Carl N. Beetle
Beetle Justin Plastics
Inducted 1977
Carl Beetle (1896 – 1952) was the grandson of the founder of the Beetle Boatbuilding Yard in New Bedford, a major whaling and fishing port city in Massachusetts. The Beetle family is best known for designing and producing the “Beetle Cat Boat.” The original Beetle Cat Boat was a design adaptation of the great Cape Cod Cat boat. The Beetle family lived for generations at Clark’s Point in New Bedford and were widely known for the excellent workmanship of the wooden Beetle Whaleboats they produced. They also developed pre-fabrication processes in boat building and employed mass production methods.
Following his duty in World War II, Carl Beetle decided his interests lay outside the tradition his grandfather’s company represented. Carl wanted to design and build small sailboats, ultimately creating the original BEETLE CAT sailboat. Beetle started a company, Beetle Justin Plastics, to produce these boats in New Bedford using reinforced plastics.
He is credited with being a true pioneer in the development of plastic boat construction techniques. Carl developed the very first glass fiber gel-coated boat molds and is credited as the inventor of the catalyst spray gun, which became a standard in the glass fiber reinforced plastics industry.
Areas of Expertise:
Plastic Processing, Plastic Management
Related Links:
http://www.beetlecat.org/history.php