New Apple photos

The general thoughts behind the balanced lug rigged main-and-mizzen version of the Apple were both various and quite specific. One strand concerned the needs - as I saw them - of those people with one small craft behind them - a pram, maybe, or a small single chine skiff - who were looking to build a larger, more spacious and able boat with a bit of character and performance. At first sight, there might well appear to be numerous designs appropriate, but often an amateur's working conditions severely restrict the choice as it is the size of the garage which governs so much. Building in a garage may have many drawbacks, but for reasons of security, warmth, and privacy - building in the garden can be a very noisy and public affair! - a town garage is usually, in the United Kingdom, the only acceptable, affordable and workable (if you are to use effectively the odd 40 minutes here and there) proposition. Garage doors may be opened to temporarily increase working space as and when needed, but the fixed side walls of the town garage pose far greater restrictions on both the choice of design and the method of construction. Too much beam can rule out many otherwise attractive designs. Allied to this was the thought that it was a little perverse to have to join together 4 panels of plywood to provide the planking to build the usual 11 to 12 footer, cutting down the third sheet of ply to produce those 4 panels when, with a little thought and scheming those same two joints and only one additional sheet of ply could produce a roomier, faster and much more able design of around 15 - 16 feet for but modest extra cost and working time. By keeping the beam moderate, costs for the materials and sails do not rise as steeply as those for beamier, heavier, more heavily canvassed designs - it was, if you like, an attempt to provide a relatively large boat on a smallish budget, without having to resort to such dubious strategies as using inferior plywood planking to keep costs down. Apart from these two first requirements of needing to be built in a modest single car garage on a modest budget, there was a third equally important thought: that the design should have an ability and performance to engender a real pride of ownership, especially when sailing in company with modern craft. Poor or indifferent sailing qualities were unacceptable, the finished craft having to show real mettle in at the very least light to moderate conditions which the day sailor so often looks forward to - there are few things so demoralising as insipid performance in ideal weather, whether sailing something traditional or modern. Ability to match them in stronger stuff would be ideal, too! The appeal of the design was not to rest in the novelty of sailing something 'traditional', as it may quickly pall if the craft is slow or clumsy upwind or down; even if you never formally race, being out-sailed and out-pointed amongst a crowd of mass-produced look-alikes on a fair summer's day can make even the most ardent apologist quietly seethe, particularly if it takes a while to escape the rather pointed comments sometimes made! And one last important idea was that this design should look like a traditional open boat, and be aesthetically pleasing. There was no attempt, however, to make this an all-weather dinghy cruiser suitable for exposed coastal waters in strong winds - which would be asking too much in her original form of an inexpensive, simple, light and mostly open boat - and probably of her crew, too. With an additional lowered after deck and side tanks set below the gunwales to reduce the size of the open cockpit and 125 kg of internal ballast - easily moved for easy boat handling on shore or trailing - she has the reserve buoyancy and sufficient power - without the crew sitting out - to deal with more arduous conditions with a suitably experienced helm.
 

So much for the intent; now, to the specifics: the lines. Triple chine - four panels aside - hulls allow for greater flexibility than single or double chine when drawing the sections, particularly forward, and are often a good compromise between speed of construction and subtlety of hull shape. A beam of five feet was decided on as being the widest acceptable for a single car garage, and even that would mean the hull would have to be bodily moved to allow work on each side as the hull assembly advanced. Stitch and glue construction would allow all the major hull panels and frames to be cut out prior to assembly of the hull, and permit assembly in that modest space as well as allowing the hull to be easily moved as there would be no need for a building frame, and the shell would be light. The hull was to be easily driven, both so that a modest sail plan would generally suffice and so that it could be easily rowed or even paddled. As the beam was modest, a prime requirement was that the boat should be well balanced whether upright or heeled to the gunwale, well mannered with no hard headedness upwind or down, so that she could be sailed in a relaxed fashion. As noted earlier, an important requirement was a good turn of speed - a true planing hull, not a displacement one - comparable to many class racing dinghies. Yet it had to be a good weight carrier, too, allowing once heeled effective use of internal ballast if a more sedate approach to sailing in a breeze was required - and so a deep hull would be in order rather than one with minimal freeboard. And finally she should be as dry as possible, not covering her crew in spray or even lumps of solid water at speed. After the initial drawing of the lines, a little experimentation showed that the panels needed careful nesting to make the most of the ply and led naturally through various revisions to the use of the raking transom, which a plumb stem seemed to compliment. A sweeping sheer gave a handsome, purposeful look and, after some tentative essays, proved to be the most logical and economical use of the ply, too. The main and mizzen balanced lug rig is a personal favourite, being highly effective, practical and handsome.
 

In use, 'Apple' has proven to be a fast and stable boat; though not particularly stiff sailed single-handed and unballasted, she is very predictable and unhurried in her motions, exceptionally well mannered and with a light helm upright or heeled. Off the wind in a breeze, she lifts smoothly onto a plane without effort or fuss. She is surprisingly dry when sailed hard, the flair of the forward sections tending to throw the spray clear. With 75 to 125 kg of internal sand ballast, 'Apple' provides a very relaxed sail in a fresh breeze, with the helm sitting comfortable within the boat as she leans a little and feels the surprising power that the weight of the ballast - in combination with the wide transom and firm turn to the bilge - gives her once heeled. 'Apple' may not be the usual idea of a traditional type of dayboat, all beam, weight and lumbering virtue, but for enjoyable sailing in sheltered waters she has character and ability hard to beat!
 

After many requests, a half-decked version cutter rigged, to be used primarily with internal lead ballast, has been drawn up as an addition tothe standard plan set; and though the rig is very different, an unballasted version of this boat has proved to be as superbly well balanced and mild mannered as the original lugger.  With the reduction in open cockpit space, this decked, ballasted version is more suitable for open waters.  The self-draining raised cockpit version has been put on hold as it lacks the supreme comfort and reassurance of the wide, deep side tank seats and narrow but deep cockpit well with self-draining transom flap of this half-decker.

The photos below are courtesy of Wojtek Baginskibelow  and were taken during the Raid Finland 2007 when he crewed for Peter Lord.  They show Peter Lord's 5 plank Apple 'Vips' with modified interior and his own carbon fibre spars and sail plan.  It was truly a maiden voyage - apparently they were still screwing fittings into place on shore half an hour after the start of the first race!

Photo below courtesy of P.Lord.