Wooden Drascombe
Of Shoes
and Ships and Sealing Wax,
Of cabbages and Kings,
Of "Snave" and J.L. W.,
And other Drascombey things
by Chris Evans
Sailing with the lugsail was only really exciting when the wind was on or abaft the beam and rising force 4. Windward work was painful as the bilge keels were an unhelpful complement to a rig not renowned for close wind work. Broad reaching was fun and planing was possible in a decent sea! In our second season my Mother and I set out to attempt to sail from Newton Ferrers around the Mewstone and back. Progress was better than expected and as soon as we passed the Mewstone Mother decided the Eddystone Light would be a more exciting target for a days sail. So with the usual lack of equipment, no lifejackets, no compass, and no sense we aimed for the distant seamark. A local shark fisherman later confirmed that we were more than half way before a freshening breeze from an unhelpful quarter bought on an attack of realism and we headed back!
We arrived home to an irate Husband/father and a very stroppy harbour master. At this point John Watkinson saved me from a very uncomfortable summer holiday by steering my Father into the local pub and with great enthusiasm told him how he had purchased a superb craft and how anything less would have delivered his nearest and dearest to a watery grave. By the end of the evening Father was glowing with pride over his wise choice of craft and the annual holiday passed without loss of privileges. At this point the rather forbidding ex naval captain with the withering stare became my saviour, hero and generally very good chap! No-one ever persuaded me otherwise.
3
Last updated: 19 January, 2007
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