Hello John

Thank you for your kind welcome. You did get my name right, Han is my first name.

In Holland there are -as far as I know- three Kylixes. I meet them sometimes on the Dutch waters. All three are in good condition. Should be because the oldest is only a bit more than 30 years old.

I will include a picture of my boat.

Please send some details of your trip to Holland, if I'm not away on holidays we might meet. My harbour is Enkhuizen.

One of the other Kylix owners is planning an article about MG and the Kylixes. I'll ask him to contact you.

Greetings, Han

Hi Roy,

Adverts are now on the web site - pictures would help a lot. How about I come down to your yard and take some pictures for the site?

Regards

Barry

Dear john

re the boat for sale Galliard please email me full

details and any photos you may have .

regards Ian.

Hello,

Just seen your ad. on a website.

Cannot find any info. at Tollesbury  marina site.

Please send some further details.

Many thanks,

Hi John

Thanks for your letter. Will send pic shortly.No probs with contact, phone is xxxxxxx.

Bought Grayvella last year, but have known her for years by virtue of having worked on her for previous owners who

had long ago run out of steam and should have sold her ages ago. Currently endeavouring to fit Volvo MD5A. think it will go but shan't be waterskiing ! Built by Hartwells in Plymouth in 63 but registered in Harwich in 69. Had a Stuart [ a nice one ], which I managed to damage fairly seriously. Will be doing some engineless sailing  I think.

Might be worth adding your web address to your welcome letter so its poss to go straight there.

Cheers

Pete Smart

Many thanks for your kind words of support. I have passed this e-mail on to John. I will put the images you sent on the Storm page in a few days. We agree with you that Storm is a very beautiful boat. Possibly the reason there are so few is that it is round chine and so more difficult to build - who knows!

It would be great to see one being built. Have you ever seen any MG designs where you are from?

As for the Link, thank for pointing this out, no, there should be no space between enquires and @. I'll fix this shortly. In the mean time please feel free to email me direct any time you want to.

Once again, many thanks for your support.

How about writing a page or so to include on the site on the subject of MG BOATS or STORM or THE EOG ' a view from Brazil'  or something like that?

Best Regards

Barry & John

I send him e-mails via his daughter Mary, He is only to pleased to offer advice on the Waterwitch.

It sounds like a boaters paradise with many different types of water to satisfy different tastes. It is interesting to hear how the local press is dealing with boating. Much the same has happened in the UK. Around the 50s and early 60s, people started to get interested in hobbies formally only the privilege of the rich wealthy. Many people started building small, and not so small, boats in their back gardens. This probably peaked in the 70s as 'plastic' boats became more affordable.

The Press of the day reflected these changing trends, and still do to this day. It is interesting to note that the latest 'big' magazine to be launched (the one on the Web Site front page) Sailing Today, seems to be concentrating on the more 'ordinary' boats that more people can afford. It is no longer a sin to want to make your own hatch - if you know what I mean. There also appears to be a renewed interest in wood as a building material, not because its plentiful or cheap or easy to work, but simply because its beautiful. Anyway, long may this trend continue.

In reading your text I wonder if the problem with wooden boats is one of perception. In the UK such wood as Mahogany, Teak and the like are highly prized and very, very expensive. Therefore, any boat built of these woods or containing large amounts of these 'rare' woods is much admired but the ordinary man cannot have boats built of these woods any more, far too expensive. Are these rare woods cheap in Brazil as I know a lot of these woods in our country come from yours. We are also aware of the Rain Forest problem.

I would love to see the site in another language - just to make it more accessible. If you fancy having a go I have attached an older Front Page for you to have a play with. As to your English, it's excellent, with only a few small errors that I could easily fix. If you return it in Portuguese I could include a link on the main front page.

Best Regards

Barry

Subject: Re: Storm plan and drawing

John,

Hope you get these OK and not clogging up your mail. Let me know if it is a problem with the size etc.

Rgds Paul

p.s. saw you on tele on the getting afloat program, getting a seagull going..

Excellent! I must mine out and getting running for the tender to FRAM someday.

Just a quick line to say that my father Bill Turton owned 'Sixpence' for many years. I can still remember travelling to the East Coast with my father to view the boat - it was painted an awful pale blue - everywhere!!
Based at the PMC (Penarth Motorboat and Sailing Club) in South Wales, Sixpence was raced very succesfully, both crewed (sometimes by me) and single-handed for many years, and also took a large family on many fondly remembered holidays to Devon, Cornwall and the South Coast.
She was also entered in the AZAB (Azores and Back) race some years ago, sailed by Jack Taylor, also of the PMC. JAck's adventures in this race featured in an hour-long ITV programme which was available on video at one time.
My brothers and sisters all loved that boat, and were truly sad when she was sold. The last we heard was that she had been retored to her thirties splendour, and was moored somewhere in the Mediterranean. There was a sister ship 'Sequence' which also sailed from Cardiff at one point. She was almost identical except she lacked a bowsprit.
My father has many many photos of Sixpence, racing, cruising, or just holidaying. He also has many of MG's books, and once even met the great man at an Earls Court Boat Show.

Andrew Turton 

I'll pass the site details on to my father. He's pretty good on the computer, so I'm sure he'll have a look, and maybe get in touch. He used to have the old line drawings for Sixpence at one time, though he may have passed those on to the new owners when he sold her.
Cheers for now,
Andrew

John,

Please find some more pictures of FRAM. Progress is slow but still fun. I still have to pick up the bildge keels from your sister's, apologies for the lack of communication on the matter. I am planning a trip to the east soon.

As you can see from the pictures I have got the startboard side back together again and removed the port side for restoration. I am glad I started on the port side as the stbd side is ten time as worse with regards to rot. I have some pictures of the white forest on the stringers. Anyway, I am not giving up and went off to Oxford for another 20M of 8" X 1" Iroko and piled them on the top of the 2CV, succesfully transporting them back to Hungerford.

I ripped the planks into 4M stringers and used a friends RYOBI surface paner to bring then down to size. He turned up with it after my wife Jan discussed how she and Jenni (boat partner) had spent the whole day planing one of the stringers to size to the friend's wife. The following day, with the planer I did all five inless than 2 hours (in between the rain storms) on my own. I now have all new stringers ready to go in the stbd side.

Eight of the ribs have also had to be replaced and a couple of the floors repaired. All the bulkheads have also rotted where they join the sides so am wondering whether just to chop out the bulkheads completly and replace or splice (halving joint) in a foot wide strip of ply.

Despite the frustration with the weather prgress is slowly being made and I cann't wait to get the stbd side on so I can get on with repairing the deck beams and lay the new deck. Then it will be time for the some serious epoxy and cloth laying. The epoxy and microfibres has made excelent glue and filler so far but I will have to learn how to spread it over large areas and lay or hang the cloth. The deck should be easy following the instructions but doing the sides and bottom of the hulls is going to be instresting. I would be interested in hearing from anyone with this sort of experiance.

I possibly have the offer of a Petter 12HP to replace the Stuart Turner.

Will keep you posted on progress.

Rgds Paul

p.s I will send 2 more pic file separating

Hi John

          Thank you very much for trying to help me out, the reason I am intrested in this boat is that I am married to the daughter of the man that bulit her, his name was George W Cunneber, he built it with the owner who was Arthur Jewers. It would be lovely to find out what has happened to her. My wife and I are both keen sailors, I would be grateful if you would contact Bob Bertram and pass on this information.

Thanks again                   

Regards

John Meader

John,

Hello, long time no speak or see. Hope you and yours are well.The site seems to get better every time I log on. The new burgee looks very smart. Will send you order for a couple soon.Gilgalad has aproblem which I am hopoing you can help me solve. Whilst preparing to paint rear deck and cockpit last week have discovered serious rot  in transom and associated structure up to rear bulkhead ie aft end of cockpit. Have yet to rempve all affected timber,  but it looks as we may be able to scarf/ double up on existing frames once cut back to good wood then fit new transom and decking,I need to get hold of construction detalis/dimensions for this area of boat  as much of original has gone or is rotten so accurate details/ measurements cannot be had.How I can get hold of this info,without going to the (rising judging by your comments on the website)expense of buying a full set of plans ?

Kind Regards

John,I would like if possible to borrow a set of plans and have them copied,Ihave a friend who should be able to copy them for me.I am probably off to Salcombe for a few days on Sunday,so will you be at Tillingham w/c 18/7 ?I could come over and collect them and drop off a Seagull outboard I want you to have a look at.

regards

Stephen

Hi John I know you expect to arrive at goes on the 21st depending the on weather, but till when are you planning to stay?  i realise that that is also weather dependent.  chris

Daer ser

 could you please send the full inventory for the 30 foot eventide.

   yours  h.fleming

Ok thank you look forward to hearing from you again.

Hi John,

Many thanks for sending me those emails, I replied to the chap last week but have not heard anything as yet.   I sent him the phone no. of the last known owner who had just bought her about 6 years or so ago.   Unfortunately she was in a bit of a mess on the hard at Rye.   Painted bright blue and yellow!   I have often thought about going to find her.   I have some photos floating around if you need any for your site.

I have not done much with my Tiki 21 or the collection of Seagulls in the shed as yet.   Just don't seem to get my life in gear, either that or I am trying to do too much and not suceeding at anything.   Not much sailing either although we should be having a few nights out on a friends T31 in a couple of weeks.   Nice boat but that bloody keel frightens the poo out of me!!   Specially going down the Deben on a falling tide.

Regards

Bob

Hi John

I will see if I can find some photos, I even have one of Dave somewhere on Oddin, or should it be one D?

Have a good trip.

Regards

Bob

Hi all at Eventide,

Mr Sidney Taylor has asked me to send the attached pictures of his craft "Ramillies" leaving the place where it was built. I guess you know all about this craft.

By the way, great web sight.

Regards,

Dave Birch

Hi John,

Glad you had a good time.   As usual I have been running around like a headless chicken and getting nowhere.   I will sort them out in a couple of days.   Keep badgering me if I don't

Regards

Bob

We are looking for a Yachting Monthly Senior to buy. Could you please advise us where we would find one for sale?

Thank You.

Martin Deighton

Hi John,

Well, I'm sorry you can't hear it, it's very clever. I can remember my Dad and I huddling round the radio listening and chortling at it whenever it came on, and that would have been back in the mid-60s. I don't know that I ever heard The Clitheroe Kid or Round the Horn, but The Navy Lark rings a bell -- wasn't it Pertwee who was forever saying, "Left hand down a bit" when he was giving helm directions?

Glad the dough arrived all right. And thanks again for great service.

Yes, I rather gathered from Ted recently that your weather wasn't too brilliant right at the moment. Nor is ours, of course. But we have an excuse -- it's winter here....

Now as far as the pennant staffs go, my thought was just to let people know that they were available if they didn't want to make one themself. And an ad in the For Sale pages would certainly do that all right. But Barry mentioned that maybe you might stock a few, and that sounded like a good idea to me -- I could send a bunch over all at once and cut the unit delivery costs down a bit, and I'd also make them available to the EOG at trade rate which would mean a bit of a profit in your pocket on every sale. (This is exactly the arrangement I have with the AR Society for the sale of my S&A maps.)  Delivery damage isn't an issue -- I have stuff like this freighted all over the place with no trouble at all, packed in PVC sewer-pipe. It seems to me that this could be a three-way win, but you understand I'm not pushing it particularly -- I thought it just sounded like a very good idea of Barry's.

Anyway, I'll leave it to you two to cogitate on.

And I'll post a photo of the new burgee as soon as I can get one.

Cheers,

Mike

Hi John, Thanks for your email and offer to help. I see the photo I have already sent has been added to my ad. I include some additional photos and an inventory with this email.

My own investigations and what I was told by the man who bought the plans, leads me to believe that I may have the only Francis Drake to be built. Because the plans for Chloe were the first set to be sold (1978-79), Chloe's sail number is FD1. I've corresponded with people in Cornwall who are heavily involved with the Golden Hind community and although they were aware of the Francis Drake, they had not heard of one other than mine. I bought Chloe in 1994, but have been very lazy in my efforts to restore her. Other pressures on my time and an acceptance of my own shortcomings, have lead to my decision to sell.

All the best

Gordon Johnson

Hi John,

Sorry to have kept you waiting but these were spread in various places around the house amidst piles and piles of other piccies.   We will have to get our act together as we both seem to spend hours hunting for lost/misplaced things.   Anyway I hope that they are of some use, I might even manage to find some more if you need any more.

Regards

Bob

Reply…..Thanks for the info' it would be nice to see it go to a good home as its been in our Group for many years.

Greeting!

Wonder after construction of boat  Eventide 26. Particularly me likes boat with name Hannah B.  Wonders me where can buy plan for construction,and if get plans for building from different materials  (wood, iron)

Hello John,

How are you? How was the trip to Holland and back.

We had hoped that we had met you in Middelburg. I couldn't get free from work, so we could only come in the weekends.

We are sorry we missed you and your friends.

I hope you come next time a little longer and mayby you can tell me a little earlyer so I can take a day off from work.

see you next time

Greatings Marleen en Frank Berlee from the Wildduck in Holland

Morning John,Will you be at SOS tomorrow( Friday )betwwen 2-3pm'ish ?I could come over then and collect plans and bring outboard.

Regards

Dear John

We have at last got serious about selling our beloved Gooney Bird and in fact have had an ad in Classic Boat in the August and Sept issues.

A couple of nibbles but nothing serious.

I have attached a text for you and also an inventory and if you forward me your postal address I will send you a photo.

Regards

Gordon Knuckey

hi is the even tide galliard still up for grabs if so could you let me know

Dear John

Many thanks for this mail.  very interesting, can you please advise who is coordinating the south coast /area

The new website is just fantastic, I have just spent 1 hour and have only opened 1 link to The Wild Duck  !!!

Congrats on the way EOG is growing I am so glad to have joined although at the moment I do not own a GM design boat , however my FREEMAN 22 is an original as well built we think in 1957!!! , the inboard engine is a 950cc BMC Veddette Mk VI last built in 1961 but first made in 1957, we have not seen another boat like it yet, so we are hoping to obtain more accurate info.to determine her exact age.

Cheers

David

Dear John

Thanks for your email and for keeping me up to date with the Eventide Owners Group. Let me know how the rally at West Mersea goes and I’ll put something in next month’s Around the Coast in Yachting Monthly.

Best wishes
Vanessa

Hi John

thanks for your quick response, we still enjoy our boating very much herewith some pics, and yes a Friends section would be a great idea , there must be plenty of folk out there who have sailing MG and are now Cruising the inland waters on classic boats, and yes there are many Freeman's about in fact they have their own supporters club thru Sheridan marine  at Moulsford on the Thames.

I have included a pic of a group of Racing Gondolas in Boulters lock ,( the onlookers sang Just One Cornetto!,) with which we travelled down river (Thames) Henley to Staines , our summer base, in June .

The Gondolas ,6 of them , had gone from London up to Henley over three days staying overnight at various hotels and them demonstrating them at Henley Royal regatta before returning to their start in London  a lot of rowing.The big one is the largest in Venice and has 17 oarsmen , they propelthis huge craft  about 70 ft long faster than our cruiser can go!!!

I hope you find these interesting , I have plenty more if anyone is interested.

Cheers

David

Hello David,

Good to hear from you, Glad you are still getting some boating in.

Yes the EOG is getting stronger by the day! 

The Freeman you have used to be such a popular boat, I bet there are dozens about on inland waterways still!  Send in a pic, we could start a 'Friends' section!

All the best,

John

Eventiders

Dear John,

You may recall that we corresponded in July with regard to Joe Toft's boat in Greenwich.  In fact we also looked at 'Mistress Two' in Burnham and made a rapid decision to buy.  She is 'our' colour and the teak deck finish made her a little bit special.  The seller, Eddie, was keen to accompany us as we made the leap from Bosun dinghies to 26' motor yacht - and he has been up and down the river with us a few times already.

Looking at the West Mersea meet on Saturday, we may be able to come (although there are some personal commitments which may still get in the way).  If we do make it, I would feel a bit happier if we made the trip along with another more experienced boat - do you know if there is anyone else sailing up from the Burnham area?  If not, I'm pretty sure we could handle the route - although any route observations / local knowledge would be welcome!

Kind Regards,

Andrew Fox

John

Thanks very much for your e-mail.

Indeed she is a great little ship – perhaps the reason why I seem prepared to pour ridiculous amounts of money into restoring her – far more than she could ever be ‘worth’ on the market, but you will know all that as a traditional yachter yourself!

I attach another couple of pictures for the web if you feel these are interesting to people.  These were all taken on Loch Ness – in the close-up she is doing a good 6.5 kt with 22kt of wind on the beam!

I look forward to hearing from anyone with ideas to her history.  From the records, she appeared to be sold at least every two years for about 6 owners after being built.  She then had a more stable period – I have a yachting world article from 1972 which describes a family cruising her in the Channel Islands – then she was owned by an Irishman who installed every conceivable gadget, including bar optics (for spirits bottles) and a pub-style bottle opener.  Interestingly though, I can find little evidence of her having ever been professionally fitted out – everything internal seems to be ‘DIY’ and I suspect that she may have been supplied as a finished hull for the owner to complete.  This it seems was never done properly, probably explaining the multiple owners early in her life.  There are few other clues as to her heritage, other than the highfield levers for the runners which have Laurent Giles stamped on them.  I have contacted LG and they have no record of her and say she does not have the ‘characteristic signs’ of an LG design.

Anyway, enough rambling from me!

Regards

Simon Grey

John,

Thanks for the contact details.  We are planning to sail at 0900 on Saturday morning - looking forward to meeting you in West Mersea - and put us down for a burgee!

Regards,

Andrew

Hope the weather is good because we're launching our eventide 24 TAMERISK - 2 year renovation - on the same day in Beaumaris North Wales. Will send pics, hopefully all above the water!!!!

All the best,

Stuart

John,I will give you £10 for the "50 +Classic Boat,Boatman and others"Don't want the PBO mags though.

Regards

Stephen

hi! Re the Junior… boat is ok and have started to work on it. Would apppreciate any info on rigging sails - number of fittings missing. I have acquired a seagull 40 plus std shaft - can I use it? if can how mount? If not sensible motor any chance of trade in for something more suited? I have started the motor after 10-15 yrs storage on 3rd pull. after cleaning tank/float chamber,new plug, gear oil etc have run for 3 hours in tank with periodic restarts and started after two days in torential rain. Cheers – Scotty

John

Thanks for the mail.

She is built of pitch-pine on steam-bent oak frames.  The hog is oak.  Coachroof has mahogany sides with oak beams and pine deck.  Not sure what the original deck was (i.e. whether or not it had a sub-deck) but it was teak laid on top.  Keel is cast iron.  Floors are mild-steel, but probably changed a couple of times before now.  Mast is deck-stepped 4 piece (box construction) hollow spruce.

By the way, you should credit the pictures to Kathy Mansfield (professional sailing photographer – you probably know her pics from Classic Boat, Watercraft, etc.

Thanks very much for the interest.  I am now off to move her from an exposed mooring at Fortrose, back to the safer waters of the canal basin.  Watching her pitch in Sunday’s F8 did not do my nerves much good!

Thanks again.

Simon Grey

John,

I hope I still qualify for the owners group only I have just purchased the centre cockpit sloop (no name yet) advertised on the group website. She is wood, her plans came off MG's drawing board in the late fifties but she is not an Eventide! so I hope we can join meets as guests with the right pedigree.

I will be spending the winter months doing the boat up, the work is mostly cosmetic and getting things like seized up baby Blake loos ( major priority of the missus) working again so I should be afloat early spring.

Some time around then I will be looking for an old seagull but not just yet.

Regards,

Andrew

Thanks John,

She is a 25 foot centre cockpit bermudan sloop. mahogany (we are not sure which type) on oak with larch frames. Carvel built by Frank Parsons in Leigh in 1964 to plans drawn by Maurice in 1958/9 for a local solicitor. Raised deck design similar to Eventide, 2 cabins the one aft contains two berths (no headroom). Main cabin 2 more berths plenty of headroom for me (5'6''). Long ballast keel and bilge keels. Surveyor says keel has been made deeper, weather helm problems!!. Yanmar diesel fairly new.

Mast wood (change that one day) stainless rigging. Sails Main, jenny, working jib storm trysail so heavy that not only have I no wish to be out in conditions that required it I probably wouldn't be strong enough to bend it on.All sails in good nick.

She spent several years in Holland coming back to Leigh via Brittany - an interesting route- four years ago.Has been laid up pretty well since then.

I will borrow a digital camera and e-mail pictures and will certainly come along to Danbury now I have something to talk about.

Regards,

Andrew.

I have had a look at the Swin class pics in the forum. That is her right enough modified by Frank Parsons. She was sold to Mike at Thames Marine by her last owner. Mike is digging out some more paperwork for me which should throw more light on her history.

Andrew

Hi John

Thanks for the advise ref my little problem.

I have removed all the old fibreglass and rubbed the hull down to give it a good key. What a filthy job that was!

My plan is to coat it up as you suggested with the West System (Min 3 Coats)  I hope this will be sufficient.

I hope you received the CD  and the cheque for the burgee, any problems please let me know.

I have taken delivery of my new sails, roller reefing gear, lazy jacks, new boom etc.

The inside of the boat is coming along nicely as you will see from the photo's.

I will take some more as I progress and I look forward to seeing you at the next meeting.

Regards

John

Hi John

Sorry - couldn't make it.  We were away in Holland in Francis Fletcher, and only got back yesterday.

Went via Ostende (& Brugge by train), in at Vlissingen, and took in Middelburg, Goes, Steenbergen, Willemstad, Dordrecht, Hellevoetsluis, Numansdorp, Colijnsplaat & Zierikzee before returning directly from Roompotsluis.  Weather was diabolical much of the time, but improved by the end.  You really shouldn't need five layers of clothing and goggles sailing inland on a summer holiday!

I trust all is well.

Cheers

Bill

Hello John,
                Do you happen to know where one can buy a set of plans for MG's "Lone Gull II", and how much they cost?
                            Thank you for your time. Mike Morrison.  (B.C.  Canada )

John,

I will be at Danbury on the 29th with Pics. Who do you folks insure with. I phoned one broker to be met with wood!! whats that or something pretty near that 40 year old craft and all that.

Regards,

Andrew

Friday, September 03, 2004 12:07 AM

Subject: Re: Eventide Owners Group

Thanks for that Andrew!  Maybe some one will stump up a fiver to swell funds!  Mike must have a few bob in his kitty!  We shall see.  might still have a dig at Peter, just to gee him up!

Glad to hear the history is forthcoming, it is always a shame when it goes astray.... Look forward to the pics,

Regards,

John

My name is Ron Bentham.

Can you tell me who is now the design authority on MG boats?

I am considering buying a Mk 2 Kylix which has been extended by 2'.

I wish to ascertain if this extension was done under the supervision of someone who new what they were doing

Or it was done 'ad hoc' by the builder.

Kind regards

Tel 0xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

PS Got your name off the EOG site   Thanks

Thanks for that John. I will be in touch in the event and in all probability, join you, even though I live in Cheshire.

I would probably keep her in Liverpool Marina.I have cruised extensively in Scotland in bigger boats but I swallowed the anchor some

6 years ago, I am now much longer in the tooth so am viewing making a come back with some trepidation.

Are their any other EOG people in this area?

Kind Regards Ron

Hello Ron,

We do indeed have members all over UK, What I will do, if that is OK with you, is to pass your details to some in the area, so they may contact you if they wish.  We have to do it this way to save falling foul of the Data Protection Act.!!  I will also pass your details to one member who has the original 'Kylix'!

Let me know if you are agreeable.

Regards,

John

Eventiders.

I'll see you at The Bell in October if possible.
I'm still working on the mooring situation for next year. I think it will be a financial compromise of me taking 6 or seven months outer pontoon mooring at Maylandsea  but I'll let you know.

As an aside, I'm sending you a photocopy of an advert in a 1962 copy of Yachts & yachting magazine advertising from  a boatyard offering to build and fit an Eventide 24 for £1395 and a 26' for £1500. How times change eh!

Stay well

Mike Hoban

Please send information on rigging & sailing eventides

Regards Selwyn

Dear John

I have emailed Ron Bentham as requested to see if I can be of assistance regarding his Kylix queries.

Glad to know EOG is prospering, certainly the web site is very good. 

No doubt we will catch up with each other at Danbury one winter night!

Regards

Richard Colley

Dear John,

I hope you’ll forgive me for emailing you like but you are my only hope!

I am desperately trying to track down the width of the triple keels on an Eventide 26ft I’m about to buy but am not getting very far and time is running out to move it. I have a large 3.5 tonne flatbed trailer and I’m hoping this will do it. Do you know of anyone who could tell me with this information, I haven’t a clue where to look – I’ve had a quick look through your website (lots of nice pictures!) but to no avail.

No doubt you are very busy, but if you can give me any information at all on how to find this out I’d be very grateful.

Many thanks and warm wishes,

Debs

Hello

I have just found your web site whilst doing research on my Thames Bawley 6 tonner. It seems hat you are creating some kind of data base on Maurice Griffiths designed boats. If you are interested you may have a photo or two of mine at present called 'Banjo' I dislike the name and so may change it.

She is 26 ft overall plus bowsprit rigged as a cutter. Built by Johnson and Jago in 1965. Mahogany on Rock Elm frames. She is in excellent condition.

If you have any information on her I would be glad to hear it.

Regards

Antonia

Hi John,

I was impressed that my photos made the website and at long last have found some more.   Hope they are of use.   Off to France tomorrow (by ferry).

Regards

Bob

I’m glad to hear that the Eventide Owners Group is doing so well. How was the West Mersea meet?

I want to write a Class Notes for this month’s Classic Boat on the YM Senior class. I’ve got a load of information on it, but I haven’t got any pictures of the boats. Do you know any YM Senior owners who might have a picture?

Best wishes

Vanessa

Hi,

Would it be possible for any one who has built a steel riptide to drop me a line as I am thinking of building one my self and it would be helpfull to talk to someone who may be able to point out any of the pitfalls of using the wood version of the plans.

Many Thanks, Rachel.

Hi John,

I used to be a member  of the EOA quite some time back. At the time I was fancying an Eventide, but never quite got there due to lots of (mainly domestic) reasons. Anyway, I ended up instead with a variety of other boats, starting with a Lysander and ending up with a glass fibre Caprice, which I currently sail on the Norfolk Broads, and hopefully, next year, on the Lakes. MY EOA membership lapsed a while ago and that was that.

I was reading Charles Stock's book recently, which got me thinking about the EOA designs again so I thought I would look on the web and see what had happened. I was interested to see that it had been necessary to start up an alternative group because of problems with the original EOA. I have seen this happen with other organisations and it is a very unpleasant business. If such problems make it desirable to set up an alternative group then this usually means terminal decline for the original organisation - a pity, despite the flaws within it. I must say that basing your new group on the Web from Day One is a sound decision and I am sure that it will be a success.

The point of this e-mail (apart from to wish you well with the EOG venture) is to talk about Seniors. Although I was looking at Eventides all those years ago, I have always liked the Senior and still have a hankering for one.  Charles Stock's book made me think about the Senior, not a lot dissimilar in spirit to Shoal Waters, although with a different method of construction and rig.

I am thinking about trying to acquire a Senior either as a project, or in a usable condition, but I have some questions which either you or one of your colleagues in the EOG may be able to answer. Firstly, with regard to room inside: I used to have an Express Pirate that I sailed on the Broads Rivers and enjoyed immensely. I sold her to buy my Caprice (not so good to sail on the Broads!) simply to get a bit more accommodation. If I found the Pirate cramped, would I think the same for the Senior? I do realise that a cockpit tent is the answer (Charles Stock, again) but would be interested in your views.

Secondly, are Seniors still available for sale, and can you still find centreboarders? They are quite an old design and I guess that many that were built have now gone. I can't imagine that many are being built nowadays. I am not in a position to build but could do a restoration job, I reckon. I remember that up to quite recently, there were two available for hire at Martham on the Broads. The hire company has ceased trading and I wonder what happened to them? I suppose before I seriously started looking to buy, I should look to look, if you see what I mean. I live in St Neots in Cambridgeshire and I wondered if you could put me in touch with a Senior owner somewhere reasonably close and maybe I could go and see for myself.

Lastly, I am interested in small boat desginers from the Senior era, but there seems virtually no information about Kenneth Gibbs, as opposed to MG (I have some of his books). How distinguished was KG? I know that he had something to do with Moths and had a boatyard, but apart from that have no idea how the Junior and Senior came about. Are there any YM reprints around on that subject?

I'm sorry that this is such a long e-mail and hope you have managed to wade through it. If you think that any of it may be of general interest then please publish it on the site. I have not joined the EOG because I don't have a suitable boat (I don't think a Caprice quite qualifies!) so have used e-mail rather than add to the Forums. My very best wishes to the EOG.

Regards

Martyn Sandbrook

Dear John

Hi, yes please use the pics and the e-mail if you wish. Let me know if you would like more detailed pics as I have loads.

She is now moored on the river Exe at Starcross ( Exeter ). Which book was it she was in do you know?

Regards

Antonia

Dear John

Thanks for your email. I hope you had a good holiday. I’ve been in touch with Geoffrey Hyde Fynn, who has been a great help and who has provided me with a lot of information, and some pictures, too, which is good. So I think I’ve probably got enough to go on. I’ve had a look through some old Yachting Worlds to see if I could find anything on Kenneth Gibbs, but unfortunately haven’t been able to turn anything up. If I do find anything, though, I’ll pass it on.

I’m so pleased that the website is doing so well. I’ll include a link in Useful addresses. Thanks for the write up of the rally at West Mersea. I’m back at Yachting Monthly next week, so I’ll try and get it in next month’s Around the Coast.

Thanks again.

Best wishes

Vanessa

Hi John,

Hope to be able to get to the October meet and see you all.  

Update on my boat - more history has come to light. She is a Swin stretched and modified by the builder. Authority for that letter from MG to the second owner . I don't think we can do better than that. From enquiries I have made apart from the other vessel on the web site she may be the only Swin around. The slight variations in the lines of the Swin from MG,s usual are the influence of the co-designer.

I got that information from a Carpenter where I work. We got onto the subject of boats and I showed him a picture. Turns out he was apprenticed in Leigh in the early 60s and thinks he had a hand in building her (he left boat building when wood went out of fashion).

Keel bolts I drew two of what may well be originals and put them back. Aft of the engine were two stainless bolts. The first one landed on the metal trailer when I drove it out and shattered. The second came out all bright and shining. a little tap with a hammer and it broke. The structure of the metal internally had broken down even though there was no external sign. The replacements are not stainless steel!!

Finally, in a mud berth in Leigh is the little barge yacht Swan. The same one that figures in the Magic of the Swatchways. She is for sale but she would be a real restoration challenge.

Sorry to rabbit on,

regards,

Andrew.

Hi,

I used to own E26 Kandy from 1989 - 1991. I have seen some pictures of her taken in 1993 on your website and wonder where she is now? Having bought and sold a MacGregor 26 and an old Broads motor cruiser in the meantime, I am quite keen on going back to an Eventide again.

I have quite a number of pictures of 'Kandy' and also E26 'Caorunn' (I think that's how it's spelt) which was owned by a friend at the same time as I owned 'Kandy' - I could send you one or two of the better ones for inclusion on the website if required.

Unfortunately I didn't fully appreciate Kandy's qualities when I owned her, such as steering herself and her stability, and became more concerned with her (solvable) drawbacks which were weatherhelm, slowness coming about in light winds, and an unreliable Stuart Turner engine.

Well done for the fascinating website - it takes me back to some wonderful times we had with my Eventide. I sometimes wish I'd kept her.....!

Regards,

Nigel Thomas

Can you confirm if Commander Rayner built an Eventide in Singapore in 1963/4 and sailed it back to the UK, or whether it was somebody else?  I was out there and remember one being built.

Regards

David Hardy

Here’s the situation I would like advice on;

I sailed all through my youth and 20s round the south coast, channel etc. My wife was a non sailor until we had a flotilla holiday in the med a couple of years ago and is now keen as mustard. So keen, in fact, that we now plan to take early retirement in about 6 years and just sail around in the med.for the rest of our days (or until we get bored!)

I’m now looking for a boat for the next few years, probably to keep on the East coast as I live near Milton Keynes and an Eventide sounds perfect.

Because of the distance and the shifts I work I probably would only get to the boat every month or so plus summer holiday.

The questions I have to ask are;

How sound is an old Eventide likely to be? I’ve looked at some 20yr old GRP boats which are shocking. Is marine ply of that age or older still up to the job?

I know that there’s no such thing as a cheap boat but are the restoration jobs you see around likely to be worthwhile as I’ very strapped for cash but quite handy.

Do you know of any boats with sound hulls that need a winter restoration going cheap? (I’ve been trying to get in touch with the one in boatsandoutboards.com to no avail)

Thanks for any help you can give me.

Duncan Babbage

I see from your photo pages that the above boat is for sale in an Essex boatyard. Which one? Can you tell me any more about the boat?

Excellent and friendly website!

Cheers

Duncan Babbage

Thanks very much for the advice. We don’t intend to live on an eventide, she would be for the 6 yrs or so between now and my retirement, then we’ll have a re think.I’ve just sent another email. Sorry to hassle you, but I’m keen!

Duncan

John,

Nice to hear from you. Thanks for your prompt reply. I have answered your questions below but will add a bit more up here as background.

 My father was a member of the old association, (LOA branch), being an owner of a Lysander called EMMO. Unfortunately, he became very ill and could not sail her any more so I tried to keep it in good order, from Holland. Eventually, I could not keep up both his boat and mine so when he died it was given to the local Sea Cadets in Southampton. I would have preferred the extra room of the Lysander but it needed far more work than mine and I didn't have room for both... or the transportation.

He brought me up as a mudlark in the 50's and 60's before marina's were even thought of. An idyllic time that will stay with me forever. As everything was done on a shoestring after the war, his idea of a new mast was to cadge an old telegraph pole and for us to spend weeks shaving it down. After a string of old boats that finally fell apart we went the self-build route, as did many others that we knew. Imagine an ex-army assault landing craft with an Austin-7 engine and 3-speed box. Just where do you put the starting handle! After that kind of boat-building I was ready for anything and helped repair old boats for a chance to crew. Eventually, the Solent was too small for our aspirations so the lure of the continent took over. Unfortunately, we never seemed to get back as quickly as we went so I started getting trouble from the school for missing Monday's. I therefore went to dinghy sailing (using a Graduate with a handy handicap) and won some titles and silverware. For the last 10 years I have shared an Etap 22 and done some extensive cruising along the Dutch, Belgian and French coasts, coming across to the UK if time allowed. The last trip was Dover, down to the Solent, round the island and back.

Still, although I fondly remember the "good-old-days" I still look forward to a fair wind and a new destination.

Here's hoping I have another one here.

John,

I was thinking of coming along to the next meeting at The Bell in Danbury on the 27th. to introduce myself and meet some of you. 

It is a bit of a distance from Milton Keynes so I hope I can get there and back in a reasonable time. What time do you start... and end? Do you run to an agenda or is it just/also a friendly get together?

Hi John and thanks for the kind welcome,

Yep, it's Waterwitch! Don't know why on earth I typed Seawitch.. must of been the excitement of having

my offer accepted!

As for the dimensions, I haven't measured the deck lengths as of yet, but she is a whole lot bigger than my

current Hunter 701. Kitani is in need of a little restoration at the moment, the primary areas being slight delamination 

on the forward section of the coach roof and the cockpit floor which has all but rotted out.

The hull seems very sound and I have had a good dig around the bilges and can find no soggy bits. My timescale

for having her afloat and in back to her old self is next March.

It's encouraging to know the group is there and I'm sure it will be a valuable recourse in my efforts to get her back

where she belongs... in the water and the websites has been a great source of reading for the last week, call me inspired.

I will certainly be ordering a burgee and will get some pics to you as I progress.

In the meantime John, thanks for your kind welcome and I keep you and the group fully informed as to progress on

my new acquisition.

Kindest regards,

Paul Conroy

John.

My apologies for the oversight on the attachment. In my haste I forgot to over-ride the default file type. I understand your reluctance to open the .exe file... I would have done the same. Please try this one. As I said earlier, I will try to get to a scanner and scan some more pics in for the archive.

I am glad to say that I do not need to rely on rose-coloured specs to look back on an idyllic childhood. It was not easy, we had no money and no expectations... but that is what helped because you just got on with it. Life was half-full not half-empty as it is today if you don't have the Nike's and camera-phones, etc.

Regards,
John Stevens.

Hi!
I finally figured out how to email photos (actually, my daughter showed me how!) and so I can send you a photo of Nis'ku sailing on Lake Okanagan in British Columbia's sunny Okanagan Valley.  As soon as sailing season is over (mid-November or so) we'll send you an article about her adventures in recent years.
Donna & Paul Phillips

Not very hot on this Mesage board stuff but just a note to say Keep on
keeping on John   -- you do the group a great service by your dedication and
good humour

Will be watching the site with interest    WELL DONE


Yours in gratitude     Jim Titmarsh

my email address isxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

HI, I hope you can help me.    Back in the early sixties my father, now 75,
built a 24 foot Eventide which was named Snow Bunting and was registered
E469. She was based at Beaumaris, Anglesey until sold around 1970.

I'd like to see if Snow Bunting still exists - and if so, where she is
lying, in what overall condition, and whether I'll be able to arrange with
the owner for my father to see her again after so many years.

Thanks in anticipation

Lance Allen

John
 
Thankyou very much  - I'm delighted and astonished at how quickly you've
been able to enquire and get back to me. My father, Ron Allen, lives at
Deganwy so is less than an hour's drive from the boat.
 
Mr Barber is very kind, and I shall indeed phone him.  I hadn't until now
mentioned the search to my father just in case the result was bad news!
 
I agree this could be worth a pic or two for the newsletter.  Your website
might just be the catalyst to get my parents to link up to the internet!
 
Kindest regards
 
Lance

 Hi John,

*********************************************************************

Email address for both  ray_link@fastermail.com with display name of ray tombra

I am contacting you about your advertisement entitled Maurice Griffith's Francis Drake  'currently being listed on the website of the tp://www.eventides.org.uk/.

Thanks.

        Regards Phil

John,
I noticed that this is still for sale on the website. However, I think you
ought to know that having tracked it down at LSMC, it was repossessed by the
boatyard for unpaid fees. They will be contacting me in due course.

> Regards,
> John Stevens.

Regards

Richard Doherty
Davis Langdon LLP

hi john
thanks for email. i was thinking about my advert a few weeks ago,, wondering
how to take it off the site, as its not needed any more, because im the
proud owner of my own eventide now."neptune neried"
kind regards iddy

Dear John
Thanks for popping in the other day - I was taking a weeks break in Crete.
We've had no progress on Galliard, save for two folk who enquired but did
not visit.
One good move, though, is that TSL will be moving the boat to their
forecourt next week and then during our laying-up weekend (5-7 Nov) one of
our tasks is to tidy her up and make her more presentable. I have also
organised for her to be placed into the TSL brokerage list.
If you have any ideas of what else we could do - we'd be pleased to hear
from you.
If you are passing again - do pop in.
Regards, David

Dear John,

               I have been given your name by Sid Taylor the owner of the recently builyt riptide Ramillies.

I am very interested in the this design and wonder whether you can tell me more about it.  Is it generally liked by people that you know.

What about the plans.  How would one be able to get hold of them and are they very expensive.  I might be tempted by a home build one day!

-what do you think of Sids's boat.

Look forward to hearing from you,

                                             regards Patrick Biddulph.

'Piskie'  Owned by John Stevens and back in UK after a spell in the Netherlands!  We look forward to more pics of this one!  Picture taken at Clywedog.

'Piskie'  Here she is emigrating to the Netherlands! The quickest way to cruise to Holland in a Senior?

Regards,
John

"Eventide 26 bilge-keel sloop built mid 1960's and re-engined with 10hp bukh diesel in 1984. opportunity to acquire this modern classic yacht which was enthusiastically owned since 1982 and now offered for sale. Though sound, the hull was taken back to the wood and primed, it requires painting as does the interior which needs varnishing. Mast, spars, headsail-furling, standing & running rigging are all good and the boat is sitting on a fitted trailer. Lying ashore in Poole, Dorset. Offers invited".

 Dear John

Hi John

Another article for the website.  Some of the parts are applicable to all
designs.  Again the bold words indicate a URL to another page/picture.  You
already have "Mikros2002" on the site.

   Geoffrey

Hello to you both

Thank you for your leter and returning the photos.  We are intending (still) to get jua out of the water for a paint up.  When we have done that, we will take some new pics and let you have some.  The ones on your website are not bad but as you say, could be better!

Hope alls well with you. We are busy clearing the land but only have one more terrace to do.  We picked some nuts this year and sold a sack.  We had not, unfortunately, cleared around many trees, so thousands went to waste as it is impossible to pick them up from leaves and undergrowth.  We now know why all trees have to be totally clear underneath and are working to get it right for next year.

We finally heard from the chap in Florida.  He is still building his Golden Hind 34 but has a long way to go.  We intend to swop stories and pics when he sends us his address. Thank you for putting us into contact with him.

It is much cooler here now but still sunny and warm out of the northerly winds.  Hard to believe that two weeks ago we were on the beach all afternoon and swimming! Luckily, we are getting a lot of wood from guttting the trees so have plenty for our fire in the evening when the temperature drops to 5 degrees.

Keep in touch, keep warm hasta luego  Kathy and Roger

Good Morning John

Thank you for your recent e-mail that I have received this morning having
just returned from holiday.  Thank you for your comments on the Waterwitch,
we don't have much information to go on so any information is greatly
appreciated.  Do you think I would be better not advertising her as a
Waterwitch type and if so what?

I think it would be a good idea to have a link to your site,so if you can
let me know how to do it and what sort of donation you would expect to
receive if we sell through your site we'll go ahead.

Christine Catterall
Boat Sales Manager

P.S. I would also like to buy a set of senior plans.

Dear John,

27.11.04

Just to let you know that Fintra, my 24' Eventide, went down at her moorings last winter.  She was recovered and now undergoes refurbishment.  An full account can be found at xxxxxxxxxxxxxxl.  Feel free to put this link on your site if you wish.