• Untitled Document

    Join us on March 29rd, 7pm EST

    for the CBEC Virtual Meeting

    All EYO members and followers are welcome to join the fun and get to know the guest speaker!

    See the link below for login credentials and join us!

    March Meeting Info

    (dismiss this notice by hitting 'X', upper right)

Looking at Ericsons in Bay area

K2MSmith

Sustaining Member
Definitely keep in mind there's a relatively big design change between the 70s 32's and the 80's - 90's 32's. That is the 32-3 and 32-200. Almost a foot more beam, longer, more modern.

Multiple times I've pulled up to folks familiar with Ericsons in the Ballard Locks or other frequented areas, even other Ericson owners, and am asked "Is that the 35? or 38?" and everyone is surprised when I say it's a 32.

Christian's point is a salient one - while my girlfriend and I have recently discussed whether or not we need a watermaker and other items to go to Hawaii, this guy did it on a Ranger 23:

You can see in the first few minutes that his forward hatch is held shut by lines cleated off on the interior furniture. He made it, too (spoiler alert!) I sent it to my GF and said if this guy made it, we'll make it.
I’m going for the 32-3 or 32-200. Have not seen a 32-3 in person yet but working on it . Yes , I’ve followed this guys videos :) I believe he’s swapped his ranger for a cape dory 27. As you get older, I believe you get much more analytical or obsessive-compulsive about what can go wrong and you prepare . This guy kind of winged it . Sometimes, I wish I could do that :) , but it’s not me . Thanks for your reply .
 

Kenneth K

1985 32-3, Puget Sound
Blogs Author
The difference between the 32-200 and 32-3 is definitely potato-potatto. Owners of either defend their own model vigorously.

As a 32-3 owner, I prefer the U-shaped setee. I'm also a fan of the forward "Captains quarters," with its privacy door, small changing area, and enclosed head. I think the aft "main cabin" (-200) is a poor substitute. Others will differ. If cruising with kids, or multiple couples, however, the Capt would likely not like people barging into his private quarters at 2 am to use the head.

The head in the -200 is undoubtedly nicer.

I don't think the ice-box/nav table combo in the -200 flows as well as the dedicated nav-table-with-seat in the 323.

Some prefer the recessed companionway in the -200, others not. I'm pretty neutral on that point.

Other than that, I think they are the same boat.
 

K2MSmith

Sustaining Member
I didn’t care for the refrigerator-nav table combo, but I think all of these differences are workable to me if I found the right boat in either model .
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
I didn’t care for the refrigerator-nav table combo, but I think all of these differences are workable to me if I found the right boat in either model .
Just an unsolicited opinion... but when comparing most any boat under about 40 or more feet, the "footprint" of the parts of the galley and the nav station will reflect a compromise. It's kind of like that little plastic "squares game" we used to have where you could move the little tiles one at a time to make the open square move around to achieve a certain pattern for the surface picture or words on the assembled tiles. In our boats, you can only increase one function at the expense of others.
That being true, I really LOVE the separate freezer in Bob's E-34-2, and really LOVE the large sit-down nav desk in our O-34. But we have one smaller fridge only, and the Ericson 34 has a smaller standup nav area.
 
Last edited:

Mark F

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
Hi K2mSmith,
We are probably looking at the same boats ;-). I do plan to remove the diesel if/when we get an E32 and install an electric drive.
 

Kenneth K

1985 32-3, Puget Sound
Blogs Author
I was going to write back, jokingly, "The 38 is bigger." But it's actually a good question. I've become convinced that the only difference between a 32-3 and a 35-3 is the extra space the 35 has in the shower (port) and hanging lockers (stbd).

It would be nice to know much of the extra length of the 35 and 38s is in the cabin vs in the cockpit.

Edited to add;

Plus, it roughly follows that since the 35 and 38 are, respectively, 1.1 and 1.2 times longer than the 32, their volumes and displacement are roughly that same factor cubed. Thus, the 32 is a 10,000 lb boat; the 35 is 13K; and the 38 is 18,000lbs.
 
Last edited:

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
I was going to write back, jokingly, "The 38 is bigger." But it's actually a good question. I've become convinced that the only difference between a 32-3 and a 35-3 is the extra space the 35 has in the shower (port) and hanging lockers (stbd).

It would be nice to know much of the extra length of the 35 and 38s is in the cabin vs in the cockpit.

It dawns on me, slowly with some hesitation, that it might be useful at times to have some real-world tape measurements of the various sole sections and seating area on our boats.
 

dhill

Member III
Yes, I was wondering whether you can have, say, 2 extra people in the 38 cockpit vs the 32. Or is the extra room only enough to provide slightly more room for the same number of people?

I have a 21' daysailer that can seat 4 when leaving enough room for the tiller, but am interested in having a sailboat that can take a larger number of people out for the day as well as cruise. I have a family of five, my children are college age or approaching it, so they likely will not always be able to cruise with us as they begin their careers, but would nice to have it as an occasional option.
 
Last edited:

Kenneth K

1985 32-3, Puget Sound
Blogs Author
Yes, I was wondering whether you can have, say, 2 extra people in the 38 cockpit vs the 32.

Probably true, but I would add, from experience, that it becomes no longer true if you happen to be serving chips and salsa while sailing downwind and jibing. Then, those two extra people have to leave the cockpit for the ensuing cleanup.

Ask me how I know.
 

goldenstate

Sustaining Member
Blogs Author
One other design difference between a 32-3 and 32-200 is that the rudder is 6" farther back in a -200, which should make the boat turn more nimbly, but perhaps also be more twitchy in a following sea?

The recessed companionway accommodates the double quarterberth. This must have been a selling point for someone. There are also, I think, some subtle changes in the deck. I have purpose-molded mounts in the deck for four-sheave deck organizers, port and starboard. I don't know if the 32-3's have the same.

I recently went through the -3 vs -200 choice and I chose the 200. I don't like the U-shaped settee and I did like the larger head (I am a larger than average person.) This is my first keelboat, so I don't have a lot of context as to whether I will miss a dedicated nav station. I have places to sit with a tablet.

Did Ericson discontinue the 32-3 when they started offering the 32-200? It seems so. There is a perhaps helpful review of the 32-200 in the "Resources" section of this site.

@K2MSmith Did you see "Blue Chip" in Alameda?
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Loren is sure right about this cockpit measurement guesswork.

For example, I still can't say for sure whether a standard layout 381 and an aft-head 38-200 have the same cockpits.

We do have a good thread on interior comparisons--which, by the way, needs more contributions.

whether you can have, say, 2 extra people in the 38 cockpit vs the 32?

Yes, you can.
 
Last edited:

K2MSmith

Sustaining Member
I recently went through the -3 vs -200 choice and I chose the 200. I don't like the U-shaped settee and I did like the larger head (I am a larger than average person.) This is my first keelboat, so I don't have a lot of context as to whether I will miss a dedicated nav station. I have places to sit with a tablet.

Did Ericson discontinue the 32-3 when they started offering the 32-200? It seems so. There is a perhaps helpful review of the 32-200 in the "Resources" section of this site.

@K2MSmith Did you see "Blue Chip" in Alameda?

Thank You... I'll take a look at that review... + I did read your blog. Thanks for the useful info.. Y
You mentioned you went through -3 vs -200 choice. Did you find enough examples of each to choose from over the course of six months or so ? It doesn't see like there is a big market, which is why I'm keeping my location flexible. Yes, that is the boat I looked at.
 
Last edited:

goldenstate

Sustaining Member
Blogs Author
Thank You... I'll take a look at that review... + I did read your blog. Thanks for the useful info.. Y
You mentioned you went through -3 vs -200 choice. Did you find enough examples of each to choose from over the course of six months or so ? It doesn't see like there is a big market, which is why I'm keeping my location flexible. Yes, that is the boat I looked at.

I didn't look at very many examples. Per my blog post I saw a 32-3 and kind-of liked it. Then I saw my boat, liked it, and bought it. I should have cross-shopped the Blue Chip boat. I didn't even do that. I just wanted to go sailing. I liked the boat, and my seller seemed like an honest reasonable guy.

I have E32-3/200 hull 915 and I haven't seen anyone with a higher number. I think only about two-to-three hundred 32-200's exist globally and about six to seven hundred 32-3's. California is a pretty good place to find one. There are other Pacific Seacraft 32's from the same mold, I think, but they are very rare. (I have thought that it would be interesting to start a "hull wiki" on the forum identifying what boats are where. ) I found a nice-ish one, thought the price was fair and got to work. I looked for about 2 months. Maybe 1 new E32-3+ turns up every 2 months in Northern California? Blue Chip has been for sale since autumn.

You had earlier expressed concern about sea-kindliness. At the the risk of provoking the ire of the forum(!), you might try out a Crealock or a Cape Dory and see how the longer full keels feel out in the ocean. I don't have personal experience, but steadiness seems to be the argument for a full keel.
 

dhill

Member III
Scaling layout pictures according to LOA of each boat (32.5', 35.5', 37.5' respectively), I came up with the following estimates for cockpit dimensions, assuming the layout pictures are accurate:

Cockpit comparison.png

I'll check out the 38-200 and 32-200 layouts also. Curious to see how this matches reality...
 
Last edited:

goldenstate

Sustaining Member
Blogs Author
Pretty sure this is the 32-3 that I saw and passed on. Owner is an experienced sailor and has too many boats. Boat is at Richmondy YC, need to find a new home. Has some good racing equipment if that's of interest. He's dropped the price since I saw it.

This guy also told me that the jib for a J105 is a nearly perfect fit for a 32-3, that's another topic for the crowd.

 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
I posted the E381 cockpit dimensions. Please add to that thread if inclined to help build the database.

 

goldenstate

Sustaining Member
Blogs Author
Pretty sure this is the 32-3 that I saw and passed on. Owner is an experienced sailor and has too many boats. Boat is at Richmondy YC, need to find a new home. Has some good racing equipment if that's of interest. He's dropped the price since I saw it.

This guy also told me that the jib for a J105 is a nearly perfect fit for a 32-3, that's another topic for the crowd.

If I'm correct about this being the same boat I saw, I would add that it was once called "Playmate" and includes in the sail inventory a spinnaker with a huge Playboy magazine bunny icon printed on it. This is either a terrible/terrible feature or a terrible/awesome feature, depending on how one feels about Adam Sandler movies.
 
Top