Maine Coast Kayak (ages 14-17)
Three-Week
On this trip we will journey from the bays and coastline of Wiscasset to Mount Desert Island in the modern version of the Inuit canoe - the sea kayak. Paddling along the Down East coast, participants and their leaders will camp on islands and explore bays and estuaries along the way. Our focus will be on coastal Maine natural and maritime history, and on developing expeditionary and leadership skills for extended travel by sea kayak. The group spends several days training at Chewonki, then sets out to follow a route from island to island. Kayaks ply waters where bigger sailing boats may not venture, allowing for spectacular interactions between participants and sea life.

Boatbuilders Expedition (ages 15-17)
Five-Week

Creating a seaworthy vessel with your own hands is a rewarding experience in itself. Combine that with using the same vessel in an expedition along the Maine Coast, and this five-week trip produces a strong sense of accomplishment, adventure, and leadership.

Our Boatbuilders Expedition combines basic boat building techniques with an eighteen-day sea kayak trip. Participants spend the first half of the program on the Chewonki campus creating the Willow sea kayak, designed by Bill Thomas of South Berwick, Maine. Although it is similar to other plywood kayak designs and the Greenland-style boats we have built historically, the Willow is unique in many ways and is sure to be used and admired for decades to come. Students begin with a pre-cut kit and use the “stitch-and-glue” method with okoume plywood, fiberglass cloth set in epoxy, and bronze ring nails to join and seal the hull and deck panels. The process will be overseen by Bill Thomas and Carob Arnold, our waterfront/woodshop manager. Participants learn the craft of boatbuilding from frame to finish utilizing hand tools in addition to learning paddling skills on our waterfront in between sessions. After just two weeks, these sleek, functional, voyage-worthy boats are ready to launch.

The second part of the program is dedicated to traveling downeast. The first few days are spent on basic instruction, including paddle strokes, rescue techniques, and guidelines for group travel. The group will then embark on their journey paddling along the bold coastlines, bays, and estuaries between Monstweag and Penobscot bays. Nights will be spent on classic Maine islands that characterize our dramatic coastal waters. As the trip progresses, skills such as navigation, group leadership, and saltwater camping will be covered. Throughout the trip there is a strong emphasis on coastal and maritime history. At summer’s end, the Boatbuilders take their kayaks home as a reminder of skills gained and adventures had, and hopefully to be used again and again in the years ahead.

For a detailed description of the Willow Sea Kayak design, visit www.billthomaswoodworking.com.