Seadog...
You have a Mk 2. There were two iterations, the '68 to '71 boats were just called Ericson 23s, then when the factory began making the second generation vessels they started calling them E-23 Mk 2s. These were produced from '75 to '78. My hull number is ERY23312M76D denoting: ER(icson)Y(achts)23(length)312(112th one produced, as numbering for Mk 2s started at 200)M(monthly ID system)76(year)D(month produced, starting with A for August, B for September, etc.) The Mk 1 boats have a rudder post through the cockpit floor, symmetric layout in the cabin, fixed keel only. They are beautiful and rugged boats, and many were/are sailed in the testing conditions of SF Bay. The Mk 2 boats have a taller rig with a shorter boom, a slightly more rounded cabintop, transom hung rudder, and came in fixed keel or shoal keel/centerboard models. The latter was Ericson's attempt to offer a "trailerable" entry level sailboat. Once you have launched or recovered this boat, you know that it is not one you trailer to the lake for an afternoon sail, however. The mast is heavy and the boat is too, and once a year is about my limit on launching. The boats are very sweet sailers, able to move in light air but very solid in a blow. A number of them are still competitive across the country in club handicap racing. In my opinion, a good used E-23 offers more performance, quality, beauty, and safety for the dollar than anything out there. There is an active owners organization, a semi-monthly newsletter (free), and manual reprints are available. If you want to know more, check out EricsonYachts.org, go to owners and projects, and search the 23s. Mine is "TigerEye". You bought a great boat.
