Hello all,
On the water! Been out three times now in my Play (aka Wave Weasel), and I'm very happy with how well my build has realized the kind of craft I was wanting to paddle and cope with transporting. It weighed in at 37 1/2 pounds. Easy on the back and easy on my Chevy HHR, which was also built light. I can pick it up one handed like a suitcase and walk it from the beach.
The compromise between a forward mounted seat for ease of lay-back/roll and rearward to reduce weather cocking has needed some fine tuning. Yesterday I ventured out in a steady 12-15 kt breeze, looking for some near shore minor tidal races, with a permanent skeg taped on. I'd occasionally find myself doing correcting strokes, but it wasn't a bother. Paddlers with legs less long report no problem with weather cocking. It remains to see how well it tracks for me with 20-25 kt wind on the beam. If weighting the aft section doesn't answer, I can always look to a skeg box install.
Also tracking down the minor leaks which don't show in my at-home testing but are revealed on return to the beach -mostly pinhole stuff along the sheer. It remains highly maneuverable with the skeg in place.
I found myself avoiding my heavy Brit boats and just not getting out as much. Now that they are gone and the Petrel is playable I feel a sense of renewal in a pastime that was beginning to slip away with the vicissitudes of age.
Some of the pics are courtesy of Nick (also seen trying the boat) and Dave Grainger and were taken in the waters off-shore Noank and Mystic, CT. First entry was via a snow chute from the lot with a couple of course jogs - boat proved a very nimble slalom scooter.
The kit price has already dropped from what I paid, so what is not to like!
http://ct-pov.smugmug.com/Other/Petrel-Play/28001299_rL2ZxB
Carl