Repair and Maintenance of a Drascombe Lugger

What's New in 2016?

Added 17^th October 2016
My Lugger was sold this evening and is on its way to Holland for a new lease of life.

Added 27^th September 2016
Very regretfully, for a number of personal reasons, the time has come for me to put my Lugger Sospiri up for sale. She is for sale at an all inclusive price of £2,000. This includes sails, spars, swinging cradle trailer, Mercury 2-stroke 4hp motor with remote tank, overall cover, cockpit cover, cockpit tent, spray hood, main & rear locker floorboards, bronze cleats & fairleads etc.
The boat is currently located for viewing in Watford, Hertfordshire.
Anyone who is interested can use the website contact form. Lugger is now sold - see latest news above.

Added 10^th June 2016
For many personal reasons I haven't updated this website for some time. I still own the boat and still very much enjoy sailing her when I can. The repairs and modifications described here are still holding good and have been replicated and enhanced as the years go by, and wear & tear take their toll (both on me and the boat!). At some point in the future I will endeavour to upgrade the site and perhaps enhance some sections. In the meantime I hope these pages continue to help all owners in their enjoyment of these wonderful timeless craft.

Added 27 September 2013
Useful Links & Resources.Updated, removing links to defunct websites, adding new links.

Added 9 October 2009
Making Belaying Pins. This is a bit of indulgence on my part! Having acquired a woodturning lathe, the obvious thing to make for the Lugger was a set of new belaying pins. This page shows how it was done, starting with a wooden log and ending up with the completed pins.

Added 26 May 2008
Rear Locker Floorboards. Do items stored in your rear locker suffer from immersion in bilge water? Are your existing rear locker floorboards inadequate? These pages tell you how to make new boards which fully utilise the available space and keep stored items well above bilge water.

Added 17 May 2008
Rudder Rest update. Make the Rudder Rest more resiliant by adding stainless strips to protect the wood from the weight of the rudder cheeks.

Added 11 February 2008
Repairing & Restoring GRP. If the GRP on your boat is looking tired & faded then this is the section for you! This is a guide to GRP repairs unlike any other & shatters the traditional myth of not being able to use gelcoat like paint. Yes, with suitable preparation, you can use a paint brush to apply gelcoat (not a paint substitute), on areas of deck or hull where the original is cracked, scratched or faded, then polish it up as new! Whether you need to repair minor cracks & scratches or repair/makeover larger areas - these pages give a step-by-step guide of where to get the materials & how to do it. Such repairs can add substantially to the resale value of your boat NOTE THIS SECTION IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

Added 19 September 2007
Extending the bilge pump intake. The intake on the aft end of the centreplate case cannot reach the bilge water which accumulates in the front (and deepest) part of the boat. This page shows a method of correcting this problem (and also polishes up your plumbing skills!)

Added 20 June 2007
Securing the Tiller to the Rudder axle. Is the rudder stock on your Drascombe steadily grinding away the top of the bronze rudder guide? Are you also in fear and trepidation of the rudder axle parting company with the tiller head whilst sailing? If the answer is yes to one or both these questions then this project provides the answers.

Added 5 June 2007
Improving the Sheet Horse & traveller. Does the 'ring' traveller on the pole sheethorse on your Drascombe slam across and smash into the GRP pole supports, slowly destroying them? Have you ever wanted a method of positioning the traveller, such as centreing it when sailing Close Hauled? If so then this project may provide the answers to one or both problems.

News, January 2007

December 2006 saw the move of the site to a new web server with a new web address. There was simply no more space for adding new projects at the old site. I have taken the opportunity to add some additional functionality to the site including a Contact page to facilitate feedback and queries (see the Contact me link near the bottom of the left navigation bar). 2006 has been almost wholly devoted to renovation of the boat with very little sailing which means that I have a lot of new material to add to the site.

I hope that 2007 will see much more sailing as there is now very little left to do as regards repair and just ongoing maintenance to keep Sospiri in good trim!

Added 7 January 2007
Repairing the GRP centreplate case buttresses. These central buttresses are a 'weak point' in the design of the early Mk2 Luggers and I hope that the method of repair described will help other Lugger owners afflicted with the same problem.

Added 4 December 2006
Replacing the Tiller-head Bolt - I wanted a quick way of attaching - detaching the tiller from the rudder stock-head instead of having to use a spanner with the nut & bolt. The answer is a Sea-Sure dropnose pin which allows the operation to be carried out in seconds.

Added 1 December 2006
Fitting an Inspection Hatch - I needed to remove two cleats bolted into sealed compartments. The answer was to cut holes and fit inspection hatches. This page describes how to do it.

Added 20 January 2006
Making a Spar Gauge - If you are making replacement spars (masts or gaff), then you will need a Spar Gauge to mark out your square plank to plane down the corners to an octagon (the first stage in obtaining a circular cross-section). This page gives you all the information needed to make & use a Spar Gauge.

Added 1 May 2005
Obtaining a New Gaff - If you have changed to a larger mainsail or have broken your existing gaff then this is the page for you! It gives details of where to obtain a new gaff and also a step by step guide on making a new one.

28 November 2004
After extensive revision, this web site is now "PRINTER FRIENDLY" with any 'web standards' compliant browser. A printer specific stylesheet has been added so that ALL the pages will print as they look on screen. So now you can have a printed copy close to hand as you work on a project. You can test this out on this page by clicking on the File, Print preview option in your browser's menu.

If you are using a 'web standards' compliant browser such as Firefox, or version 7 of Internet Explorer, the left navigation bar will remain 'fixed' as you scroll down a project page. Should work with this page (but not if you are using version 6 (or below), of Internet Explorer which does not support this feature).

Several illustrations have been redrawn & some minor linking errors have also been corrected.

Added 11 September 2004
Collars Masts, Spars & Oars - Collars are the current suppliers of masts and spars for the entire Drascombe range.

R & J Sails - Make excellent sails for the entire Drascombe range including boats no longer in production.

Added 4 June 2004
East Coast Fibreglass Supplies - This is the best source I have come across for GRP materials all of which can be ordered on-line. Particularly useful for colour pigments for gelcoat repairs

Classic Marine - Specialist supplier of traditional equipment for classic boats - Link added to their excellent web site.

Added 16 May 2004
Making a Rudder Rest - Dealing with the rudder when beaching the Lugger is a breeze if you have a Rudder Rest. This page shows how a Rudder Rest can be constructed or alternatively, where one can be purchased.

Added 24 April 2004
Floorboard replacement - Are you on the point of falling through your floorboards? These pages describe the options for replacement and include a step by step guide for DIY construction.

Added 10 April 2004
Metric and Imperial Conversions - This page has been re-written to allow you to enter Metric/Imperial quantities and, at a click of the mouse, calculate the appropriate conversion. Download this page to your PC for a handy conversion calculator which you can use independently of this site.