Which deck-stepped Ericson for offshore?

[kulokoo]

Hi,

My port of choice will require a deck stepped mast (for which I'll arrange a tabernacle so that I can get under a bridge), and my preferred sailing is in the open ocean. Hopefully I'll make a run or two to Hawaii, Mexico, and maybe eventually more distant ports. I may live aboard (just me - one person).

Which Ericson would be the best candidate? Possibilities would seem to include the E35-2, though I wonder how it would be to singlehand in a large following sea with that raised stern. Perhaps the more modern E30+ is a better choice? It has almost the same static waterline, and a little more beam. Any other good choices I am missing?

Thanks

Eric

P.S. The only Ericsons I have sailed are the E27 and E28

 

[Emerald]

OK, I know I'm a bit biased, but yes, you really missed the boat on this one IMO, if you're looking for the pocket off-shore cruising Ericson, you need not look further than the Independence 31. You can download a nice brochure from the Documents section of this site, and if not familiar with the model and want some quick pics, you can click here for my site:

http://home.comcast.net/~independence31/

hope this helps

 

[kulokoo]

Independence 31

That'a a beauty you have there.

How does she sail? Any ocean passages in her?

OK, I know I'm a bit biased, but yes, you really missed the boat on this one IMO, if you're looking for the pocket off-shore cruising Ericson, you need not look further than the Independence 31. You can download a nice brochure from the Documents section of this site, and if not familiar with the model and want some quick pics, you can click here for my site:



http://home.comcast.net/~independence31/



hope this helps

 

[Emerald]

I think she is a very nice sailing boat. I find her faster than you would think for her displacement and appearance. She easily sails along at hull speed and often a bit more. I find 6.5 knots or more is routine. She really comes to life in anything over 8-10 knots of breeze. I like the cutter rig quite a bit. I feel it provides very nice head sail flexibility for cruising. I do have an Asym that does make a difference for light air days. She feels good as the wind kicks up - nice and stiff and very controlled feeling. I am on the Chesapeake, and as such not doing offshore sailing, and I can't talk about handling in stuff over 4 feet or so, but she does nicely in the 3-4 foot chop that the Chesapeake can dish out. As one would expect from a cutter rig, she reaches very nicely, and I've been surprised at her pointing abilities. Obviously, she is not going to have the tightest sheeting angles, but I think she does a nice job anyway. There are others on this site who should be able to chime in on ocean handling. I know there is one that makes regular trips to Catalina Island from Santa Monica, and my recollection is that her owner says his I-31 provides a very comfortable passage. Hopefully, some others will chime in with more blue water thoughts. A final thought is the boat is built tough. She's about an inch thick solid layup on centerline. The brochure you can download from this site has some detailed construction information, but I've always felt that the limitation on this boat is the crew, not the boat.

 

[mherrcat]

I looked at a couple of Independence 31's listed on Yacht World and they all (3) are sloop-rigged, not cutter-rigged and none had the bowsprit as Emerald does. Was the I-31 available in both configurations?

 

[Frank Langer]

Mark, have you....

Mark, have you done any blue water sailing in your E30+ to give an opinion on how it performs off shore? We have only done coastal cruising, max wind speed of 35 knots, 6 foot waves. Our E30+ handles that with with no problem.
Frank

 

[mherrcat]

I have not done any real "blue water" sailing yet. Furthest offshore I have gone is about 12 miles to Anacapa Island from Channel Islands Harbor. Just day sailing in the Santa Barbara Channel and around the Channel Islands. I haven't even anchored out overnight yet. There are plenty of anchorages out there but the main reason I haven't gone is I don't have a dinghy or a kayak; I don't think it would be much fun to go out there and then be stuck on the boat unable to get onto the island.

Other than that, I have been out in swells as much as about 8 ft and winds in the 20's and the boat has been fine. As long as the wave period is not too short it's OK, otherwise it gets too bumpy to be comfortable.

When I first got the boat I did go out once (stupidly) when I'm sure the winds were at least in the 30's out near Anacapa Island. I did not have the main reefed and would not have been able to do it singlehanded out there in those conditions. Came close to broaching or being knocked down a couple of times, but nothing broke on the boat.

 

[kulokoo]

That's fairly blue water to my eyes

I have not done any real "blue water" sailing yet. Furthest offshore I have gone is about 12 miles to Anacapa Island from Channel Islands Harbor...

I sometimes sail with a friend to Santa Cruz Island on his C&C 35 Landfall. He has sailed to Hawaii and Mexico a few times, but I believe the only knock-down he has ever had was in the Santa Barbara Channel. Beautiful sailing there, I think.

 

[Emerald]

I looked at a couple of Independence 31's listed on Yacht World and they all (3) are sloop-rigged, not cutter-rigged and none had the bowsprit as Emerald does. Was the I-31 available in both configurations?

Interesting odds there, as most were cutters. A total of 69 were built, and there are two basic variations. The first 25 built were the Cruising 31, and I believe all but 3 were sloop rigs. Starting with hull 26, there were changes in the interior layout, portlights, and cockpit lazarettes, and it was now the Independence 31, and almost all of those built were cutter rigs.