Drascombe Lugger - Honnor Marine
This well-presented Mark 3 Lugger, built at the renowned Honnor Marine factory in Totnes, is a classic example of a design that has stood the test of time. Luggers are celebrated for their enduring build quality and traditional styling, with very little change to their core design over the years—making them a trusted and popular choice among sailing enthusiasts.
The boat was recently refurbished by Phil @ Just Lugger Joinery - you can read his blog here https://justluggerjoinery.com/philsworkshopblog/the-girl-christina/
Included in the sale is a UK road-legal trailer, built in 2011, offering excellent convenience for transport and storage. This makes the boat an ideal option for those looking to explore different sailing locations with ease.
While this particular Lugger represents great value, it’s worth noting the evolution of the design. From 1998 onwards, the Mark 4 Lugger introduced key updates to meet modern regulations, including increased buoyancy foam and a raised centre plate casing. These enhancements allowed the boats to achieve a Category C CE rating, certifying their carrying capacity and safety standards—standards that continue in newly built Luggers today.
This Mark 3 Lugger is a solid, reliable boat with timeless appeal—perfect for both newcomers and experienced sailors alike.
History of the Drascombe Lugger
The Drascombe Lugger is one of Britain’s most iconic and enduring small sailing boats, first designed in the mid-1960s by former Royal Navy officer John L. Watkinson. Originally conceived as a safe, stable, and versatile family dayboat, the first Lugger was hand-built by Watkinson in a barn at Drascombe Barton in Devon.
Drawing inspiration from traditional working boats of England’s northeast coast—whose heritage can be traced back to Viking craft—the Lugger combined classic lines with practical, seaworthy performance.
The design proved an immediate success and entered production in 1968, quickly establishing itself as a benchmark for trailerable coastal cruisers. More than 2,000 Luggers have since been built, with production continuing in the UK to this day.
A key part of the Lugger’s appeal is its versatility: it can be sailed, rowed, or powered by an outboard, making it equally suited to estuaries, coastal cruising, and extended camping trips. Its stable hull, shallow draft, and distinctive yawl rig have enabled owners to undertake impressive voyages—including long-distance coastal passages and even ambitious ocean crossings.
Over the decades, the design has remained largely unchanged, a testament to its original concept of simplicity, safety, and enjoyment. Today, the Drascombe Lugger continues to be celebrated as one of the most versatile and characterful traditional dayboats ever produced.