Hand-laminated GRP kayaks and canoes, also built as knock-down boats for easy transport.
Appel Bootsbau (Josef Appel)
Munich (Theresienstraße 148)New on Amplifa
About Appel Bootsbau
Josef Appel (1910–1991), a master carpenter from Munich, is regarded as one of the pioneers of plastic boatbuilding. In the late 1950s, he produced one-piece single kayaks made of glass-fibre reinforced plastic (GRP) in his workshop at Theresienstraße 148 in Munich, intended for sporting competition purposes. He was among the first designers to manufacture kayaks from polyester resin and glass-fibre mats in series production. His best-known development is the sectional Appel-Eski, a knock-down GRP single kayak whose hull halves were screwed together or slotted into one another in the cockpit area, thus enabling transport in a car or by rail. To reduce weight, Appel pressed the hull between two moulds, thereby minimising the resin content — a principle that anticipated today's vacuum process. In addition to the Eski, the product range included the knock-down team canoe C 6, a single touring kayak and an extension piece for converting the Eski into a tandem.
- Site
- Munich
- Processes
- Hand lamination of boats made of polyester resin and glass-fibre mats (GRP boatbuilding), Pressing of the hull between two moulds to minimise the resin content (predecessor of the, Joining/Knock-Down Construction: screwing and slotting of the hull halves in the
- Materials
- GRP (Glass-Fibre Reinforced Plastic), Polyester Resin, Glass-Fibre Mats, Wood, Glass-Fibre Reinforced Plastic
- Industries
- Canoe Sport/Boatbuilding
- 01
Design/Development
- 02
Mould Making
- 03
Hand Lamination (Polyester Resin, Glass-Fibre Mats)
- 04
Pressing of the Hull Between Two Moulds
- 05
Knock-Down Construction (Screwed/Slotted Joints)
Materials & Processes
Glass-Fibre Reinforced Plastic
Main material for kayaks and canoes with high strength at low weight.
Polyester Resin
Resin component of the laminate; its proportion was minimised by pressing between two moulds.
Glass-Fibre Mats
Fibre reinforcement of the boat laminate.
Wood
The master carpenter's material; classic wooden canoes served as the starting point of the developments.
Locations
Munich (Theresienstraße 148)
DEWorkshop/Production
- Materials
- GRP, polyester resin, glass-fibre mats
- Moulds for pressing the hulls
- Workshop equipment for hand lamination
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hand lamination of boats made of polyester resin and glass-fibre mats (GRP boatbuilding)Plastics | – | 6.50 m × 1.12 m × 0.50 m | ca. 21 kg | Series production | GRP (Glass-Fibre Reinforced Plastic), Polyester Resin, Glass-Fibre Mats |
| Pressing of the hull between two moulds to minimise the resin content (predecessor of thePlastics | – | – | – | – | GRP, Polyester Resin |
| Joining/Knock-Down Construction: screwing and slotting of the hull halves in theJoining | – | – | – | – | GRP |
History
- 1959
Production of the knock-down GRP team canoe C 6 in autumn 1959; production of one-piece GRP single kayaks in the workshop at Theresienstraße 148, Munich.
- 1960
Redesign of the C 6 after practical testing at the Hamburg Canoe Club: 6.20 m length, 1.12 m width, 50 cm height.
- 1961
First offering of the sectional Appel-Eski (5 m long, 63 cm wide, ca. 21 kg) in winter 1961/62.
Licensed production by other companies such as the Bootswerft Weinberger boatyard in Munich-Obermenzing.
Later offering: single touring kayak (4.50 m) knock-down by screw connection as well as a 1.50 m intermediate piece for converting the Eski into a tandem (6.50 m).