Yesterdays assignment was to carry out an Insurance Survey on this Easticks 28 Yacht. Production Years were from 1980-96 and the builder was Easticks Yacht Station in Acle, Norfolk. The original Easticks fleet were sold off to the Caister Group in 1965. The Caister Group had undertaken a mass buy out of many fleets in 1965 and, whilst most of those remained where they were and ran under the old yard's name, the distinction was made with the Eastick's fleet which were moved to Potter Heigham and ran under the Herbert Woods name..... thus the yard and Easticks name were retained by the owner.
Norfolk Broads Forum comments:
Neil Hunt designed the Easticks 28 in about 1981?. It was a joint venture with David Berry (then owner of Easticks).
Neil claimed the idea was based upon classic cruiser/racers like the Sabrinas, but the lines don't bear this out at all. In design terms the E28 is far more block efficient and there's a pronounced rise from the rear of the keel to the transom, which prevents them from squatting in their own wake whilst driving hard.
The E28 was the first GRP hull to be formally approved by the RCC. It was followed by Leslie Landamore's 28 foot Matilda design, but approval for this was delayed by controversy, and I'm not sure that Andrew Wolstenholme's Faringdon 25 design, which appeared later, did not pip if for second place.
Anyway: back to the E28s, the first of which was Neil's own boat Woodpecker. All as far as I am aware were built at Easticks. Actually they were closer to 27.9 in overall length, if I remember correctly. Its a powerful hull, and the fastest ever example was Ted Brewsters Marylyn Anne which sailed to 1% or scratch. Nowadays M/A sails with a reduced plan, but the former big Bermudan rig survives on Firebird. Other fast E28s are Joy and Wanderer. During the heyday of construction, David Berry had been supplied with a job lot of pine to build masts, and these proved less than durable, with the result that E28 dismastings were common, particularly in one notorious Yare Navigation Race when they went down like ninepins. I believe all of these have now shattered, so the problem's in the past.
I think 3 basic variants of the E28 were built. The first were fully rigged gaff boats to the spec of Woodpecker; then came the three quarter rigged (smaller sailplan), of which White Rose, Picus and Poppy are examples. Masts for these are generally uncrossed. There was also a hire boat variant which Berry used to supply his own fleet and others. Here the mould was extended to provide slightly more freeboard to the finished yacht.
I can't guess the exact number of E28s in class or hire, but Neil or the RCC could probably tell you. Neither do I know if the mould survived the disastrous Easticks fire which destroyed the River Cruiser Vanessa, amongst others. I think the E28 is a good design which has produced some fine boats. If there is a fault - its that for its length and available layout, its a cramped 4 berth, or an over-indulgent 2 berth. I think its generally accepted that early keel design was not good, and if yours has one of these I'd change it first chance.If you've got one of the old masts, then it will probably do the job for you!
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| This ones designed to race hard! |
Norfolk Broads Forum comments:
Neil Hunt designed the Easticks 28 in about 1981?. It was a joint venture with David Berry (then owner of Easticks).
Neil claimed the idea was based upon classic cruiser/racers like the Sabrinas, but the lines don't bear this out at all. In design terms the E28 is far more block efficient and there's a pronounced rise from the rear of the keel to the transom, which prevents them from squatting in their own wake whilst driving hard.
The E28 was the first GRP hull to be formally approved by the RCC. It was followed by Leslie Landamore's 28 foot Matilda design, but approval for this was delayed by controversy, and I'm not sure that Andrew Wolstenholme's Faringdon 25 design, which appeared later, did not pip if for second place.
Anyway: back to the E28s, the first of which was Neil's own boat Woodpecker. All as far as I am aware were built at Easticks. Actually they were closer to 27.9 in overall length, if I remember correctly. Its a powerful hull, and the fastest ever example was Ted Brewsters Marylyn Anne which sailed to 1% or scratch. Nowadays M/A sails with a reduced plan, but the former big Bermudan rig survives on Firebird. Other fast E28s are Joy and Wanderer. During the heyday of construction, David Berry had been supplied with a job lot of pine to build masts, and these proved less than durable, with the result that E28 dismastings were common, particularly in one notorious Yare Navigation Race when they went down like ninepins. I believe all of these have now shattered, so the problem's in the past.
I think 3 basic variants of the E28 were built. The first were fully rigged gaff boats to the spec of Woodpecker; then came the three quarter rigged (smaller sailplan), of which White Rose, Picus and Poppy are examples. Masts for these are generally uncrossed. There was also a hire boat variant which Berry used to supply his own fleet and others. Here the mould was extended to provide slightly more freeboard to the finished yacht.
I can't guess the exact number of E28s in class or hire, but Neil or the RCC could probably tell you. Neither do I know if the mould survived the disastrous Easticks fire which destroyed the River Cruiser Vanessa, amongst others. I think the E28 is a good design which has produced some fine boats. If there is a fault - its that for its length and available layout, its a cramped 4 berth, or an over-indulgent 2 berth. I think its generally accepted that early keel design was not good, and if yours has one of these I'd change it first chance.If you've got one of the old masts, then it will probably do the job for you!
