Anyone with Experience with the Ericson 38-200?

[flashing888]

Hi All,

Love the forums and this community. I was curious if anyone has first hand experience with the Ericson 38-200? Either sailing them, working on them, living on them, etc... Any and all direct experience would be greatly appreciated. I realise that it will be your opinion and every boat will be a bit different, but I would love just the general overall outlook.. I'm also aware that being in this forum, it may be already biased.. LOL

Thank you all in advance for your time and input..
cheers!!!

 

[Christian Williams]

Goldenstate has a full blog on his 32-200, which has the head aft as the 38-200 does. https://ericsonyachts.org/ie/ubs/blog/32-200-projects-sure-shot.11600/

Mark K's 38-200 blog is here: https://ericsonyachts.org/ie/ubs/blog/mkollerjrs-blog.8564/

The Ericson 381 is the same hull, but with the head forward. Most maintenance issues are covered here: Table of Contents for Thelonious Blog - Blogs - EY.o Information Exchange

The E35s and E38s are much the same overall, I think owners would agree. They look good, sail well, and are worth restoring because built well to begin with. They appeal to sailors, not candidates for a double-berth owner salon. Ericsons are on the 1980s diet. New boats are wider at the beltline.

 

[Loren Beach]

I have done an overnight ocean delivery on one and it was a lot of fun, but really you need to use the search function here and look up some threads, and check on the blog section, too.
The owners all like them a lot. Excellent sea boat and fast .......
Watch Christian's video about his Hawaii round trip.

 

[flashing888]

Thank you all for your input and will be checking out the mentioned links.. Sorry I wasn't able to do a search first as I wanted to jump right in and post my first thread.. I appreciate everyone's time! please keep your experiences coming.. Love to hear examples like Loren's and night trips.. Cheers!

 

[kiwisailor]

Hi All,

Love the forums and this community. I was curious if anyone has first hand experience with the Ericson 38-200? Either sailing them, working on them, living on them, etc... Any and all direct experience would be greatly appreciated. I realise that it will be your opinion and every boat will be a bit different, but I would love just the general overall outlook.. I'm also aware that being in this forum, it may be already biased.. LOL

Thank you all in advance for your time and input..
cheers!!!

The E38 is designed to sail well. The fine entry on the bow slices though the large swells and waves easily which is something you will appreciate after sailing in a modern production boat as it's pounding hard onto every wave. The separate stall shower in the head is worth its weight in gold for a boat this size. I could mention lots of other pros and some of the cons as well. Keep in mind all boats are a compromise.

 

[clayton]

I crewed on a friend’s for several years of Wednesday night races, plus one Around Long Island Race. Surprisingly good upwind in light air, below about 160 apparent is slow without a chute. My 32-200 is the same way. I got my 32-200 because of my time on the 38. The 38 with its longer waterline and heavier displacement handles waves and chop better. Practical Sailor has a review on the 38, worth reading.

 

[flashing888]

Thanks for the additional input.. I fully agree with the separate shower stall.. My wife and I went aboard one and had a WTF look on our faces. We were pleasantly surprised to see that on a 38.. Love to hear how she really handles in real world sailing conditions. And yes, every boat is always a compromise. I've owned several and it always had something I wish it did or didn't.. If you want the perfect boat, spend $$ to have one custom built.. Even then, trust me, you'll think of it after the build is finished.. LOL

 

[David Grimm]

Hey flasshing888, I have a 38-200. I love it. The 38 is very similar however there are two different versions of the 38-200. One has the engine under the companion way steps like the 38, mine however has the engine under the galley sink! This was done to improve agility with the weight being more centrally located.

 

[Loren Beach]

In the ocean it has a quiet motion with no pounding in typical summer 5 foot seas. One other advantage is how well it sails in light air.
Responsive and fun to drive.

 

[Joliba]

Hi All,

Love the forums and this community. I was curious if anyone has first hand experience with the Ericson 38-200? Either sailing them, working on them, living on them, etc... Any and all direct experience would be greatly appreciated. I realise that it will be your opinion and every boat will be a bit different, but I would love just the general overall outlook.. I'm also aware that being in this forum, it may be already biased.. LOL

Thank you all in advance for your time and input..
cheers!!!

I’ve had a 38-200 since 2008. Great boat! Mine has the engine beneath the companionway. She has nice accommodations for 2 couples and a dog on a cruise of a few weeks or one couple for extended liveaboard voyaging. The 38-200 has beautiful classic lines and is easy to handle short-handed. She sails well in all conditions. A downwind sail is helpful in light air. Early reefing is mandatory in a breeze.The deck and cockpit remain remarkably dry in choppy water despite the low freeboard compared to contemporary cruising boats. Nonetheless, a dodger is nice to have if sailing in colder weather or rougher water. Factory equipped boats had no windlass. If you plan to anchor frequently, a windlass would facilitate use of an oversized anchor and all chain rode. Well-maintained original Universal diesels are solid engines and drive the 38 well. There are also two different keels on the 38-200, a full-depth fin and a shoal-draft winged keel. They both perform well on all points of sail. (I’ve sailed aboard both versions.) Due to their age, each
one has had different upgrades. Thus, the price, condition, and features of each one will be different. If you have one and want to improve something, this forum will provide 100 examples of what projects have been done and what works.

 

[Joliba]

P.S.If you have any more specific questions, l will gladly reply.
Mike Jacker

 

[Christian Williams]

The E38-200 owner's manual and original brochures are here.

This interior photo is actually of an early-80s Ericson 38 (not E381 or E38-200), with enclosed quarterberth and split saloon bench. It also happens to be missing the, er, mast. To the marketing team, a mast was just clutter. They preferred fruit and Cutty Sark.

 

[Filkee]

The E38-200 owner's manual and original brochures are here.

This interior photo is actually of an early-80s Ericson 38 (not E381 or E38-200), with enclosed quarterberth and split saloon bench. It also happens to be missing the, er, mast. To the marketing team, a mast was just clutter. They preferred fruit and Cutty Sark.

View attachment 37527

It looks like they even retouched the sole so the keel step penetration isn’t there.

 

[David Grimm]

Is that a satin or flat finish on the teak? Is that how they came from the factory?

 

[Christian Williams]

It could be just the brochure colors on old paper. The '84 model interior, satin varnish, currently looks like this--although after 30 years the overall veneer tone may well have darkened considerably from its original tone.

 

[Drewm3i]

Is that a satin or flat finish on the teak? Is that how they came from the factory?

My E-38-200 had a flat finish on the teak. It did originally have a satin finish on the floor though.

 

[Bort]

There's a few E38-200s along the West Coast, and while it's not really in the financial cards yet, it's at the very top of the short list of boats to buy after we outgrown our E27.

I love the look of the boats. The interior especially is exactly right. The perfect amount of warm wood, perfect lighting, both my wife and I are smitten with it. I'll have to look at one in person and sail it before we settle on it being "the one" though.

I'm glad to hear so many commenting on how they sail too.