Prior to the Recreational Craft Directive (1998), which enabled the introduction of rules and testing procedures with regards to minimal buoyancy very few designs were tested for buoyancy i.e how they would float and be recovered in the event of a swamping.
After this date we modified all of the buoyancy of our range of boats to conform to the new RCD standards. This enabled us to gain CE ratings (Category C) for all of our Devon range boats. Honnor Marine is the only builder of a Category C Dabber and Scaffie.
Our Lugger has a higher CE load rating than the Lugger produced by the current licensee manufacturer of Drascombe™ boats. i.e it has a greater load capacity. We have achieved this through design improvements. Our lugger has a rating for 7 adults at a weight of 75Kg per person, based on a maximum carrying weight of 525Kg, including the weight of an outboard engine and any additional luggage.
As a result should your pre 1998 Drascombe™ boat, manufactured by Honnor Marine (UK) Ltd (no relation to Honnor Marine Ltd) swamp the buoyancy may well not enable the boat to be bailed out and recovered, or support the crew, due to the fact it would lye too low in the water.
Water usually flows through the centre board case or outboard well making bailing out impossible. The photograph set below show this to be the case with a pre 1996 Gig which we have successfully modified. This could be very dangerous, especially with a young or in experienced crew as they could be exposed to hypothermia through exposure.
Swamping of these boats is comparatively rare. Most often this is caused by the mainsheet being clipped in and being hit by a squall when not underway.
But DO NOT WORRY!
Honnor Marine can offer an upgrade service whereby we upgrade the buoyancy of your Drascombe™ Boat to that installed in our new Devon range.
This upgrade could SAVE THE LIFE of YOU AND YOUR CREW. Can you afford NOT to upgrade your buoyancy?
We can be contacted via our contacts page which is here.
