Wooden Drascombes
John Watkinson
Peterboat 6 metre
The final chapter in the John Watkinson story surely has to go to the "Peterboat 6 metre". This was built for John Watkinson's brother Dick Watkinson. She was a double ender with a 300lbs cast iron drop keel centreplate. Initially she was built flush decked with twin berths and the rig harped back to the "19ft Peterboat" with a gunter main on a curved yard with a large foresail. This boat was named "Cariad" which means "Darling" in the Welsh language and she was a stunner.
"Cariad" had a real turn of speed, once recording 13 knots in a good blow, which isn't bad for a displacement hull, along with the look and style of a thoroughbred, a real head turner but still bearing the distinctive "Drascombe" stamp. Because she was intended to be quite fast, the hull was designed and built with quite a few frames to add strength and rigidity, the method of construction was in all respects similar to all other "Wooden Drascombes" thus the boat was still relatively lightweight but very strong. A few years after she was built, a low coachroof was added to give more headroom below decks and an improved living space. John Watkinson designed and oversaw the modification, so no unsatisfactory compromises were made and no performance was sacrificed.
John Watkinson suffered from Parkinson's Disease (as did his brother Dick) and he died on 19th December 1997.
Last updated: 19 December, 2008
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