Ericson 27 lowering mast

[Mark Hadrick]

Ok, I just bought a 71 ericson 27, we need to trailer the boat to it's new home this weekend. How does the mast step, there is no hinge on the deck, just what seems to be shoe that the mast sit on, is this shoe design so that we can winch the mast down, any suggestion's, Thanks for your help!

 

[Brian Lowman]

Mark,

I recently bought an E25 that was on a trailer with the mast down. (It is a great little pocket cruiser) I took it to a boat yard to have the bottom painted and to assemble all the rigging.

We used a crane to step the mast because, although literature shows that the E25 mast can be sepped using the boom and mainsheet tackle, it is not real practical. Particularly on an older boat like mine ('73) you also put a real strain on your tackle and mast step.

The mast reaches out well past the bow pulpit, flexes a lot and is heavy and unwieldy. Even with 4 of us working on it (the boat was out of the water and up on chocks) we gave up and had the yard use their crane. This made great sense from both a safety and mast securety aspect. (not to mention saving time)

I will henceforth always use a crane to step or unstep the mast and advise others to do likewise. It is easy to break or bend things and replacement parts are expensive and hard to find. I think they charged me about $75 to step the mast (the boat was already in the yard) and it was well worth it.

Brian Lowman
S/V Gypsy Rose

 

[Jim Baldwin]

Hold on there Matey

The E27 is not considered a trailerable boat. Along with her 9 foot beam and 7000 lbs, she sits way to high on any conventional trailer or flatbead. (I know, I tried moving my E27 once).

Think about getting the proffessional boat mover. You won't be sorry and you won't be biteing your nails off while going under low bridges or around sharp turns.

Oh yeah... You're no match for the mast either. (Sorry), The shipyard with the crane, is very good advise.

Good luck

 

[Mark Hadrick]

Jim Thank for your reply, Due to area that boat will be moved to & work required while the boat is out of water we would like to stay with the plan of the trailer, I bought a trailer that will handle the weight and width of a E-27, however, You stated you have done this. What were the items that you ran into, things to watch for, would like to hear more of your insight. Thanks Mark

 

[Jim Baldwin]

moving experience

Mark: I regular type, boat trailer should be fine. I tried to move mine with a low flatbead. It was 14 feet from the ground to the top of the pulpit and the lashed on mast. It looked to precarious to me and so we off-loaded it and called the proffessional. We had been working all day to load and then unload it. The next day the mover came and within 45 minutes we were on our way.

The weight of the boat rests on the keel and is supported by adjustible pads. Because of the shape of the keel, the boat wants to rock forward. The forward pads will dent or depress the hull if you're not careful. I ended up constructing a small support wall forward of the keel, and directly under the leading edge. This took some of the weight off the pads.

Good luck with your new/old boat. This web site has been a great source of information for me while I have been restoring my '73 E27.

 

[Mark Hadrick]

Jim, Thanks for the reply, good info on suporting the front edge,
you'll know how things went next week if I'm on this site looking for a new hull, DOH! Thanks again MH

 

[Cnieto77]

moving experience

Mark: I regular type, boat trailer should be fine. I tried to move mine with a low flatbead. It was 14 feet from the ground to the top of the pulpit and the lashed on mast. It looked to precarious to me and so we off-loaded it and called the proffessional. We had been working all day to load and then unload it. The next day the mover came and within 45 minutes we were on our way.

The weight of the boat rests on the keel and is supported by adjustible pads. Because of the shape of the keel, the boat wants to rock forward. The forward pads will dent or depress the hull if you're not careful. I ended up constructing a small support wall forward of the keel, and directly under the leading edge. This took some of the weight off the pads.

Good luck with your new/old boat. This web site has been a great source of information for me while I have been restoring my '73 E27.

I know this is a very old post but if you still have the boat and trailer can you give me a measurement for the support forward of the keel. I am retrofitting a trailer for my 71' E27 and would like the measurement.

 

[Loren Beach]

I know this is a very old post but if you still have the boat and trailer can you give me a measurement for the support forward of the keel. I am retrofitting a trailer for my 71' E27 and would like the measurement.

Best to click on his name and use the contact info there to send him a message. Perhaps he still uses the same email address.

 

[ky ed]

I to am setting up an e-27 as a trailer sailer. I got her from Sheboygan wisconsin to Council Bluffs Iowa on my 2 axel home made trailer with out any problems. Electric brakes on trailer of coarse. Yard put her into lake Michigan and my friend and i loaded it onto trailer at boat ramp no problems at all. Have an old silverado 2 wheel drive 3/4 ton 2500hd 350 auto trans with 325,000 and it pulls it no sweat. This winters project is to make the 2x6 bunks into 2x8 and weld on a pair of house jacks onto ass end of trailer to make it so i can lower ends of bunks to make it easier to load/unload. All her weight is on bunks and my plan is to make a custom fitted bunk to suppoeet the keel. So any ideas would be great. Thanks, kyle

 

[gabriel]

My experience with using jacks to support bunks on trailers is that as the boat bounces along on the highway, they tend to back out. This is on severely potholed and washboard SoCal freeways though.

 

[ky ed]

My experience with using jacks to support bunks on trailers is that as the boat bounces along on the highway, they tend to back out. This is on severely potholed and washboard SoCal freeways though.

Interesting. I never considered that. Then i will drill and pin them with a bolt or 3 point tractor hitch pin. Thanks so much Gabriel!