boatbuildlog

Design

Chesapeake 18

Designed by Chesapeake Light Craft

An 18 ft stitch-and-glue touring kayak from Chesapeake Light Craft, the largest single in the Chesapeake series. It is 24.5 in wide and about 48 lb, takes paddlers of 210 to 270 lb with shoes to size 14, and has a 350 lb payload for multi-day trips. The 4 mm okoume hull and cambered deck are sheathed in fiberglass, with watertight bulkheads and hatches standard. Kits and plans are both available.

CLC rates it a beginner build and estimates about 80 hours: 40 to 50 to assemble the hull and around 30 for sanding, paint and varnish. Measured medians from build logs appear below.

What building a Chesapeake 18 actually takes

Medians from the build logs kept on this site, not the designer’s estimate. Nobody has logged this boat here yet, so they are empty until the first builder does.

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Build logs
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Median hours
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Median months

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Builds of this boat

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Boats like this one

Same type, closest in length.

Design Plans from LOA Logs
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Greenland Night Heron Chesapeake Light Craft 18′ 0″ (5.49 m) 0
Guillemot "L" Chesapeake Light Craft 18′ 0″ (5.49 m) 0
High-Capacity Great Auk Chesapeake Light Craft 18′ 0″ (5.49 m) 0
Night Heron Chesapeake Light Craft 18′ 0″ (5.49 m) 0
Night Heron - High Deck Chesapeake Light Craft 18′ 0″ (5.49 m) 0