The Drascombe Lugger
This page is dedicated to my Drascombe Lugger
“Lulu”
“We’re gonna need a bigger boat!”
Halfway through Season 2 of my sailing, a few things became apparent.
Firstly I wanted to spread my wings a bit and fly the lake, I could feel myself yearning for more adventure. Secondly I was outgrowing Mochyn Du for cruising purposes and it was becoming obvious as I was fitting her out for cruising that I was going to struggle matching her size with mine for things like sleeping and living aboard.
The final straw came when I tested a sleeping patform on my Mirror and promptly capsized her the minute I lay down. The famous Chief Brody phrase from the movie Jaws came to mind.
The hunt was on for a bigger boat
The best boats for cruising
So off I went researching once again. I even had a go in a few boats to see what they were like and if they would work for me. The main contenders are below with what I liked and disliked about them.
Wayfarer
Perhaps one of the most common boats used for cruising, the Wayfarer certainly has the pedigree and size for what I needed. She’s certainly large enough but perhaps a little too large to right and handle solo as I heard they’re still keen sailers.
Whilst popular, I was confused as some versions had issues being righted. So, at the time, I considered the Wayfarer a little too fast and “tippy” for my current ability.
Wanderer
The Wander is the little sister of the Wayfarer and address all the issues with sailing one solo, unyet it’s still large enough to cruise with.
The Wanderer really caught my eye to be honest, however the modern ones are simply too new and expensive to buy and there were none about at the time I was looking.
GP14
Similiar to the Wanderer, the GP14 is a spirited sail, but that for me makes her unsuitable for cruising as she seems a little over powered and more suited to racing than cruising.
There are lots of GP14 around but after having a go in one, that simply confirmed my thoughts of these being too sporty for my needs!
Drascombe Lugger/Cruiser
The perfect boat for me. Its large, safe, stable and also had an interesting Yawl rig. However Luggers weren’t quite as popular and they seemed to be at first a little outside of my price range.
I did wonder about a coaster but was put off by the cabin at first thinking it was a little bit too “Yachty” for me at this stage! An opinion that would change soon!
Something bigger?
I did look at proper yachts at this point, thinking I may as well just go for it. Particularly smaller cheaper boats like the Corribee and Leisure boats, but for me getting a permanent mooring and all the hassle of buying a boat this size was just a little too much for me at this stage in my journey.
The Dream Boats!
Two boats I would love and are perfect are the Bayraider (pictured to the right) and the Hawk 20.
Both keen sailers and seem to have all the attributes in the boat I want, even today, but for one thing. The price at this point was just too much.
Maybe one day in the future!
The Perfect Boat
I set about looking for a bigger boat. I was looking for anything from the above list really at first, just to see what I could find. My search always seemed to be pushing me towards a Drascombe. I can’t explain why but I saw a Lugger first, which was in really poor condition and far more work than the price would suggest. A second visit to see a dilapidated Coaster had me wondering if I would ever find anything in half decent condition at the price I needed.
Then I planned a trip to the south coast to see another Lugger. Much more promising this time, however a few days before my planned visit, I got a reply from Lulu’s owner to come and see her. It was on the way near Rutland water, so only a short detour so off I went.
Well she was certainly in good condition. She needed a little TLC here and there, but nothing I couldn’t handle.
She hadn’t been sailed for years and the sails had all been kept in the garage so were in good condition. A bit of sewing had come apart on the Jib but that seems liked the extent of the problems with the sails.
The trailer was in great condition, all ready to go and she came with a bunch of accessories including oars, covers, and rigging.
I was stuck as to what to do. DO I go on and see the other boat now or do I stirke a deal on this one?
So we had a coffee and a chat and the seller seemed to understand that a new relationship was in the making here.
He pointed to my car. “That got a towbar on it?”
“Yes” I replied
He then made me an offer I couldnt refuse and the rest my friends, is history!
Lulu’s Highlights
Some nice pictures of Lulu, my Drascombe Lugger from Season 2
Drascombe Lugger Specs
Lulu is a MK2 1984 Drascombe Lugger. She’s in original colour spec with Green Gelcoat and duck egg blue deck. She’ll float in 10″ of water and can be launched in not much more.
- LOA
- Waterline Length
- Beam
- Draft (Board Up)
- Draft (Board Down)
- Rig
- Sail area
Main
Jib
Mizzen
- Weight (Complete)
- 19ft (5.7M)
- 15ft (4.57M)
- 6ft 3″ (1.90M)
- 10″ (0.25M)
- 4ft (1.22M)
- Gunter Yawl
- 74sq ft (6.87M2)
- 22sq ft (3.35M2)
- 22sq ft (2.04M2)
- 795lbs (360KG)
