We  have all the drawings of our own boats available on separate CDs,  the Junior, the Senior, the early 1960's  Eventide 24 and 26, the later 1973 Eventide 24 and 26, the Steel Eventide, the Wild Duck, the Riptide, the WW, Steel WW, the Storm, and even the Mouette!!    The Goosander and all the associated Colin Faggetter designs have been scanned, and are now available.  There is  a small royalty (£10) on those for the designer.    We have even been given a set with which to build a Ferro Eventide! or you could use it to make a foam sandwich version, or even strip plank! They have been added to the Eventide scans.   We now also have the 38ft Ferro Barrier Reef drawings and the Good Hope in timber, the Tidewater and Bluewater variants too, all available.

In the last year or two, (2021), we have added drawings of the Golden Hind 31, the Levanter, Francis Drake,  Barbican and others... Along with pages of additional notes for builders, courtesy of Mat one of our members!

All are scanned on to CDs as Pdf files so they can be printed full size if you wish from the DVD.  We can send any one who enrolls with us and agrees with our simple stance on owners groups,  a copy.  You are asked just to cover the cost of the DVD and the P&P.  Any excess would be a pence donation to the  EOG. All we ask is that you enrol with us, showing you agree with our stance.  We want nothing more than to preserve these boats.

In the UK the CD cost, including scanning, post and packing, is    £10.00!   (overseas we  estimate it at just £20.00, including post).  Of course if you want to add a donation to help  keep the site going, that of course would be appreciated.  

(For those worried about copyright, we have checked, they are not copyright.  They were never registered!  They were given to us the owners, to pass on at cost anyway, what we are doing is passing them on for free!)

For details of how to get hold of these CD's please simply mail us at enquiries@eventides.org.uk  

Some have asked why we simply do not have them as a 'download'.  Until recently some of  the files were rather large, and each DVD containing other information about the EOG and the designs. 

We have now reduced these so can send you fully updated drawings as a download. We do ask that you join first and a small donation would be appreciated to help keep the site going for the benefit of all owners.

We are now the only organisation offering support from other owners and often builders of these designs.

For Latest Information on Colin Faggetter designs

 please click here.

The Former eoa and the Y. M. designs.

The eoa and EOG did not always handled the drawings,  up till 1980 the drawings were all the responsibility of Yachting Monthly.  From time to time they have sponsored designers and their plans, promoting them in the magazine.   These plans have always been looked at with amateur boat builders in mind, and in the early years there was quite a flurry of back yard builders in the UK and indeed all around the world, especially with British Forces Overseas.

In 1980, by sheer chance, a friend and supporter  of ours, Peter North, was visiting Y.M. offices on a totally unrelated matter.  In conversation it was mentioned that the Y.M. plans    dept was close to winding up and they were somewhat at a loss as to what to do with   the plans.  At this stage they may have been lost forever.  A quick phone call to members of the then committee and a quick decision was made, I, (John Williams)  was elected to contact the then editor, Des Sleightholme, after a brief discussion an agreement was reached, where in we were to sell the plans at cost as a non profit making concern to assist others obtain copies of the plans. We were only allowed to add the cost of a years subscription! (At that time about £5.00).  Soon a lorry laden with tea chests full of plans, letters, books and associated papers arrived at my address.  A hasty meeting was convened, the boxes sorted and soon the association had a new post, 'Plans Secretary'  Jim   and Esther Smith filled the post for the first few years, sorting out all the early problems, with a few extra committee meetings to organise pricing, advertising and the like.  It soon became apparent why Y.M. wanted shot of the plans, with all the work involved, they were making  a loss!! 

The eoa were very fortunate to be able to sell the Eventide and the Waterwitch  by Maurice Griffiths, without paying a royalty.  With a slight re-adjustment of the prices, (to cover printing costs!) We soon found that we were inundated with requests, from people who had not seen them advertised for many years.  In those early years we were selling 60 sets a year.  For the five years I ran the Plans, 83 to 87 inclusive, I can well remember the whole family setting to, helping me to sort the piles of plans that overwhelmed me at times. 

In one of the boxes we uncovered letters regarding steel construction, so we took the bold  step of commissioning a designer to redraw the Eventide 26 and check the drawings for the steel Waterwitch that I found.  These became best sellers, there are now dozens of these strong craft afloat.  We  never copyrighted these either, so we are looking for a good set of the WW steel sheets to scan and pass on to others.... (We now have all the drawings of all the designs!)

Now, over 30 years later, the demand for home build boats, tailed off to just a few sets a year.  Rules and regulations, that we have fought to keep clear of, for the most part, have put some off, lack of finances and perhaps time, may also be a key factor. Now we find we are again sending out 60 CD's a year,  mainly to those rebuilding it has to be said, but we are pleased to say quite a few are building in wood again, now the price of GRP has rocketed....

It is hard to predict when the plans might be updated next, if ever,  for, over the years, the  owners,  kept in close touch with the designer and Yachting Monthly, for the last 20 years of his life, I, John Williams, kept an even closer contact, as I was heavily involved in selling the  designs and in constant touch with Maurice Griffiths.  We have altered ballast keels and rigging, promoted different engine sizes and rigs,  all of these ONLY after testing of the effects on an altered vessel and with the designers approval.  Many of the changes, i.e. transom rudder on the Eventide, have been added to the designs alongside the original as a modern option, giving the builder the choice.  (I know which one I would choose every time, having converted two Eventides to transom rudders!!)  We have come a long way from the very early plans of the 1940's and 50's, no doubt there might  be other modifications, but at the moment the plans are about as good as they can get, unless you know better of course, in which case we would love to see and test your modification and would publicise it if we felt it would help other owners!

We at the Eventide Owners Group are  involved with the ongoing development of these designs.....  we now advise all prospective owners and builders!!  Where you will find a group of better qualified persons I do not know!   Many of us still have copies of these plans and can answer most questions on them, or can give you a dimension from them if you need something specific.

It now transpires that the copyright has long expired on  these drawings, others were never copyrighted at all, and   as we have copies of them we are offering others to look at our plans for free. We are not making a profit by this, but are determined to keep our boats, that we sail, alive and  well!

John Williams,  Ex Sec eoa.  now coordinator Eventide Owners Group

 E-mail us at enquiries@eventides.org.uk

February 2018.

Sadly we have now had it confirmed that the former eoa has folded.  We heard first from Yachting Monthly, then from another owners group and it has now been confirmed.  Sad they did not make it to the 55th anniversary.  We were approached a couple of years back and asked if we would like to BUY their assets!  We declined, as these were donated to the owners and if we paid the old assoc. for them, we had grave doubts as to who would pocket the proceeds.  We did offer for them to join us and share our success, sadly they chose not to  respond.  We said it was only a matter of time.  If the people running a group are not committed enough to actually own the boats, it was just bound to happen.

2020 we learn the remaining few had a meeting and took home the silverware.  A paltry £200 was donated to charity, so they say.  Was that their idea of honesty?? John

2021.  I saw the bound copies of YM, signed by MG, that were donated to me for the association appear in eBay! surprise surprise.

The were offered by Mr. Leaper, the last one standing..  I bought them !  Criminal that he could sell them.  He admitted to me he had retained the Silver MG plate, but refused to pass or sell it to me. Refused to say where the other items went... Doubt we will ever see that or the other trophies ever again.

There was a large model Eventide 24, inch to the foot, in a Perspex case,  I was given that in two shoe boxes by YM after it was damaged at the Southampton Boat show, when a gale struck the marquee. I repaired it and fitted the cover..  It was often on the table at AGM's.  A nice bronze belaying pin, that was mounted with an engraved  plate. This was given to me by Maurice as a trophy, it came from one of his favourite boats, 'Solani'. A silver cup, a silver plated rose bowl and a shield that was awarded to the winner of the little friendly race we held every year at Bradwell.  Most had additional hardwood plinths with silver bands engraved with the winners details.  All of these have vanished.  

Looking for plans and cannot find them on our site?  try here!

Click the pic!

NEW BOAT DESIGNS & CURRENT
DESIGN WORK

  Click the logo to go to Selway fisher's website.  They are offering a proper conversion of the Senior to Stitch and Glue, as a result of conversations we and a prospective builder have had.

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NEW YACHTING MONTHLY SENIOR

The YM Senior is a lovely little pocket cruiser design by the late Kenneth M. Gibbs. Ken Gibbs designed some lovely ply sailing boats many of which used to feature in the original Yachting Monthly magazine. I had much pleasure in sailing a Senior many years ago on the Thames. For her length, she seemed to accommodate a good sized cockpit and a useful cabin. Life turns full circle and l have been asked to produce the hull construction details for a modern stitch and tape version. I did this for the Yachting World Heron to rekindle interest in the wood version and l am very happy to do the same for the Senior. The details we have are for the hull construction only and for the bilge/ballast keel version and the builder would need to purchase a copy of the original plans (presently available on CD from  the Eventide Owner’s Group (www.eventides.org.uk). LOA 16’ (4.88m); Beam 6’ 0 1/2” (1.84m); Draft 1’2” (0.356m); Approx. Wht. 1050 lbs (476kg).

 

Selway Fisher offer a set of hull construction drawings,

fully converted and worked.  All other details are on our DVD.

 2018.  We have heard the price has changed and risen slightly.....