Design and Construction
What the Coaster offers is a pragmatic blend of daysailer DNA and cabin practicality. The hull carries the clinker-effect GRP layout, and the centre plate sits within an integral trunk, operated by a winch from the cockpit anchor. That centreboard arrangement gives a draft of just 0.3m with the plate up and 1.17m down, letting the 6.63m hull dry out or tuck into shallow corners while still standing up to a breeze when lowered. At 580kg sailing weight and 980kg towing weight, the boat is a genuine one-person trailable: the swinging trailer design allows easy launch and recovery by a single handler, and the boat can be trailed or left on a mooring anchor.
Rig and Handling
The Coaster wears a loose-footed, gunter yawl rig that is not very efficient but she is fun, if not fast, with a big cockpit anchor. Total sail area is 15.22 sq.m (164 sq.ft) split between a 7.98 sq.m main, 5.2 sq.m jib, and 2.04 sq.m mizzen. The modest rig and 482kg displacement make her light on the helm and undemanding, while the big cockpit keeps her social afloat. A 5–6hp long-shaft outboard is recommended to supplement the sail area, and it sits within a well that allows easy and swift raising when not in use anchor.
Accommodations
Below, the Coaster is an ideal long weekender for two people. The cabin provides two full length berths together with toilet facilities and plenty of storage space anchor. Yachting Monthly describes the accommodation as pretty basic, but there is space for two to camp out with rudimentary cooking and chemical heads facilities anchor. With the addition of a sprayhood and a tent, another two berths can be provided, and a cockpit tent can create two more berths for family sailing, taking stated capacity to five persons. The RCD category is C, consistent with sheltered and inshore coastal use rather than offshore passage work.
Ownership and Use
The simplicity that made her popular extends to ownership: a single recommended outboard, a manually winched centreplate, and a rig that can be managed without complex systems. The class association at www.drascombe-association.org.uk supports owners, and the various-yard build history means spares and community knowledge are spread across a long production lineage. She can be left on a mooring or trailed home, which keeps storage costs flexible for a 21ft 9in yacht.
The Verdict
The Drascombe Coaster is a honest, minimalist weekender that trades outright speed for ease of use, shallow draft, and genuine single-handed trailering. She is best judged as a camping boat with a roof rather than a miniature cruiser, and in that role her big cockpit and two-berth cabin work well.
Pros
- True one-person launch and recovery on a swinging trailer
- Centreplate trunk with cockpit winch gives 1ft-to-3ft10in draft range
- Two full-length berths plus optional tent berths for family use
- Basic, low-system accommodation easy to own and maintain
Cons
- Gunter yawl rig is not very efficient; fun rather than fast
- Accommodation is rudimentary with chemical heads only
- RCD Category C limits her to inshore and sheltered water
