A sailing dory who thinks she’s a yacht, MRS. BUCKET (pronounced Boo-Kay) was named after a British sitcom character of the same name. A Drascombe Lugger, her design was inspired by the great English Fishing Cobles and drawn by John Watkinson in 1968. She was built in Port Townsend in the 1980’s and was formerly named MANDY.
MRS. BUCKET can, seemingly, handle conditions well beyond the tastes of her owner. We’ve crossed bars on the coast of Oregon just minutes before they were closed. We’ve blundered into rips where we were told our main mast (and gunter) completely disappeared from view. We’ve been reported as lost by a nosy onlooker who didn’t think Mrs. B could cross Admiralty Inlet in a gale. We’ve even been declared “shipwrecked”, while snoring, high and dry, on a moonlit beach. Over the years, Mrs. B has become, truly, a very trusted and respected friend.
Traveling in MRS. BUCKET is sort of like Sea Kayaking…with beer. We’ve explored and spent the night in creeks, on little islets where you might not expect to see a boat and, occasionally, in the middle of nowhere when we’ve missed a tide. A sleeping bag can be accommodated on either side of the centerboard trunk, and you can pack a month of gear and provisions if you go light. An old army pup-tent, without a floor, pitches perfectly over the cockpit on rainy nights. We ditched the outboard years ago in favor of the very capable oars. We’ve found an anchor to be much quieter than a five horse in adverse currents.