Back when I was designing the original Petrel I almost made it 14 feet long. For many paddling trips 17 feet is longer than necessary. A shorter boat can be more responsive, lighter, easier to store, and still paddle fast enough to get where you want efficiently and comfortably. At the time I decided I wanted the greater speed and tracking of the longer design, but the idea of a short play boat stayed on my mind.
When I decided to make a stitch and glue plywood version of the Petrel I decided to revisit the idea of the 14' recreational/play kayak. I had the time and it was still a boat that I wanted. The result is the Petrel "Play", a 14' x 23" kayak. This is a versatile design, suitable for a novice paddler who just wants a stable, easy to paddle kayak as well as the more experienced paddler who wants a responsive and maneuverable boat for playing in surf or rock gardens.
This boat can be built with full rubber-style hatches that are recessed to minimize spray and offer rugged, business-like look. Based on my Petrel design it maintains its transitioning chine that starts out soft and multi-chined at the bow and becomes hard and single chined at the stern. It is a stable design that is still fast enough to keep up with most full length sea kayaks as long as you don't want to race.
Watch the Build Videos
Nick and his friend Bill are documenting the whole build of the Petrel Play SG. This indepth series is building from a kit, but the build process from plans is largely the same, the kit just gives you a head start.
Included in the Plans:
- Eight 24" x 36" [61cm x 91cm] Drawing Pages plus 3 Full Length Panel Patterns including: An overall drawing, patterns for recessed hatches and cockpit, and forms. The long panels assume you will pre-scarf long pieces of plywood and then trace the full size patterns on to those long blanks
- Building Petrel SG & Petrel Play SG: This complete instruction manual written by Nick Schade and supplemented with help from the folks at CLC guides you step by step through this amazing build process.
Buy a Petrel Play SG Kit from Chesapeake Light Craft
- $149.00
Digital Download
