Evening Star - Refit

[Happy Jax 3]

I'm guessing you didn't get a lot of sleep last night. I am sure ES will look as stunning in the flesh as she does in the photos.

Have a great weekend on board!!

[Guest]

managed to catch Andy & evening star on the webcam but couldn't post it up for some reason my ipad wouldn't attach a link or let me upload a saved photo of it...

Jonny

[andyandsallyb]

The weekend vanished in a flash, we were blessed with glorious weather on Saturday, not so nice on Sunday. Took some pictures of ES to share.

!

Andy

[andyandsallyb]

More...

[mbird]

She look fantastic Andy!

[Antares_9]

Looks lovely on the water.

[andyandsallyb]

Update: Not much been happening over the last couple of months, as we have been spending our time out on the river....

Did get a chance though to install the new Marineline batteries.....

Andy.

[andyandsallyb]

And a rear view camera !!!

[andyandsallyb]

Well things have been really quiet over the winter, just waiting for the weather to finally buck its ideas up..... spent a few hours just browsing hire fleet operators boat interiors particularly aquafibre 38's and 44's looking for interesting features that may find their way into out little project. I have learned a few interesting facts...

Evening star was one of four aquafibre 38's originally fitted out by an operator known as "Harbour Criusers" and I have managed to trace all four (Very Sad) All four were known as "Langstone Harbour" When Harbour closed one of the four boats went straight into private ownership and has recently been sold by NYA. another found its way to "Summercraft" of Wroxham and is now known as "Glamour Girl". The remaining 2 boats went to Herbert Woods after we acquired ours "Twilight 2" the last one has remained in the Woods fleet under it new name "Ring of Light". Herbert Woods yard made a modification to both their boats by adding the stern door. Later aquafibre mouldings had this as standard. Anyway to get to the point of all this? Harbour Criusers also fitted out a number of Aquafibre 44's of which Caribbean and Astral Light are also in the Herbert Woods fleet. Viewing the pictures available on HW's site and using the 360 view of the saloon, the 38 and 44 fit our are very similar. Having the main difference being either a sideboard (38) or additional seating (44) port side. If you look back through this thread you can see we originally had the side board arrangement but that was actually one of the first things I changed. Leaving the floor to roof end cheek in place. This makes making up the quarterbirth a major pain in the backside. So a time for change........ Armed with toolbox I arrived on Friday evening ready for battle........ 

 

!

 

Andy

 

 

 

[andyandsallyb]

[andyandsallyb]

[mbird]

Opens up the saloon nicely Andy, but where did you relocate that HUGE speaker?

[andyandsallyb]

Well a year has passed since the last major work was completed on Evening Star and she has just been lifted for her annual pressure wash and anti-foul. Sally and I have had some upholstery work done while she is out of the water and once it completed I'll post a few piccys......

 

!

 

Andy

[Hockham Admiral]

When will you next be out and about, Andy? 

[andyandsallyb]

Hi John, I'll be up in Potter Heigham tomorrow (Friday) to tie the fenders back on. The hull's had a good polish and antifoul application. I spoke to Woods today and they tell me that the upholstery is nearly complete, and she should be back in the wet stuff on Tuesday next week, so all being well, we should be out on the river next weekend        

 

!

 

Andy

[andyandsallyb]

Got back quite late on Friday evening after sitting on the greater London orbital car park (M25) Dartford crossing for over 2 hours...... Grrrrrrr.

 

But it was all well worth it.....

 

I have recently posted a few pictures of the removal of a dividing cheek which separated the quarter birth from the main saloon area. What the pictures did not show was the remainder of the structure where it met the inside roof lining. As can be seen from the first picture there was roughly 20 - 30mm of panel remaining. Its a great shame we had not considered removing this cheek when the interior was originally refit 3 years ago but you know, hindsight and all that..... To put things right has been quite a task, and involved a new section of timber frame and three roof lining panels. Fortunately the vinyl used was still available.....

 

Picture 2 shows the completed rood lining.

 

Picture 3 shows the outcome of a discussion between myself and the Herbert Woods trimming staff. This is the section that you can see in picture 2 with the top access panel missing (Upper helm instrument cluster rear access) this was previously covered in a cream coloured carpet type textile and time has proven that it really shows the dirt after only a short while. Evening star has quite a bit of this type of interior surface covering and I can see a longer term project here replacing it all.

 

 

[andyandsallyb]

Evening star was internally refitted three years ago, and to be frank and honest the only thing Sally and I have never been that impressed with was the saloon seating. Not that there was anything wrong with the trimming of course more than the design lacked any real comfort if you were sitting on it for any length of time. We were both in the boat yard at the time sovereign light was finished and lucky enough to have a look around her. After seeing the way the seating area had been made and trimmed (a decent rake and lumbar support for the back) we decided to ask the Herbert woods trimming department if they could make the same setup for Evening star. And they could...........

 

Picture 1 Mk1 Original design

 

Picture 2,3 &4 Mk2 Modified seating (and very comfortable it is too!!!)

 

 

[andyandsallyb]

Fenders and socks back on, Antifoul applied and ready to go back in the wet stuff early next week.

 

A huge thank you to all the staff at Herbert Woods boat yard, in particular Fiona and John. The pictures I have posted here really don't do job justice.....

 

!

 

 

Andy

[ranworthbreeze]

Hello Andy,

Herbert Wood's have done you proud.

It is almost a pity to put her back in the water.

Thank you for sharing your pictures.

Regards

Alan

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

Hi Andy,  My brother and i hired the original Twilight from HW back in September 95, which was one of the Harbour Cruisers boats, and that one DID`NT have the aft door, and i`m sure the one we hired is now the one at Summercraft (Glamour Girl), as when we hired from Summercraft a few years later, they said they bought it from HW, I also seem to remember Harbour cruisers were still in operation when we hired Twilight, and they still had some of the Langstone Harbours listed in the Blakes catalogue, as it was listed as a "class" meanining more than one.

 

 

The refit really looks good, and as for the saloon quarter berth, i always said if owned one, i`d remove the berth and install a corner sideboard in its place.

 

 

 

Regards to all ....................... Neil.

[Guest Jonny]

Looking nice Andy

Seen the vids of baby evening star think she needs more power

[Hockham Admiral]

Wow, Andy!

She looks beautiful! Look forward to some more pics, please.

[andyandsallyb]

Hi Neil,

 

A little bit of background info.....

 

Langstone Harbour "Class" Aquafibre Lowliner 38

4 craft originally fitted out by Harbour cruisers

B14 Langstone Harbour 1 Sold to Herbert Woods circa 1995 and then to Sumercraft circa 1998 now known as Glamour Girl

B15 Langstone Harbour 2 Sold to Private Buyer circa 2000 now known as Mickshirls

W554 Langstone Harbour 3 Sold to Herbert Woods circa 1995 then sold to me 2009 now known as Evening Star

N562 Langstone Harbour 4 Sold to Herbert Woods circa 1995 now known as Ring Of Light

 

Langstone Harbour 3 & 4 had the aft door added and the configuration of the aft cabin adjusted by Herbert Woods when both craft were renamed Twilight circa 1996

 

!

 

Andy

[andyandsallyb]

Just thought I might add this picture as we also had the upper helm seating area retrimmed

 

!

 

Andy

[andyandsallyb]

Job Done!