'Stoppress' pages for 2026
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2026.
Discounted
EU45 antifouling for Sale.
I have got the same great deal on antifouling again, now called EU45, (as it was years back) identical to the old Marclear, made by the same man... Bill Robinson. For high strength navy blue, mid blue, red, black, grey and white Antifouling. (Workboat red has become just red!)
Ring the free phone number above and quote EOG. Bill will make a donation to the EOG as a result of owners buying...
Now the paint is being supplied as 2.5 litres in 3 litre size cans, so it is easier to stir.
Members if you would like it delivered all you have to do is ring the free-phone number to speak to Bill and quote 'Eventide Owners Group' If you are not enrolled join first or we will know and you will not get the discount.
You pay him direct by card, or bank transfer it will come direct to you within 48 hours!
John
Scroll down for 2026 Stoppress pages...
So latest update at the top, under this header, earlier entries below.
Tuesday 27th January 2026.
It should never happen again.
But...... it is....
Eventide News. No new enrolments but an enquiry about how to seal keel bolts...
Nigel had removed a bolt as there was a slight weep. and is now replacing it. I suggested:-
With yours I would suggest greasing the length of the bolt but then using
Sikaflex on the head and yes you could add a ring of caulking cotton and
Sikaflex under any washer on the bolt head, as it will be underwater.
I remove a different Keel bolt every 5 years for my 5 yearly survey. So far every one has been as shiny as the day I put them in there!
Anyone else this rigorous? Lets have your stories.
Still not heard from Jason, hope he has not got WhuFlu, some of my family are down with it again, not funny.
Took delivery of a new SD card for the Lowrance plotter the other day, cheap at £50.00 I thought. It's for all of UK and Ireland and near continent. When was yours last updated? If you do not have an up today paper chart on the chart table, it should be renewed. I will be ordering a new Small Craft chart folio shortly, do not want to be too previous, or I bet they bring out a new one and the corrections for the old one cease!
Tip here, download and print out the corrections often! It's Free. Then when they bring out the new one, at least your old one can be corrected to that date!
Little else to report except the weather! Gales and very heavy rain over a lot of the country, hope your covers are intact. Checked mine Sunday, all good. Hoping we get a warm March so I can get the covers off and antifoul, want to be in early....
To finish off, I saw a few good cartoons about Trump and his zany threats and actions. Disgusted by his assertion that our servicemen kept away from the action... over 450 returned in coffins! He has to go.
Was he never told to engage brain before mouth?
John
Monday 19th January 2026.
The madness gets worse!
You really could not make this sort of story up!
If this sort of silliness is not stopped, none of us will be enjoying our boats soon, clouds are gathering!
Eventide News.
After my mention of the Cole and Wiggins boatyard, Chris in the Netherlands came up trumps....
(Oh dear that is now an unfortunate turn of phrase!!)
Chris sent in a couple of links to assist Sue.
https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Cole_and_Wiggins
and
https://krakenyachts.com/still-sailing-after-all-these-years/
Seems one of our own, friend of the group Dick Durham (M.G. biographer), is the owner of one of the boats, info that Sue did not have.
Here is Betty II launching at the Cole and Wiggins Yard at Leigh on Sea.
Acknowledgements to the Kraken boats site for this pic!
Other news. Heard from Jason with the Eventide 'Ermintrude', sadly he has been laid low with a bout of Flu. There is a lot of it about. Hoping he will get back to us with up to date photos so we can offer it for sale, when he is able to get down to the boat.
Me, I keep checking the covers on F.G. as I am certain winter is not done with us by a long chalk. Covers holding out well, this their 4th year!! Pleased to say though they slapped a darn great cruiser right in front of me, my winter solar panels have been 'just' in the sunshine, every sunny day that I have been there. So batteries getting that trickle charge. And every day the sun climbs a little higher now, so all good.
Heard from a couple of boat yards that the number of abandoned boats is increasing daily. Recall from one of our members in Gweek creek, where he runs a boatbuilding business now, that the creeks are becoming dumping grounds. Old GRP boats are being stripped of gear then towed out and abandoned. Getting to be a real problem. Sort of reminds me of 50 years ago when first sailing the Lower Thames and the Medway, the number of old barges and fishing boats in creeks rotting away. Essex creeks were the same... Most of them are nothing but a memory now, but the GRP boats are going to be a problem. Would be better to sink them in an area as an artificial reef... Home for fishes. But that costs money.
All for now, enjoy the warmer temperatures for the week, than watch out for a return of the white stuff!
John
P.S. I have just found and added a raft of photos to the WW page of the gallery, sorry for the delay Sandy. Wonder if anyone knows where 'Burnewin' is now. J
Sunday 11th January 2026.
Hoping for a lasting peace in 2026.
As the world seems to have gone crackers, I do not hold out much hope, sadly.
Eventide news. One new enrollment, the first this year. Mrs. McCall has joined as the grand daughter of a 1920's boat builder, who built a few M.G. designs. She is trying to trace them. The only one I have so far is 'Maris', a 25ft centreboard sloop, built 1929. Believed a MG design. Anyone know her? Boat builders were Cole and Wiggins, not sure where they were based. Awaiting more info.
Not heard anymore from Jason with 'Ermintrude', he was wanting to sell. (At a bargain price!!).
The recent cold snap has called for more often visits to FG to check covers, but fortunately all securing cords have survived intact, and we escaped the snow.
With the colder weather ensuring I have retreat into the warm. I have spent a little time researching and buying updated Navionics SD cards for my Lowrance Plotter. The charts on it were 2018, so a long way out of date. A full set of UK Ireland and other side of the channel for approx. £50.00.
I do not rely on the Plotter for 'real' navigation, but on proper paper charts. The plotter is great for instant pilotage in the cockpit, especially if I have pre marked the days course on it so any of my crew can instantly see if I have strayed too far from the planned course. I shall be visiting the Maldon chandlery in spring to get an updated set of charts. I have been using the SC series Admiralty charts. (Small Craft). They are ideal as they fit neatly on my half Admiralty chart size chart table. They also have pertinent info for us leisure boaters!
Fortunately I do not have much to do before launching. I have already checked under the waterline, the rudder bearings and prop shaft bearings, no play! The Anodes have already been wire brushed and are good to go as is the prop, already cleaned and prepared, waiting for my final polishing with the little electric polishing mop! Like to think it will be mirror finished before we pop her back in.
On board the only job is an engine service. I have the replacement filters and oils all waiting. I had one little job to do in my workshop, that is to refurbish a pair of old brass screw in anode holders for the heat exchanger, and fit lengths of new zinc anode. Far cheaper to do that every year than buy new brass screw in holders already fitted with zinc, and so easy to do. All you need is a cheap pillar drill and a small bench grinder to shape the end of the anode so it can be hammered in to the plug.
Sails are all checked OK and stored, warps all OK, sheets washed and stored ready to refit.
Roll on fit out! Aiming to be afloat by 1st April.
John
Thursday 1st January 2026.
Support Ukraine!
Honestly I feel if we do not support them, we should be learning ruzzian!
The world seems to be an ever more
dangerous place these days...
https://donation.dec.org.uk/ukraine-humanitarian-appeal
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Remember the Jumper I got for Fathers Day?
Look what I got at Christmas. (Sadly one cat recently left us, she was over 18. So only 3 new kits now.)
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