Further Reading | "The best material to use in building a boat is common sense, and she should be well fastened with sincerity" - L. Francis Herreshoff |
The Drascombe story starts in the early 1960s with John Watkinson, a former Royal Navy officer, building a boat for himself and his family. John's requirements were for a daysailer, capable of being trailed, stable (to counterract his wife's tendency to seasickness), and safe; but capable of giving an experienced sailor a lively and exciting sail. The boat that John hand-built in a barn on his farm at Drascombe Barton was inspired by the working boats of England's North-East coast, which themselves can trace an ancestry back to the Vikings.
The first Drascombe Lugger was an immediate success and its obvious commercial potential prompted John to initiate production of the boats in GRP. Other models followed, but all following the original philosophy of safety, robustness, and fun.
Drascombes are now manufactured by Churchouse Boats of Whitchurch, Hampshire.
Plans of Drascombe boats for amateur builders have not been available since the death of John Watkinson, the designer, in 1997.
The aim of the rest of this page is to give a brief specification of the various types of Drascombe. The listing is split into two parts: boats still in production, and those that are no longer made but (due to the extremely high standard of construction) are still very much around on the second-hand market.
Also included (where available) are pictures of members' boats (click on the thumbnail to see a larger version), and links to comments on the boats from actual owners. In time, we hope to have one of these for each type of boat.
Coaster | Cruiser Longboat | Dabber | Drifter | Drifter 22 | Driver | Gig | Launch | Longboat | Lugger | Peterboat | Scaffie | Skiff
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Although smaller than the Lugger, the Dabber carries a full yawl rig on main and mizzen masts. However, the Dabber can easily be distinguished by its bowsprit and transom-hung rudder. |
Vital Statistics
| Length | Beam | Weight | Sail Area | Production | No. Built |
| 15' 6" (4.72m) | 5' 10" (1.78m) | 550lbs (250kg) | 118 sq ft (10.96 sq m) | 1971 - present | Approx. 900 |
Read an owner's view of the Dabber by Dominic Jarman
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The boat that started it all, and still immensely popular. The epitome of rugged simplicity, reliability, and seaworthiness in an open boat, the Lugger is equally at home pottering with the kids or undertaking more adventuresome expeditions. |
Vital Statistics
| Length | Beam | Weight | Sail Area | Production | No. Built |
| 18' 9" (5.72m) | 6' 3" (1.9m) | 748lbs (340kg) | 132 sq ft (12.26 sq m) | 1968 - present | Approx. 2000 |
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Essentially a stretched Lugger, and originally intended as a training craft for sailing schools, Sea Scouts, etc. |
Vital Statistics
| Length | Beam | Weight | Sail Area | Production | No. Built |
| 21' 9" (6.63m) | 6' 7" (2m) | 880lbs (400kg) | 172 sq ft (15.97 sq m) | 1970 - present | Approx. 600 |
Read a personal view of the Longboat by Bernie Bruen
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A trailer-sailer with a two-berth cabin (and, with the addition of a cockpit tent, room for two more) including cooking and toilet facilities. Replaced the Cruiser Longboat, having a much improved specification, especially with regard to the cockpit and cabin layouts. |
Vital Statistics
| Length | Beam | Weight | Sail Area | Production | No. Built |
| 21' 9" (6.63m) | 6' 7" (2m) | 1060lbs (480kg) | 164 sq ft (15.22 sq m) | 1979 - present | Approx. 270 |
Read a personal view of the Coaster by Tom Colville
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Never intended for the private buyer, the Gig is a pure sail training craft designed for use by Navies. Previously, the Royal Navy used the Montagu Whaler for this purpose, but these boats were getting well past their best, and new ones have not been built since the 1950s. The Longboat was considered too small, so the Gig was designed for this specific market. |
Vital Statistics
| Length | Beam | Weight | Sail Area | Production | No. Built |
| 25' (7.62m) | 7' (2.13m) | 1760lbs (800kg) | 255 sq ft (23.72 sq m) | 1984 - present | Approx. 70 |
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Churchouse Boats commissioned Paul Fisher of Selway-Fisher to revise and update the original Drifter design & bring it firmly into the trailer-sailer family. The prototype was launched in 2006. She has twin drop keels to achieve both the shallow draft necessary for easy launch & recovery together with the clear cockpit & cabin space of the original boat. Cabin accommodation provides a very large double berth, cooking & toilet facilities. A sprayhood is an integral part of the design. A cockpit tent may be added to increase her practicality at anchor. She is a powerful sailing boat with a deep, comfortable cockpit. |
Vital Statistics
| LOA | LWL | Beam | Sailing Weight | Towing Weight | Draft (c/plate up) | Draft (c/plate down) | Sail Area | RCD Cartegory |
| 22' (6.70m) | 19'3" (5.88m) | 7'3" (2.25m) | 2650lbs (1200kg) | 3870lbs (1800kg) | 1'4" (0.40m) | 3' 5" (1.05m) | 234 sq ft (21.76 sq m) | Category C for 6 people |
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Designed as a low-cost Drascombe for single-handed sailing, the Scaffie has no centreplate, relying instead on water ballast and two deep bilge keels. Rig is a single standing lugsail. |
Vital Statistics
| Length | Beam | Weight | Sail Area | Production | No. Built |
| 14' 9" (4.5m) | 5' 9" (1.75m) | 460lbs (210kg) | 100 sq ft (9.3 sq m) | 1978 - present | Approx. 450 |
Read an owner's
view of the Scaffie by Alastair Duthie
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| A Longboat with a cabin. Designed to appeal more to private buyers than the open version, the Cruiser Longboat was introduced and sold side by side with the standard open boat. Introduced in 1970 and replaced in 1979 by the Coaster. Over 400 were built. |  |
A cruising boat with a cabin and choice of outboard well or Sabb inboard diesel. 110 built between 1977 and 1984. This boat now has a new lease of life as the Drifter 22. Read an owner's view of the Drifter by Alastair Duthie |
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An 18' version of the Launch hull with bilge fins for sailing, a Watermota Shrimp inboard engine and a standing lug rig similar to the Dabber. 55 built.
Based on the Dabber hull and introduced in 1973, the Launch was designed for river and lake fishing. Fitted with a Watermota Shrimp inboard engine and a Dabber mizzen as a steadying sail. Not a very successful model, only 12 being built.
| Designed by John Watkinson in 1973, the Peterboat was not mass-produced and never built in GRP. Only about 10 wooden boats were built, by Elliotts, John Kerr, and Norman Whyte. |  |
| Similar to the Scaffie but with a narrower beam, the Skiff was designed in 1970 and 30 were built in wood by Elliotts. A GRP version wasn't available until 1996. |  |
