E38-200 Offer Accepted - Sea Trial, Survey, Closing, and RELOCATION on the horizon

[JP in Sandusky]

Happy day! ? !
Our offer on an E38-200 that I saw posted here (so the seller might still be here) has been accepted. Long post, I apologize.

About Us.
New to sailing. That is correct. New to sailing. ASA 101, 103, 104 this year, out of Blue Water Sailing School in Ft Lauderdale for both me and my wife. Courses were on a Dufour 43, which really got me thinking about skipping the "trailer sailor" phase. We felt fairly comfortable handling the 13.5' wide and 43' long Dufour in the marina and ICW after just a day or so. (And the ICW out of Miami and Ft L is BUSY!) We had an accepted offer on a Tartan 33 earlier this year. That deal fell apart after survey. I liked that boat, but I always "knew" the "walk-through wet head" lay-out would be a problematic for my family. That said, I had read a 32-34' fractional rig was a great "first" cruiser boat, and the boat was already kept at the sailing club we joined.

So why buy a masthead rig, 38' boat this early into things, not local? Well, the market seems right, if you are buying without needing to sell, and I just wasn't finding what I wanted in Ohio.

Ericson, Pearson, and Tartan have always been my shortlist manufacturers. An E-35-3 or 38-200 were my preferred boats. (Spouse, 2 of 4 kids still home, and we need something we can stay on when we go to the lake.) Assume occasional single-handing, often short-handing WITH 2-4 guests aboard, sometimes middle schoolers, sometimes my retired parents, or both.

We will be sailing in Lake Erie, which has a reputation for weather that can come on fast and hard, which is another reason I leaned away from starting out with a 22' boat. (Lake Erie is shallow, long east to west, the same direction the weather travels. Wave timing can be short. Storms can stir things up like a shallow bathtub with half an hour notice.) I went with the "buy the boat you want for the next decade, not the next couple of years" approach, and now I'm a little intimidated about the entire process and the steep early learning curve for owning a 16,000lb boat.

But.

I've have an accepted offer on what I believe is a good 38-200 for a good price.....but dang if it isn't 2 states away. I toyed with the idea of taking her into the famous New York (Erie) canal system. The idea of laying that mast down and then going through 28 locks, some of which drop a couple of stories in height, on a boat I don't know yet.....well, I am not ready for that adventure. Not now. Maybe not ever. I really did try to find what I wanted already on Lake Erie, I really did.....sigh.

So.

Long-time lurker, first time poster. I am absorbing as much information as I can.

What should I look out for in a sea trial and survey for a 38-200? Common issues that are specific to this model? The boat is "always freshwater," being moved to freshwater. She has always been a "short season" boat and will remain so. Engine hours are <1500. Sails and standing rigging might be original, which is actually a bit more common around here than I expected.

Any advice on finding, arranging, preparing for truck transport? (Ideally with cradle, since I hate to leave that behind.) In your opinion, leave her on the hard over winter where she is, and then move in the spring? Move her then place her on the hard closer to home this fall? Pay the yard to prepare for transport, or do it myself? Leave the mast off for the winter and remast in the spring? Options, options.....too many options.

I'm a hands-on guy, but there is 12 hours between me and this boat, which is making this more stressful than I assume is normal. Any help is appreciated. Happy to chat via private message for anyone that prefers.

 

[Prairie Schooner]

Happy day! ? !
Our offer on an E38-200 that I saw posted here (so the seller might still be here) has been accepted. Long post, I apologize.

About Us.
New to sailing. That is correct. New to sailing. ASA 101, 103, 104 this year, out of Blue Water Sailing School in Ft Lauderdale for both me and my wife. Courses were on a Dufour 43, which really got me thinking about skipping the "trailer sailor" phase. We felt fairly comfortable handling the 13.5' wide and 43' long Dufour in the marina and ICW after just a day or so. (And the ICW out of Miami and Ft L is BUSY!) We had an accepted offer on a Tartan 33 earlier this year. That deal fell apart after survey. I liked that boat, but I always "knew" the "walk-through wet head" lay-out would be a problematic for my family. That said, I had read a 32-34' fractional rig was a great "first" cruiser boat, and the boat was already kept at the sailing club we joined.

So why buy a masthead rig, 38' boat this early into things, not local? Well, the market seems right, if you are buying without needing to sell, and I just wasn't finding what I wanted in Ohio.

Ericson, Pearson, and Tartan have always been my shortlist manufacturers. An E-35-3 or 38-200 were my preferred boats. (Spouse, 2 of 4 kids still home, and we need something we can stay on when we go to the lake.) Assume occasional single-handing, often short-handing WITH 2-4 guests aboard, sometimes middle schoolers, sometimes my retired parents, or both.

We will be sailing in Lake Erie, which has a reputation for weather that can come on fast and hard, which is another reason I leaned away from starting out with a 22' boat. (Lake Erie is shallow, long east to west, the same direction the weather travels. Wave timing can be short. Storms can stir things up like a shallow bathtub with half an hour notice.) I went with the "buy the boat you want for the next decade, not the next couple of years" approach, and now I'm a little intimidated about the entire process and the steep early learning curve for owning a 16,000lb boat.

But.

I've have an accepted offer on what I believe is a good 38-200 for a good price.....but dang if it isn't 2 states away. I toyed with the idea of taking her into the famous New York (Erie) canal system. The idea of laying that mast down and then going through 28 locks, some of which drop a couple of stories in height, on a boat I don't know yet.....well, I am not ready for that adventure. Not now. Maybe not ever. I really did try to find what I wanted already on Lake Erie, I really did.....sigh.

So.

Long-time lurker, first time poster. I am absorbing as much information as I can.

What should I look out for in a sea trial and survey for a 38-200? Common issues that are specific to this model? The boat is "always freshwater," being moved to freshwater. She has always been a "short season" boat and will remain so. Engine hours are <1500. Sails and standing rigging might be original, which is actually a bit more common around here than I expected.

Any advice on finding, arranging, preparing for truck transport? (Ideally with cradle, since I hate to leave that behind.) In your opinion, leave her on the hard over winter where she is, and then move in the spring? Move her then place her on the hard closer to home this fall? Pay the yard to prepare for transport, or do it myself? Leave the mast off for the winter and remast in the spring? Options, options.....too many options.

I'm a hands-on guy, but there is 12 hours between me and this boat, which is making this more stressful than I assume is normal. Any help is appreciated. Happy to chat via private message for anyone that prefers.

Good luck with the rest of the process, Jeremy!!
When we bought our '86 in 2021 we were quite sure it was the original standing rigging and knew we'd need to replace it. So the mast came down the first year. New: standing rigging, running rigging, furler, lights, antenna, anemometer, wiring for new instruments including radar which we added a few years later. My point is to not be too put off by the mast coming down. You're going to have to do that anyway.
Something that might be helpful is to look at Christian's Master Thread list. Those are things that have come up frequently enough to achieve critical mass and a good indication of what to look for in surveying an old Ericson.

Jeff

 

[JP in Sandusky]

Good luck with the rest of the process, Jeremy!!
When we bought our '86 in 2021 we were quite sure it was the original standing rigging and knew we'd need to replace it. So the mast came down the first year. New: standing rigging, running rigging, furler, lights, antenna, anemometer, wiring for new instruments including radar which we added a few years later. My point is to not be too put off by the mast coming down. You're going to have to do that anyway.
Something that might be helpful is to look at Christian's Master Thread list. Those are things that have come up frequently enough to achieve critical mass and a good indication of what to look for in surveying an old Ericson.
View attachment 53515
Jeff

Thank you!

I've been lurking around here for over a year, and I somehow never came across that master list. It is now bookmarked. I did go through @bgary 's "new keys to boat on a truck" blog, and I found that helpful. For sails, my current plan to to use the old/blown-out sails while we learn the lines in the spring. I do not know what the lead time is to work with a sail loft, but even if I order sails this winter, I do not expect to use them in the first month or two.

For rigging, I am going to see what the surveyor says. Before walking boats in the area, I never expected to see "good shape" standing rigging that was 30+ years old, but I see it at the sail club regularly. I'm not sure who to seek out when it comes to standing rigging.

If anyone here is out of Sandusky Sailing Club (SSC), or in the area generally, I'm now on the hunt to find reputable vendors/gurus for everything on the "home port" side of things.

 

[Pete the Cat]

I think your cautious move on the sails and the rigging is smart. I am the old grinch on tearing new- to- you boats apart and start replacing things before you actually have a sense of what is going on with the boat can be a terrific waste of money and time. I have owned and rebuilt sailboats for nearly 50 years and still feel it takes at least a season of experience with a boat to understand its real needs and probably a couple seasons to get it tricked out to your satisfaction. The longer you can hold off from tearing things apart and replacing stuff the better. You need a diagnosis of the situation and then a plan. The diagnosis takes time on the water. The only rigging failure I ever had with any boat (I did several deliveries as a sideline for a bit and have sailed much of the coasts of North and Central America) was with a recently replaced shroud---so I am not a fan of rushing into the "newer is better" camp. You will have folks recommending pulling the chain plates, dropping the keel and replacing all the electronics as preventive. I don't agree. It's true that it is easier to replace stuff when the mast is down and, for sure you should make sure everything works and is solid while it is down, but the stuff I look for on a new-to-me boat is:
1. Does the rigging pass close visual inspection for cracks and broken wires.
2. Do all the instruments and lights work on the mast and is all the running rigging OK for the first season?
3. Is the electrical system safe and for the first year (not a lot of stuff wired to the battery and nothing unfused)
4. Is the rudder solid in place and the steering gear taught and lubricated?
5. Is the engine coolant system clear and pumping?
6. Is the stuffing box serviceable and the cutless bearing OK?
All the rest of the stuff, like servicing the winches and stuff can be done in the first season as you have time.
Then develop your plan.

 

[AK67]

In addition to the above great advice, having the mast down lets you inspect and replace the sheaves if needed. Test and inspect the electric and manual bilge pumps (my boat's electric bilge pump hose had a significant kink). Might want to double check the anchor locker drain too, mine was plugged with mud. Take a look in the fuel tank for sludge/bug/water and inspect/replace the primary and secondary fuel filters. Good luck and hope you can keep the cradle!

 

[JP in Sandusky]

I think your cautious move on the sails and the rigging is smart. I am the old grinch on tearing new- to- you boats apart and start replacing things before you actually have a sense of what is going on with the boat can be a terrific waste of money and time. I have owned and rebuilt sailboats for nearly 50 years and still feel it takes at least a season of experience with a boat to understand its real needs and probably a couple seasons to get it tricked out to your satisfaction. The longer you can hold off from tearing things apart and replacing stuff the better. You need a diagnosis of the situation and then a plan. The diagnosis takes time on the water. The only rigging failure I ever had with any boat (I did several deliveries as a sideline for a bit and have sailed much of the coasts of North and Central America) was with a recently replaced shroud---so I am not a fan of rushing into the "newer is better" camp. You will have folks recommending pulling the chain plates, dropping the keel and replacing all the electronics as preventive. I don't agree. It's true that it is easier to replace stuff when the mast is down and, for sure you should make sure everything works and is solid while it is down, but the stuff I look for on a new-to-me boat is:
1. Does the rigging pass close visual inspection for cracks and broken wires.
2. Do all the instruments and lights work on the mast and is all the running rigging OK for the first season?
3. Is the electrical system safe and for the first year (not a lot of stuff wired to the battery and nothing unfused)
4. Is the rudder solid in place and the steering gear taught and lubricated?
5. Is the engine coolant system clear and pumping?
6. Is the stuffing box serviceable and the cutless bearing OK?
All the rest of the stuff, like servicing the winches and stuff can be done in the first season as you have time.
Then develop your plan.

I am thinking along these same lines. The electronics are aged are about 15 years old. During our ASA courses, though, we basically did everything on Navionics on phones/i-pad. Even used smart watches and phones to monitor and track speed.

I am hoping to maintain the discipline of not really replacing anything that doesn't absolutely need replaced in the first year. The lifelines are coated, and there are some brown staining happening in a few places. I'll have to make a determination on that after I talk to the surveyor; my thinking is anything that keeps water out of the boat and people in the boat is first priority.

 

[JP in Sandusky]

In addition to the above great advice, having the mast down lets you inspect and replace the sheaves if needed. Test and inspect the electric and manual bilge pumps (my boat's electric bilge pump hose had a significant kink). Might want to double check the anchor locker drain too, mine was plugged with mud. Take a look in the fuel tank for sludge/bug/water and inspect/replace the primary and secondary fuel filters. Good luck and hope you can keep the cradle!

Sheaves - these are the "plastic wheels" in the blocks, correct? Should they "spin" when I flick them?

Bilge pumps - noted. We live several hours from where the boat will ultimately be kept. Bilge pumps (get water out) and thru-hulls/stuffing box/hatch seals (keep water out) are really something I am anxious about. (Again, first boat, so hopefully my nervousness will fade.) I read somewhere that some folks put alarms (or even cameras?) on their boats if they can't check the boat every couple of days. That seems like overkill, but I'd be curious if it is something I should look into this winter.

Anchor locker drain - This would not have occurred to me. I'm going to add this to my "recommission / spring launch" list.

Fuel filters - Assuming I buy the boat, is there a good list of "spares" for weekend cruisers somewhere on the forum? My list right now amounts to fuel filters, motor oil, impeller, and hose clamps. If I <2 days from home port and <5 hours from land most of the time, how long should the list be?

Cradle - I hope to keep it. At the same time, I do not know how this works with the yard. Does the shipworks typically charge for storage of the cradle during the summer months?

 

[Loren Beach]

Long-time lurker, first time poster. I am absorbing as much information as I can.

Welcome to the Viking ranks! Keep posting and adding to related threads as you go through the "large boat ownership" learning process. It's OK to start new threads if an existing one does not quite fit your question.
The biggest problem I see (for anyone in your situation) is sometimes called a Fire Hose Effect. A new owner gets so much info about so many different parts of the process at once that it can be real difficult to sort it all out!

In Ye Olden Daze, one would start a new 5 X 7 card for each area or concern on a project and put the cards into a box, and now we can put text files into folders and sub folders on a computer 'desktop'. Tidier, at least.

However done, one needs a way to sort the muffins from the mufflers........ as it were. Sorta Kinda.

And the general 'net can be a lot less helpful than it appears at first gaze. As a friend of puts it: "I started looked at U-Tube for an answer - and two hours later had viewed a long video about making a basket out of carrots."

Just do not get overwhelmed with the difficulty of learning individual trees and also viewing a whole forest. I still recall how intense it was learning our first big sailboat with an inboard engine. The one we still have, BTW.

Leaving the dock after the initial launch by a TraveLift, it felt like driving an aircraft carrier! As time went by, it all normalized, as one might say.
Sean invented this site 6 years later, and it would have been majorly helpful if we could have had such a resource sooner!

IMHO, rated by capability and all around sailing prowess, you have found a "forever" boat. We bought our EY-built 34 footer in '94, and still have it. It's smaller than a 38, but for us it's Big Enough. We would have been just as happy with a 35 or a 38, but had to stay within budget.

 

[AK67]

Sheaves - these are the "plastic wheels" in the blocks, correct? Should they "spin" when I flick them?

Bilge pumps - noted. We live several hours from where the boat will ultimately be kept. Bilge pumps (get water out) and thru-hulls/stuffing box/hatch seals (keep water out) are really something I am anxious about. (Again, first boat, so hopefully my nervousness will fade.) I read somewhere that some folks put alarms (or even cameras?) on their boats if they can't check the boat every couple of days. That seems like overkill, but I'd be curious if it is something I should look into this winter.

Anchor locker drain - This would not have occurred to me. I'm going to add this to my "recommission / spring launch" list.

Fuel filters - Assuming I buy the boat, is there a good list of "spares" for weekend cruisers somewhere on the forum? My list right now amounts to fuel filters, motor oil, impeller, and hose clamps. If I <2 days from home port and <5 hours from land most of the time, how long should the list be?

Cradle - I hope to keep it. At the same time, I do not know how this works with the yard. Does the shipworks typically charge for storage of the cradle during the summer months?

Sheaves, correct. Should spin freely. Look for degradation of plastic. Easy and cheap to replace/lubricate.

Bilge etc. Check the condition of thru hulls, especially plastic/nylon ones as they can degrade. Check for double hose clamps on thru hull fittings. I live 2 hrs from my boat and recently installed up a Roam Marine Monitor https://roamdevices.com/. Very happy with it and worth it for the peace of mind ($350 =$5/mth). Easy install and lets me check if my boat misses me as much as I miss her.

Spares: Sounds like you have the basics. I'd add a drive belt. Maybe add antifreeze/coolant. Depends on you/boat and engine condition, etc.

Cradle: Yes, expect a yard to charge for storage.

 

[nukey99]

You are getting a lot of great input, I'll add a few of my thoughts, and for context we purchased a 35-3 1983 vintage last February.

1. Boat handling around the docks, mine has some very significant prop walk to port when reversing, it takes some getting used to.
2. Standing rigging, if you have rigger inspect it, I'll almost guarantee that person will say replace it, here is the quote.
3. Having the mast down for transport means you can pretty much inspect it all yourself.
4. I've been replacing a lot of running rigging. The lines swell with age and get stiff and can be difficult to run though blocks.
5. I would recommend replacing all the engine fluid's filters and belt. Also check the raw water pump for leakage, if there is leaking it is time to replace it.
6. Remember to fully winterize the boat, we in the puget sound area, a previous owner did not winterize and I had to replace some fittings on the fresh water system. That was miserable job which I would not wish on my worst enemy.
7. Check the age of your batteries, and confirm your charging system is good and appropriately sized. On our boat, the charger was set at two high a level and we had to replace batteries.
8. While your boat is in the cradle or on a rack, check all of your through hull fittings, any of them seem problematic, this is the time to replace them.
9. If you have a dripless shaft seal, many of them require periodic service, this is another process which can really only be done with the boat on a stand.

Have fun with the boat. To my eyes, the 32-3 35-3 and 38 200 have some of the prettiest lines of any sailboat.

 

[windblown]

The nervousness fades over time, we promise. Our 32-3 was our first sailboat, and it was in pretty good shape. However, every time I read a blog or thread here about things like over-heating trailer plugs, or ancient bilge hoses, or cracked chain plates, or blocked heat exchangers, or. . . I’d lose sleep over another winter as my anxiety meter rose, and I wondered if I’d made a big mistake. Then summer would come, and we’d go sailing, and I’d think it was the best idea we’d ever had. Then there were things like adding the NMEA network to upgrade the instruments, and installing the wheel pilot, and re-doing the canvas, and even dropping the rudder to replace the dripless, and untangling the mess in the boom, and replacing mast and boom sheaves. Now it’s been nine years, and with the guidance of this community, we’ve worked through so many of those projects, learning how to do everything from engine maintenance to re-wiring the DC panel—so many projects that are really just maintenance on a 40 year old classic. We’ve also become pretty good sailors. It’s rather frightening to think how little we knew that’s now become instinct. These are great boats that take pretty good care of us as we learn. Welcome to the Viking community.

 

[JP in Sandusky]

Welcome to the Viking ranks! Keep posting and adding to related threads as you go through the "large boat ownership" learning process. It's OK to start new threads if an existing one does not quite fit your question.
The biggest problem I see (for anyone in your situation) is sometimes called a Fire Hose Effect. A new owner gets so much info about so many different parts of the process at once that it can be real difficult to sort it all out!

In Ye Olden Daze, one would start a new 5 X 7 card for each area or concern on a project and put the cards into a box, and now we can put text files into folders and sub folders on a computer 'desktop'. Tidier, at least.

However done, one needs a way to sort the muffins from the mufflers........ as it were. Sorta Kinda.

And the general 'net can be a lot less helpful than it appears at first gaze. As a friend of puts it: "I started looked at U-Tube for an answer - and two hours later had viewed a long video about making a basket out of carrots."

Just do not get overwhelmed with the difficulty of learning individual trees and also viewing a whole forest. I still recall how intense it was learning our first big sailboat with an inboard engine. The one we still have, BTW.

Leaving the dock after the initial launch by a TraveLift, it felt like driving an aircraft carrier! As time went by, it all normalized, as one might say.
Sean invented this site 6 years later, and it would have been majorly helpful if we could have had such a resource sooner!

IMHO, rated by capability and all around sailing prowess, you have found a "forever" boat. We bought our EY-built 34 footer in '94, and still have it. It's smaller than a 38, but for us it's Big Enough. We would have been just as happy with a 35 or a 38, but had to stay within budget.

I believe she is likely the keeper for a long time, and quite possibly until I just can't physically do it. I admit, 38 is a bit big for a seasonal boat, but the opportunity presented itself. I'm trying not to get too excited until after the survey.

I'm finding myself stressing more about the transaction and relocation than the rest of it. Once we have a slip established, winter storage established, season start and end routines established, etc. I am confident I'll calm down about things. I've largely "missed the season" this year, presuming we close in mid-September on the boat. I suppose the end of the season is always the best time to find a good boat for a good price.

The second estimate for freight was $5k, and that does not include taking down the mast, haul-out, transport preparation, or any yard expense to get her back off the truck. I am still looking around. So far, it looks like the transaction and relocation costs are going to hurt.

 

[JP in Sandusky]

Sheaves, correct. Should spin freely. Look for degradation of plastic. Easy and cheap to replace/lubricate.

Bilge etc. Check the condition of thru hulls, especially plastic/nylon ones as they can degrade. Check for double hose clamps on thru hull fittings. I live 2 hrs from my boat and recently installed up a Roam Marine Monitor https://roamdevices.com/. Very happy with it and worth it for the peace of mind ($350 =$5/mth). Easy install and lets me check if my boat misses me as much as I miss her.

Spares: Sounds like you have the basics. I'd add a drive belt. Maybe add antifreeze/coolant. Depends on you/boat and engine condition, etc.

Cradle: Yes, expect a yard to charge for storage.

Got it. Thank you! $5 a month for monitoring seems fine. It won't hurt me to skip a lunch once every few months anyway....

 

[JP in Sandusky]

You are getting a lot of great input, I'll add a few of my thoughts, and for context we purchased a 35-3 1983 vintage last February.

1. Boat handling around the docks, mine has some very significant prop walk to port when reversing, it takes some getting used to.
2. Standing rigging, if you have rigger inspect it, I'll almost guarantee that person will say replace it, here is the quote.
3. Having the mast down for transport means you can pretty much inspect it all yourself.
4. I've been replacing a lot of running rigging. The lines swell with age and get stiff and can be difficult to run though blocks.
5. I would recommend replacing all the engine fluid's filters and belt. Also check the raw water pump for leakage, if there is leaking it is time to replace it.
6. Remember to fully winterize the boat, we in the puget sound area, a previous owner did not winterize and I had to replace some fittings on the fresh water system. That was miserable job which I would not wish on my worst enemy.
7. Check the age of your batteries, and confirm your charging system is good and appropriately sized. On our boat, the charger was set at two high a level and we had to replace batteries.
8. While your boat is in the cradle or on a rack, check all of your through hull fittings, any of them seem problematic, this is the time to replace them.
9. If you have a dripless shaft seal, many of them require periodic service, this is another process which can really only be done with the boat on a stand.

Have fun with the boat. To my eyes, the 32-3 35-3 and 38 200 have some of the prettiest lines of any sailboat.

Much appreciated. I am going to look at what I can on the rig, but given that I only know what I have read, it will be hard for me not to think "everything is fine." If you grow up around old tractors, you stop noticing rust by the time you are 10.

Fluids and belt. Noted. I am assuming she gets winterized similar to an RV/camper, so that should be simple enough.

Charging/charger: I will have to learn about this over the winter. I do not currently (see what I did there? ) know how the charging system works when on AC power from the dock. I wired my woodworking shop and a few of the tools in there last year, but I'll admit I called in for help when it came to adding a generator transfer switch for back-up on my home.

Dripless: Still one of the areas I "think about too much." I had the lower baffle on an I/O ski boat start to fail one time, and that was not a good time.

 

[JP in Sandusky]

The nervousness fades over time, we promise. Our 32-3 was our first sailboat, and it was in pretty good shape. However, every time I read a blog or thread here about things like over-heating trailer plugs, or ancient bilge hoses, or cracked chain plates, or blocked heat exchangers, or. . . I’d lose sleep over another winter as my anxiety meter rose, and I wondered if I’d made a big mistake. Then summer would come, and we’d go sailing, and I’d think it was the best idea we’d ever had. Then there were things like adding the NMEA network to upgrade the instruments, and installing the wheel pilot, and re-doing the canvas, and even dropping the rudder to replace the dripless, and untangling the mess in the boom, and replacing mast and boom sheaves. Now it’s been nine years, and with the guidance of this community, we’ve worked through so many of those projects, learning how to do everything from engine maintenance to re-wiring the DC panel—so many projects that are really just maintenance on a 40 year old classic. We’ve also become pretty good sailors. It’s rather frightening to think how little we knew that’s now become instinct. These are great boats that take pretty good care of us as we learn. Welcome to the Viking community.

Thanks! This is how I hope it goes for us. No major drama in the first year is what I want. I'm crossing my fingers for the next few weeks to go well.

 

[Jim Picerno]

Congrats on the new boat, and welcome to the 38-200 club. I have some sympathy for the long distance relationship you're having with your boat. I live in FL, and I bought my boat in CT. I splashed her in May, and decided to leave her there for the summer. I understand your desire to get acquainted with the boat and possibly starting some boat projects, but for me I've learned a little patience from purchasing my prior boat on the other side of the country. Guess I'll never learn. Here's the company that moved my prior boat many years ago. At least a place to start. https://deepwatertransport.com/

 

[Christian Williams]

Ask Bruce about boat transport. He did much hands on, and is highly experienced. Personally, I would try to avoid trucking and find a boat nearby. We can talk ourselves into anything and also out of anything.

You can open a private discussion with bgary (Bruce Gary) by clicking his username and "start conversation".

The E38 is a good boat but not an only boat. For a list of typical maintenance and standard upgrades to a similar model (the 381) , scan my blog:

E381 - Table of Contents for Thelonious Blog

Thelonious II yacht blog Table of Contents Christian Williams

ericsonyachts.org

Also the video series:

Renovation of a 1984 Ericson 38

Thelonious II" was surveyed in 'above average' condition. However, it took 18 months to prepare her for basic offshore sailing. Although Ericson boats were w...

www.youtube.com

 

[JP in Sandusky]

Congrats on the new boat, and welcome to the 38-200 club. I have some sympathy for the long distance relationship you're having with your boat. I live in FL, and I bought my boat in CT. I splashed her in May, and decided to leave her there for the summer. I understand your desire to get acquainted with the boat and possibly starting some boat projects, but for me I've learned a little patience from purchasing my prior boat on the other side of the country. Guess I'll never learn. Here's the company that moved my prior boat many years ago. At least a place to start. https://deepwatertransport.com/

Thank you for the transport referral! I'll reach out to them this week. Every since I decided to move forward with purchasing a boat, I've been impatient to get to the point where I have "my boat" at "my slip." You have found the real problem.....I need be more patient. Sailboats are supposed to be about the journey, after all.

An '89 38-200 is likely identical. I suspect I'll have more questions soon!

 

[JP in Sandusky]

Ask Bruce about boat transport. He did much hands on, and is highly experienced. Personally, I would try to avoid trucking and find a boat nearby. We can talk ourselves into anything and also out of anything.

You can open a private discussion with bgary (Bruce Gary) by clicking his username and "start conversation".

The E38 is a good boat but not an only boat. For a list of typical maintenance and standard upgrades to a similar model (the 381) , scan my blog:

E381 - Table of Contents for Thelonious Blog

Thelonious II yacht blog Table of Contents Christian Williams

ericsonyachts.org

Also the video series:

Renovation of a 1984 Ericson 38

Thelonious II" was surveyed in 'above average' condition. However, it took 18 months to prepare her for basic offshore sailing. Although Ericson boats were w...

www.youtube.com

I am hesitant to admit this, but I've already seen all of your videos at least once. Just imagine me staring at my shoes while I say that. The blog/written articles are new to me. Thanks! Videos are great, but I still prefer reading.

We share the same approach to surveys, "I am looking for a reason not to buy the boat." The next couple of weeks will determine the length of the journey, but I hope to stay on the long path.

This forum and the resources here are excellent. Quality information with a quality manufacture will, I hope, reduce the stress over the coming year.

 

[frick]

The You tuber Sailing Lady K, had a good series on taking the Erie canal.