Ericson 30+ Design Change 1984

[Dave G.]

Trying to find out when and why there was a design change made in the E30+. From various posts over the last year I have found significant differences in this model that occurred in 1984 & between hull #632(mine) & #637(Frank Langer's). Seems there are substantial differences throughout the design and systems. For repair & research purposes here on the site getting advice or specs from another 30+ owner can lead to a whole lot of head scratching do to these production changes if their hull was on the other side of that change. I think the most obvious key to weather you have a 30+ 1st gen or 2nd gen is the placement of the traveler. If you have a bridge deck traveler you have a 1st gen, cabin top traveler is a 2nd gen. There are many other changes that happened all the way down to the keel. The keel bolt pattern and size is different so is the keel stub different ? Which in turn would mean the hull shapes are different, maybe ? So if you have a 30+ with hull number 633,634,635, or 636 where is your traveler ? For now I think its important when seeking advice to know which generation you have and to be sure you are getting info about same or you will think you are going crazy !

 

[Frank Langer]

Dave,
You are right that there seem to be some significant differences made around 1983/1984, but I also think there were other changes made along the way from when the E30+ was first made in the late 1970s or early 1980s, and I think these changes might be even more significant. It would therefore be helpful if one could track all the various changes made in the E30+. I recall someone some years ago listing the years and hull number range for all the Ericsons, but I'm not sure where one might find that. I vaguely recall, that's about all my recall at my age! , that the last hull number was around 700.
Frank

 

[Dave G.]

I believe 77 or 78 was first year. I have not seen any one on the site with a 70's vintage yet but would be great to see info on those. I do know that the changes made if 1984 were fairly significant. I have finally now realized that I have a "pre" change boat and need to be sure my info source is also a "pre" boat. I think this is an important distinction and I will site a mod that BigD did to his quarter berth bulkhead for access to stern area. After looking at mine it would be a structural issue to do the same mod on my boat and a no no. So the good news is we have narrowed it enough to know how to distinguish the source moving forward and hopefully save some time and possibly a disaster.

 

[Dave G.]

Dave,
You are right that there seem to be some significant differences made around 1983/1984, but I also think there were other changes made along the way from when the E30+ was first made in the late 1970s or early 1980s, and I think these changes might be even more significant. It would therefore be helpful if one could track all the various changes made in the E30+. I recall someone some years ago listing the years and hull number range for all the Ericsons, but I'm not sure where one might find that. I vaguely recall, that's about all my recall at my age! , that the last hull number was around 700.
Frank

Frank & 30+ Skippers,
In looking at my HIN the build month is the letter "A" . Just to make things a little more complicated the HIN month codes also changed in 1984 so it could mean January or August. Frank I know your hull #637 so curious what your build month letter is ? I think with this info I can narrow down my build month & we can date the design change pretty close. It would be nice to find the hull numbers in between ours to get an exact date.

 

[Frank Langer]

Frank & 30+ Skippers,
In looking at my HIN the build month is the letter "A" . Just to make things a little more complicated the HIN month codes also changed in 1984 so it could mean January or August. Frank I know your hull #637 so curious what your build month letter is ? I think with this info I can narrow down my build month & we can date the design change pretty close. It would be nice to find the hull numbers in between ours to get an exact date.

Hi Dave,
My build info is 84C, which I have always taken as October, 1984 for hull #637.
Frank

 

[Dave G.]

Frank,
I guess we will need at least another close hull # to be sure. As you can see from Tom Metzger's post a few years back the date of the code change occurred right in the middle of 1984 so yours could be March too I think ? Maybe I'm missing something obvious ?


For boats built or manufactured from November, 1972 until July 31, 1984, the HIN format may look like:

• Manufacturer Identification Code (MIC)
• Hull or Serial Number
• Certification Date (2 digit month, followed by 2 digit year)

Alternatively, some manufacturers used the following format:

• Manufacturer Identification Code (MIC)
• Hull or Serial Number
• Model year("M") followed by a two digit year, followed by a single letter for the manufacture month. Please note that the "Model Year" changeover was assumed to have happened in August with this format, so its possible the boat was built before its model year. The month codes are as follows:
  

  A:	Aug	E:	Dec	I:	Apr
  B:	Sep	F:	Jan	J:	May
  C:	Oct	G:	Feb	K:	Jun
  D:	Nov	H:	Mar	L:	Jul

  <tbody>
  </tbody>

For boats built or manufactured August 1, 1984 or later:

• Manufacturer Identification Code (MIC)
• Hull or Serial Number
• Manufacture Date, where the second digit is the last digit of the year, and the first is a code for the month as below:
  

  A:	Jan	E:	May	I:	Sep
  B:	Feb	F:	Jun	J:	Oct
  C:	Mar	G:	Jul	K	Nov
  D:	Apr	H:	Aug	L:	Dec

  <tbody>
  </tbody>
• Model year

Last edited: Nov 4, 2015
Tom Metzger
Former owner of
E-34 Xanthus

 

[Frank Langer]

Hi Dave,
If you examine each of the three options above and compare to your hull number, you can determine which of the three is yours. They are each slightly different in number of digits or the designation "M" in the one option.
Mine is clearly built on Oct./1984.
Frank

 

[Dave G.]

I see what you're saying the sequences differ. So that would mean mine was built in August as my mine reads M84A. I guess the new requirements to begin Aug 1, 1984 did not apply here. So the design change occurred between August 1 and October 31 1984.

 

[Frank Langer]

I see what you're saying the sequences differ. So that would mean mine was built in August as my mine reads M84A. I guess the new requirements to begin Aug 1, 1984 did not apply here. So the design change occurred between August 1 and October 31 1984.

Yes, that's how I would interpret it. It would still be interesting and helpful to others to know what changes were made along the way throughout the whole build years for the E30+.
Frank

 

[Dave G.]

Agreed, but I doubt they made any other significant changes like they did in 1984. I would still like to hear from Seth and see if he can shed light on the whys and whatfors. I am pretty sure that the hull mold was totally retooled during this change. There are extensive differences just from the engine stringers aft. The keel bolt size, position, and quantity were changed. Bilge access is different, system components are in different locations. Then the obvious external differences, Traveler, Cockpit, Salon finishes and I'm sure we will discover more. I think we should start here with this major change and just be sure we are clarifying pre and post this change when getting or giving advice or specs. As you know this was the first season for me with this boat and for a while I was starting to think I didn't have a Ericson Yacht at all as the info and pics I was looking at didn't apply to or look like my boat at all. While confusing I am now somewhat relieved to find out all this and have to "pic" my sources going forward. I will also ask the pre/post question of others seeking advice so they don't go through my similar exercises.

 

[Loren Beach]

Back a few years, there is a thread here where Martin King described some of the factory production changes for the initial E-30-2, and then the E-30+, and also the E-28 models. You might privately converse with him about this.

 

[Dave G.]

Thanks Loren,
I have sent Mr. King a message.

 

[mjsouleman]

Hi Dave,
Discovery's
Hull no: ERY30599M83H
Built: March 1983
She has the bridge deck traveler

I also am interested in the differences, and will follow this thread

Mark "Souleman" Soule

 

[Dave G.]

Hey Mark,
Our boats are probably almost identical as both are "pre" boats other than factory options. Frank has suggested that Seth may be able to shed some light on why the change was made as he worked at EY. I have reached out to him but not heard back. Not sure how to go about documenting the differences once we know extent of those but at least we know when it happened and can distinguish our boats as pre or post that date. Kind of important when seeking or giving advice here on the site.

 

[mjsouleman]

When I saw your pictures of the fuel tank, plywood cover and water tank, I figured we had similar layouts.

It's an interesting discussion, I'm looking forward to learning more.

 

[Dave G.]

Me too, question, what is a Nanni 3.75 engine ? I am thinking that plywood tabbed to the hull is somewhat structural in reducing hull flex. In the "post" change boats they went to a liner with a ledge to support and screw the floor to. That floor looks like it goes from the forward end of the fuel tank all the way to the stern. When I do the tank repair in the spring I may try and replace that with something more rigid and possibly larger. Would first like to hear from someone that has firsthand knowledge of why the changes were made. Not sure we will ever know but would be nice. That hull liner appears to go all the way forward to the quarter berth and lines the compartments below.

 

[mjsouleman]

Nanni is a French manufactured engine with a small footprint and very economical.

I bought it for several reasons
1. I wanted a reliable engine
2. I found it in a diesel mechanics shop still in the manufacturers box
3. the original owner bought it then ran out of money and walked away
4. It had been sitting in the shop for a few years and the guy just wanted it gone
5. short money to replace and install
6. It's 21 hp and replaced the 16 standard installation on the E-30+

On discovery the plywood is the width of the fuel tank and when and If I have to replace the tank I will follow this thread for advice.

Love the Nanni

 

[Dave G.]

Did the engine bolt right up to transmission ? The plywood on mine is 14-15" wide, fuel tank sticks out both fore and aft. Do you know the height of your fuel tank ? I ask because I think this is another difference of the design change. If yours is the same height as mine then I believe we have 25 gallon +or- tanks and post change boats have 19.6 gallon tanks.

 

[mjsouleman]

When the engine was replaced, the engine bed was also reinforced with stock bar and aligned with the transmission (see note about small footprint).

I am not sure of the fuel tank volume as I have never run dry or paid it any attention. As for the fuel gauge, when I topped off the tank last week, it registered slightly more than half full. I usually top off when the gauge is reading 1/4 full.

 

[Dave G.]

Mark,
When you get a chance & if you can get to it, measure the height of the forward side of the tank where the fuel PU is located(deepest portion). I had found some old drawings supplied by another owner that showed the tank at 11.75" tall but when I measured mine it was 13.75" and obviously was not coming out the lazarette now. It could just be a tank capacity purchase option and if yours is the shorter we'll know for sure. Maybe that's why my plywood board seems to be narrower ? Don't think my gauge is accurate either but when I pumped out all the fuel last week I got close to 23 gallons. There was about 1 1/2" of air on top when I started so close to 25 g for sure. All that said I am going to try and repair tank in place. I have another post regarding fuel tank issue and probably post process there when I start in spring.