New-to-Me 35-2

LarryBud

LarryBud
She's not home yet, but we are the proud new owners of a 1975 Ericson 35-2.

I was reading with interest Eric Miller's posting on buying First Lady, but the last post I saw was in April. Does anyone know - did is go through with the purchase? We are both in Maryland and we had to both be looking at the same boats at the same time.

Our boat is called Stormy C's, formerly Sound of Silence, and soon to be something else - we haven't figured that out yet. I am already planning the re-naming ceremony and stocking up on rum just for the occassion.

Unfortunately, when I had her hauled for inspection, the prop shaft got bent by the sling. The owner didn't know where the prop was - he said it was at the back of the boat and the yard guy took his word. So while they have it out I'm having some things done that I was going to have to have done soon, anyway. Just means a couple of more weeks before she is home. The good thing is the labor rates on the Northern Neck are considerbly less than they are at Solomons.

We are excited. I was having buyer's remorse before the sale. There was a 3-year old survey I used instead of a new survey, was getting antsy about that, the money, all that stuff. Then I went down for the test sail, took the old survey and went over every point in it, used checklists for online sites for buying a used sailboat, talked to my friends that have owned sailboats for 30+ years, and just couldn't find a reason not to follow through. Besides that, it just felt right when I got on board. So now we have a big fiberglass hole in the water ready for all my discretionairy funds.

This site is really interesting - lots of good advice and just plain fun reading. I will have lots of questions.

I know the story about the 2 happiest days. That may have been true of my 19' Cape Dory, but it was just too small. I've been crewing a 37' Seidleman now for about 6 years, and Gary has owned that boat since it was new (1981), and he still loves it. Right now you could not convince me this was not the right thing to do.

We looked at boats from 27' to 35' and first narrowed our search to the Catalina 30' and Hunter 33'. Then a friend of mine at work had a fit and convinced me to look at Ericsons, seems his dad had one (a 27') when he was a kid. So we looked and fell in love with the first one we looked at. Then looked at 3 other 35', and came back and bought the first one. It just fits us.

I haven't read to much of the forum yet, but I do have a question. Does anyone sail with a dog? We have a 55 lb mix who loved to sail on the Cape Dory and will be with me on the Ericson. Has anyone figured out an easy way to get a good sized dog up and down the cabin stairs?

I'll shut up now, just like talking about the boat.:egrin:
 

chaco

Member III
Welcome to the Ericson Gang !

Well lets just start in on ya :nerd:
Where is your engine....mid salon or stern installation ?
You have the Diesel or Atomic 4 ? Have your engine stringers been rebuilt ?
The original mid engine stringers where steel sitting in the bilge :rolleyes:
Mine were rusted beyond recognition and eventually broke....leaving the
engine hanging in the air. Please inspect this area as your typical Survey does
not get in to engine details. The Survey concentrates on Hull and Cabin
condition. Next is your Electrical System. Do have the original Panel with
Automotive Fuses and Toggle Switches ? My old Panel nearly burned me out
of the Boat. The ENTIRE Electrical System needs a Detailed inspection by a
Marine Electrician or just replace it ALL like I did. The 12V Wiring was Auto
Grade (not Tinned) wire and rotten (black corrosion) everywhere causing
resistance and HEAT at the Panel. Switches melting the Panel is a good
indication of Electrical overloads. The Fuses are NOT Breakers and will just
sit and either burn up your Bilge Pump or the Panel under overload :cool:
Replacing your Panel with an Up to Date Breaker Panel will be paramount
to your Safety onboard :)
This Boat is FUN to Sail and all the LiveAboards are always asking for a ride.
Being that when you live aboard you have so much Junk hanging around
that it takes Hours to get ready for a Sail ;)

Happy Sailing :egrin: :egrin:
 

Phil MacFarlane

Member III
Every thing Dan said plus...

If you have the mid engine model with the engine under the settee,

I put my right foot on the engine cover and my left hip against the sink and pat my hand on my right knee and my 80lb black lab hops down on my knee then down onto the engine cover and then onto the cabin sole. Works the same way in reverse.

You bought a truly great boat there. Enjoy her.
 

Rocinante33

Contributing Partner
We looked at boats from 27' to 35' and first narrowed our search to the Catalina 30' and Hunter 33'. Then a friend of mine at work had a fit and convinced me to look at Ericsons

He's a good friend! I'd say you owe him a sail when you get her back in the water. You got a significantly higher quality boat than those other two. Of course, there are still things that need upgrading, maintenance, etc, as others have spelled out. But they are solid, well made, good sailing boats, and everybody here is great at the support. Fair winds, Viking!:egrin:
 

LarryBud

LarryBud
I knew I would learn here.

Mid-engine Atomic 4. No, the survey did not mention those stringers and I will check them out. The survey did go over the electrical system and everything, appears to have been upgraded within the last 2 years. The 120V system was also replaced. I will check everything again and upgrade anything that hasn't been. Thanks for the tip, Chaco

Getting the dog up and down sounds a little easier than I thought it might be - shouldn't take more than a time or two to have him trained. Great tip, thank you. We also bought him a life jacket - he fell off the Cape Dory 19' a few times, but with a freeboard of about 6 inches it wasn't a problem getting him back on. I have a feeling that handle will come in handle with the Ericson. Maybe we'll use him to practice man-overboard drills :rolleyes:. He is part Golden Retriever -he should like it.

Anyone have teenagers on board? I am really hoping to get our 14 year old grandson involved in sailing, get him interested in something beyond the computer games. He's a little bit of a geek, very into computers and not into sports and outdoor activities. Of course, sailboats are slow and boring, he prefers the big power boats. I told him we would get a dingy so he can play around with that.

One of the previous owners had a flat screen TV mounted on the forward wall above the table - the mount is still there along with a coaxial cable. Any advice on TVs on board?
 
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CaptDan

Member III
Welcome

Mid-engine Atomic 4. No, the survey did not mention those stringers and I will check them out.

Biased though I am, I believe the E35II to be among the finest classic plastics in her size of all time. I could rhapsodize for another paragraph about her lines, sailing aplomb, build quality, interior layout, etc etc. Instead, I'll repeat one of the caveats already mentioned, and add a few more.

1. Engine bed. Steel stringers and saltwater don't go together. When (not IF) those pieces deteriorate, the misalignment can cause the shaft (a mere 3/4" diameter) to eventually break. Happened to me. If in doubt, remove, replace, refurbish. Good to go for another 25 years.

2. A-4 propeller: if yours has the original two-blade egg beater, seriously consider a replacement. Bouy racing aside, one of the best props is the CDI fiberglass 'variable pitch.' Not only won't it corrode, it'll improve performance -particularly in reverse, though at a small speed deficit under sail. Don't know if they're still made, but if they are, I strongly recommend it.

3.Upper chainplates - THE big Kahuna. You'd be dismayed to learn how many surveyors miss this one. The coverboards hiding the plates MUST be removed to allow inspection of the bulkhead. Water ingress from deck stanchions can lead into the bulkhead, rotting it invisible. If you haven't already done so, do yourself the favor of checking these out immediately.

Congrats on your boat, and enjoy many happy years with her. After eight years of ownership, I love ours as much as the first day we bought her.

Capt Dan G>E35II "Kunu"
 
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