Chain Plates impressed guests

[bsangs]

Recently had some guests on board, and received the usual plaudits that seem to come when someone sees an Ericson for the first time. What struck me as humorous, though, was the time one person spent gushing over the chainplates. (“You could go to war with these,” was my favorite line.) The 35-3 is my first sailboat, so I must admit, I’m not very familiar with chainplates on other boats, and have never thought of these as being anything special. Are the Ericson chainplates that much different from others?

 

[Christian Williams]

I am sure that the 35-3 is a very nice boat, but of course when it comes to chainplates, it is certainly no 381.

My guess is that your newfangled design is much lower on the stainless jewelry factor. Why, when you comes aboard my boat, Popeye, you are greeted by vast gleamings of polished plate, afixed with innumerable brave bolts to robust teak bulkheads, which in their clothing of subtle satin varnish further the sense of yachting cathedral. Many visitors fall to their knees immediately, although some complain that I tripped them.

Ericson did not always build for efficiency (excuse my fit of laughter), but when it comes to complex and shiny, comparisons pale.

 

[Prairie Schooner]

Recently had some guests on board, and received the usual plaudits that seem to come when someone sees an Ericson for the first time. What struck me as humorous, though, was the time one person spent gushing over the chainplates. (“You could go to war with these,” was my favorite line.) The 35-3 is my first sailboat, so I must admit, I’m not very familiar with chainplates on other boats, and have never thought of these as being anything special. Are the Ericson chainplates that much different from others?

Brah-Vo Brian!! That's right up there with, "Hey Sailor, I like the cut of your jib."

 

[Frank Langer]

The chain plates and turnbuckles on the Catalina 30 in the slip next to me are about half the size of mine on my E30+. I've noticed this with other boats as well. I am very proud of my Ericson, though after owning her for 18 years, I know she's not perfect, and sometimes she's even very frustrating--though that's very rare.
Frank

 

[bsangs]

Brah-Vo Brian!! That's right up there with, "Hey Sailor, I like the cut of your jib."

It’s open mic night here today.

 

[Loren Beach]

Are the Ericson chainplates that much different from others?

I would guess that EY intended to build boats for "continuous open water sailing" i.e. blue water service, as a Design Brief when their designer(s) put pencil to paper. Then they had their N. A. design up-scale interiors with the then-trendy teak furnishings. This made their boats more expensive, but they had the speed and handling reputation to attract high-$ sailors. They were not the only builder doing this, but the number of builders and their model production runs was much smaller than the ones chasing a price point that chose to only build out boats "barely good enough".
That's one major reason why EY boats are worth restoring and maintaining.

And, yes, All boats are built to a "price point". But the span is rather wide between the high end and the low end.