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Hi Greg, The lugger is great for day sails, fishing, pottering about and taking the grand kids out, but the coaster is much superior for longer cruises!

Hi David, Thanks for watching! Lots of standard knots I use like bowlines, reef knots, figures of eight etc. I'm sure you're familiar with. One of the specialist knots I use is the Topsail Halyard Hitch to tie my gaff to the halyard. When the halyard is pulled bar tight, this keeps the gaff really close to the mast and gives good sail shape. When I reef the main the knot is tied at the required position on the gaff. Here's a link to a video short I made some time ago for somebody - another Dave! th-cam.com/users/shortsV4fhvY7lxLc

Thanks Steve. I will let you know how I get on. I have a lot to learn and am starting out late in life. You have many years experience and it shows in your seamanship.

@@davidford4200 Easy / small steps and keep it safe! Good luck!

Hi Mike, Thanks for watching. Judging by your comments, you appear to have misunderstood the reason for my afternoon sail, ref. the title of the video.

@@steveporteous3157 No I did not. Sails like so many other bits of technology we use have been developed and refined for best performance over many decades. Why then if there exists many finely evolved sails that are easy to use and preform well do you then experiment with a sail contraption that is not only cumbersome to use but performs really terribly! Why not use the best there is and not experiment with retrogressive modes of sail?

Not everyone has the funds to own / sail the likes of Ineos Britannia. Until I do, I’m very happy to sail my boat and post the occasional video for those that wish to see a more traditional sailing boat in open water.

@@danilofabbroni3067 Good points. I try to keep things simple and find that the halyard attached directly to the gaff holds the gaff close in to the mast, gives good sail shape and allows a high luff tension. I’ve marked the gaff at each halyard position so it takes out the guesswork for the correct position. I also like the flexibility of setting the main higher or lower depending upon conditions, who’s on board etc. Quite like the soft eye reefing point idea - it would certainly make the reefing quicker. Not so sure about shaking out the reefs though - reef knots are so easy to untie, even when pulled tight. Thanks for watching.

@@steveporteous3157 Thanks for the acute and swift reply: I truly understand your point and it does make sense.... :)

Thanks for watching!

@@steveporteous3157 smart little boat indeed!

Thanks for watching Steven. Yes, it sails well in the long swell / waves. Was out yesterday when it was a bit windier and there was a short chop - very wet so only stayed out for 1/2 hr or so!

Thanks Steven. Glad you enjoyed the video!

Thanks Mark. Glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks Doc!

Hi Neil, Great fun I imagine surfing a 420 down those waves! I seem to remember British University match racing competitions being held at Stonehaven some time ago. Whilst a 420 may be faster, the lugger is better if you want to do a spot of fishing!

Hope you enjoyed watching!

Hi Dave, A sail in those conditions is always very rewarding! I can’t remember what Windfinder (Black Hill) was saying about wave heights but I’d guess about 1 - 1.5m max. It’s always difficult to estimate “wave” height when there is a long underlying swell, some small local wind driven waves and then reflected waves / swell off the cliffs. You’ll notice it is a relatively dry sail with little spray / water coming aboard. The waves aren’t frequently breaking and I think there was just one breaking wave that slapped the hull and sent significant amounts of water over me and the boat! The waves aren’t steep waves and only really break / roll close to the shelving beach as it gets shallower. There’s not much tidal current so the offshore waves don’t get affected - much. The closer you get to the cliffs the greater the reflected wave effect and the seas can get very “confused”! 😎

Hi Derrick, Part of the reason I sail is to see / be in the changing sea conditions. It’s always difficult to capture the majesty of the sea in a video but hopefully some of it comes through. I particularly like the shots towards the sun with the silver sea! 🙂

Thanks for watching Steven! The three sails makes it fun to try out different combinations.

Thanks for your kind comments! As you say, there are many ways to handle situations on a boat / Drascombe - it's just finding out the ones that are right for you and your boat. I look forward to seeing videos of "Petoya Blue" on the water!

@@steveporteous3157 Hi Steve, I´ll go to work and send something, I just try to put all my small archives together in one collection, different pc´s, laptops and smartphones. But it will mostly be pictures, snapshots - have not yet worked with a permanently installeed video cam. And mostly under way single handed. Regards Stephan

Glad you enjoyed the video.| The Drascombe Lugger is 5.7m long. Arbroath marina has a daily charge of £32 per boat unless you stay for a week and then it's £20/m. Anchorages free, but the east coast of Scotland is very exposed for a small boat. There are a limited number of suitable sheltered harbours but distances are quite large for a lugger under sail.

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching.

Thanks. It's great fun practising so when the weather does really pick up I know what to expect, what works and what doesn't!

Thanks - it had to be right first time as I know from experience that it sinks before a second attempt!

Glad you liked the video! Meals on my boat are definitely for sustenance rather than being enjoyable!

Thanks! Hope you enjoyed the video.

I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching.

Thanks for watching, and yes!

Thanks John - just plenty of time in the boat! Glad you enjoyed the video.

Do you happen to have the link for that?

@@steveporteous3157 Can't find it again. It was a story about ketches & yawls as live aboard / big touring boats. Mizzen & jib combos seem very popular with them.

Hi John, Thanks for watching. I treat my Drascombe as an open boat, knowing that if I were to capsize I would be in serious trouble, but that does not stop me from sailing. Sailing is a continuous risk assessment - wind, waves, tide, location (wind/wave impact, safe haven), forecast(s), boat type/condition, crew experience to name a few (well most of!), all to be assessed. If the risk is too high, including that of capsize, then my plans are modified accordingly. Safe sailing, and kayaking!

Thanks for reply yes on some of my little trips I wonder what my fisherman grandad from Fisherrow would have said about my sometimes hairy little sails on my little Astus 16.1 if he had still been around.

Enjoy your lugger when you get it!

Thanks for commenting. Used Google Translate and it seems like a very profound statement!

I remember that too, especially for masts set up with a bend, fractional rigs etc. The main (full or reefed) provides support along the length of the mast. I think the small loads and short mast of the Drascombe should be OK though. Someone else also said to keep the main and mizzen mast independently stayed, so that one mast doesn't pull the other mast down if one were to go. So the Drascombe meets that requirement! Thanks for commenting.

And I'm sure the same wise man then said, "When you think it's time to shake out a reef, wait for 10 minutes."

I think you're right. Really useful for balancing the sail plan, tacking, heaving to, and for attaching the "GoPro" camera to!

Thanks Kevin - glad you enjoyed it!

Hi Andy, You could be right! It's a long video though (so not sure which part you are referring to), and I wasn't really trying to make good passage progress to windward so I certainly wasn't knowingly trying to pinch. Sometimes if it's windy I might sail a bit closer to the wind to make it easier to feather the sails by luffing up slightly - saves having to let out and pull back in the main.

So sorry great video it was just a gut feeling whilst you were sailing looking at the sail. Sailing is all down to feel so I admit I may be wrong. @@steveporteous3157

Hi @@andypandy955 , No problem! Appreciate you take the time to watch the video and comment. Best regards, Steve

Ah yes, the good old asymmetric spinnaker vs gennaker debate! Happy to call it anything, but as you say it's a lot simpler than a symmetrical spinnaker set flying with a pole.

Yes that mizzen makes heaving to very straight forward!

Glad you enjoyed it Paul. The total distance travelled was 60NM over the 4 days, 30NM on the first day and coming back split over three days. Wind probably maxed out at 15 - 20 knots on day one and maximum speed probably ca 6 - 7 knots surfing down waves. Average speeds a lot less! When I'm planning trips I usually use 3 knots and that works fairly well.

@@steveporteous3157 perfect. I have cruised extensively and wanted to get the feel of your cruise/ camping. I would say well done. Fair winds

That would have been fun, and I daresay a bit wetter than on the Drascombe!

Thanks David - glad you enjoyed it!

Never too late to start looking!

Hi Pablo, I’m glad you enjoy the videos and thank you for commenting again. You will have seen below in your previous comment the reasoning for installing the mizzen boom.
Has the mizzen boom enhanced the performance of the sail? I would say yes, especially off the wind where the boom holds out the sail. There is also the ability vary the tension along the foot of the mizzen sail while at the same time changing the boom angle with the mizzen sheet. However, I think the performance advantage will be quite small. The biggest advantages are as mentioned in the earlier comment. One small disadvantage is that it is slightly more difficult to fold / roll away the sail after sailing, when at anchor or just sailing without the mizzen. Best regards, Steve

Hi Robert,
I’ve got a loop of bungee cord tied to my mainsheet cleat that is in the centre of the boat at the aft end of the centre-plate casing. I just loop this over the tiller and it holds it reasonably central. I like the bungee cord in this position because if necessary I can still steer the boat without taking it off, and it isn’t a trip hazard. There’s a TH-cam video that shows it in use, about 4min 40 seconds in: th-cam.com/video/UxoW7ICZ2kg/w-d-xo.html or a shorter one th-cam.com/video/2Q8zz_1lj5Y/w-d-xo.html

Hi Greg, The planks were made from wood sourced from my local B&Q DIY store - just their cheap whitewood, might be spruce or pine. I sized the thickness by seeing what could support my weight across the required span - without bending too much. My lugger is a Mk1 with the low centre plate casing so the planks can easily span across over the top of the CP casing. The planks are 192 mm wide and 18 mm thick, and cut to fit inside the side tanks resting on battens screwed into the side tanks (see the video from 3:02 onwards). The first planks at the bow have a tendency to fall off the battens at each side if they move backwards by even a few cm, so the fifth plank has a locating pin that fits into the side battens. After that, the planks are a similar length, or get smaller at the back, so don’t fall off. Re the stowage whilst under way, if you pause the video at 3:02 you’ll see the boards stored on the starboard side pushed as far forward as possible. They are supported by the centre plate casing and side tanks and are sturdy enough to walk on. From the picture at 3:02 you’ll see the planks are slid under the bracing at the front of the CP casing - this was one of the reasons for selecting the width of the planks. I actually started off with a different system where the planks crossed all the way across the side tanks - but this was modified. You can see this on another video. It was really a trial version to see how the tent would fit. Some of the comments on that video may be useful. th-cam.com/video/mZlv86c6bhI/w-d-xo.html I went for a standard land based tent with an inner tent and flysheet. I felt it was important to separate the wet salty section of the boat from a dry inner sleeping space - also keeps the midges out. Good luck!

Thanks a lot Steve. ‘Looks like a fun winter project! I have similar tent. I stow it abit differently - keeping the poles/hoops inside the tent and slip it (approx. 9’ and “bendy”) in a long skinny bag in front and around the main mast. Thank you, again for your videos! Greg

Thanks Walter - glad you enjoyed it!

Glad you enjoyed it Pavol! Good luck with your dinghy build - hope to see that on TH-cam!