August 2026 Newsletter
New accommodation ‘Little Owl’ cottage, road and mountain bike hire, and a great family sailing holiday. All this and more in the August newsletter
Try Road or Mountain Biking with Sailing
Road and mountain biking go well together with sailing on my charter packages. John and Karri, who are originally from the States but are now resident in Norway, booked well in advance for a late July week along with great friends Per and his wife Bridget, having 2 side-by-side apartments with Peter at the Armonia.…
Colin & Lizzie
This is Colin & Lizzie’s third charter with Dragon Drascombe and this time they will be based at Kioni on Ithica
June 2026 Newsletter
This summer I have welcomed new customers with little experience and seasoned sailors returning for some great sailing. It’s been a great start to the season
Spring 2026 Newsletter
With the wet and cold weather behind us, it’s time to make plans for a summer of sailing adventures
End of 2025 Season Newsletter
After a very productive and interesting summer of Lugger charters, meeting new crews, families and groups who returned for yet another taste of freedom of sailing in the South Ionian Sea, it’s time sadly to get the boats out of the water, cleaned and into winter storage.
Short Term Charters Taking Off
This summer I have introduced a short duration charter period for visitors to the area wanting to try out a Lugger whilst on holiday in the Nydri area.
Refurbishment in the Ionian
After over 10 seasons of being out on charter some of my Luggers were starting to look a little sad and faded. The sun, sea and use on charter takes it toll so some repairs and replacements were necessary
Lugger For Sale
Good friends Liz and Michael have decided to part with their MK 1 Lugger.
Newsletter, July 2025
The Lane family joined me out in the South Ionian Sea just over a week ago and enjoyed a week of exploring and sailing on their own.
Sail Tuition and Day Sail Groups
This summer I have introduced day sailing and sail training tuition at my base pontoon, the Eucalyptus
Newsletter, May 2025
Welcome again to past and new followers of Dragon Drascombe who share the same enthusiasm for the iconic Drascombe Lugger sailing boat.
Spring Newsletter 2025
A very warm welcome to my 10th year anniversary of the formation of Dragon Drascombe Ltd, as we get prepared to return to the sun.
Rebuild and Upgrade of Tiki
Follow the complete story of the rebuilding and upgrade of Lugger ‘Tiki’ using components from our sister company Just Lugger Joinery.
Tiki Week 10
I now need to look at the renewal of the wheel bearings, followed by the replacement of the stub axles on the old Snipe trailer.
Tiki Week 9
This week I will focus on the repairs and restoration of the masts and spars, currently in a sad state of repair
News from Just Lugger Joinery
Following the cold and rain of the past winter it’s now getting close to a time that one can spend preparing the Drascombe ready for a 2025 summer of sailing. However, with the age of these craft now catching up, the passage of time takes its toll on the fabric and structure of the boat.…
Newsletter, February 2025
Welcome to summer 2025 season for clients new and those returning to join me again in the South Ionian Sea for a sailing holiday of ‘Luggering About In The Sun’.
Tiki Week 8
This is the day one waits for, getting the boat out of the workshop in all her glory. Those who have followed the Tiki blog over the past 8-plus weeks will recognise the complete transformation since the start of this comprehensive rebuild.
Tiki Week 7
It’s getting quite exciting now that I’m into Week 7 of working on Tiki. With the exception of a Christmas break and a few days away on other commitments, it’s been full on with just myself working on the project.
Tiki Week 6
For this week 6 blog before the short Christmas break I made a priority to complete the last of the minor glassfibre repairs and paint finishing so I could concentrate on the pleasurable part of this rebuild with adding all the new finished joinery and fittings. Firstly, I mentioned previously that the four 50 mm…
Tiki Week 5
With all the pre-fitting of new joinery, the Keelband was the last task which I jumped forward to document so there was continuity for the complete process. I must illustrate the last 2 components that are to be replaced. Original centre plate New JLJ centre plate This is the existing centre plate. Looking at its…
Tiki Week 4
It’s now time to turn the boat over and discover what issues are buried under the years of antifoul applications, never a pretty sight! With myself, 3 pals from local units, 4 used tyres and a few old dust sheets made up into pads, she rolled over and when on edge walked, her gunwale slowly…
Tiki Week 3
In another productive week, the boat has had around 80% of its new joinery pre-fitted, then removed, and as one can see it’s much cleaner and so ready for the glass fibre work around the centre plate case pivot pin area.
Great Ionian Dragon Cruise 2025
Michel Maartens of Drascombe Nederlands is getting together with some other Dutch Drascombe enthusiasts to organise a cruise in late summer 2025, and using Dragon Drascombe as a base. This is Michel’s story of how it came about. It was a really long time ago that I travelled with my German girlfriend, backpacks on, from…
Tiki Week 2
Like all projects a good clean start is necessary to have a sound platform to work from. Tiki is no exception, she is over 50 years old and in need of serious repair work and updating with modern materials and bonding agents. So let’s commence with a full strip out of all joinery, junk and…
Tiki Week 1
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…
Meet our new Lugger project Tiki getting ready for 2025
Like her Mk1 sister Lugger Angie, who was rebuilt in 2021, Tiki will join the fleet in the South Ionian Sea in May 2025 Why not give it a go and book Tiki on her inaugural sailing season for your next sailing holiday ‘Luggering About In The Sun’ Contact Phil Osborne to look at dates…
Continue Reading Meet our new Lugger project Tiki getting ready for 2025
Booking for your 2025 ‘Sailing in The Sun’ is Important to do Early
This is what Jo has done and booked well in advance for a 2025 charter Package booking with an apartment at Geni Garden. Please do not leave it to early 2025, the apartments will not be available Booking now is only a £300 deposit payment Sail with Dragon Drascombe In 2025 “Dear Phil, Just to…
Continue Reading Booking for your 2025 ‘Sailing in The Sun’ is Important to do Early
Sail Training and Drascombe introductory courses in the sun for 2025
As followers of my website will know, over the years I have held individual sail training for single boat crews and family groups. This has worked well as will be noted from the reviews, notably the one submitted by Bruce Nelson in 2023 Bruce and Ann 2 week Refresher Sail Training For the coming summer…
Continue Reading Sail Training and Drascombe introductory courses in the sun for 2025
The September 2024 cruise to Kioni on Ithica
These sailing expeditions south of Lefkada to Ithica are regular events for Dragon Drascombe, as one will note from my previous year’s reviews, notably from David Craig and several visits by Neil Wilson and family. For this year’s trip south it was as a result of Dave and Ralph’s separate charter last year, they teamed…
Continue Reading The September 2024 cruise to Kioni on Ithica
Sailing in the Sun on 1st October 2024
Another glorious day of sailing for 2 Lugger groups on 1st October in Vlycho Bay. It was for Robert and Elspeth their third charter with me, importantly last October they came and had 10 days of Sail Training with me, the result of that has borne fruit, they are sailing with confidence showing very good wind…
David’s Planning for his 2025 Charter
David, a Lugger sailor in the US, and his wife are looking to make a reservation for 2025 as a part of a longer visit to Greece to explore the Eastern end and be land based, in the Mount Olympus National Park. This is a split land and sea based holiday spanning roughly 3 weeks…
Lugger owner “Down Under” planning his 2026 Ionian Sea sailing expedition
This is Charlie and ‘sailor Lab‘ on Trouberdour in NSW Australia. The Champagne platter is neatly balance on my centre case top board and the facia sides to the casing. This was among many pieces of Lugger joinery, fittings and parts that I supplied Charlie with in his attempt to put the proper finish to…
Continue Reading Lugger owner “Down Under” planning his 2026 Ionian Sea sailing expedition
Annie B Sailing with the Baton Roached Mains and Mizen sails
Here is Annie B sailing one of our charter Luggers, sailing rigged with the Baton Roached Mains and Mizen Sails. Some of our charter guests own and sail their own Luggers at home but come out to enjoy sailing in the Ionian sea on charter with Dragon Drascombe. Quite often we get charter guests that…
Continue Reading Annie B Sailing with the Baton Roached Mains and Mizen sails
Mid Summer Newsletter and Availabilty
Check out our latest Mid Summer Newletter looking at the recent guests of the first half of the summer. Also my upcoming availabilty. Enjoy reading about sailing in the Ionian sea and see the memories my past charter guests have caught on camera. Please get in touch if you have any questions or interest in…
Nick’s Previous Charter – Sailing Fever is Contagious!!!
Nick and Anne were previous charter guests that wrote a great review last year. You can read that Here. Its amazing to see that the sheer enthusiasm my charter guests leave with is rubbing off on thier extended family. Great to see more people getting into sailing and possibly in the future into Drascombes!!! Here…
Continue Reading Nick’s Previous Charter – Sailing Fever is Contagious!!!
What an end to a day of Sailing!!!
Rounding off the day of being out on the water, a delicious supper on the Iris balcony, a sea food and pasta dish with tomatoes, peppers embraced with local mussels and king Prawns and laced with white wine. A great way to end the day!!!! Check out the Iris Hotel
Drascombe Netherlands and Just Lugger Joinery
Michel Maartens, over at Drascombe Netherlands, has published a great post talking about the recent partnership between Just Lugger Joinery and themselves. Just Lugger Joinery is the sister company to Dragon Drascombe and provides hand made parts and accessory’s for Drascombe Boats. It has been translated to English but the original can be found here.…
Continue Reading Drascombe Netherlands and Just Lugger Joinery
Another day on the water with clients
It’s mid way through June and the temperature has steadied at 29, with the evenings at 25 so a nice temperature at the end of the day of being on the water. It’s been a busy day with client groups so what better than to finish work and get a late afternoon swim at Effie’s…
Great sailing pals come into assist others enjoy this outstanding sailing environment.
Both Andy and Dave Hiscock have returned year after year to join my Ionian charters and are the exponents of the use of the R&J Baton Roach sail sat up, see Andy’s past review on this topic. This past summer they chose the first week in September, a great month for a lower temperature and…
Sail Training in the South Ionian Sea
This sail training charter was a unique opportunity for both myself and Elspeth Rob, the following review is a joint assessment and review which highlights the value of my Sail Training Programme. To commence I will outline the background on what brought about this sailing programme for Elspeth and Rob. Back last summer they…
The First Charters of Summer 2023
Beginning the season with a couple of groups was a great way to start. It helps to bring a more social atmosphere to the whole experience. Each group was met personally on arrival and we started off with a Meza lunch and then a full introduction to the boat and the various equipment. The introduction,…
Return to the Sun
Read about the fantastic sailing experience on our website May 2023 Newsletter This Newsletter is available for download at the following link This is the south Ionian Sea with Lugger Jojo at anchor, the essential Biminiin place and a delightful secluded bay known to all this summer as ‘Paradise’bay. Indeed it is paradise for Lugger…
Earthquake Appeal
Dragon Drascombe has taken on another humanitarian urgent challenge. This horrendous earthquake in the Turkish / Syrian region needs all our help. Please give what you can to help in this terrible disaster for the people of the region. Find out more and make a donation on the DEC website.
January Newsletter
A stunning Ionian sunrise Yet another January in history and another January Newsletter for ‘Sailing in the Sun’ 2023. As always it’s the start of getting fittings, materials and new Lugger equipment together ready for the long drive to the South Ionian Sea in mid-April. With the commencement of the charter season on 30 April…
Drascombe Association Convention 2023
M-Shed, Museum of Bristol, Bristol. Dragon Drascombe and Just Lugger Joinery will be taking part in this event on 25 February 2023 The Drascombe Association is gathering to celebrate its past and future, in the M SHED, which is a beautifully upgraded event facility in Bristol, and is perfect for bringing together the members of…
Mission Ukraine
Back in April 2022 I pledged to give 10% of the profits of my Just Lugger Joinery business to provide humanitarian support to the people of Ukraine. Although it has been a challenging year for all of us, I have been able to make a donation to Swansea-based charity Mission Ukraine, who provide just this sort…
September Newsletter
A very warm welcome to all who follow the Dragon Drascombe website and my frequent Newsletters. This photograph captures what sailing Drascombe Luggers in the Greek Ionian is all about. To be able to find lovely shallow coves to anchor in, picnic and swim off the boat. To have the versatility to sail under jib…
July Newsletter
Early June commencement with Simon and Philippa sailing down to Frikes for their 10 day stay. The visit was quite symbolic for Simon since it was the village that he was based at, teaching wind surfing and dingy sailing some 35 years or so ago, and his first holiday with Philippa. Very special memories and…
The New Season Begins
Another overland drive from Wales to the Ionian Islands, with Lugger Katerina in tow, kick starts my 2022 summer season of ‘Sailing Luggers in the Sun’, with the first couple arriving on 6 May. The drive through Europe now takes me six days, this with shorter driving days and regular overnight camping spots. For the…
The Lady is ready for the water
This is Katerina, now 49 years old and ready to charter for 6 May after a total rebuild. Would YOU like the great opportunity to sail this magnificent example of a Honnor Marine Lugger, originally built in Totnes, Devon in 1973, and now totally rebuilt with modifications and equipment suited to Med sailing by Dragon…
Happy New Year 2022
At the beginning of January 2022, can you go forward in your thoughts six months and envisage sailing, swimming, exploring and having a relaxed holiday in the South Ionian Sea, sailing a Drascombe Lugger? Yes, this is more than achievable, take a good look at our client reviews of 2021 and in previous years. They are…
End of Summer 2021
Our last sunrise across Vliho Bay In mid October 2021, and still enjoying the warmth of swimming off the Luggers. With groups still enjoying the more temperate weather of late September and early October in the South Ionian Sea, in the daytime it’s around 26 degrees, a perfect time to explore the islands and harbours…
Swallows & Amazons!
A Swallows and Amazons adventure arranged by Dragon Drascombe and associates for children of local families proved to be a huge success.
Clear crystal waters, slightly shingle beach, no tides to be concerned with, just brilliant for kids to enjoy being on the water. What other boat is so easy to transform into a great learning and fun experience for kids?
August Newsletter
A very, very warm welcome to my early August Newsletter Over the past 10 days we have experienced a heat wave that has been widespread over the Eastern Mediterranean. So, to get some relief I have moved my summer office from my Kamper base to the sea facing terrace of the Hotel Iris, just 200m…
The Great Opening of Lugger Charters
Sailing at last! The decision was made in early May to make 4 July the start of our charter season. For this date I had two crews booked, George and Melanie from Canada/Kentucky US, staying at the George Studio apartments. George, known to all as Skip, has a Longboat in the US which he sails…
Angie rigged and ready to go
After eight weeks, Angie has turned out a truly magnificent Lugger, totally rebuilt and with modifications to suit her new life in the Med including full Bimini sun shade and picnic set. It will be a pleasure to have her moored on the apartment jetty at Geni Garden Apartments, awaiting one’s desire and time to…
Angie – Week 4
So at last, Friday 28 May 2021! Angie is rolled out into the sunshine in Wales, a very exciting day to see the endeavours of the past 7 weeks come to fruition. You will note that I have managed to straighten and clean up the original 1967 builder’s plate. She is now completed with just…
Angie – Weeks 2/3
Whilst acknowledging her age now since she was built 53 years ago, it is evident that she has been used extensively, based on the damage and repairs that have been undertaken, some reasonable and others at best negligent in terms of safety of the craft. But yes, she has survived and will be of a…
April Newsletter
So much has changed since my last Newsletter, so let’s hope this progress with the vaccination programme will continue across Europe and the world in general. Like most of my age group we have had our first if not our second jab and yet are still aware that the virus is causing great concern in…
Angie – Restoration Begins
So here she is on 10 April 2021, at last in Wales ready for work to commence. I’ve removed most of the clutter and debris that came with the purchase, it wasn’t even cleaned out! One thing I had not realised is that she did not have a Bumpkin stern spar, or rather there were…
Newsletter January 2021
A very warm, welcome and Happy New Year to friends old and new for this coming year of 2021, a year so long awaited and needed after the past 10 months of 2020. It has been a period in which we have all experienced in some form or other personal or family hardships, illnesses and…
Newsletter October 2020
What an inspiring image to lift ones thoughts to next summer and your holiday ‘Sailing Luggers In The Sun’. Yes, this is what we have all missed and been deprived of this past spring and summer. The calm mornings at Geni, the sun not quite over the ridge to the east and ahead is the…
Newsletter June 2020
Welcome back everyone from this very difficult and stressful period since I last met with you in my January Newsletter. The past 3 months has seen so much change, not gradually but applied within days, inflicting life-changing events for some, and throughout society devastating influences to ones work and family lives; sadly I fear this…
Happy New Year for 2020
A very warm welcome everyone to my first Dragon Drascombe Newsletter of 2020, a year in which I will be focused on providing an even greater spread of accommodation alternatives within the community of Geni and Vliho Bay. The past year of 2019 has seen a lot of change which has impacted on my Drascombe…
December 2019
This will be my last post of this year. I do hope you will appreciate the diverse nature and approach of the holidays available for this coming summer. As you can read on our Cycle and Sail page, we have teamed up with Simon and Lucy at Get Active Lefkas to offer a variety of…
End of Summer Blog 2019
My morning starts with getting the weather forecast for the day, walking Bengy my Greek sheep dog and then the 15 minute motor in the tender south into Vliho Bay, and to the bakery owned and run by Harri. As those who have stayed with me at ‘Luggering about in the sun’ will have experienced,…
Late Season Activity 2019
The first day of September, and what a lovely change this morning at 6.30, a calm, clear and fresh atmosphere, temperature around 20 degrees and the Meganissi Chanel very quiet. We are now coming into the last six weeks of the charter season. September especially is a great month, the locality is much quieter, the…
Clara joins the Dragon Drascombe fleet
You may have followed Lugger Clara’s progress from October 2018 when I acquired her and brought her back to the workshop of Dragon Design at Tredegar in South Wales. This is the home and base of my Cabinetry and boat building business. She has now travelled across Central Europe, enduring a dramatic fault with her…
Return to Nidri – part 2
It was good to leave the Chiemsee campsite, still wet and cold and have the certainty of hitting better weather as each day we headed south, firstly through Austria, into Slovenia where the new roads are excellent and dropping into the northern end of Croatia. Again, I had pre-booked a campsite at Selce for 2…
Clara’s maiden voyage
Less than 24 hours after discovering the leak and the damage to Clara, the repair has been completed and she sailed across to Frikes Bay. The daytime heat meant that the glassing had to wait until nearer to sunset, but the job was soon done. So at 6.30am on Friday she was back on the…
The Dangers of Automotive Filler
To all DIY Drascombers, avoid using automotive body filler on your ‘Pride and Joy’, especially below the water line, it could be disastrous! You will have ready my review of the rebuild of Clara by my cabinetry making company, Dragon Design in Wales. Despite a thorough check of the underside when we cleaned all the…
Back to Nidri
For those that have followed Dragon Drascombe, ‘Luggering about in the sun’, you will be aware of my return to Wales in mid-July to visit Steph, my daughter, who had just undergone surgery for ovarian cancer. Yes, the procedure at BMI, Birmingham has gone well, but the post operational period and chemotherapy is going to…
Early Summer 2019
With winter cabinetry projects very close to completion and 2018 Lugger Clara totally refurbished it’s time yet again to gather my Lugger fittings and equipment together for packing into the campervan for the drive over to the Greek Ionian. Along with our tent based awning, it is home for us and Bengy throughout the summer…
Final completion and debut of Lugger Clara
On a cold and grey Wednesday, 12th December 2018 at the home of Dragon Design, Cabinetmakers, Clara was wheeled out for the first time after undergoing a full and extensive refit. It has taken 6 weeks, not all full time work, and 280 man hours to complete. As a Mk 1 Lugger, with a hull…
Clara Restoration – Week 4
She is not quite completed as I had anticipated, and it’s the small and time consuming work on the boat in readiness for her launching in May 2019 that has taken the time. The fittings have now arrived from Jimmy Green Marine Company to enable its last stage of fit out. The hull graphics have…
Clara Restoration – Week 3
So here we are at the end of week 3. All the spray finishing has been completed to the cockpit in Manilla with the hull lower section in white and the top plank in a grey, and she’s looking good. The next stage was the fitting of the Iroko hatches and centre board casing cheeks.…
Clara Restoration – Week 2
The hard work on preparing the hull is over, with all the masking up done, and by Tuesday the upper plank was in grey and the lower part in white, all left to cure for 48 hours. Next was to prep the underwater area up to the white hull before roller-painting with a Seajet primer.…
Clara Restoration – Week 1
Clara with a hull number of 937 would have been an early 1970 boat and a Mk 1 model, still with the original short Gaff. Despite being a little dirty from some 4 years of being unused and left undercover, her hull gel coat was original, very little damage apart from some scratches. The early…
Clara – the refit begins
So this is Clara, an early 70’s Lugger bought just in the last week or so. She was owned and sailed as a part of a University Marine Studies programme in Cardiff, predominantly in Cardiff bay and the Bristol Channel. She has been lightly used and in a clean condition, requiring now to be stripped…
End of Season Diary 2018
The delightful calm of Vliho Bay with cool mornings and temperatures of sustainable levels are now behind me, having taken the Igeomenitsa to Ancona ferry some 2 weeks ago for the shorter drive back to chilly Wales. With charter groups continuing through to the last week in September it was a very busy period getting…
Mid Summer Diary
Nidri, The Greek Ionian. It’s a sad day for Bengy today, he does not know it yet but the boat he uses for a day time shelter is being moved, I will have to make him another shelter out of a Lugger winter cover – with temperatures at around 33 he has to have shade…
Early Summer 2018
From my stunning summer office / home on the water’s-edge overlooking Vliho Bay, I can watch as boats enter and leave. My Luggers and workshop are close by, so in between introducing groups to Lugger sailing I am on hand to clean and maintain the boats before launching. All the boats were cleaned last October…