A Few Thoughts...

'Drascombing'

This page contains a few thoughts on sailing the boat itself, and the pastime that we call 'Drascombing'. Previous to owning Aquarius, my father had, at different times, boats ranging from a Mirror dinghy, which I learned to sail in, to a Vancouver 27, which I would have loved to have crossed the Atlantic in! Most recently he had a Hunter Medina. It was a fast boat, but was a real handful to control. Take your eye off it for a second and you never knew what might happen. Exciting, I would call it. Sailing a Coaster feels like a cross between the Mirror and the Vancouver 27. It's light enough to be handled easily on and off the water, and is simplicity itself to sail, but can take an amazing amount of weather without panicking the crew! Words to describe the sailing experience range from relaxing to exhilarating.

So much for the boat - what about the Drascombing? This is my son, Robbie. He's quite new to the Drascombe way, but is already displaying a happy Drascombe face! Stewart Brown describes a Drascombe as 'A sail that becomes a way of life.' - well put. I love the Drascombe terminology that creeps into the rallies. We have become used to the phrase "We'll leave the jetties at 9 o'clock, Drascombe time". I've certainly noticed my approach to sailing becoming more relaxed since getting the Coaster, and perhaps the Drascombe approach to time is something we should try to emulate on land!