Hey guys, newbie here, & to Ericsons. Looking

[klb67pgh]

I've never been in one, but I would think the addition 1.25' of extra beam on a E28+ and few extra feet long at the water line would be a substantial upgrade in room over a E25+ or 26-2 without really being that much bigger of a boat to handle with 2. Even just to move past another person or dog when down below. Also consider the cockpit size, and do you want a tiller or a wheel. For example, my E25 is spacious down below for 25' but it has a cozy cockpit vs. something like a Catalina 25.

 

[Christian Williams]

I think handling a sailboat, in the sense of what one or two people can handle, shouldn't be a factor. An E32 is not problem to singlehand. Even an E38 presents no handling obstacle to a couple or a solo sailor. Storage and maintenance and gear expense are the real issues in going up in size.

BIgger boats are only subtly bigger. The most obvious gains are headroom and passing space below and more expanse of deck, meaning fewer stubbed toes or awkwardness going forward. The less cited gain is in stability and sea kindliness. I happen to think that's the biggest reward of more overall length. The boat moves less when you step aboard, and carries through seas and wind with aplomb directly related to waterline length.

Smaller is more feel and maybe more fun. Bigger is more comfortable all around.

 

[dhill]

We typically have 2-3 people and 2 golden retrievers on our Ericson 35-3. It can be a bit cozy and depends on the behavior of your dogs. We have cruised for up to 8 days living on the boat. As long as you can keep the energy levels down and are organized about boundaries, it can work well. The biggest "lift" is getting the dogs in and out of the dinghy when we are on mooring or anchored. That can be a bit of a challenge at times...

You can see some of our experiences cruising with dogs at https://www.youtube.com/@sailingcardinalpoints, particularly the Penobscot Bay and Mount Desert Island videos.

I don't have any experience with an Ericson 26-2 or Ericson 28. The biggest adjustment between boat sizes for me is often not the size, but the displacement (e.g., momentum, quickness of response). Our Ericson 35-3 is very maneuverable when turning and I would think that would be the same for other Ericsons, but there is an extra sense of heft, particularly when transitioning from forward to reverse and vice-versa. With larger displacement, you need to keep that in mind and tactics when entering close quarters.

Happy to answer any questions and good luck with your search!

Dave

 

[Ken C]

I've never been in one, but I would think the addition 1.25' of extra beam on a E28+ and few extra feet long at the water line would be a substantial upgrade in room over a E25+ or 26-2 without really being that much bigger of a boat to handle with 2. Even just to move past another person or dog when down below. Also consider the cockpit size, and do you want a tiller or a wheel. For example, my E25 is spacious down below for 25' but it has a cozy cockpit vs. something like a Catalina 25.

We typically have 2-3 people and 2 golden retrievers on our Ericson 35-3. It can be a bit cozy and depends on the behavior of your dogs. We have cruised for up to 8 days living on the boat. As long as you can keep the energy levels down and are organized about boundaries, it can work well. The biggest "lift" is getting the dogs in and out of the dinghy when we are on mooring or anchored. That can be a bit of a challenge at times...

You can see some of our experiences cruising with dogs at https://www.youtube.com/@sailingcardinalpoints, particularly the Penobscot Bay and Mount Desert Island videos.

I don't have any experience with an Ericson 26-2 or Ericson 28. The biggest adjustment between boat sizes for me is often not the size, but the displacement (e.g., momentum, quickness of response). Our Ericson 35-3 is very maneuverable when turning and I would think that would be the same for other Ericsons, but there is an extra sense of heft, particularly when transitioning from forward to reverse and vice-versa. With larger displacement, you need to keep that in mind and tactics when entering close quarters.

Happy to answer any questions and good luck with your search!

Dave

It’s the 5’ of draft that I object to on the E28, tho I take your points. I see it’s also available w fractional rig & 4’ draft which is fine.
We’re ashore almost every day on trips, often far up inlets bear watching. Shallow draft & reasonable size matter more than absolute comfort ( thus the E25+ seems ideal)
I will confess I’d be more tempted to go larger ( 30-32’) if we had a centre board or even beach keels. Perhaps we’re not true sailors, I don’t know. We used to own a 26’ lifeboat with almost nothing for draft - still very sea worthy within sight of land.
Perhaps we’re just odd that way, but I’ve noticed a trend over the years for folks in larger comfortable boats to just keep pushing on, or even going marina to marina. It’s not our thing. But to each their own.

 

[Ken C]

It’s the 5’ of draft that I object to on the E28, tho I take your points. I see it’s also available w fractional rig & 4’ draft which is fine.
We’re ashore almost every day on trips, often far up inlets bear watching. Shallow draft & reasonable size matter more than absolute comfort ( thus the E25+ seems ideal)
I will confess I’d be more tempted to go larger ( 30-32’) if we had a centre board or even beach keels. Perhaps we’re not true sailors, I don’t know. We used to own a 26’ lifeboat with almost nothing for draft - still very sea worthy within sight of land.
Perhaps we’re just odd that way, but I’ve noticed a trend over the years for folks in larger comfortable boats to just keep pushing on, or even going marina to marina. It’s not our thing. But to each their own.

…bilge or twin keels.

 

[Ken C]

We typically have 2-3 people and 2 golden retrievers on our Ericson 35-3. It can be a bit cozy and depends on the behavior of your dogs. We have cruised for up to 8 days living on the boat. As long as you can keep the energy levels down and are organized about boundaries, it can work well. The biggest "lift" is getting the dogs in and out of the dinghy when we are on mooring or anchored. That can be a bit of a challenge at times...

You can see some of our experiences cruising with dogs at https://www.youtube.com/@sailingcardinalpoints, particularly the Penobscot Bay and Mount Desert Island videos.

I don't have any experience with an Ericson 26-2 or Ericson 28. The biggest adjustment between boat sizes for me is often not the size, but the displacement (e.g., momentum, quickness of response). Our Ericson 35-3 is very maneuverable when turning and I would think that would be the same for other Ericsons, but there is an extra sense of heft, particularly when transitioning from forward to reverse and vice-versa. With larger displacement, you need to keep that in mind and tactics when entering close quarters.

Happy to answer any questions and good luck with your search!

Dave

 

[goldenstate]

This boat has been for sale for some time and looks like a happy little candidate:

Ericson 28 Sailboat (1986) - Excellent Condition - boats - by owner - marine sale - craigslist

A stunning Ericson 28 Sailboat from the year 1986, and it's in great condition, ready to set sail on new adventures! Ericson is famous for the quality of its build, and for sailing performance in...

sfbay.craigslist.org

If it's really excellent as stated, $14.5K is a bargain.

 

[Ken C]

This boat has been for sale for some time and looks like a happy little candidate:

Ericson 28 Sailboat (1986) - Excellent Condition - boats - by owner - marine sale - craigslist

A stunning Ericson 28 Sailboat from the year 1986, and it's in great condition, ready to set sail on new adventures! Ericson is famous for the quality of its build, and for sailing performance in...

sfbay.craigslist.org

If it's really excellent as stated, $14.5K is a bargain.

Very nice. Looks like a fractional rig too.

 

[bigd14]

Very nice. Looks like a fractional rig too.

Wow, that 28 looks like a really nice boat, with the added benefit of being unsinkable, given her name. Seems like a great candidate for a small cruising boat for your described needs. The 28 is basically a shortened version of the 30+ which is a great boat (yes, I am biased). My only gripe is that I wish it had a bit more easily accessible storage space, but it generally works fine for us.

 

[Ken C]

Wow, that 28 looks like a really nice boat, with the added benefit of being unsinkable, given her name. Seems like a great candidate for a small cruising boat for your described needs. The 28 is basically a shortened version of the 30+ which is a great boat (yes, I am biased). My only gripe is that I wish it had a bit more easily accessible storage space, but it generally works fine for us.

 

[Nick J]

I sail with my wife, two kids, a 35lb Goldendoodle, and a cat. We started on an Ericson 25+ and had a 50 lb lab at the time. It got a little cramped, but it was doable. The 25+ was the perfect starter boat for us. It sailed like a dinghy, but had all the amenities of a larger boat. When we went up to our 35-3 the biggest changes were storage, not cooking in the companion way (although it is close on the 35-3), and ability to single hand.

The 25+ has a very small galley that required using the drop down table and companion way step to cook a meal for 4. One of us had to take the kids and dog ashore while the other cooked because it was a hassle having anyone go up or down the steps through the cooking area. On the positive side, the 25+ was extremely easy to sail. The tiller puts you right at the companion way with everything in reach and nothing to get in your way. I had an outboard which made it very maneuverable around the slip. Headroom wasn't an issue for me, but I think that has more to do with me having small kids we were chasing around bent over most of the time. I could stand in the salon area with a little clearance above my head at 5' 11", but if I went forward including the head, or off to the side, my head touched the headliner.

The 35-3 can be single handed and I essentially do it almost every time we go out. The main difficulties are having a wheel between myself and the mainsail controls at the front of the cockpit and having an inboard diesel instead of an outboard. I can manage around these difficulties by just slowing down and being more deliberate and thought out with my movements. The 35-3 is much easier to sail with a crew though. There's a place for everyone and they can do their assigned task without getting in anyone's way. Learning how to use prop walk and wash has made docking easier, but it is nowhere near as easy as the 25+.

Aside from the volume, I think the biggest gain you'll see between the 25+ and 28+ is having the galley slightly separated from the companion way. It doesn't sound like much, but it was a game changer for us. If possible, I would choose a 28+ with a tiller to make it as easy as possible to single hand.

 

[Ken C]

I sail with my wife, two kids, a 35lb Goldendoodle, and a cat. We started on an Ericson 25+ and had a 50 lb lab at the time. It got a little cramped, but it was doable. The 25+ was the perfect starter boat for us. It sailed like a dinghy, but had all the amenities of a larger boat. When we went up to our 35-3 the biggest changes were storage, not cooking in the companion way (although it is close on the 35-3), and ability to single hand.

The 25+ has a very small galley that required using the drop down table and companion way step to cook a meal for 4. One of us had to take the kids and dog ashore while the other cooked because it was a hassle having anyone go up or down the steps through the cooking area. On the positive side, the 25+ was extremely easy to sail. The tiller puts you right at the companion way with everything in reach and nothing to get in your way. I had an outboard which made it very maneuverable around the slip. Headroom wasn't an issue for me, but I think that has more to do with me having small kids we were chasing around bent over most of the time. I could stand in the salon area with a little clearance above my head at 5' 11", but if I went forward including the head, or off to the side, my head touched the headliner.

The 35-3 can be single handed and I essentially do it almost every time we go out. The main difficulties are having a wheel between myself and the mainsail controls at the front of the cockpit and having an inboard diesel instead of an outboard. I can manage around these difficulties by just slowing down and being more deliberate and thought out with my movements. The 35-3 is much easier to sail with a crew though. There's a place for everyone and they can do their assigned task without getting in anyone's way. Learning how to use prop walk and wash has made docking easier, but it is nowhere near as easy as the 25+.

Aside from the volume, I think the biggest gain you'll see between the 25+ and 28+ is having the galley slightly separated from the companion way. It doesn't sound like much, but it was a game changer for us. If possible, I would choose a 28+ with a tiller to make it as easy as possible to single hand.

Interesting.

we don’t have small kids anymore. Just a 22 yr old who sometimes comes along for a week. So it’s 2 of us & 2 dogs. Right now we manage this on a contessa 26. If u can pull that off u can manage just about any SB. But the lack of space & HR is finally wearing. A jump to a

We’ve almost always beach camped on board any craft we have owned for 25 yrs now. So not much bothered about the jump to say a 28 footer, or just staying at 25’, other than a bigger boat makes it easier to have friends along. For that reason we do occasionally about a boat with an aft cabin. A Nor’sea 27 would be lovely, but prob well out of our budget.

with 25+ I’m curious about a boat that’s big enough to cruise at 5000lbs, is safe in our summer 20 knot blows & yet still sails well in our light on the nose N/Westerlies.

 

[Alan Gomes]

with 25+ I’m curious about a boat that’s big enough to cruise at 5000lbs, is safe in our summer 20 knot blows & yet still sails well in our light on the nose N/Westerlies.

Goodness yes! Here's where I sail mine. 20 knots is not a "blow" but just pretty typical conditions for the "gulch." I just tuck a reef or two in the main, perhaps roll up a bit of jib, and I'm good to go. If it's really humming I just strike the main altogether and sail under jib only. Just as with a number of other Ericson models, mine balances out just fine with no main.

 

[Ken C]

Goodness yes! Here's where I sail mine. 20 knots is not a "blow" but just pretty typical conditions for the "gulch." I just tuck a reef or two in the main, perhaps roll up a bit of jib, and I'm good to go. If it's really humming I just strike the main altogether and sail under jib only. Just as with a number of other Ericson models, mine balances out just fine with no main.

Sure, 20 isn’t a blow, altho 30knots is fairly common too. But in the restricted waters off Vancouver island north u have to pay particular attention to wind over tide in a number of spots. 20/25 over a strong tide can get pretty nasty for small craft.

 

[Alan Gomes]

Sure, 20 isn’t a blow, altho 30knots is fairly common too. But in the restricted waters off Vancouver island north u have to pay particular attention to wind over tide in a number of spots. 20/25 over a strong tide can get pretty nasty for small craft.

True. Sea state and not just windspeed can make a big difference.

 

[Bepi]

I really enjoy sailing my e27. Everyone seems very happy with the E25 and the E26 and the E28 and above....but why is the happy little E27 left out of the debate? Encapsulated keel. The v birth is comfortable for 2 adults under 6ft. I would have two or three guests aboard, and it never seemed to be overly crowded, but a three day weekend is not an extended cruise. I guess my question is: Are there issues with the E27 that people do not like and would put her out of contention compared to the 25, 26 and 28?