Design and Construction
The Coaster combines its daysailer origins with the practical shelter of a small cabin. Its 6.63m clinker-effect GRP hull has a centreplate housed in an integral trunk and operated by a winch from the cockpit. The centreplate is built into the hull, rather than fitted in a separate case.
Draft is just 0.3m with the plate raised and 1.17m with it lowered. This allows the boat to dry out or explore shallow corners, while the lowered plate helps it stand up to a breeze.
The figures given are 580kg sailing weight and 980kg towing weight. The boat is genuinely trailable by one person, and the swinging-trailer design allows a single handler to launch and recover it easily. It can either be trailed home or left on a mooring.
Rig and Handling
The Coaster carries a loose-footed gunter yawl rig. It isn’t especially efficient, and the boat is better described as fun than fast, but the modest rig makes it undemanding and light on the helm. The large cockpit also gives the crew plenty of social space afloat. Yachting Monthly describes the Coaster as fun rather than fast.
Total sail area is 15.22 sq.m (164 sq.ft), divided among a 7.98 sq.m mainsail, a 5.2 sq.m jib, and a 2.04 sq.m mizzen. Displacement is 482kg.
A 5–6hp long-shaft outboard is recommended to supplement the sail plan. It sits in a well that allows it to be raised quickly and easily when not in use.
Accommodation
The Coaster works best as a long-weekend boat for two. The cabin contains two full-length berths, toilet facilities, and plenty of storage space. Yachting Monthly describes the accommodation as pretty basic, although there’s room for two people to camp aboard with rudimentary cooking facilities and a chemical toilet.
A sprayhood and tent can provide another two berths, while a cockpit tent can create two additional berths for family sailing. The stated capacity is five people.
The boat is rated RCD Category C, consistent with sheltered and inshore coastal use rather than offshore passage-making.
Ownership and Use
The simplicity that made the Coaster popular also shapes the ownership experience. It has a single recommended outboard, a manually winched centreplate, and a rig that can be handled without complex systems. The basic, low-system accommodation should also be straightforward to own and maintain.
The class association at www.drascombe-association.org.uk supports owners. Spares and community knowledge are spread across a long production lineage involving various yards.
At 21ft 9in, the Coaster can be kept on a mooring or trailed home, giving owners some flexibility over storage costs.
Verdict
The Drascombe Coaster is an honest, minimalist weekender that trades outright speed for ease of use, shallow draft, and genuine single-handed trailering. It’s best viewed as a camping boat with a roof rather than a miniature cruiser. In that role, its large cockpit and two-berth cabin work well.
Pros
- One person can launch and recover it using the swinging trailer
- The cockpit-winched centreplate provides a draft range from 1ft to 3ft 10in
- Two full-length berths, with optional tent berths for family use
- Basic, low-system accommodation that’s easy to own and maintain
Cons
- The gunter yawl rig isn’t very efficient; the boat is fun rather than fast
- Accommodation is rudimentary, with only a chemical toilet
- RCD Category C limits it to inshore and sheltered waters
