Plans available for the Apple 16 as a lug-rigged yawl or gaff cutter
The design brief for the balanced lug rigged yawl version of the Apple:
To draw the largest traditional looking daysailer 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 foredeck, 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 ensure that the hull is light enough to be man-handled, yet strong enough to help avoid puncture damage, the 6mm hull may be glass sheathed inside as well as out to increase strength, impact resistance and stiffness whilst ensuring an easily maintained surface.
Apple cutter photo courtesy of Erik Reinhard
This version has five planks each side so requires a little more ply, but the tumblehome transom can be had with the four plank version, too, by splitting the topside panel. Photo courtesy of P. Lord.
Here, with two men and 90kg almost 200lbs of ballast [which takes away the need to sit her out], it would only take one additional adult to bring her to her maximum displacement. In this guise with her crew of two, during the 2009 Raid Finland, 'Vips' finished only 15 minutes behind a much larger bermudian rigged centreboarder after a day long starboard tack beat in light winds, pointing as high and clearly almost as fast. That is pretty good going, Mr Lord! When rowing, only the twentyfour foot long Michalak 'Raider', pulling 3 oars, bettered her. As you might gather, Peter Lord is pretty pleased with his version of the Apple as a good all round raid boat.
Photo above and below courtesy of Wojtek Baginski.
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Photos of the Reinhard Cutter shown below are courtesy of Robin Reinhard and his father, Erik.
