Hi i am thinking of buying an eventide 24 one of the most critical points for me due to mooring restrictions is the exact draught of a bilge keeled 1969 24
the other major factor is i have never owned a wooden boat are they really very hard work in terms of upkeep ( work commitments etc ) could she be left in the water say every over winter any other advice would be appreciated. thanks in advance
buying in eventide
Moderators: Eventide Owners Group, Piskie, chris s
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Nigel Vaughan
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Sat August 13th, 2011, 10:53 pm
Re: buying in eventide
Hello,
I have an Eventide 24 built 1963. Her draft is 2' 9". Her bilge keels are marginally less deep so when she dries onto a hard sand bottom she just leans over a little. Unusually, she is built of pitch pine strip planking on oak frames - most were ply but some were double diagonal. The hull was cascover sheathed to the waterline from when built. The hull is absolutely sound and the cascover remains adhered well. The maintenance load of painting the hull is low. The higher maintenance is around decks/hull, deck/cabin and rubbing strake joints which tend to let rain water in - not much but very difficult to ever completely stop - my successes last a while and then another little leak develops and these small leaks lead to soft wood developing from time to time in the plywood raised topsides, etc. But I am able to keep on top of the repairs and maintenance. I personally feel that there is a maintenance load associated with any boat - engine, seacocks, electrics, stern gear, sails, rigging, etc etc, and the fact that one's hull may be wood rather than GRP only adds a little bit more.
I keep my Eventide in commission all the time except that I do a refit in June one year, September the next, none the next, then back to June. Thus 2 maintenance periods every 3 years. Maintenance usually takes me 4 or 5 weeks. I believe that wooden boats are well suited to being in commission permanently - it works well for me and has done for 12 years or so.
The Eventide is a great boat - roomy but cosy accommodation, shallow draft, able to take the ground, seaworthy and pretty. I have been fortunate in having sold a business and have some spare money so have been thinking of a new boat. I have looked at the Cornish Yawl, the Cornish Crabber and the Yarmouth 23. They are all nice boats but none seem to quite combine all the virtues of the Eventide. And people keep telling me what a beautiful boat I have. So its hard to move on!
Nigel
I have an Eventide 24 built 1963. Her draft is 2' 9". Her bilge keels are marginally less deep so when she dries onto a hard sand bottom she just leans over a little. Unusually, she is built of pitch pine strip planking on oak frames - most were ply but some were double diagonal. The hull was cascover sheathed to the waterline from when built. The hull is absolutely sound and the cascover remains adhered well. The maintenance load of painting the hull is low. The higher maintenance is around decks/hull, deck/cabin and rubbing strake joints which tend to let rain water in - not much but very difficult to ever completely stop - my successes last a while and then another little leak develops and these small leaks lead to soft wood developing from time to time in the plywood raised topsides, etc. But I am able to keep on top of the repairs and maintenance. I personally feel that there is a maintenance load associated with any boat - engine, seacocks, electrics, stern gear, sails, rigging, etc etc, and the fact that one's hull may be wood rather than GRP only adds a little bit more.
I keep my Eventide in commission all the time except that I do a refit in June one year, September the next, none the next, then back to June. Thus 2 maintenance periods every 3 years. Maintenance usually takes me 4 or 5 weeks. I believe that wooden boats are well suited to being in commission permanently - it works well for me and has done for 12 years or so.
The Eventide is a great boat - roomy but cosy accommodation, shallow draft, able to take the ground, seaworthy and pretty. I have been fortunate in having sold a business and have some spare money so have been thinking of a new boat. I have looked at the Cornish Yawl, the Cornish Crabber and the Yarmouth 23. They are all nice boats but none seem to quite combine all the virtues of the Eventide. And people keep telling me what a beautiful boat I have. So its hard to move on!
Nigel