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Questions for E27 owners:

Fencer21

Member II
I have an E27 that I just bought in September.

First, there are blisters on the hull which are small in nature, but are numerous. My question is, what is the most expedient way to repair the hull.

Secondly, the boat has a tiller for a helm, which is fine, I have no problem steering, but the throttle controls are placed along the bench on the left side, and is prone to getting kicked. My question is, is it possible to convert the tiller over to a wheel configuration without too much modification, in other words, is this a difficult task.

Thanks,

I'll be looking forward to reading the responses
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Tiller or Wheel?

There is a lot of good discussion, pro and con, in these archives and also in the archives at Sailnet.com.
You might want to, instead, provide a guard around the throttle and shift levers.

Happy reading,

Loren
 

Walter Pearson

Member III
For several years after buying my E27, I would repair a small number of blisters every spring. If I saw them after haulout, I would open them, grind out a small area around and let dry over the winter. I used the West System for repair, but every year there were always more to be done. Finally had the gelcoat completely removed and did a complete Interprotect job. Some of the blisters extended up into the boot stripe, so that had to be done also.
 

escapade

Inactive Member
My first Ericson was an E27 converted from tiller to wheel steering. It was an Edson unit w/engine controls mounted on the pedestal. The unit ended up about in the middle of the cockpit, fore & aft. Didn't appear to be a difficult project assuming you are fairly handy with basic tools. Controls on the pedestal make docking MUCH easier!
Secondly, blisters won't go away by themselves. Someone has to help them in the process. The Gougeon Bros. (West System Epoxy's) publish an informational booklet on osmotic blistering causes & repair. This is one of the cheapest & best investments you could make for your boat. It explains step by step the causes & repair methods to use. This book is available at your local chandlery or on line @ www.westsystem.com.
As far as the product to use I have used West System, VC tar, and Interprotect on the 3 boats I've owned. Each has advantages & drawbacks that you will have to evaluate for yourself. There are other products out there also, but bear in mind that after you do all the prep work, why cut a corner to save a couple bucks and find out that you used an inferior product. It's just not worth it. Biggest thing with doing a blister repair is to make sure the laminate is as dry as you can possibly get it before you start applying epoxy!!! Depending on conditions, this can take several weeks to several months!
Search this web site for more info on this subject. There has been plenty of discussion onn this subject.

Good luck & sail fast
Bud E34 "Escapade"
 

Robert Mann

Member I
Our experience in the sunny south, in fresh water, where boats stay in all year is that the best way to treat blisters is as follows.

Sand the anti fouling off the bottom, down to bare gell coat. Sand the tops off the big blisters and open all blisters you want to fix up with a spherical type cutter in an electric drill.

Clean the holes out with actetone and then lots of fresh water, let the whole thing dry for a week or so.

Fill with Interlux 2 part filler, sand fair and then apply bottom paint and go sailing.

If you have severe de-lamination seek help.

Typically, in our area we redo bottoms on non racers only every 3 to 4 years.

There is much published on the subject but a couple of things are for sure, in warm water boats, all of them, blister. You can spend untold, multiple fortunes fixing them. Take care a few blisters at a time and sail a lot.

We have discovered that epoxying hulls that have been in the water for some years will result in billions of small blisters if the hulls are not completely dry.

Bob Mann
 
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