Guillemot

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The Guillemot family of kayak designs grew out Nick Schade's quest to create a kayak to get out to the exposed islands off the coast of Maine. He wanted a boat that would be efficient for making open water crossings yet responsive when close to shore. Nick drew from a wide range of inspirations to create a dream boat. The responsiveness comes from the whitewater kayaks he was paddling at the time. The ability to cross open water was borrowed from Greenland Inuit kayaks.

The design that resulted is characterized by sweeping end shapes and a rounded cross section. The ends are kept fairly low to decrease windage but curl up at the tips to provide lift over waves. The relatively flat bottom and moderately soft chine provide an easy to turn platform while the fine ends provide balanced tracking.

The Guillemot designs are designed with somewhat loose tracking, for maximum responsiveness. If you give them free rein they may get away from you, but with practice you can simply think your way through a turn. A slight lean away will initiate a turn and you can stop it with a little lean the other way. With time the Guillemot becomes an extension of your body.

The Guillemot "L" is 6% larger, the Guillemot Expedition Single est also roomier, while the "S" is 6% smaller (how did you guess?) for the smaller paddlers who find the standard kayak too big.

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Guillemot S

A simple scaling-down of the Guillemot creates a fun and able boat for smaller paddlers. This boat is efficient and easily paddled. Due to its narrow width it may be less stable than other boats you have paddled, but if you have been paddling boats designed for larger paddlers you may find they had more stability than you really need.

This boat will be efficient and responsive for small paddlers used to boats that are designed for much larger paddlers. It is not a straight-tracking design but is well balanced and behaves ably in rough water.

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Play

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If you are looking for a kayak for playing in waves and surf, this boat is a lot of fun. Its wide, flat bottom allows for quick turns and easy surfing. Its low volume makes it an easy roller, but it is wide enough to be stable as you play.

The "Play" is a low volume "play" boat, just for fun. It turns easily with a steering stroke like a white-water boat, yet tracks quite well. This boat is probably best suited for a small paddler because there is very little knee room. Nick's brother Eric is 6' 2" and has a lot of fun with this boat so a larger paddler can fit in it, but it would benefit with a little additional space under the fore-deck. All the Guillemots roll well but this design is the easiest. The low aft deck permits the paddler to lean way back and easily touch their head to the aft-deck.

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Guillemot L

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The Guillemot "L" is an enlarged version of the Guillemot. It is intended for larger paddlers who need additional room for their legs and feet. All dimensions have been increased by approximately 6%. In addition, Nick has added to the height of the deck to give more foot room. The volume has been redistributed somewhat. This provides additional foot room and also will provide slightly stiffer tracking. The cockpit is bigger than the standard Guillemot and like all Nick's designs you can easily adjust the size of the cockpit to fit your needs.

This design differs from the Expedition Single, being wider and shorter. This boat has more foot room and slightly more weight carrying capacity. It also has the simplified shape of the Guillemot so it will be easier to build than the Expedition Single. If this boat does not appear to have the capacity you think you need, take a look at the High Capacity Great Auk.

If the "L" is still too small for you , check out the High Capacity Great Auk.

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Expedition Single

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With the same cross section and similar profile shape as the Guillemot, the Expedition Single has many of the same handling characteristics as the shorter Guillemot. The length of the Expedition Single provides volume for gear and efficient long distance paddling. Although this kayak may appear long for a single, it is nimble. There is a moderately hard chine to help it carve turns. Like all the Guillemot designs it is stable for its width and has a smooth transition from initial to final stability. Novices are comfortable with its stability, and experienced paddlers are impressed with its performance. Nick Schade admits that he is delighted with the design. Everyone who has tried this boat is amazed at how easily it handles. It does not feel like a 19 ft boat.

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Guillemot Double

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This design is an adaptation of Nick's successful Guillemot design features to a tandem kayak. It is a roomy, stable and comfortable boat. Nick drew the stern to easily accept a rudder but it is not required. The cockpits are quite far apart, permitting the paddlers to be out of sync. There is room for a hatch between the cockpits. This is a good two person kayak for beginner to intermediate paddlers. Speed-oriented paddlers who want a tandem should look at the Great Auk Double or Fast Double.

The large, deep cockpits make this boat very comfortable and secure. It has good volume for a dry ride and room to move your legs around. There is plenty of capacity for multi-day trips especially if you install a center hatch.

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Fast Double

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Maximum speed and fun in a tandem kayak. The width is the same as the Expedition Single at 21 inches. This is narrow, but it gains great stability from its 25'6" length. This is a boat for a pair of experienced paddlers who want to paddle together but don't want the compromises of a shorter and wider double. This is a high performance touring kayak suitable for intermediate to skilled paddlers. (Beginners looking for a double should ponder the Guillemot Double)

The Fast Double really is fast. It consistently does very well in races such as the Blackburn Challenge. Obviously with its length it is not a quick turner, but it is quick in a straight line. The two paddlers are far enough apart that they do not interfere with each other at all. The two paddlers can paddle different cadences if they want. The boat also rolls very easily for those so inclined.

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Guillemot is the common name for several marine bird species of the Alcidae family. The name comes from Guillaume (William), as it appears to have been usual in the past to give first names to bird species (the Martinet for instance)

The three species of Cepphus commonly designated as "Guillemot" in Northern America make up a sub-group, the Cepphini. They are smaller than the rest of the species Uria, and have a black belly and red feet (nice!)