Drascombe

The word Drascombe is a trademark that was first registered by John Watkinson who applied it to a series of sailing boats which he designed and built in the period 1965–79 and sold in the United Kingdom (UK).

The great number of lockers, together with the added beam and freeboard make the sailing weight nearly twice that of a Longboat.

[5] 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.

Although smaller than the Lugger, the Dabber carries a full yawl rig on main and mizzen masts.

[6] A cruising boat with a cabin and choice of outboard well or 6-8 hp Sabb inboard Diesel engine.

Original spec included sails with roller-reef jib, pramhood canopy, two-burner paraffin cooker, flushing chemical toilet, fitted bilge pump, anchor warp and chain; anti-fouling below waterline.

For sailing it had a standing lug rig similar to the Dabber but with a slightly larger jib and mainsail.

[6] Never intended for the private buyer, the Gig is a pure sail training craft designed for use by Navies.

At the same time, once in tune with her, she gives her crew great confidence by her easily reefed lug sail and her sea keeping capabilities.

[6] Essentially a stretched Lugger, and originally intended as a training craft for sailing schools, Sea Scouts, etc.

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 adventurous expeditions.

[6] There was an original version of a 19 ft (5.8 m) Peterboat built by John Watkinson, similar decking arrangement to the drascombe Lugger, but with a gunter rig sporting a curved yard with a large jib,(similar to the rig on 'Cariad') only the one was ever built.

[6] Double ended open boat with a standing lug main, small offset mizzen with bumkin and a jib, a folding rudder and galvanised steel centreplate.

The boat was built at Kelly and Hall's boatyard at Newton Ferrers by John and Douglas Elliott.

[16][17] Starting in California in Chidiock I, he crossed the Pacific, then the Indian Ocean, before heading into the Red Sea.

After becoming damaged, Chidiock I was seized by the Saudi Arabian authorities when Chiles was arrested on suspicion of being a spy.

This he sailed south to cross his previous track and then through the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea out into the Atlantic to La Palma in the Canary Islands.

Leaving the boat briefly to visit Tenerife, he returned to find that she had capsized at her mooring in a storm.

Finding that he had lost a lot of gear, Chiles decided to end his attempt at circumnavigating in an open boat.