Ericson 28 survey...your thoughts please.

BobM · Nov 15, 2009

Most 30ish foot boats are described as a little tender. That term seems to have devolved to describe any boat that develops heel under 20 knots of wind. To me the difference is in how the boat behaves then. My boat will heel, but then hardens up at 15-20 degrees and behaves predictably. If you can deal with it you can sail it all day at 20 degrees.

Mast painting is a big deal. Most masts from the 80's are anodized. Mine is black and has been touched up. It doesn't look bad, but at some point I will have to tackle it. Go for it if you are up to it and the price is right. If were buying a boat with a mast that really needed painting I'd want at least $3000 off the price if I felt the owner wasn't making an allowance for it. Your yard should be able to do the cutlass bearing without removing it. The tool is very expensive. You can try to make one, but it is a challenge. The tool to remove one when the shaft is out is cake to build. I replaced everything myself and it is worth the learning experience to do...but uncomfortable on a small boat. I would have bought an Ericson in a heartbeat if I found one in good shape at a good price. I really looked hard at the 29 and called about a few 32's, but tough to find in good shape. The 30 was a bit pricey compared to my boat and hard to find.

adirondackbob · Nov 16, 2009

Rob, we recently moved up from an O'Day 23 to a Catalina 30. We looked very seriously at a 1983 Ericson 30. After seeing the boat, we did a lot of research on Ericsons and communicated with some owners. We were convinced that they deserve their reputation as well-built boats that sail well. The owner of the one we looked at clearly loved the boat and described her as "spirited" under sail. The quality of the boat at impressed us. Unfortunately, the boat hadn't been maintained and needed too much work for the price, so we passed on it--reluctantly. But after seeing that boat, Ericsons were near the top of our list. We just couldn't find one in good shape that was also in our price range.

Good luck.

Bob

Barnacle Bill · Nov 16, 2009

Generally Ericsons are well built vessels. They did make a plus (+) series, which were more performance oriented with better, more efficient keels and a more powerful sail plan and also spiffed up the interiors more. Not sure if the E-28 had a plus side to them or not. All in all, they were built for crusing and the Ericsons, in my opinion, were not really keen racing vessels in comparison to some other brands of the same vintage, but they sailed well and were built well. I thought they were aesthetically pleasing to the eye both inside and out too.
Regarding the cutlass bearing, there are a lot of things to do to free one up for replacement before having to remove the shaft, but, if you have to remove the shaft, then so be it. It is not the end of the world. Sometimes a shaft will slip by the rudder once the prop is off too.
Regarding painting the mast, epoxy is not the paint you would use. Epoxy is best below the water line because it is very water proof. But, it does not hold up to the sun as well as a Linear Polyurethane product. It will oxidize much faster. I have written detailed instructions on painting a mast with Awlgrip in earlier posts. Since it is aluminum, it requires etching, washing and two different kinds of primer before the topcoat color for a professional, lasting job.
I would think you should be happy sailing an Ericson 28.

RichH · Nov 16, 2009

The 'tenderness' of such relatively narrow boats is really 'initial tenderness' wherein the boat will begin to heel with little to moderate wind pressure (on the sails when beating) until it reaches a relatively constant heel angle where it will then 'harden up' and want to remain at or close to that heel angle. Boat of this type usually 'harden up' at about 15-20 degrees of heel.

The E28 is a well balanced and well mannered sailboat, enjoy!!!!!!

higgs · Nov 16, 2009

I have several friends who own e 29s and have been aboard and sailed them. I like the boats and the ones around here have held up very well over the years.

Eddie7045 · Nov 21, 2009

I had an Ericson 32

It was extremely well built. Very solid. I really liked the keel being integrated into the hull. The interior space was a bit less than similiar sized boats but it was enough for us and so enjoyed the extra performance. There is a tendency for the E32 & E35s to want to wander ( fishtail ) going down wind ( running and broad reaching ) more than other boats so I had to get used to being more dillegent on the helm going down wind but it was only a minor inconvienience and I was extremely pleased with overall performance.

I would say that if you like the look of it and are good with ithe interior you are going to love it.

higgs · Nov 21, 2009

Nothing can replace a professional survey by a qualified surveyor. If you are doing your own survey, it is like being your own lawyer.

Steve Dion · Nov 21, 2009

Higgs is correct. And don't forget no professional survey, no insurance!

There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing your survey to determine if you want to pay for a professional first, but ultimately you need a pro to get the document for the insurance co.

Tim R. · Nov 22, 2009

Steve Dion said:
Higgs is correct. And don't forget no professional survey, no insurance!

No necessarily true.

That all depends on how you insure the boat. If you want a boat rider on a homeowners policy(typical for smaller boats), most insurance companies do not require a survey. If you insure with a "yacht" policy you will need a survey.

I did my own survey on a 28' Pearson and insured as a "boat". My Ericson 35 was surveyed by myself and then a pro and it is insured with a "yacht" policy.

I am a big proponent of profession surveys and would have gotten one for the Ericson regardless of insurance requirements.

Eddie7045 · Nov 22, 2009

My previous post was give as a guide to help

narrow down your choise. I absolutely recommend that you get a professional survey done if you are about to select a boat. The piece of mind alone is worth every penny.

higgs · Nov 22, 2009

I think you are doing the right way. You will be happy with your new boat.

Eddie7045 · Nov 23, 2009

Higgs, y'took the words right out of my mouth.

.

Tim R. · Dec 17, 2009

Who was your surveyor?

Stephen K · Dec 18, 2009

RobG said:
I'm happy to say all went well except... . The surveyor, after looking at the stuffing box hose casually from afar, said to not only replace the hose clamps (this was on my list) but the hose. I thought the hose was fine and doing this really makes things much more complicated than replacing the clamps and re-packing which I had planned. With all of the chatter about rusted couplings being totaled when removing the shaft from them I'm kinda bummed. :cry:

Thanks again for all of your responses.
Rob

First, congratulations... It sounds like you are more excited than bummed, and you should be...just remember that all boats will have some issues. As far as the stuffing box hose, did the surveyor point out some specific issues with the hose? If it were me, I'd consider taking the shaft off and just replacing the hose and cutlass bearing both at the same time (hopefullly you don't need to drop the rudder). As far as rusted couplings...I'd start by applying PB Blaster and letting that penetrate before removal (also, a couple light taps with a hammer might break loose rust and let the PB Blaster penetrate better). Good luck.

Tim R. · Dec 18, 2009

Got it. He is a reputable surveyor and I would do as others have suggested. Remove the shaft and replace the log hose and strut bushing. That log hose is a special type of hose. Some feel it is ok to use automotive type heater hose but it is not. The log hose has reinforcement that holds up much better against the twisting force of the stuffing box.