Drascombe

by Churchouse Boats

NEW DRASCOMBE BOATS & ALL THINGS DRASCOMBE

Welcome to the centre of the Drascombe universe! For all your Drascombe needs, keep clicking! Throughout the website, click on the Drascombe boat ( ) & it will take you where you want to be. Just like in real life!

Happiness is a Drascombe! Stewart on the helm of a Drifter 22. Great picture by David Harding for PBO.

We are the only Company, anywhere, that is dedicated totally to Drascombe boats.
We are the sole licensed builder of Drascombe boats in GRP.
We have more knowledge of the Drascombe than any other Company.
We offer a wider range of services for Drascombes & their owners than any other Company.

What would you like to do?

	Contact us or visit
	Look at the Drascombe range, past & present
	Buy a new Drascombe, specified by you & built specially for you
	View details of our Drascombe Drifter 22
	Pre-owned Drascombes for sale
	Buy a new trailer
	Living with a traditional trailer
	Maintain or repair a Drascombe or modify it to suit your specific needs
	Sails & rigging
	Accessories to improve your pleasure or spares to replace old & worn
	Sell a Drascombe (probably to up-grade!). Our brokerage service.
	Which is the right boat for you? Thoughts on a trailer sailor
	Drascombe anecdotes & humour. Stewart's quirky page!
	Legals. The things we have to tell you.
	Drascombe links to interesting Drascombe things & Drascombe people

CHANGES AT CHURCHOUSE BOATS!

Having formed the Company in 1998, Stewart Brown retired as Director on 28 February 2013, handing over the Drascombe reins to Simon Harwood, who has been appointed Director.

Simon's wife, Sharon has been carrying out an Admin role for some time. That role is now expanding.

Stewart will remain involved in Churchouse Boats on an ad-hoc basis.

CAST OFF FORWARD, CAST OFF AFT, CAST OFF GLOOM!

Despite all the taxes & the traumas, the Drascombe smile per pound ratio remains very high. Time on the water is cheap, the wind is free! Happiness is priceless.

Having once bought your boat, the costs in use are quite modest. There are still a lot of places where you can launch & recover for free. On a good day's sailing, you may only use the engine for under an hour so 5 litres of fuel will last you a long time. A bit of rowing can save even that small amount of fuel & keep you fit in the process. Maintenance costs on the boat & equipment are very low.

Although the costs are low, the enjoyment levels can be very high. The sheer joy of sailing is reason enough on its own but you might also do a bit of fishing. Most of your catch can be eaten. There is nothing tastier than a fresh fish you have just caught yourself. Take along some olive oil, lemon juice & black pepper or mixed herbs & pop your catch in the frying pan. A disposable BBQ is a cheap way of adding to the adventure. Even cheaper is to hang your fish from a twig over a small wood fire, Ray Mears style.

Picture by Andy Cooper - who also eat the fish!

(As Mackerel is a very oily fish, you don't need extra oil. Recommended recipe: Fillet the Mackerel, place the fillets, skin down, in a very hot, dry pan with lots of pepper. When almost cooked through, flip over for 30 seconds. I am looking forward to being out under sail again & catching them. There is no truth in the rumour that Rick Stein is going to start selling Drascombes!)

On a feeder cruise to a Chichester Rally, Stewart caught a Garfish: a strange fish but quite tasty. Unfortunately, between hooking it & landing it, something bigger had several bites out of it so all he got was slimy hands & blood all over his decks!

If finances won't run to a new Drascombe, we always have a selection of pre-owned boats. Either way, you can provide days of enjoyment for yourself, family & friends for very little expense. Buck the trend: enjoy life to the full. Happiness is a Drascombe!

BOAT SHOWS

Beale Park Boat Show. 07 - 09 June.

A good regional show in very nice surroundings. Take a look: www.bealeparkboatshow.co.uk/

Alresford Show, Hampshire 07 September

This is our local agricultural show & we are usually the only boat there but we enjoy it. We are still waiting for someone to pin a rosette in our ear!

Southampton Boat Show. 13 - 22 September. Stand A108. Too far away to contemplate at the moment. Maybe we don't want to contemplate it as it will mean the end of a sailing season that hasn't actually started yet! Just put the dates in your diary now.

London Boat Show. 04 - 12 January 2014. Stand C224/9. How's that for forward planning?

Visitors to our yard are always welcome. We are easily accessible by major roads, trains & planes & we have excellent pubs & B&B's locally.

INNOVATION

In the finest Drascombe spirit, all owners change & modify their boats - & that includes us!

During the 2011 season, Stewart experimented with booms & twin halyards on Drifter 22's. We are pleased with the outcome, Bolitho11 now has one & so do several other Drifter 22's. Installation Notes notes available by e.mail on request, as too are all the parts required for the conversion. Comments from a converted owner (in both senses!):

'Having the boom added has been great. Pointing higher to the wind is a wonderful advantage. Puffin, taking vigorous exercise, lead the Drascombes down the Tamar from Saltash to Devils Point - whilst not racing, of course. Boom, boom! I have also found the rig much easier for reefing in open water, single handed sailing generally & quicker sail reduction/dousing coming into port or anchorage. Just thought you would like to know that, although I already thought the Drifter 22 was excellent, it has transformed it! Thank you.'

Whilst Stewart has been in the cockpit sorting out the boom & tackle, another owner, Michel Maartens, has been up the front end creating the Drascombe Drifter 22 Cutter. The staysail is a hanked on jib from a Drascombe Gig. The tack is shackled to the stemhead & is set flying on a halyard. Sheeting is to another pair of sliding bullseyes on the jibsheet tracks. Much fun but little objective data yet acquired.