring boats, with a 700lb payload that belies their surprising speed. Even...
Kits from $1965.55
Plans from $71.20
The success of the proven Chesapeake hull shape led quickly to demands for similar tandem and three-person designs. The Chesapeake Double and Triple are high-volume touring boats, with a 700lb payload that belies their surprising speed....
Kits from $1775.55
Plans from $71.20
There was a lot of demand but hardly anything like it in 2002 when we unveiled the Chesapeake Sport Tandem. This very narrow, very fast double is perfect for athletic couples who want to really cover the miles, whether it's for excercise,...
Kits from $1775.55
Plans from $71.20
Yet another boat that's hard to find: a kayak designed expressly for surfing. Nick Schade has applied his formidable skills in flat-plate-geometry design to the Matunuck, and we are pleased to be the first to offer this beautiful kit to...
Kits from $1101.05
Plans from $103.20
