Will

The Covid summer of 2020 was a time of distress and dislocation for many. For New Yorker Lorne Swarthout it was also an opportunity to build a boat in his friend’s garage/workshop in Southwest Harbor, Maine. The project was a Great Auk 14 from Chesapeake Light Craft. The materials were Alaskan yellow cedar with accents of walnut. His number one helper was granddaughter Zoe who named the kayak after her newborn brother, Will. The inaugural spin of the Will was on Echo Lake on Mount Desert Island, but future excursions will be in the bays and byways of New York harbor.

Design Specifications

14' 0"
2' 0"
Designer Name:
Nick Schade
Type/Rig/Power:
kayak
Builder Name:
Lorne Swarthout
Home Port:
Village Community Boathouse, New York City
Launching Date:
The Will was light and quick in the water. Like the sportswear of my youth!
Walnut accent strips set off the pale Alaskan cedar and also made the center joint easier to conceal.
The outside walnut stems were laminated against a form before being glued in place.
Joining the two halves of the hull was the most mysterious task for a new builder. That's a long way to push the resin!
On the lawn with my helper Zoe before heading to the lake.

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