Looking at an Ericson 25 Mark I

[Blue Streak]

As a long-time dinghy sailor with a desire to transition to a larger boat, I came across a 1973 Ericson 25 which is owned by an acquaintance of mine. She inherited the boat from her father, and she would dearly love to see her in the hands of someone who would restore the boat to some semblance of its former glory. Having seen the Oystercatcher thread, I am intrigued by the potential, but I am not ready for a six year project!

She would like in a high mountain lake in the Colorado Rockies, and the ability to trailer her somewhere else in the winter would be a plus.

She seems to have "good bones, " but the rudder and centerboard are a big question mark.

The cabin is in very good condition, given its vintage, and the decks seem solid. She only spends from June through September in the water, and the rest of the time she is shrink wrapped. We get very little rain in Colorado, so moisture penetration doesn't seem a problem.

The sails are an older set of North Sails, main, 150 genoa, and spinnaker (which may never have been used).

Am I nuts to even think about this boat?

Steve

 

[alexwilliamrussell]

I just got E25 mark I, sturdier that my old Macgregor 26c, and paint and fiberglass held up well guess they didn't skimp in the 70s. It is huge for a 24.5ft boat, especially if you shift table to 1 side. Vbirth has no hatch above which makes it stuffy when hot, and you'll miss sunlight. I also miss no good place to tie off anchor and no anchor locker. And you'll need a good ladder, wow is the cockpit high. Bathroom is big I store tons of junk against wall and still has room for toilet. Mine is the mini fixed keel and at 3 feet almost it gets stuck here by Houston... Haven't sailed yet and don't plan to, it's mostly a cheap cabin for me to anchor a week out there... I have a 8hp tohatsu, and it takes the waves well. The bilge is small so easy to hand empty.... Overall good boat for just 24.5x8 feet, I am happy but my dream boat still is a Hunter... Ha. I can't imagine how big a truck must be to boat ramp a 6000lb boat, yikes... -- Alex

 

[Loren Beach]

I can't imagine how big a truck must be to boat ramp a 6000lb boat, yikes... -- Alex

Many versions of the Ford F-150 series would do this easily.
If your boat has a fixed keel, you would need to launch with a sling or travelift, so no ramp would be involved.

 

[alexwilliamrussell]

Many versions of the Ford F-150 series would do this easily.
If your boat has a fixed keel, you would need to launch with a sling or travelift, so no ramp would be involved.

My old macgregor 26c water ballast was 2000 pounds. Even then boat ramp was scary for me, ha. . . I guess any 70s boat here in Houston must have had Paint job each decade so is out of water a bit, so 4 paints for my 1978 e25. Barnacles grow slowly in my stangnant Marina thank the Lord..

 

[Christian Williams]

The boat looks pretty beat up.

 

[toddster]

Most of those flaws look like gel coat cracks which aren’t hard to fill. Not sure what is up with the big crack in… the rudder? Can’t tell what we’re looking at there. Doesn’t look good.

The problem with ramps is more about traction than power. A 2wd pickup with nothing in the bed will not have great traction. A small 4wd SUV may do better. From time to time I’ve trailered my 8000+ lb boat (the travel lift guy says it’s 10,000). Not ramp launching, but we’ve had a member who did, with a custom trailer. I think the old beater Suburban I had would have towed it fine, but the boat overhangs the trailer so much that the only thing I can pull it with is the 1-ton flatbed. Plenty of power but traction sucks. The first boatyard I had it hauled out in has an access road so steep that it might as well be a boat ramp. With a switchback curve in the middle of it. It took me four tries to get up that road, burning rubber most of the way. Well, the boat didn’t fall off the homemade cradle, during all that, so I figured it was good for the highway.

 

[Blue Streak]

Most of those flaws look like gel coat cracks which aren’t hard to fill. Not sure what is up with the big crack in… the rudder? Can’t tell what we’re looking at there. Doesn’t look good.

The problem with ramps is more about traction than power. A 2wd pickup with nothing in the bed will not have great traction. A small 4wd SUV may do better. From time to time I’ve trailered my 8000+ lb boat (the travel lift guy says it’s 10,000). Not ramp launching, but we’ve had a member who did, with a custom trailer. I think the old beater Suburban I had would have towed it fine, but the boat overhangs the trailer so much that the only thing I can pull it with is the 1-ton flatbed. Plenty of power but traction sucks. The first boatyard I had it hauled out in has an access road so steep that it might as well be a boat ramp. With a switchback curve in the middle of it. It took me four tries to get up that road, burning rubber most of the way. Well, the boat didn’t fall off the homemade cradle, during all that, so I figured it was good for the highway.

Cracks on the rudder above the waterline - starboard.



Smaller crack on port.

Both are clearly above the waterline in the same place.

 

[klb67pgh]

Is it a boat you want at a price you want to pay? Do you want a really nice looking, clean boat without putting a bunch of work in or paying for the work to be done? If no to either, then it probably isn't the boat for you. It has bumps and bruises, but if the decks are good and there aren't obvious leaks and rot, it might be a boat to sail now and work on over time.

I'll speculate that the rudder hit something at speed. It's tough to tell if some epoxy would close up the gap and let you go sailing or if it needs to be replaced or fixed correctly.

I upgraded from an O'Day Daysailer II to our Ericson 25 in August 2020 and have sailed more than ever now that we have bunks, a galley, and a head. I've worked on some deferred maintenance over time but bought really well in terms of condition, equipment, and price.

 

[Jonathan G.]

When I bought my 1974 Ericson 25 at the end of 2020, it came to me with two rudders, and an extra centerboard. One rudder has cracks like that, and I take them to be wear 'n tear from the metal straps that connect to the gudgeons after nearly 50 years of use. I fixed up the spare rudder, but haven't used it yet. The nasty, cracked rudder lasted through all of last season.

Rudder Craft can sell you a kick-up rudder assembly for the E25, and I'm pondering that purchase, because I keep my boat on a mooring. It's a pain to lift the rudder in and out each time I want to go sailing. They sell replacement centerboards, too, if you're willing to put in that kind of money.

 

[Blue Streak]

When I bought my 1974 Ericson 25 at the end of 2020, it came to me with two rudders, and an extra centerboard. One rudder has cracks like that, and I take them to be wear 'n tear from the metal straps that connect to the gudgeons after nearly 50 years of use. I fixed up the spare rudder, but haven't used it yet. The nasty, cracked rudder lasted through all of last season.

Rudder Craft can sell you a kick-up rudder assembly for the E25, and I'm pondering that purchase, because I keep my boat on a mooring. It's a pain to lift the rudder in and out each time I want to go sailing. They sell replacement centerboards, too, if you're willing to put in that kind of money.

Thanks. I have estimates from Rudder Craft.
My GF just asked me how I intend to avoid expense creep.
I said that I am going to avoid it by not keeping track.
The gel coat responded OK to my tests on the hull today.

But, it looks like I will be painting the decks and deckhouse, so I began pulling off the worn out teak hand rails. Note the sadly neglected companionway hatch.

How do people let boats fall into such disrepair?

Thank goodness there a fools like me, willing to resurrect them.

 

[Blue Streak]

And so it begins.

 

[Blue Streak]

Stripping the meat off the bones.

 

[gabriel]

you don’t need to spend so long as oystercatcher (roscoe) did. He went through great detail on his boat and some things he choose the more complicated way (making from scratch an exact replica of the flawed e25 centerboard design instead of buying one). If you focus the basics and keep things simple, there’s no reason why you can’t be sailing in a year or less.

almost all e25 that spent time moored are going to need a new centerboard if they’re still sporting the original. the ruddercraft design is superior to the original in that is has a better foil shape and no metal in its construction. It’s a good investment if you like the boat.

I like the original design of the rudder and raising mechanism over the kick up style that rudder craft offers because it allows infinite vertical adjustment which let’s you raise the rudder just enough so it sits higher than the bottom of the hull but still maintain steering. This is nice for running with centerboard raised to avoid the rudder hitting anything. I believe this is lost with a kickup.

here is ruddercraft pricing for Ericson:

Rudder Craft

 

[Stuphoto]

How do people let boats fall into such disrepair?

Not hard to do,
A boat either needs days of repairs or buckets full of cash to hire someone else to do.
Often both.

The former owner of mine didn't have the time, or money, so it was in similar shape as yours.
So I got it for a good price and started the repairs.

Oh I have one of your boats twin sisters.

Personally I just spent the last few months just making it sea worthy, and plan on enjoying it throughout the summer and into the fall.
I am also taking the interior apart a few pieces at a time and refinishing them.
Next spring I will be hauling it out and redoing the hull.

Oh, one of the first mods I would do is the Anchor Locker, similar to what oystercatcher has.
I almost couldn't believe my eyes when I noticed it drains straight into a under bunk locker and realized where the water will flow when it fills up.
It brings new meaning to the term Wet Dreams.

 

[Blue Streak]

One of the nice things about this forum is the camaraderie of owning sisterships. This resonates with me, because I grew up cruising on the Chesapeake Bay on sail and under power.
At one point, my father and two of his friends each owned 42 foot Matthews flybridge sedans, and we three families would head up the bay every weekend to places like Tides Inn or Windmill Point.
I still remember the thrill of three sister ships racing up the bay. One was a ‘58, one was a ‘59, and ours was a ‘60.
Put two or more boats on the same course (with young men at the helm), and you have a race every time.
But at the dock, it is all about the communal love of boats.

 

[Loren Beach]

The former owner of mine didn't have the time, or money, so it was in similar shape as yours.
So I got it for a good price and started the repairs.

Dan, an owner that used to post here regularly, often would say that you need three things to own a boat: Money, Time, or Skill. Any Two will suffice.

 

[gabriel]

One of the nice things about this forum is the camaraderie of owning sisterships. This resonates with me, because I grew up cruising on the Chesapeake Bay on sail and under power.
At one point, my father and two of his friends each owned 42 foot Matthews flybridge sedans, and we three families would head up the bay every weekend to places like Tides Inn or Windmill Point.
I still remember the thrill of three sister ships racing up the bay. One was a ‘58, one was a ‘59, and ours was a ‘60.
Put two or more boats on the same course (with young men at the helm), and you have a race every time.
But at the dock, it is all about the communal love of boats.

Must have sounded beautiful with the sound of what I assume would have been 6 big block gas v8‘s singing all at once.

 

[Blue Streak]

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Stripping the meat off the bones.

I repaired the rotted out corner.



And now I want to seal the wood, so that if water puddles in the same spot, I don't end up with a rotted bulkhead.
What do you guys recommend?
I picked up some West System 105 epoxy and 205 hardener. Is there a better option?

 

[gabriel]

Looks good. I used epoxy on mine and so far so good. That hardener makes for an epoxy with an amber tint, which is what varnish looks like anyways.

prob unnecessary but I covered the epoxy with a couple coats of spar varnish for extra UV protection.

 

[bigd14]

You can thin that epoxy with a little bit of acetone (no more than 10-15% by volume) to make it penetrate the wood better. Turn the surface in question upright to let gravity help you. Keep saturating as soaks in until it won't take any more. Be careful with the 205 fast hardener in temperatures over ~60 degrees, it will kick really fast and if you have too much in the pot will start smoking. If it's warm go for small batches or take the 205 back and get 206 slow hardener.

More importantly, seal everything properly and have a dry boat!