I'm a life long Drascombe nutter. I grew up in a Drascombe Lugger in downeast Maine, and have owned (and still own) and sailed most models of Drascombes. I picked this Drifter up to refit/restore and experience sailing another Drascombe model I with which I was very familiar. I bought this boat from FL pre-Covid as it is now. I am moving and never “got” to the restoration.
The drifter is a bit of an outlier in the Drascombe continuum since it has bilge keels (two small keels either side of the main center keel) and an inboard motor (at least on this model). The bilge keels free up cockpit space significantly (I’m a tall person) and the 7’6” beam means the cockpit is huge for a boat this size. The keels also mean the boat sits well on the dry. The inboard is below and out of the way and allows you to run a small fuel sipping diesel. The shallow draft afforded by having basically three keels on the boat (two if you are hard on wind) means you can sail in very thin waters all the while not having to tend a centerboard or jump over the centerboard trunk (I love this aspect in my Drascombe Scaffie) . Rigging and de-rigging the boat is as easy as can be with the spars being short and light, the main on a tabernacle, and the collective spars able to fit on or in the length of the boat - this makes for very fast solo trailer launch and haul. The drifter has accommodation for two with a vee birth. There is a small galley area below a well as room for a porta-potti. This design is a gunkholer’s dream come true. At 22 ft she is easy to sail and having a sliding gunter main, furling headsail, and a mizzen; single- handed sailing is about as easy and calm as it gets. He size and design make her feel much bigger and stable than one would think for a 22ft boat.
So for me the selling points were: sails like a big stable boat, sails in a hair over 2ft of water, sits well on the hard at low tide, simple easy rig, big cockpit, sleeps two with small galley and head, very easy to launch and haul, trailers behind almost any vehicle, and has an engine that I fill up once a year… if that.
So here are the goods and the bads of this particular Drifter “project” boat. Starting with the bads, …
Bads: In summary she need a good bit of TLC (read she needs a restoration). Overall she needs a bit of this and that everywhere. Bones are good, but rig and cosmetics, former owner hack modification, and fit and finish are not at all.
Rig: She needs a new main mast, entire set of sails, and the furling and running gear all around. I do have tabernacle hardware and mizzen mast.
Bow area has a small forward glass deck that was added, needs to be removed to rig foresail, etc
Stern/transom has a short “deck” that needs to be removed so mizzen can be set back.
The interior, while much of original is there, needs a rethink and rebuild or refinish at the least.
Portlights need rebedding or replacement (some screens and glass missing)
Hull and topsides need sanding and painting due to sun and neglect beat.
Engine box is a hack job so a new box that minimizes engine space is needed.
Engine controls are, as of now, on the engine itself. So cockpit controls are needed. Drifters usually had a cockpit post that held the controls and main sail block – this is missing.
Teak rubstrake needs to be refinished or at least cleaned up.
Not sure on electronics since there is not much there and I was just going to redo it all, but I’d assume it needs a total rewiring job.
Goods: In summary this a former sailboat that was let go and turned into a “dunk-dunk” motor boat for tooling around and beaching by someone spending as little as can be and unconcerned with originality, cosmetics, or the skills of fit and finish. No matter what you do to her, you could not make her worse, but with focus you could easily bring here back to a very usable and pleasant Drascombe with all the pluses of the design
She is perfectly restorable by someone with little experience. No major glassing is needed, just cleaning up, painting, building interior or tweaking interior, removal of “hack modification”, re-rigging and placing hardware, and so on.
The hull is strong and complete and no very major gelcoat concerns (i.e. no holes etc) other than crazing etc.
The engine has very low hours (was new 2 years before I bought the boat) and is a very tried and true model from a great manufacturer. Runs like a top.
Shaft, box and prop all great and the engine is ready to run as it.
Rubber and tiller and hardware all fine
Interior is fairly unmolested and complete
Running lights are present
Portlight and hatches all present and original
Teak rail is there and not in terrible shape
She has a dodger and dodge rail mounts
So there you have it; better than some, but worst than most. I’m trying to be honest and address and share photos to minimize most questions, and to be as transparent as I can be. I don’t really need to sell her, and will not if the person is not into saving this boat as I was going to – I’d rather sit on her and get to her someday than see her become a bigger mess. That said, her bones are very good and she can be restored easily without major skills – just time and blood labor needed.
Presently she is on the hard in eastern CT. She is on her original “trailer” - this was a mess and is now functionally a cradle and not a trailer at all. You will need a trailer or a flatbead and rollers to move her. I do have a tractor and loader to help with this if needed. I also have pop stands I’ll throw in if that would help. With a non-refundable deposit (TBA) I would be willing to get the boat on stands so a trailer can slip under her as long as you show up in less than two weeks to pick her up; if not you lose the deposit and I re-list her.
Please look carefully at the photos, read my notes a few times, and come see her if possible.
