Lugger ‘Tiki’ is one of the early Luggers produced by Honnor Marine in 1968/69. It was quite basic and more-or-less the front runner, and experimental in terms of the early use of glassfibre/resin to produce an inexpensive high volume production open leisure craft. This model was soon to be changed and upgraded to the Mk2 boat, then to the Mk3.
It was purchase in late October from Tim, who had owned her for over 15 years as a family sailing craft with great memories, and a reluctant sale due to ill heath.
As one will note from the pictures, she was in poor condition having sat in a boat yard for some 3 years, and prior to that had little use over the Covid years. Time outside without a cover in the weather takes its toll on the woodwork, equipment and hull, hence her current condition.
Tiki’s eventual home and role as a Dragon Drascombe charter boat will begin in May 2025 in the South Ionian Sea, after her full rebuild and upgrade to joinery and fittings supplied by our sister company Just Lugger Joinery
These Mk1 Luggers are my preference for the charter work. The lift-up seats that cover the deep aft Lazarette have great access, quite different to the later models that has the flimsy vertical ‘Tea tray’ lid that is fitted on the vertical face under the seating area.
With this model being the start of the production process, the resin/matting was much heavier, and the builders soon realised it was over ‘over-built’ and not cost-effective, so changes were quickly made for the roll-out of the MK2 in the very early 70’s. Secondly the moulds were new, and with a small number of this model being produced, the hull surface was so much better, far better edges and corners and very little ‘surface air voids’.
My rebuild blog will be structured into weekly blogs / reviews and will cover the various topics of upgrade, repairs and spray finishing. It starts on 18 November 2024 and she will be back on her rebuilt trailer in mid-January 2025. I welcome Drascombe owners to contact me needing advice or seeking help with their own Drascombe project.
info@dragondrascombe.com or
info@justluggerjoinery.com
So let’s start at the beginning, 11 November 2024, a very pleasant drive to Devon to collect Tiki. She was as advertised lying in a very small boat yard with poor access for my Med Trecker Kamper, without a winter cover and all its equipment strapped in the cockpit amongst Autumn leaves and other debris.
What gave me heart on looking forward at this project was my experience only just back in 2021 when I rebuilt another Mk1 Lugger, Angie. She has been chartered out in the South Ionian Sea with Dragon Drascombe since the summer of 2021, just after the Covid restrictions were lifted.
This model Lugger is easy to identify by its glass fibre lift-up Lazarette seats, my upgrade being better and more practical, since having fitted a stainless mainsheet traveller tube it allows the seats to be taken out without affecting the mainsheet.
I will be replacing all the Teak joinery with new made from Iroko, that Just Lugger Joinery has been using for a number of years. There are restrictions on the import of Teak into the UK from what was formerly Burma, now Myanmar since the Military Junta over 15 years ago.
A major upgrade to be made is to fit four of the cockpit side hatch openings with our Iroko-framed hatch lids. These are very practical and a give a smart appearance. The fifth and sixth cut-outs will be sealed and fitted with additional bouyancy.
For this early model with an open and exposed rib construction to the centre plate casing, which in my opinion is a safety issue and dangerous for the crew when moving around in the boat, it is to be totally encased with Iroko facing panels.
Whilst undertaking this task I will remove the existing centre plate pivot pin and replace it with our own JLJ strengthening plate. This original pivot pin was extremely poor and not fit for purpose, so it has to be a priority to replace and strengthen it.
Whilst the hull is turned over for a complete strip back to the gel coat prior to a re-spray, I will change the keel band and beaching rails.
I will do a complete section on the glass fibre repairs, preparing the hull for a respray, later in December. Coming shortly will be my blog on replacement for Gaff and bumpkin, with a thorough refurbish, scrape, sand and prep of the main and Mizen masts. Note on my website my successful refurb of spars, very successful with a great spray varnish finish.
So, keep viewing my posts and blogs on this series to cover the rebuild of Tiki.