The first molded hull appeared before a boat-show crowd, with full production following around 1972. More than 900 Dabbers have since been built, many of them shipped abroad. The boat remains in English production under both Drascombe Boats and Honnor Marine, which markets its version as the Devon Dabber.
Design and Construction
Watkinson based the Dabber on traditional clinker-built practice. Its GRP hull has a clinker-effect lapstrake form intended to echo both the structural logic and the appearance of those older boats. It was introduced as a top-quality polyester-resin shell, built to standards approved by the Ship & Boat Builders’ National Federation and trimmed in genuine teak.
Owners who have opened up early boats confirm that durability. In 2016, Kent and Audrey Lewis restored a neglected 1978 example and found its fiberglass sound after decades of neglect. They also praised the marine-grade stainless-steel rigging and the oiled teak tiller, rudder, thwarts, rubrails, and centerboard trunk. The varnished spars were select Douglas fir, while the early centerboard was galvanized mild steel; both were reported to be in reasonable condition.
A long, straight keel and well-vee stern provide responsive steering at low speeds. The tucked transom pushes the stern wave aft and keeps the small rudder covered when the boat heels at speed. The transom-hung rudder is a handcrafted marine-ply drop plate, protected by a skeg formed from the keel’s after shape.
Rig and Handling
The split yawl rig carries 118 square feet of sail: a standing-lug mainsail, a flying jib set on a bowsprit, and a mizzen set on the transom bumpkin. The bowsprit and boomkin extend the sail plan well beyond the hull, leaving the cockpit open.
The mainmast is easy to step, and the spar ends simply slide into place under forestay and mizzen-sheet tension. One person can rig the boat in under half an hour. The low, modular sail plan—a jib, main, and mizzen that can be used in any combination—is central to the Dabber’s stability and appeal as a coastal dayboat. In strong winds, she sails best under main alone. With jib and mizzen only, she remains balanced but is slow, a combination better suited to lazy picnic drifts.
A short-shaft 2- to 4-hp outboard mounts on a wooden bracket in a port well and will drive the boat to hull speed. The 585-lb hull and 13 foot 7 inch waterline also make the Dabber an easily driven rowing boat, with two rowing stations.
Cockpit, Stowage, and Trailering
For a 15 footer, the Dabber is genuinely practical. The cockpit seats two adults with room to spare and allows a singlehander to manage the lines. The boat has enough volume to carry four, although sailing with that load becomes crowded.
Stowage is generous, but none of it is watertight. There’s a large cuddy locker aft, open space beneath the side benches, and limited room under the removable floorboards. The bilge-drain bung is located in the open after locker. Removing the forward thwart gives access to storage in the bow and beneath the side benches. A pair of 8 foot oars can be stowed on the sole or forward deck.
The Dabber trails at roughly 1,100 lbs towing weight and fits in a family garage. It is rated for four persons in RCD category D.
Known Issues
Early Dabbers carried expanded polystyrene flotation foam in the bow, beneath the side benches, and in the stern. This would keep the boat and crew afloat if swamped, but not high enough for the crew to bail her out. Additional flotation later corrected that shortfall.
Early boats also had centerboard trunks that allowed water in. Some owners stuffed a sponge or towel into the opening to slow the flow. A later centerboard redesign moved the lifting arm’s exit from the forward face of the trunk to its top.
The jib clew can catch on the forestay during a tack. A PVC sleeve and tack on the stay can help, and some skippers move the forestay to the end of the bowsprit. That change comes with a risk: the bowsprit is vulnerable, and if it breaks, the mainmast and sail can come down with it.
The tow eye has also been a chronic weak point. The aftermarket remedy is simply a stronger fitting.
Refits and Ownership
The Dabber ages well when its woodwork is maintained. One 1978 hull needed only replacement timber for the keel and bilge runners, parts designed to be easily swapped out. Its original Terylene tanbark sails and cordage were still serviceable.
A roller-furling jib is a common upgrade. This replaces the forestay with a wire inside the jib luff and adds a bobstay to balance the bowsprit. Owners also fit curved tillers to keep the helm clear when motoring. Many re-lead the mainsheet to a stern traveler instead of retaining the traditional tiller block.
The Verdict
The Dabber is a pocket cruiser with the character of a workboat: rooted in clinker tradition, durable in GRP, and adaptable under sail, oar, or motor. It’s light enough to trailer and store in a garage, quick to rig, and forgiving enough for family sailing. Yet the design has also crossed the Channel.
Its caveats are those of a small open boat, along with a few model-specific weaknesses: inadequate flotation for bailing after a swamping in early hulls, a vulnerable bowsprit rig, and a weak tow eye. All are well understood and inexpensive to address.
Pros
- The smallest and lightest Drascombe; easy to trailer, launch, and store in a garage
- Clinker-derived GRP hull with proven durability over decades
- Modular yawl rig that one person can set up in under 30 minutes
- Can sail, row, or motor; the outboard well keeps things dry
Cons
- Early hulls lacked enough flotation to allow bailing after a swamping
- Jib can snag the forestay during a tack; bowsprit failure can bring down the mast
- Weak factory tow eye
- No watertight stowage; bilge bung is in an open locker
