Washington College Magazine
BYOB (Build Your Own Boat)
For John Harris '94, only the perfume of wood chips and varnish can compete with the scent of sea air. His boat kits appeal to like-minded mariners around the world who take pride in fine craftsmanship.
John Harris '94, pictured here in his Annapolis Wherry, offers build-your-own-boat classes in Annapolis and at the famous Wooden Boat School in Brooklin, Maine. NBC's The Today Show featured Harris's Skerry Daysailer class in a segment on how-to vacations in July 2007.
Photo credit: Markus Hirnigel
John C. Harris '94 knows a few things about boats. Before he carved an unusual niche in the boat building industry as president and CEO of Chesapeake Light Craft (CLC), the largest build-your-ownboat kit supplier in the world, he honed his creative skills at Washington College, finding his ideal spot beside the Chester River.
"Washington College is perfect for a boat builder. I knew I wanted a liberal arts education, but the water location is what really drew me in."
Choosing music as his major, the young boat designer joined the sailing team and sharpened his boatbuilding skills working at a Chestertown boat shop. A boatbuilder and designer since age 14, he recalls his favorite undergraduate design studio. "There was this perfect desk in classroom 9 of Gibson. I'd stretch the mylar out and work for hours."
Today, computers replace mylar, but Harris still heads up the design of the kayaks, sailboats, rowing boats and canoes that his Annapolis company ships in the form of pre-cut kits. Geared toward the beginner, the kits include everything needed to build a seaworthy vessel. Like giant airplane models, Chesapeake Light Craft's boat kits contain directions, an instructional video, and precut pieces that take the sting out of woodworking. Working from a kit, the amateur boat builder still discovers beauty in the boatbuilding process. "A lot of our builders tell us that they have as much fun building their boat as they do using it," Harris says.
"People always ask me if they can really build a boat. I'd like to say yes to everyone, but not everyone is patient enough. It takes time and a willingness to read the instructions and ask questions," he notes.
Devoted to teaching the boatbuilding art, Harris travels the country hosting workshops and training camps. "These classes have tons of positive energy, a great vibe," he says. "I just returned from a familyoriented workshop in Maine where parent-child teams built boats. Everyone, young and old, got completely wrapped up in their project."
In fact, the allure of building small wooden boats captures so many people that Harris's company sells more than 2,000 kits a year—all of them human- or sail-powered boats instead of the ubiquitous powerboats.
"I'm certainly not against powerboats," Harris says. "I could make a lot more money selling powerboats. But I'm just not interested in powerboats. I prefer the aesthetic of boats like kayaks, powered by human hands."
Harris could actually use a few more hands at CLC. With all the marketing, designing, coordinating and travel involved, he is expanding his 12-person company.
"It's tiring working seven days a week, but I'm fortunate to be doing something I've always loved." For more information about Chesapeake Light Craft, visit http://www.clcboats.com.
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