Ericson Trivia

[Roger]

And finally . . . would you believe that Ericson built (gasp!) powerboats? Ericson acquired Innovator Boats in the late 80’s, which included Radoncraft and Innovator powerboats.

Radoncraft was a spin-off of the long-established Radon brand of work & fishing boats. I believe that Ericson built 22’ & 26’ Radoncraft models. Don Radon eventually reacquired Radoncraft, and in fact Radon Boats is still in business in Santa Barbara.

The Innovator 41 was a serious sportfisher, along the lines of a Cabo. The boat was very complex as I recall, and Ericson never completed one. Innovator was subsequently purchased by a Japanese businessman who set up a shop in Irvine, but they’re long out of business.


So those are all the non-Ericsons built by Ericson Yachts throughout their history that I’m aware of - Olson 25, 911S & 34, Supercats, Madcap, Cadre, Radoncraft 22 & 26 and Innovator 41. I joined Ericson in ’83, so it’s possible there were others prior to that.

 

[GrandpaSteve]

And finally . . . would you believe that Ericson built (gasp!) powerboats? Ericson acquired Innovator Boats in the late 80’s, which included Radoncraft and Innovator powerboats.

Radoncraft was a spin-off of the long-established Radon brand of work & fishing boats. I believe that Ericson built 22’ & 26’ Radoncraft models. Don Radon eventually reacquired Radoncraft, and in fact Radon Boats is still in business in Santa Barbara.

The Innovator 41 was a serious sportfisher, along the lines of a Cabo. The boat was very complex as I recall, and Ericson never completed one. Innovator was subsequently purchased by a Japanese businessman who set up a shop in Irvine, but they’re long out of business.


So those are all the non-Ericsons built by Ericson Yachts throughout their history that I’m aware of - Olson 25, 911S & 34, Supercats, Madcap, Cadre, Radoncraft 22 & 26 and Innovator 41. I joined Ericson in ’83, so it’s possible there were others prior to that.

Hi Roger. Is the cover from the 32-3 brochure your boat?

 

[Kenneth K]

As there was some interest in the original retail sail prices of these boats back in the day, I thought I'd post this original 1985 invoice for an E32-3. It was in a folder of old documents I got with the boat when I purchased it in 2016.

Base price was $65K, add-ons $17K, and total of $92K with tax and freight.

Interesting items to me were $1100 for interior varnish, the $550 stereo, and $260 for "ship on pads." Would anyone really ship their new $90K boat without pads?



Added.....The federal luxury tax on new boats was approved on Sept. 30, 1990. It added another 10% tax on top of all previous costs, was rumored to be the death-blow to the recreational boat industry, and, obviously affected a wide swath of the market at that time.

 

[Roger]

Hi Roger. Is the cover from the 32-3 brochure your boat?

No, actually that’s 32-3 hull #1 (technically #601). That’s me sitting furthest forward holding the spin sheet – I was young and hirsute back then. I recall that most of the photos taken that day (a couple B & W shots below) showed me driving, but the selected one shows the boss at the helm – funny how that works! Anyway, that photo made the rounds in the brochures and magazine ads.

That boat was docked in Newport Beach and available to Ericson employees to sail at no cost for a year or two – nice perk!

Thanks for asking!

 

[Roger]

Would anyone really ship their new $90K boat without pads?

As I recall, dealers had a choice of either shipping on pads (support arms positioned by the trucker) or on a cradle, which stayed with the boat. One or the other had to be selected.

 

[Mort Fligelman]

More Trivia

Roger:

In the early 70's one of the original Ericson 35's was owned and raced by Saint Cicero and Rod Lippold (not sure if the latter is spelled correctly), and of course with sails by Baxter and Cicero. Wish I could remember the boat name.

Did you know either of them or any connected with them?

 

[Roger Janeway]

Base price was $65K, add-ons $17K, and total of $92K with tax and freight.

Translating the 33-year-old prices with help from the CPI: "Base price was $150K, add-ons $39K, and total of $211K with tax and freight."

 

[markvone]

And another one - in the 70’s, Ericson built a custom 40’ Bruce King designed boat called “Madcap” for Charlie Leighton. Charlie was CEO of the aforementioned CML Group, which owned Ericson for several years.

Unfortunately I haven’t been able to locate any photos or drawings of Madcap, but I understand it was very “IOR-ish” with a narrow transom, along the lines of the original E-34. Anyone have more info on Madcap?

I read something about another, smaller custom boat called “Cadre” built by Ericson around that time, but I don’t have any further details (Seth, you out there?)

From Sailing Anarchy in 2008:

http://forums.sailinganarchy.com/index.php?/topic/76633-madcap-for-sale-in-hollandmi/

See posts #11 and #17 for info from Seth (Sol).

Mark

 

[GrandpaSteve]

No, actually that’s 32-3 hull #1 (technically #601). That’s me sitting furthest forward holding the spin sheet – I was young and hirsute back then. I recall that most of the photos taken that day (a couple B & W shots below) showed me driving, but the selected one shows the boss at the helm – funny how that works! Anyway, that photo made the rounds in the brochures and magazine ads.

That boat was docked in Newport Beach and available to Ericson employees to sail at no cost for a year or two – nice perk!

Thanks for asking!

Thanks for the response and the trivia. Very cool.

 

[bgary]

Wish I could remember the boat name.

This made me laugh. I would have sworn I'd remember the name, until I tried... and now it's gone. It'll come back some day, I'm sure.

I raced in the early 70s on one of the other early 35-2s in Newport Beach, one called "Andiamo" out of Balboa YC. "Doc" Sodaro was an active racer, and his son Robin worked for the local Hood sail loft, so there was some rivalry with the other boat. (Robin owned the Hood loft in San Francisco for years, maybe still does, not sure how that shook out when Quantum acquired Hood)

Couple of years later I worked briefly for Saint Cicero at B&C but left after a couple of months because I figured out it wasn't as much fun to sew in reef-cringles and sweep floors at Baxter and Cicero as it was to lay out spinnakers at Sobstad...

Bruce

 

[bgary]

Roger -

As long as we're throwing out random questions... any chance you have copies of any of the drawings from the 32-III?

Beyond just the "I'd love to have a copy" thing, I've thought about getting a half-model made for my office, but if I do that I'd much prefer the model-maker have drawings to work from. I've seen half-models made from photos, and... they never seem to look quite right.

Thanks!
Bruce

 

[Mort Fligelman]

Baxter and Cicero

Bruce: Saint and my sailing partner went back into the 60's.....he used to come to Chicago to sail the Mac with Lew Davidson before we were partners in a Cal 29.....then he and his son Terry sailed with us both on the Cal and our PT30.....

My wife and I spent a lot of time with Saint and his wife Lou, and with Terry in Newport on my annual sojourns to an industry trade show every February.....

When Bob Poole of Columbia Yachts had Sanderlings christning at Balboa YC Saint brought us along and Bob invited me to do the transpac with them.....it killed me, but I just could not make the time (needed to keep the kids in kibble)......

When I retired in 91 I contacted Saint and told him that I was planning to be in San Diego for the Americas Cup and we planned to do it on my brothers Searay....but Saint went 8 Bells before it could happen....

Good to know we had a mutual aquaintence

If you think of the boat name let me know

Thanks

 

[Roger]

Roger:

In the early 70's one of the original Ericson 35's was owned and raced by Saint Cicero and Rod Lippold (not sure if the latter is spelled correctly), and of course with sails by Baxter and Cicero. Wish I could remember the boat name.

Did you know either of them or any connected with them?

No, afraid I didn't know them, although Baxter & Cicero is still in business in Costa Mesa.

 

[Roger]

Roger -

As long as we're throwing out random questions... any chance you have copies of any of the drawings from the 32-III?

Beyond just the "I'd love to have a copy" thing, I've thought about getting a half-model made for my office, but if I do that I'd much prefer the model-maker have drawings to work from. I've seen half-models made from photos, and... they never seem to look quite right.

Thanks!
Bruce

Bruce,
I believe I have blueprints of the sail plan and the electrical & plumbing systems tucked away in my chart table (these were provided with every new boat that went out). But I don't have any hull or deck lines, which a model maker would need to accurately reproduce the hull & deck. That's a tough one - I don't know that any copies still exist.

 

[GrandpaSteve]

Roger,

Nice of you to answer random questions, thank you. Is there any significance to my boat (32-3 hull 711) not having the blue gelcoat stripe, or was it just ordered that way?

 

[Roger]

Roger,

Nice of you to answer random questions, thank you. Is there any significance to my boat (32-3 hull 711) not having the blue gelcoat stripe, or was it just ordered that way?

Steve,
Contrasting boot and sheer stripes were standard, at least on later-model Ericsons including the 32-3, so most boats had them. I'm pretty sure that all boats had at least a boot stripe, but I believe some were built without a sheer stripe. Sounds like yours was one of those, unless a PO repainted the hull.

Midwatch Blue was the most common stripe color, but there were other options (like white stripes on dark-colored hulls), and stripes could be single or double.


An anecdote about stripes I shared once before: When we tooled the E32-3, the decision was made by Ericson to make the sheer stripe flush with the hull rather than standing it off a bit. This made it quicker to mask off the stripe in the mold, and also saved gelcoat touchup time. Admittedly it took away from the aesthetics.

When Bruce saw the sheer stripe on the 32, he wasn’t happy, but it was too late to change on that model. The profile drawing for the next new model we produced, the E28, contained a note which I can recall almost verbatim to this day: “SHEER STRIPE DAMN WELL BETTER STAND PROUD BY 1/8” “. All subsequent models had a sheer stripe that stood off.

 

[Sean Engle]

Hmmm, very interesting! I have another Olson brochure that I thought was identical to the one I posted, but on closer examination I see that it’s different. That one has the same O34 page as that posted by Grizz, so different keel, rudder, displacement & sail dimensions from the one I posted.

I‘m away from my computer for a couple days, but I can upload the full Olson brochure when I return. Anyone know how best to upload the file to the Documents section? For attachments in the Forum I was limited to 5 pages at low res.

Hi Roger -

Sorry for coming late to this party! How large of a file is it, what format and where are you trying to put it?

//sse

 

[CTOlsen]

Great thread!

This is a great thread. I had no idea Supercats were build by EY- I had two NACRAs in the 80's and actively raced against those monsters. In big surf, they were a challenge.
Thanks to all those who contributed.
CTO

 

[Dave N]

keel trade in

Paging through the August '82 issue of Sailing and came across this...were there any takers?

 

[Roger]

Paging through the August '82 issue of Sailing and came across this...were there any takers?View attachment 26227

Interesting. I have a vague memory of that keel swap. I don't recall replacing any keels though, at least after I began working at Ericson in May of '83.