Design and Construction
The original Drifter had a long, shallow keel with bilge plates and the option of an inboard engine. The Drifter 22 took a different approach. An iroko keelband develops into a shallow keel-cum-skeg farther aft, while twin lifting plates of galvanised iron sit well aft and retract into cases on the inboard sides of the cockpit locker mouldings.
A section of lead in the middle provides the bulk of the ballast, working with 300 kg of ballast. With a displacement of 1,202 kg, that ballast helps keep the 6.70 m hull settled.
Inside, a reinforced beam in the deckhead carries the rig loads. This removes the need for a compression post, leaving plenty of uninterrupted space for occupants of the berth. Rectangular aluminium-framed portlights distinguish the Mk II externally, while the transom’s forward rake keeps the silhouette faithful to the Drascombe lineage.
Rig and Handling
The Drifter 22 carries a low aspect-ratio yawl rig, with wooden spars and tan sails. Its gunter rig keeps the mast short enough for easy stepping and for stowing inside the boat when trailing. A bowsprit and boomkin extend the sail plan, and the loose-footed mainsail keeps trim straightforward.
In flat water, a test crew recorded 4.5 knots upwind, occasionally nudging 5 knots. On bearing away onto a reach, the log climbed to well over 6 knots—lively performance for a 2,650 lb hull carrying 21.7 m² of canvas.
The outboard hinges up in its well, with lockers for gas or petrol on either side. An optional centre console in the cockpit adds stowage and provides a mounting point for a single jib-sheet winch.
Accommodation and Stowage
Below, the berth measures 1.96 m fore-and-aft and, at its aft end, is as wide as it is long. There is 96 cm between the bunks and the deckhead, allowing occupants to sit up, though total headroom is only just over 1.3 m.
On the Mk II, moulded galley and stowage units occupy the aft end of the cabin. Two rectangular aluminium-framed ports on each side, plus one forward, all open to ventilate the space.
The cockpit lockers also have moulded inserts, giving them smooth, wipe-clean surfaces. The trailerable package has a draught of 1.05 m with the lifting plates down.
Mk II Updates and Ownership
The Mk II changes are mainly moulded-in conveniences rather than structural alterations. They include the smoother cockpit-locker surfaces, moulded galley and stowage units, and a plastic headfoil rather than aluminium, which owners were expected to welcome.
More than 30 boats had been built before Stewart Brown’s death in 2018. The Drifter 22’s RCD category C rating frames her as a sheltered-water and short-coastal cruiser rather than an offshore passage boat.
The Verdict
The Drifter 22 is a faithful modern Drascombe: a trailerable yawl with traditional looks, a shallow-draught lifting-plate hull, and a bright, if low, cabin. She sails with more pace than her weight might suggest and trails easily at 1,800 kg all-in. Limited headroom and berths confined by the beam, however, make her better suited to short-stay cruising than living aboard.
Pros
- Shallow draught: 0.40 m with the plates up and 1.05 m with them down
- Gunter yawl rig steps easily and stows short for trailing
- Reinforced deckhead removes the need for a compression post, leaving clear berth space
- Reached more than 6 knots in testing
Cons
- Headroom of just over 1.3 m limits cabin comfort
- RCD category C limits offshore ambitions
- The original long-keel Drifter’s inboard option was lost in the redesign
