Every year, kayak enthusiasts from all over come together at Bluff Point State Park in Groton, Connecticut, for a free and open event. It’s a great place to learn about different kayak designs and techniques, and it’s perfect for beginners and even those who are just starting to paddle.
Events
Upcoming Events
Fine Strip Planked Boats Class @WoodenBoat School
Jun 8, 2025Nick Schade’s course teaches strip-planked boatbuilding, creating two designs: the Adirondack Guide Boat and the microBootlegger Sport sea kayak.-
Elements of Coastal Kayaking II @WoodenBoat School
Jun 15, 2025Sea kayaking course covers strokes, braces, maneuvering, safety, navigation, and more. Students can bring their own kayaks or try Nick’s high-performance designs. -
The WoodenBoat Show at Mystic Seaport
Jun 27, 2025Guillemot Kayaks joins Chesapeake Light Craft in the WoodenBoat Show in Mystic, CT, showcasing boats and providing demonstrations on construction techniques. The show features over 100 wooden boats, maritime art, antiques, tools, books, and nautical gear.
Events You Missed
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Advanced Coastal Kayaking at the WoodenBoat School
Jul 24, 2022Join sea kayak designer, builder and paddler in beautiful Brooklin, Maine for a week of on-the-water learning. The coast of Maine around the WoodenBoat School in Brooklin, Maine features some of the best sea kayaking on the eastern seaboard.
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Meet at The Beach 2022
Jun 4, 2022Join as for this annual casual gathering of kayak builders:
at Bluff Point State Park Groton, Connecticut.
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Big Little Boat Festival @ Chesapeake Light Craft
May 27, 2022Chesapeake Light Craft is holding their new boat festival in Annapolis, Maryland
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Elements of Coastal Kayaking with Nick Schade - At WoodenBoat School
Jul 18, 2021I am very excited to announce that I will be teaching a week-long on-the-water sea kayaking class in Maine in the summer of 2021.
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Fine Strip-Planked Boat Building Class at WoodenBoat School
Jun 13, 2021If you want to build a lightweight, rugged, and beautiful small boat, combining thin strips of wood with epoxy and fiberglass will make a cartoppable, low-maintenance, and gorgeous vessel. Nick Schade has been building strip-built boats for over 30 years.
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Meet at the Beach 2021
Jun 5, 2021Join as for this annual casual gathering of kayak builders:
at Bluff Point State Park Groton, Connecticut.
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Rocks, Surf, Race with Sea Sherpa
May 14, 2021Pre-season sea kayak instructional along the scenic Connecticut/Rhode Island coast. This event is geared towards advanced beginners to solid intermediate open water paddlers. -
The Nick & Gerry Show
Sep 19, 2020This event highlights the crazy good waters local to where Nick Schade (of Guillemot Kayak) and Gerry Polinsky (of Sea Sherpa Kayak infamy) live and play.
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Elements of Coastal Kayaking with Nick Schade - At WoodenBoat School
Jul 19, 2020Canceled Due to COVID-19
Better Luck in 2021I am very excited to announce that I will be teaching a week-long on-the-water sea kayaking class in Maine this summer. If you have one of my designs, or you are interested in learning how to handle a sea kayak on the ocean, this is your chance to gain some great experience, while enjoying one of the prettiest places to paddle in the world.
