The design brief for the balanced lug rigged yawl version of the Apple:

   To draw the largest traditional-looking day-sailer which could be built in a single car town garage. The finished hull of the Apple measured 15'10" oa by 5'3" over the gunwales.   For those with limited time, means, but -above all - space, this design is well worth considering.

   To draw the longest, deepest, widest hull possible, the planking for which would come out of a mere 4 sheets of 8' x 4' plywood through careful design and accurate nesting of the panel shapes, with one more sheet for the transom, semi-bulkhead, bulkhead and sunken fore-deck, and an additional one for the long centre case, thwarts and knees. Naturally, some of the sailing gear such as the rudder stock, possibly the rudder, perhaps some floor stiffeners might call for a 9mm sheet as they may do on any design, but the aim was to use as little decent ply as possible for the bare shell for the open boat version so that anyone who has already built one or two boats might have useful off-cuts for the various smaller shaped parts already available. The version with extensive built-in buoyancy clearly demands several more sheets, but the need for buoyancy bags is obviated. The open boat version is both lighter and more traditional in style. If well ballasted, this open version can be comfortably sailed singlehandedly in style without sitting out. On the other hand, the ballasted half-decked version with greatly reduced open cockpit space is more suitable for open water. Ballast can be lead pigs or sand bags or water in built-in tanks

   To draw a shapely hull satisfying to the eye, with good step in stability; to have good heeled stability and manners for its type; to give a spirited sailing performance when raced against the local class racing dinghies; to easily accommodate up to 125kg of effective internal ballast for the single-hander who desires more the relaxed feel and ease of motion of a keelboat without the inconvenience of the keel; and to handle competently under oars.

   To make the finished boat, including sailing gear, good-looking yet as inexpensive as possible, using simple stitch and glue techniques for the hull; the latter does not require a jig or fixed building base throughout the construction and so can be easily moved - essential if building in a restricted space.

   To ensure that the hull is light enough to be man-handled, yet strong enough to help avoid puncture damage: the 6mm hull is glass sheathed inside and out to increase strength, impact resistance and stiffness whilst ensuring an easily maintained surface.

An easily driven hull with a very firm turn to the bilge.

The Apple is exceptionally well balanced under both the balanced lug yawl and the gaff cutter  rig, with finger-light helm whether upright or heeled to the gunwale ie she doesn't try to run wild with increasing and uncontrollable weather helm, as do so many hard-mouthed, unbalanced hulls whose faults are acclaimed as virtues.  The prototype lug yawl with the small mizzen and rudder would even sail herself to windward in smooth water in 10 -12 mph winds with the tiller free, luffing gently in the gusts and bearing away once too close to the wind with the mainsail luff gently lifting, to repeat the performance once again with barely a drop in her speed as she followed the wind, a fascinating and uncanny performance that made her seem truly alive with the sails cleated and the tiller moving of its own volition, which would only be ended when a slightly stronger gust would luff her gently head to wind. Even if this was a quirk of the prototype, it does help illustrate the inherently well balanced characteristics of the design. She's dry in waves, planes well in a breeze, and has looks to boot.

Inexpensive to build and rig

Excellent performance - planes well ballasted or unballasted

Comfortable and superbly controllable to sail: does not have to be sat out

Comfortable and superbly controllable to sail: under either original lug or gaff rig is perfectly balanced upright or heeled to the gunwale

Proven sailing performance - both in speed and pointing ability - in club racing

Proven sailing performance - dry and quiet in a head sea: with her long easy bow there's no slamming, shuddering and drenching spray

Proven rowing and sailing performance in Raid Sail and Oar events, both upwind and down, in light airs and strong breezes; well able to show a clean pair of heels to most participants - including under oars

A few up-to-date photos of Peter Lord's Vips may be found here amongst the photos of the latest Raid Finland [Raid Finland 2011]

As for her racing ability under her balanced lug rig, perhaps an idea of her capabilities is provided by the rather ludicrous Portsmouth Yardstick rating of 1075 that she was given in 2000 and not altered to something more reasonable despite my protestations then, and yet again in 2001 and 2004, all to no avail.  {Indeed, for one summer series - and  unbeknown to me - she was given an even lower yardstick rating, which I won't mention as it truly beggars belief.]  To put this in context,  a 16 ft Wayfarer sails off a yardstick of 1099.  Perhaps all those knowledgeable souls who expand at length to the uninitiated that lug rigged boats can't point as high or sail as fast as basic bermudian rigged class dinghies in general sailing - let alone handicap racing - would like to point this out to the Sailing Committee of Haversham S.C?  I'd happily settle for a  yardstick somewhere between that of an Enterprise or GP 14 and that of a Solo - say around 1150.  Just don't mention to the pundits and experts that those too are basic bermudian rigged boats.  A lug rigged day boat that can really sail - perish the thought!

Plans: Original open Apple AHL: 4 planks each side with lower wale if wished to give the appearance of a fifth; no keel strake; lug-rigged open boat. Original hand-drawn A1 construction sheet plus 10 A1 updated sheets, A4 offsets, frame and strake offset sheets, and several dozen pages of keyed A4 construction detail, sail plan notes and guidance. Additional sheets cover water ballast, half decked options with side tanks/seats, rear tank and optional larger lug sail plan and Una with light-weather jib sail plan, plus tumblehome option. One sheet covers mould set-up for non-epoxy stringer over frame multi- chine construction or stringer over frame epoxy-glued clinker construction.

Plans: Apple cutter: 4 planks each side; no keel strake, split topside strake at stern for tumblehome transom; gaff cutter rigged; half-decked boat; lead shot or sand ballasted. 2 A1 sheets plus keyed construction detail in addition to the Apple AHL plan sheets.

Plans: Swedish Apple: five planks aside with keel strake, tumblehome transom, slightly wider topsides. Half decked construction shown. Water ballast or lead. Offsets, frames and strakes are slightly different from AHL, so additional tables for these plus one addtional A1 construction/ lines sheet and one additional A1 strake layout sheet.For inclusion with both Original Apple and Cutter plans with additional payment.

Plans: Suffolk yawl: same hull as the Swedish Apple, but different rig. 3 addtional A1 sheets, plus frames, offsets and strake A4 sheets. For inclusion with Original Apple and Cutter sheets with addtional payment.

Plans: American Apple: wider topsides than Swedish Apple. A1 Lines sheet plus layout sheet, plus A4 sheets for offsets, strakes and frames. For inclusion with Original Apple and Cutter with additional payment.

[Plan Prices]

For orders outside the UK, remittance should preferably be in the form of an International Money Order or Draft and payable in sterling to Tom Dunderdale.  Payment can also be made though Paypal.   The plans are usually sent by return of post and by air mail for destinations abroad. The offsets for the hull panels and frames are all accurately computer generated and have been double-checked on the loft floor and in building, so there is no necessity for spiling or 'cut and trying'. Offsets for a decked flared topside version with somewhat more beam and tumblehome transom, and a lower freeboard version of this for both 5 plank stitched seam and glued clinker construction can be ordered.  Panel shapes and offsets for longer and/or beamier, modified versions are also available, both 4 and 5 panel designs, as are 8 plank aside multi-chine or glued clinker ones, mostly from 14.5 to 19 feet in length, and 5 - 6 feet in beam, and are available separately. When decked and internally ballasted, they - like the original Apple so equipped - are suitable for open water. Advice and support during building is available via email or phone.  Sail panel shapes for the lug rigged version for home sail-making are also available - the mainsail in all the photos of the lug-rigged version was made on a domestic sewing machine over five years ago, and has been far more successful in terms of shape, speed and lasting ability than the previous professionally made one at much less than half the cost even though using the highest quality materials.

P. Lord's 5 plank Apple 'Vips' with Wojtek Baginski's ketch rigged Bay River Skiff 17 in the background. Photo above courtesy of Wojtek Baginski.

American Apple: original Apple 5 plank but with flared topsides and 3 inches more beam

APPLE 19    19ft x 6ft 5  500 - 750 kg working displacement five plank multi-chine Apple variant

Apple 6M   (20ft x 6ft 8  x 3ft 1)  500 - 900 kg

ANNIE  18 ft x 5ft 8 - larger version of Pearl

 Annie XT3 - 18 feet long with more beam - 6ft- and freeboard

350 - 650 kg displacement

Raid Runner - ApAm575 - 19ft 4 x 6ft 1 - for 3 or 4 crew

Moderate freeboard, very moderate waterline beam for rowing with flared topsides for sitting out power

The next two pages are larger images of the previous page's thumbnails. Additional photos are in New Apple and More New Apple Photos.