Design and Construction
The Longboat measures 21.75 feet overall, with a 17.5-foot waterline and a beam of 6.58 feet. She has a narrow, light, solid-fibreglass hull, displaces about 1,100 lbs, and has a length-to-beam ratio of 3.31.
Her centreplate weighs 100 lbs and the rudder around 28 lbs, making the movable ballast and steering gear a meaningful share of the boat’s mass. With the plate raised, draft ranges from roughly 0.98 to 1.28 feet, depending on load. That allows her to dry out or sail close to a beach. An immersion rate of about 412 lbs per inch reflects how lightly she sits in the water.
Rig and Handling
The Longboat carries a yawl rig. She carries a yawl rig on a centreboard keel, the board a pivoting lifting keel that can be raised for shoal water. The modest sail plan keeps her within the European Union’s Class C certification when fewer than nine people are aboard.
As a stretched Lugger, she retains the shorter boat’s straightforward, beachable-dinghy temperament, scaled up for instructional use.
Accommodation
The record describes the Longboat as a small sailing dinghy with no enclosed berths. Her origins as a training boat for schools and Sea Scouts point to open, adaptable space rather than cruising accommodation. Anyone expecting a cabin cruiser would be looking at the wrong design.
Known Issues
The 100-lb centreplate and 28-lb rudder are heavy moving components in a boat that displaces about 1,100 lbs. Their pivots and the centreboard trunk take repeated loads during every launch, retrieval, or beaching.
The shallow-draft, beachable design also exposes these fittings to sand and grounding. Pivot wear is therefore a routine concern.
The Verdict
The Drascombe Longboat is a purposeful shoal-draft trainer that also works as a recreational daysailer and trailer-sailer. She’s easy to keep afloat, but she remains an open sailing dinghy rather than a small cabin cruiser.
Pros
- Stretched Lugger hull provides more room than the shorter boat
- Solid-fibreglass construction requires no plank upkeep
- Lifting centreplate and rudder allow about 1 foot of draft and make beaching possible
Cons
- A small sailing dinghy, not a cabin cruiser
- Heavy moving centreplate and rudder make pivot wear a routine concern
