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The Petrel Play
The Petrel Play is finally a reality! We are finalizing the last few production details and will be starting production in July of 2019!
The Petrel Play is the result of years of design refinement by Guillemot Kayaks. The smaller sister to the legendary Petrel, the Play has all of the intuitive responsiveness at a shorter length. The Play rewards the experienced paddler with instant and precise response. The novice will enjoy it's confidence inspiring secondary stability. In the open water of the ocean, it is perfectly at home. The hull design catches waves eagerly, often with a single paddle stroke. On flat water it is a joy to paddle. It keeps up with longer kayaks due to it's long waterline, yet turns on a dime with subtle inputs. We've done countless demos and the response has been universally one word..."Wow".
Designed by Nick Schade, a Costal Kayaking Specialist and constructed by a paddler with 20 years of paddling experience, the Composite Petrel Play is unique to the paddling marketplace. Each boat will be constructed for the paddler with fully customizable rigging, custom fitted cockpit and a infinite color options. The goal is to bring the craftsmanship of wood strip construction to the composite realm.
Materials
We carefully selected the materials that will provide the maximum strength and proper stiffness to the layups. We basically threw out the spreadsheet and designed the layup to perform under extreme stresses while remaining light. Each layer within the layup is selected to perform in a specific way. Weave orientation and the use of stitched fabrics, rather than woven, add stiffness and strength. Even the standard fiberglass layup will include Innegra to enhance the durability against impact without adding unnecessary weight.
Innegra is a relatively new fabric in the composites industry. Developed as an alternative to Kevlar, it has surpassed it in every way. The durability, impact resistance and weight savings have made it a popular reinforcement fabric in the Aerospace and sporting goods industries. While being heavily utilized in competition kayaks, canoes and paddleboards, the recreational kayak industry has yet to discover the benefits. It will be used in the hull of the Fiberglass layup to strengthen and already robust composite structure.
The Process
Most manufacturers will use hand laminations in an open mold for their layups. After all, it is the least expensive way to build a kayak. Some will add the use of vacuum bagging to their layups. This strengthens the layup by removing excess resin. More strength is the ultimate result.
We take things a step farther here. Resin infusion is a process that the resin is introduced by drawing it in to the mold while under vacuum. The fabrics are placed in the mold dry and then put under vacuum that equals 2,000lbs per square foot of pressure. The resin is drawn in and the result is a consistent and perfect resin to cloth ratio. What does that mean to you? A light weight and ultra strong layup. A infused layup will have more cloth and weigh less than a hand layup, while being stronger in all dimensions. Tap on the hull of one of our boats and you'll hear the difference.
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joey@turningpointboatworks.com
6540 Emmaus Church Road Ste 108
Providence Forge, VA. 23140
(804) 513-7591
