Offsite at Chesapeake Light Craft Shop, Annapolis, Maryland
Build Your Own Stand-Up Paddleboard
Get out on the water with your very own custom-designed board.
- Bill Cave —April 22–27
Tuition: $800 (partner: $400)
Materials: $915 (for either size board)
Stand-up paddleboards (SUPs) are the hot watersport these days, and for very good reasons. The boards are light, compact, and easily stored and transported. The accessory equipment is minimal (a paddle), and the learning curve is a dream. While the sport offers a great workout, how hard you paddle, how far you go, and in what conditions are entirely up to you. Most folks will stand up and paddle on their very first try, and the sheer enjoyment will commence, be it aerobic or not. While some paddlers might enter races and venture into the ocean, most use their board to explore bays, rivers, and quiet waterways all over the world.
Chesapeake Light Craft has two attractive, high-performance boards in their fleet of superb kits, the 12½-footer and the original Kaholo 14. You can build either in this class. Check their website (www.clcboats.com) for more pictures and sizing information, make your choice, and then let us know when you register what your preference is.
You'll be assembling a stitch-and-glue board using perfectly pre-cut marine plywood parts and user-friendly epoxy and fiberglass. Your instructor will lead you through each step in the process, then turn you loose to complete that step. Having each step explained and then demonstrated will boost your confidence, and the extra hands of instructor and classmates will make even the trickiest step a breeze. The six-day class will be structured to ensure that everyone takes home a completed boat on Saturday, and will include lectures and demonstration of the prep and finish work you'll need to complete at home. After that very satisfying paint and varnish job you'll have a beautiful, one-of-a-kind SUP that is sure to dazzle. Included in the course is the opportunity to lay a custom decorative fabric treatment on the decks, as pictured here. Registrants will be contacted well prior to the class with the information necessary to choose and purchase the fabric needed for this very cool detailing. The class days will be dynamic, with many steps to complete each day, but the project requires no advance knowledge or skills, and we should find ample time during the week to enjoy WoodenBoat's amazing recreational opportunities.
