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This is Everjoy being built. Tony Jones was
the builder and as you can see she was a typical backyard build of the
1960's Her sail number is 473, dating from about 1963. |
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Above are the pics of launching day and the first sails in Tollesbury creek, where in 1973 I went to berth my first Eventide, Bluenose'. Tony rowed over to welcome me to the creek. We often saw Tony and his crew sailing in the Blackwater. They sailed well heeled, as did we, till we realised the lack of ballast was the problem. See how she heels and how calm the water is?! Tony never added any to Everjoy and as a result she was often seen sailing on her ear.! She was fitted with a Stuart Turner 4 hp, a tiny motor, but as she was so light it served her well. On one occasion Tony motored for 24 hours, all the way back from Holland in a flat calm, the Stuart ticking away beautifully!
Sadly Tony lost heart when after having Everjoy ashore to repair leaking decks and glassfibre the top, she was damaged in the yard at Tollesbury. This is where John and Ann came in, around 2003 they had moved to the flats overlooking the boatyard at Tollesbury, and could see this boat languishing there. After a little haggling with the yard owner they became the proud owners and decided to try and restore her and also joined the EOG.
They cleared up the debris that had accumulated and came to chat with the Essex Eventiders at our monthly meetings. There was plenty of free advice available. John and Ann set to and worked hard on her, removing rusty bilge keels and having new parts made, including beefing up the ballast keel with steel slabs.
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 John had fitted a stern tube and cut a new hole, this was the cutter he made.
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| They worked at her tirelessly, epoxy and glass cloth went on, new engine mounts and an engine was fitted. Then sadly John's health deteriorated and the boat was put on hold. After several years of trying to sell her, but with no takers, I volunteered to help out. i offered to put her in my garden to at least stop the storage fees racking up. | ||
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This is Everjoy as I found her in about 2009 when John and Ann Morgan decided they were going to move to France. John decided to let me look after her and sort her out for him. I first had to remove her from Tollesbury to my garden.
Fortunately she fitted easily on my trailer and the brother in law towed her to a nearby barn for a few weeks, then to my garden, once the ground was prepared.
Getting her into the garden was a little tricky, at one point I thought we may have launched her into the ditch! Fortunately Keith is an ace driver, Essex champion tractor handler for many years and National champion once too! Good man to have on the team!
You can see just how tight it was!
An hour or so later we had her on chocks in the garden and the trailer freed.
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There then followed some frantic discussions as to how we were going to deal with her. I could find no one willing to buy her still so came to the conclusion that if the new inboard was removed and sold we may be able to sell for a much more realistic sum. As it happened a friend, Simon the marine engineer had a customer who needed a motor just like this, so a deal was struck and with the help of the local farmers fork lift motor was removed and pennies were sent to France. We then set about advertising her again. Step forward Ian Wilson. Ian had once been the owner of Borer Bee, and after that a Golden Hind. He has been forced to give up boating, but was again looking and of course was looking at our site. He and a chum came down and a deal was struck. I was able to pass over a shed load of gear that went with the boat and Ian went off rejoicing.... I think.. Keith my Brother in law was willing to tow the Eventide to Nottingham and Ian set about sorting out his garden to take her. He said he would be looking for an ali mast to suit it.. We traced on on a boat called 'folly' in Tollesbury, but we had to take the whole boat, so I had now to sort my boat out, that was by now wintering on the trailer, launch her, then go and recover 'Folly'. She was taken to north Essex and any good fittings removed and given to Ian, the rest was firewood.
As you can clearly see 'Folly' was rotten as a pear! there was a hole in the side and eventually I pushed the side out to remove internal fitting easier, it was like soggy cardboard! But the mast was OK, as was a water tank, the stern rail and pulpit etc etc.
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 So it was bit by bit we jacked Everjoy back up and reloaded her onto my trailer then took her to north Essex to marry her with the mast, tabernacle, rigging and piles of kit from folly!
In the meantime John and Ann had visited from France and brought the rudder fittings and timber for the rudder, bow sprit and more bits for Ian. They were also loaded on board. |
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 So it was in May this year we arrived at Ian's place and found all the neighbours out to assist and a local haulage firm to lift her from the trailer to his garden.
Ian had measured it inch perfect and had built up a trailer from an old caravan chassis and Everjoy was gently lowered into position. We had a little fun with the strops and spreader bars, the spreaders would not stay in place as the straps had to be so short, because of the telephone wire! At one stage the neighbours got an extra long broom and Ian was in the cockpit, during the hoist, holding up the wire!
The boat was secured in a jubilant Ian's garden, the ali mast we had found, all the rigging and bits unloaded and we headed south again! |
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Now Ian set too to sort out what he had and it was not too long before the pictures came in. Ian was making huge strides forward. He had faired off the ballast keel and deadwood, filled the space between keel and skeg and waterproofed and painted the outside totally. It is now late September and the motor he had acquired was being installed too.
Ian is beavering away and has now informed us that he hopes to launch next year, early, and I believe him.! he has flung himself at the project and it has assumed a life of it's own. I am sure John and Ann, as well as myself will be pleased with the progress and we all look forward to the launch ! John on behalf of Ian.
November 2011. I have a few more pictures, forgive my ugly mug and my grandson (and his dad) who wants to be in every shot!
The outside of the boat is looking good, glass covering faired off and a coat of bright paint. Note the bowsprit is on and the pulpit we recovered from the wrecked Folly!
Ian has found and installed a decent power plant, a Yanmar 8hp by the looks of it! Steps cover it and provide useful seats too!
The inside has also taken shape and Ian is well on track for a Spring 2012 launching! John 2013. Ian has launched late last year after a few hold ups and has at least had a sail, however a few problems also came to light so 2013 has been spent sorting them!
Sure Ian will fill in the spaces her, but I have a CD of pictures and will load a few to show the progress up to the launch. John
Loaded on low loader at short notice driver / operator excellent he brought two lengths of steel to act as spreaders for the lifting chains, essential if you are keeping the lift as short as possible it stops the boat being” nipped” which on old ply boats can do some damage. After an attempt to tow her out on her custom converted trailer, an old caravan chassis, Ian resorted to the crane and flat bed. the chassis on the trailer flexed far too much to be safe.
So here she is in all her splendour, being lowered onto the back of the lorry...
A good fit on the lorry. with bilge keels it makes shifting an Eventide a doddle on a flat bed.
The redundant caravan chassis.
The 60 mile trip to Fosdyke yacht haven on the Welland went well we followed 15 minutes behind then we met a slow moving traffic jam just after Newark, I began to worry not helped by Ian my son in law who was driving saying he could see a boat ahead in the road AGGH!, the swine he was teasing me it was only road works, Phew! Lashed down and on the road!
Unloaded in the boat yard all went well. In the Lincolnshire boat yard awaiting her rig.
Guard rails fitted! The rigging is fitted and shortened to suit! Mast is 6 ft longer than standard as it is off a 26ft version.
The Weather
A few words about the mast which was off a 26 foot even tide a was 4’ 6” longer than a 24’ mast, but I baulked at shortening it because experience has taught me old aluminium will not weld because of corrosion, it just crumbles. Back stays connected, note also the new transom hung rudder!
Started work on the many jobs still to do electrics / fittings / mast and rigging and some topside carpentry. Keith “Maz” the old hippie in the photo a talented amateur and great guy. Finishing touches, the hasp and staple for the cabin door secured!
New stainless steel wire and fittings to mast stayloks and turn buckles fitted. Raised mast with small yard mobile at 3rd attempt and rigging sorted with the help of yard MEWP a good bit of kit but limited to 8mph working limit. A boom gallows in timber permanently fitted. We will see how Ian get on with that whilst sailing?
The rubber stopper at the ends of the mainsheet horse are a good idea!
At last all rigging connected OK and mast and boom fitted OK. Looks as if a little tweaking will come next, to put that all important 'pre bend' into the mast. See the hints and tips page. Makes all the difference to how they sail!
Tiller fitted and backstay rigging screws on. All takes a time to sort! Well it was mid July before we launched so much for being sailing on my 70th birthday which was in June.
Now we are getting serious! In the slings and ready to get her bottom wet! Well the big day dawned “ Everjoy” was carried to the launch bay on a big boat lift I was not very happy with the way they insisted in slinging it with the aft sling under the skeg which I think puts strain on the boat.
Slings let go, boards up and bilges checked no obvious leaks the mighty (8 hp Yanma) was fired up water from exhaust all ok. We ran the engine for 10 minutes to check all was well then our maiden and only trip down the river and back up against the flow all well. Afloat at last. John and Ann will be pleased to see this picture Ian! And it looks as if she is floating on her marks! Entering all these pictures, in October 2013, she is now ashore again and Ian is readying her for the winter and ultimately for next spring. hope you have hours of good times on board Ian, so very pleased to see 'Everjoy' back in the water. All you need to do now is put her name on her! John
Just a few words on the river
It is one of the 3 great rivers that drain the fens into the wash it is tidal up to and past Fosdyke with a large tidal range of up to 8m on springs so this last summer with record amount of rain made it a daunting river at up to 7 Knots on ebb and flood.
A lot more than
Ian
March 2017. As a post script. Ian had a couple of great seasons with Everjoy but failing eyesight forced him to sell. As it happens we had been able to put Ian in touch with someone who had a very personal interest in Everjoy. His parent borrowed her for their honey moon, and he was of course born 9 months later! It was fitting then that Mike Salisbury took on Everjoy and arranged to tow her across country to where a family member had a barn she could be stored in for the winter.
Spring 2017 and she is on the road again. this time back to Nottingham area and the family home, at least for an overnight stop.
Much to the amusement of the neighbours!
Then it is off to the Marina on the Trent, for final finishing and launch.
Hope to hear about their adventures later this season. John
May 2017. Just heard from Michael with new photos!
Recent update and photos of Everjoy
Put her in over May bank holiday. There was a leak to repair so back out again, I guess 2-3 years out the water there was bound to be something.. Anyhow all sorted now and back in last weekend repaired and now moored up. Started the Yanmar 1GM10 engine fired up first time. We took her out for trip up and down river Trent for a couple of hours all going well. No plans for sails this year and on river, so not much point. Hope to do a bit of sailing next year.. enough to explore on river at the moment. Trailer great easy to lunch from and recover which is great.. will be easy to take out for storage on winter. Ian's Wilson who finished John Morgan's restoration and Tony Woodward who built her are up next weekend to see her.
Mike
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