Potential E38 owner...looking for info

[Gianno]

Hi:
I am thinking of buying a 38-200 and would appreciate any and all advice as to problems to look for during a survey, sailing characteristics, living aboard etc...etc...etc.

A couple of initial questions:

I am about 6'4 and headroom is an issue as I will be living aboard at least part time. (Im not really going bald. I'm scraping my hair off inside sailboats.)

Anyway,I've seen a discussion on this site but still don't have a clear idea of the actual headroom in this boat. Anyone out there with a 38 and a tape measure who would be willing to help me out?

Also, I live in an area where there is always lots of wind...10 -15 knot range.

Am I going to spend my days shortening sail or does this boat perform well in this kind of air?

Are they tender?

Thanks in advance and, once again, any advice regarding these boats would be welcome.

Thanks

John

 

[ted_reshetiloff]

I can't comment immediately on the headroom but will say the E-38 is fine boat in 10-15kts. I would say the boat is a little on the tender side which suits us on the chesapeake just fine as we quite often get 5-10kts. There are many folks on this board who sail 38's in breezy locations though. I have sailed mine in plenty of heavy air as well. If you anticipate consistent heavier air I would just look to suit the sails to the conditions. Maybe a 100% jib is all you need on the furler? Maybe get a main with 3 reefs instead of 2? As for survey issues I would search on this site for the topic. I believe there is a thread dedicated to surveying an E-38 but am not tech savvy enough to post you a link to it...

 

[Bob Robertson]

Hi John,

We bought our 38-200 new in 1988. For years we sailed with a 135 genoa. We got new sails 3 years ago and up sized our genoa to a 150. This is good for us, as the wind speeds can vary significantly each day and often within the same day.
The 150 gives us the most flexibility to handle the wide range of wind conditions that we encounter, in our area.

For us 10 to 15 knots are ideal wind conditions. I think about reefing a bit somewhere around 12/13+ knots depending on the point of sail. Down wind 15 knots is no problem. On a broad reach adjusting the sheets to allow some wind to spill enough wind is doable. I usually reef the main first.

We haven't run into any major problem with our boat that I could tell you to watch out for. Mostly just common maintenance items like a leaky port or two.

Hope the boat works out for you. We really like ours.

If you would like to talk directly, send me an email and I'll send you my phone number.

Enjoy,
Bob

 

[wurzner]

Simple Advice-Buy the Boat!

John,
You need to buy the boat. For one thing, it is a great boat. For 2, Isla Mujeres is my favorite spot in the world and the only thing that would make it better is knowing someone with an E38-200. Ok, now that you know I'm impartial, here is what I would suggest. Our boat was purchased in San Francisco where there are very high winds or nothing at all. The boat came with a high cut Yankee 90% and to be honest, this would be the only headsail I would use if I had to choose one. In very light winds, the difference in head sail sizes is minimal, it takes at least 5-7 knots to get the boat moving decent. In the wind range, the performance difference between the 90, 135, and 150 noticable, but I would never get a 150 for cruising ( I do have about a 140 for racing). The boat has a pretty powerful rig so even with a small headsail, It does ok in the wind ranges I mentioned. I just replaced my mainsail which had 3 reefs with a 2 reef main, but I really increased the depth of the 2 reefs. I'm not sure how to differentiate between tender and powerful, but the boat does not benefit from being overcanvassed. I frequently just sail with the small headsail if I'm only going out for a little while and she sails fine and can easily hit 6 knots with about 10 knots of wind, but it doesn't point worth a darn with just a headsail.

I believe you will be able to stand up in certain parts of the boat without hitting your head, but I'm not sure of too many boats that have as much headroom as you need. I really love the boat and would say you would be hard pressed to find something that offers the same blend of value and performance in the price range with the exception of perhaps a CAL boat or maybe some of the older Jeanneau's.

As for suggestions for the survey, I would pay attention to the hull to deck seem if it's been banged up at all. Aside from that, it is the typical issues related to the balsa cored decks. The hull being a solid layup should be a non issue with the exception of keel joint.

I can send you a copy of my survey if it would help you review the boat in question. My boat is a 86 -200 with the engine under the galley opposed to behind the companion way stairs.

Good luck
shaun

 

[ligolaiva38]

John
My name is John also and I am 6' 5". I have owned an E381 for 10 years and being tall doesn't bother me a bit in my Ericson. I spend the summer months cruising around the Channel Isands and Catalina Island. Channel Islands has average wind between 15 and 20 knts, but many times more knts and sometimes up to the 30's and 40's. Although my Ericson is a bit tender it sails really well in heavey wind and big seas because of the boat design having a fine entry and reverse transom. Naturally all Ericsons are fast in light winds. I do a lot of single handling so I have made all my adjustments from the cockpit inlcuding two reefing lines for each reef point.
Only thing is Ericsons don't have lots of room for batteries. I have two 31 house batteries and a 31 starter. With 3 solar pannels and with Sensi L ight LED lites in all the fixtures I have no problems with electicity running my AB frige etc. I keep all the lite's on in the evening since 7 of the SensiLights only use what one regular lite used.
If you want a good sailing boat instead of a roomy barge go for the Ericson.
They are very well designed and built solidly. Ericsons were the top production boats built in the 80's---That is why the couldn't stay in business. People liked big interiors in boats built cheap to party at the docks.
If you like to cruise, Ericson is great. I have seen them cruising in the So. Pacifice.
Good luck, You,ll love it!
John
Laiva
E 381

 

[ligolaiva38]

John
My name is John also and I am 6' 5". I have owned an E381 for 10 years and being tall doesn't bother me a bit in my Ericson. I spend the summer months cruising around the Channel Isands and Catalina Island. Channel Islands has average wind between 15 and 20 knts, but many times more knts and sometimes up to the 30's and 40's. Although my Ericson is a bit tender it sails really well in heavey wind and big seas because of the boat design having a fine entry and reverse transom. Naturally all Ericsons are fast in light winds. I do a lot of single handling so I have made all my adjustments from the cockpit inlcuding two reefing lines for each reef point.
Only thing is Ericsons don't have lots of room for batteries. I have two 31 house batteries and a 31 starter. With 3 solar pannels and with Sensi L ight LED lites in all the fixtures I have no problems with electicity running my AB frige etc. I keep all the lite's on in the evening since 7 of the SensiLights only use what one regular lite used.
If you want a good sailing boat instead of a roomy barge go for the Ericson.
They are very well designed and built solidly. Ericsons were the top production boats built in the 80's---That is why the couldn't stay in business. People liked big interiors in boats built cheap to party at the docks.
If you like to cruise, Ericson is great. I have seen them cruising in the So. Pacifice.
Good luck, You,ll love it!
John
Laiva
E 381

 

[WBurgner]

Considering a 38-200

John,
I have an E381, and like John in San Pedro, I am 6'5". I can only stand fully erect at the hatches, but head room thus far has not been an issue. Look at it this way, reaching a hand hold while below is no problem.

The 381 carries a little less sail than the standard E38. I think it is in the area of 50 sf less. My boat also has a 600# lead bulb added the keel so she stands up to the higher winds very well.

You should be very happy with the value and performance an E38. As for problems, you should have a professional survey performed. I have not experienced any structural or manufacturing quality problems in my boat, and she is 23 years old. I am lucky that the previous owners took very good care of her.

Hopefully the boat you are considering has seen the same care.

Bill

SV Totem
Bradenton, FL

 

[wurzner]

Here is what I have for house batteries. I carry 4 golf cart batteries in storage area under the starboard settee. I takes up about 1/2 of the availabale storage area under there, but I like the amphour capacity.

Shaun

 

[Captron]

E-381 Review

I wrote a review of the Ericson 381 based on my experience with our 1983 model. You can read it at http://members.toast.net/captron/ericson_38.htm.

I'm 6ft (or used to be) and 200lbs and headroom is not an issue but you need to be a yoga master to work on the engine and transmission through the lazarette access.

Our headsail is a 130% roller furler. We sail mainly Florida and the Bahamas where the winds are often 10-15k. We find that to windward in 15+ knots that we have to feather the main by easing off the traveler to it's limit and sometimes easing the mainsheet. But she points high and goes fast anyway.

We try hard not to cruise to windward, prefering to reach ... downwind she can be a bit rolly depending on sea and wind conditions. We don't have a downwind pole and in 4 years I think we've had the cruising chute up once. We installed a Raymarine type 2 below deck autopilot which handles most any sea condition quite well.

We've entered a few cruising races over the last few years and even loaded as we tend to be, and with her old sails, the boat always sails well. Couldn't be more pleased with that.

We too, have a pair of group 31 gel cells as house bank plus a gell cell group 24 starting battery. We find this to be adequate but we end up running the engine daily for an hour or so just to make up the 50 or 60 amp hour deficit we typically run. The deficit is net of our 120 watt Kyocera solar panel by the way.

Great boat. You won't be disappointed.