Wooden Drascombe
John Watkinson
The following is taken from The Drascombe Owner's Handbook, 1979.
THE DRASCOMBE FLOTILLA
AN INTRODUCTION BY THE DESIGNER
Contrary to popular belief, boats of the "Drascombe" flotilla were not designed to appeal to the market for nostalgic reasons. It all started when I had sold my boat-building concern in 1964 and had retired to a remote farmstead on the top of Dartmoor. After a while I decided to indulge in the pleasure of designing and building a boat to suit my own requirements and being out of the boat business, I was entirely free of thoughts of "what will sell".
My family did not share my passion for sailing small boats. In fact, it had to come to the point when I went sailing alone.
Quite simply, if we were going to enjoy our leisure time on the water as a family, I had to design a boat that they could enjoy, and to do this the first requirement was that they should have complete confidence in the craft. The design began to shape by my thinking solely of our own needs which were ...
1. Ability to trail and for the family to handle on and off the trailer.
2. First rate sea-keeping qualities.
3. A good motor boat for, to start with, it was going to be a question of fishing and pottering under power,
4. I wanted the boat to be lively enough for me to enjoy a good hard sail once ! had put the family on the beach.
It was uphill work but eventually the first "Drascombe Lugger" was launched in 1965.
The half-decked open boat with a high bulwark did wonders for confidence. The loose-footed yawl rig, with all sails stowing aloft and out of the way, gave the space needed for a family. By making the boat balanced under jib and mizzen as well as under full sail, the motor could be cut and fishing lines streamed without fear of hearing that sickening crunch as boom strikes female head. The hard turn to the bilge gave a powerful hull well able to carry sail. Her generous sheer kept her dry.
In short, we started to enjoy our boating together.
But it was not until 1967 that Iwas persuaded that other men might also have my problem. So at Earls Court in 1968 the first wooden production Drascombe Lugger was sold, within 29 minutes of the doors being opened to the public
The first G.R,P. Lugger came out in 1969. By 1970 the "stretched" version, the Longboat, was in full production. This boat was primarily for youth training but the clamour for some shelter lad to the "Cruiser" version coming out in 1971.
There followed in 1972 the 15ft. 6in. Dabber -basically a double-ender with the upper two planks being allowed to flare away to form a V-shaped transom. The balanced hull form, vee'd at both ends, needs only a shallow rudder hung on the transom.
The Driver came along in 1974 - an 18ft. open boat with a standing lug yawl rig and petrol or diesel inboard engine. She was withdrawn in 1978 when the escalating costs of inboard installations had priced her out of reach of most people.
The Drifter was introduced to the public in 1977 after a year of prototype trials which proved that her shallow draft design was even more efficient than had been hoped for. Although no longer than the Longboat, the Drifter is beamier, deeper and heavier, with accommodation for two or four people. She can be fitted for an outboard in a well or with a sturdy diesel inboard and full electric cabin and navigation lamps
The Scaffie come out in September, 1978 and was an instant success, Slightly smaller than the Dabber, the aim was to save money by simplifying. With one sailnd no centreplate she is indeed a simple boat but lacks nothing of the essential Drascombe character.
January 1979 saw the well tried Cruiser Longboat replaced by the Coaster, using the same hull but with completely redesigned deck and cabin layout and a more comprehensive specification included in the standard craft.
For the Record.
1968-69 Ian Bnnkworth cruised the Greek archipelago in his Lugger.
1969-70 David Pyle sailed his Lugger from Emsworth, England to Darwin, Australia.
1970 Ken Duxbury and his wife cruised the Aegean in their Lugger.
1971 The same intrepid couple sailed their Lugger from Greece to England.
1973 Geoff Stewart sailed an open Longboat from England to Jamaica,
There have been numerous crossings of the English Channel and the Irish Sea by various Drascombe boats, but -
DON'T FORGET -
THE SEA HAS NO MERCY
and, although the boats are seaworthy enough, when the chips are down, safety depends on the skill and experience of the crew.
Good sailing and good luck!
J.L.WATKINSON.
Last updated: 3 December, 2006
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