March 28, 2024
Annapolis, US 50 F

Chesapeake Light Craft Open House

CLC-Showroom-HI-RES-HorizontalChesapeake Light Craft will hold its annual Winter Open House on Saturday, December 7, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at its factory at 1805 George Avenue, Annapolis.

Every year CLC throws open the doors to its boatbuilding shops. Visitors will get a sneak peek at some of the prototypes in progress, and pick up valuable technical tips at seminars all day covering topics from epoxy and fiberglass to small boat rigging.

“Epoxy Guy” JB Currell, one of the founders of MAS Epoxies, will be the special guest expert. He’ll lead sessions on fiberglass and epoxy techniques, ideal for anyone building or repairing their own boat.

One-day-only specials with discounts on popular gear and supplies – even complete boat kits – also will be available, along with coffee and donuts in the morning and light snacks in the afternoon. Admission is free and open to the public.

The full schedule of seminars includes:

  • 10 a.m.: Making Your Own Kayak Seat: Nothing can turn a day in a kayak into a grim forced march like a bad seat. Our own Joey Schott, who spends a lot of time sitting in kayaks, shows you how to build your own custom seat that fits YOU perfectly.
  • 11 a.m.: Sharpening Tools: The only thing as bad as no tools are dull tools. A sharp edge on block planes and other woodworking essentials will transform your experience in the boatshop. David Fawley leads this demonstration.
  • 12 noon: Fiberglassing Over Wood: Did you know that fiberglass is perfectly clear? That’s how you get to have it both ways with CLC’s wood-epoxy composite boats: the beauty of wood, but the durability of fiberglass. MAS Epoxies guru JB Currell demonstrates that fiberglassing is easy, but benefits from lots of little tips and tricks.
  • 1 p.m.: Wooden Boat Repair: Got a hole in your small wooden boat? Don’t panic. JB Currell shows how to make fast and neat repairs.
  • 2 p.m.: Rigging Small Boats: Whether you’re an old salt or whether you don’t know a jib from a jibe, everyone will pick up some tips in this intensive one-hour small boat rigging seminar, led by John Harris.
  • 3 p.m.: Working With Stains: Okoume. Sapele. Western Red Cedar. These are all beautiful woods if finished naturally. But what if you want to take it a step further? You can change the color of wood in wild and wonderful ways, but you must do so with great caution in wood-epoxy composite boats. Joey Schott shows how it’s done.
  • 4 p.m.: Varnishing: There’s nothing like shiny wood. Varnishing is another one of those things that’s easy to do but hard to do well. John Harris will show how to do it well.
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