Wooden Drascombe Builder
John Elliott Boatbuilder
John and Douglas Elliott
Yealmpton, Devon, England
The following information was provided by Doug Elliott:-
1. John Elliott used his redundancy payment (from Kelly and Hall which had stopped trading) which was a very small sum, to take a chance and set up on his own in the same premises at Yealmbridge. He started trading under the name of 'John Elliott Boatbuilder' with the full approval and support of John Watkinson who granted him a license as sole builder of Wooden Drascombes. Douglas Elliott then joined him as a partner in the business.
2. July 4th 1980 John Elliott suffered a massive heart attack at work and died at the boatyard.
3. The business (John Elliott Boats) was wound up by Douglas Elliott, who completed the boats under construction and ensured there were no unpaid debts. The last of boat built there was a 5 metre Peterboat. She was half decked in the style of a Lugger. This boat was shipped to Greece and later sold to an American airman who had it flown by military transport to America, it's not know where this boat is now.
4. Doug Elliott took the Drascombe boats to Terry Erskine Yachts at Breakwater Road in Plymouth. Things didn't work out, only one boat was built there, a 4.5 metre Peterboat that was exhibited at the 1981 Earls Court Boatshow, this was the last Drascombe built by Doug Elliott and the point where he stopped building Drascombes.
Quote
from Doug Elliott:- " This is 'Malthus'. ... 'Malthus' is still
varnished and will be 27 years old this year, not quite as old as 'Sanderling'
(which by the way was the first ever Lugger to have a varnished finish.)
This is where 'Sanderling was built at our Yealmbridge yard. All the Lugger
hulls were built to deck level on the upper floor of this building and
finished on the lower floor, so emerged from the building twice, once
during construction and again when completed and ready for collection.
The doors can be seen on the left of the picture, the hulls were lifted
down by hand from the first floor."
Last updated: 28 August, 2006
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