For the many sailers and Drascomber’s in particular who find great satisfaction in repairing and maintaining their own craft, I have set about compiling “How to do it” sections on varying topics, listed below. These are not a definitive detail or procedure, but rather what I have gained from my background in the joinery and marine industry over the past 40 years and having rebuilt 13 or so Luggers. Experiencing a lot of poor manufacturing defects, badly damaged areas and poor maintenance practices.
Of course there will be other opinions out there, so please take this free advice in the spirit that it is offered. Your interaction is very much welcomed on my Help and Advice page and these will be shared.
Please also see our health and safety notes.
Fitting an Engine Packing Plate
Fit a packing plate so that your engine sits in just the right place to clear the Transom board properly
Gunwale Rail Making and Fitting
These capping rails are made from Iroko, with all the machining and processing done here in our workshop. We supply them pre-formed to fit the curvature of the boat.
Fix the Centre Plate Restriction Plate
The restriction plate is needed to stop the centre board travelling too far and damaging the casing. The original ones often went astray, so here’s how to replace it.
Adding Centre Plate Casing
These are not an essential piece of joinery for the Luggers. However, after 40 odd years of use, the centre plate case can suffer serious damage due to it being the fulcrum pivot position of the centre plate.
Main Sheet Traveller Tube Replacement
This is another worthwhile task and not expensive or difficult to achieve.
Replacing the Engine Mount
The JDJ transom engine mounting bracket is made to fit the existing well. Replacing the old one is a relatively straightforward job.
Replacing the Centre Plate Pivot
Replacing and strengthening the centre plate pivot pin is a common task in the early to late 70’s boats. The weight and vibration of the centre plate causes the fixings to loosen and often break out.
Replacing an Iroko Keel Band
The keel band can get into a bad way, bowing inwards and restricting the centre plate. Here’s how to replace one.
Glass Fibre & Resin Work – Part 2
A good clean-up reveals damage to the hull itself which has to be repaired, this time a combination of fibre & resin and filler.
Glass Fibre & Resin Work – Part 1
This is an introduction to serious repair work for reinforcing and strengthening your boat! How to use glass fibre and resin successfully. Preparation is the key…
Future topics, with photographs of my work, will cover:
- Minor hull repairs
Not all damage is major, so the small surface knocks and scratches can be rectified with a general good preparation and filling with the appropriate material. - Gunwhale capping rails
Another sacrificial area, not as exposed to damage as the keel band, however as you will note from the photographs on this website, the 2 capping rails we manufactured and fitted this week were a stark contrast to the battered, split and sad looking original capping rails. - The preparation of the hull for repainting, be it by hand with a roller or a spray finish.
There will be later topics, for instance using a light line whipping to protect spars when in contact with the areas they are in contact with. I prefer using whipping collars to varying wedges being applied to keep these different surfaces protected.