Since 1978 I have been fortunate to sail wooden boats. In 2006 I set out to find a Drascombe Longboat Cruiser for single-handed expedition sailing. This is the continuing story of how it came to be, our adventures, notes on the maritime world and other things I don't want to forget...


Friday, March 9, 2018

Let's Get This Show on the Road


She must have known it was a special day. After months of sitting covered in a field, Annnie appeared remarkably clean and bright as I unsnapped her cover. Awaiting the sailmaker I set up the outboard flushing tub and hooked up the gas line. remarkably to me the motor fired off clean on the first pull.

New sails are the last piece to a year long process of "putting right" the fire disaster that took her sails and spars. I had had decided to have the Ullman Sails of Virginia loft do the work and Jerry Ullsman, the owner, showed up ready to measure. Without a set to work from and a unique plan to reconstruct, we discussed the geometry at length and poured over photos I had brought. Drascombes have simple rigs without booms but even simple has to be right.





I bought a 14' length of schedule 40 aluminum tube to fashion a new roller reefing rig. Will wait for the new jib before proceeding.


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