Here you find an overview of the most frequently questions on our boats.
The hull plates of type 380 & 425 have a wall thickness of approx. 5.0 mm whereas type 260, 290 & 325 have a wall thickness of approx. 4.0 mm.
Our recommendation for the respective type without further extensions or special accessories:
In general we recommend a small outboard motor because it lighter and thus can be carried more easily. A 5 HP four-stroke engine weighs almost 30 kg. Whereas, a 2.3 HP four-stroke engine weighs only 13 kg, and thus can be carried easily from the car to the boat or from the holiday cottage to the lake.
The stern trim turns the Banana®-boat into an entirely new boat. Formerly run as a displacer, it turns into a planer by using stern trim.
It is similar to the trim tabs on the stern of a motorboat. The stern trim prolongs the hull line and turns a displacer into a planer. With the stern trim the Banana®-boat, type 260, 290 & 325 turns into a planer with the corresponding motor and load.
Within 5 minutes anyone can set a Banana®-boat up as a rowing boat. With a bit of practice, some customers need only three minutes to have their rowing boat ready for the lake. The installation of the transom, for motor operation, requires four or five screws. As a sailing boat it is completely ready for sailing within another 15 minutes.
The hull material is made out of a special plastic, which has been developed for this boat in particular. This plastic is extremely durable, and cannot be affected by petrol, acetone, acids or seawater. In addition to this, the hull is protected against UV radiation. The watertightness is ensured by a very elaborate production process and the decade long use of a proven, special hull seal. In a test process, the hull material withstood more than 3 million folding processes without tearing.
Buying a boat is as easy as sending an email. After consultation, you will receive your personal offer from us, whereupon, you can place your boat order. Depending on the size of the boat, the delivery time is about 2 to 14 weeks.
Upon request from the customer, we dispatch our boats all over the world. If you want, you can also pick the boat up from our works.
If you have should any other questions which have not been answered here, please get in touch with us directly.
Below please find six indications for how to determine the age of your boat. Please feel free to contact us for detailed information:
First of all, please check whether it is an original Banana®-boat. Every boat has a manufacturer´s plate. This is located on the starboard side below the oarlock holder.
Sometimes our customers get in touch with us, if a boat is being "palmed off" as a Banana®-boat which, presumably, had been cobbled together under the most adverse circumstances in the Far East. After a short test run, the buyer noticed quickly why the boat had been offered so cheaply.
Now and then, boats from other manufacturers are praised as a Banana®-boat. Even if these boats are optically similar, the workmanship is not comparable.
We additionally provide every Banana®-boat with a manual for the shipmaster along with the declaration of conformity. This is similar to motor vehicle registration certificate as in passenger cars. It is only with this manual and the corresponding hull number that the boat can be registered and insured. Similar to the vehicle identification number on motorcars.
It is always advantageous if the seller can present an invoice for the boat. Frequently, an old boat - Banana®-boat has been produced since 1972 - is offered as a hardly used, three-year-old boat. The following is meant as an indicator only: in 1976 the new price for Banana®-boat was DM 620.00. Today exorbitant sums are asked sometimes.
If you want to be on the safe side, send us a few pictures of the boat you want to buy, and we can tell you approximately how old the boat may be. As a rule we never provide information on a potential purchase price as we would be unable to survey/examine the boat.
A small tip: most importantly, make sure that the connecting joints are clean and in good order. When this is the case, even an old boat can provide many years of pleasure.