Shopping a 35-3

[Out There]

Any advise anyone can give me for things to watch out for I would appreciate it.

Knowns and unknowns

• Used to be a fin keel and was refitted with a shoal keel at least 2 owners ago.
  • keel bolts and washers are clean and look in good shape
  • there is a seam at the stub to keel joint that looks like it was filled with something white and not durable (maybe just surface) but the seam looks tight
• Aluminum frames around port lights are compressed at the screws but wood appears in good shape
• Sails are said to be in good shape with recently refurbished 150 genoa
• Engine hours unknown but said to run well and serviced every season
• Standing rigging age unknown
• fresh water boat

I will be getting a surveyor

Any thoughts are welcome

 

[Loren Beach]

Welcome to the Forums! It helps a great deal if there is a link to the listing, to see what it looks like.
Is the shoal keel a fin, a wing, or a fin-and-bulb? What year is the boat? What model engine?
Thank you.

 

[Out There]

Thanks! here is the boat: https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/1987-ericson-35-9608416/
The engine is the M40

 

[Kenneth K]

Pretty boat! That’s probably a good engine upgrade for that boat.
Hard to tell from this photo, but I wonder if there’s been some repair work done around these through hulls? Some of them look like plugs/patches.

 

[Loren Beach]

That broker writeup has some odd bits of info in it, IMHO. I almost wonder if some AI was involved in the composition?

By 1987, I could imagine the factory installing a CNG or propane galley range, and not an "alcohol" stove. Is there a tank inside one of the lockers at the stern?

That row of thruhulls down the flank of the boat almost mirrors the same setup on a late model 32/34/ and a 38 in my club. I believe that all of these local boats have replaced the 80's plastic with composite or bronze, BTW.

Keep the details coming.

 

[Out There]

That broker writeup has some odd bits of info in it, IMHO. I almost wonder if some AI was involved in the composition?

By 1987, I could imagine the factory installing a CNG or propane galley range, and not an "alcohol" stove. Is there a tank inside one of the lockers at the stern?

That row of thruhulls down the flank of the boat almost mirrors the same setup on a late model 32/34/ and a 38 in my club. I believe that all of these local boats have replaced the 80's plastic with composite or bronze, BTW.

Keep the details coming.

I have been aboard once in the yard and it does have a alcohol stove with a microwave in the oven space. I will probably just use my Coleman fold up camping stove for the short term. Will be a day sailor mostly for the next two years till I retire and get "Out There"

 

[Prairie Schooner]

Some random thoughts :

A recent engine upgrade is a big plus.

Sure looks like a wing keel to me.

It would be nice if there were a photo of the nav desk. Having a new radar is a big plus. Interesting that the primary display for that is a tablet. What kind of chartplotter is there? Looks like original Datamarine instruments in the bulkhead. Even IF they're working, they offer precious little information for the real estate they take up. Seems like the instrument package is a bunch parts that don't communicate with each other. People cross oceans with less, but I like our integrated system.

Check the dorade and the inside fascia panels in the cabin under it. This is typically a fail point on 35-3s. The cabin top inside the dorade box usually wasn't glassed or sealed. The wood rots and water leaks down.

If the liferaft is in good shape, that's a nice comfort. For the coastal cruising we do I'd rather have a good working dinghy.

Check the condition of the sole. If delaminating and spongy that's a huge project.

When you do the haul out for the inspection, check the shaft strut for stability. A number of us have had to rebed that. Also cutless bearing integrity, shaft true, etc, of course.

This is not a big thing, but I'd want the solar panels on more securely. Professional installations have edge flaps that velcro over to keep wind from picking up the panels.
What kind of battery bank is powering the boat?

Looks like the opening portlights are Lewmar. Our '86 has the Bomars. I've rebedded them but ours will need replacement in the next 3-5 years (I hope no sooner). If there is compression in 'your' aluminum frames I suspect there was leakage and someone tried to reduce that by cranking down on those screws. If rebedding portlights has not been done, it's likely in Lulu Grace's near future. There a couple good master threads on this.*

Would you replace the alcohol and microwave set up with a propane stove/oven?

I agree with Loren, that the "other details" write up is way long on hyperbole and soft on hard (or even accurate) data. LOA and Beam are rounded off enough to be of little use.

Have you owned a boat before, or been active in maintaining one? Do you expect to do most, much of the work yourself, or will you hire the work out? Are you going to stay in the Great Lakes or will you be going salty, too?

FWIW - It looks like it's worth pursuing, to me, from way out here in the peanut gallery. I haphazardly watch ads for 35-3s. The asking price in August '24 was $39K and in December it was $38.5K.

Good luck!
Jeff

* Master Threads: Christian has compiled a great resource in this list. Look through it carefully. It is a valuable guide for what to look at while inspecting an Ericson for sale.

Master Threads (Recurring Topics)

Master Thread in a title identifies a full discussion of a popular topic. Posting to a Master Thread keeps topical information together. Curtains over Portlights https://ericsonyachts.org/ie/threads/curtains-over-cabin-port-lights-master-thread.538/ Revival of Ericson Nonskid...

ericsonyachts.org

 

[Christian Williams]

That's a wing keel. No longer popular as benefit proved marginal or nonexistant. It would be unusual and expensive to switch a factory keel for a wing keel, so in absence of proof assume factory wing keel.

The ad can be interpreted to mean the M40 engine was an optional factory upgrade (from the standard M25) , meaning not a replacement, but the original engine.

Wing keels are weird and that would put me off, but not necessarily anybody else.

Despite the full winter cover the exterior handrails are shot and the hatches appear crazed. The binnacle setup is meh. I would be skeptical of claims for recent maintenance. I would confirm that the one-acre solar panel setup is not obsolete and that you think it is necessary to have, and personally I cannot for the life of me see a justification for such stuff on a lake, and with a $15,000 diesel available to charge batteries (unless maybe on a mooring, not in a slip with shore power).

 

[Out There]

A recent engine upgrade is a big plus.

Engine upgrade was not recent, possibly original

Sure looks like a wing keel to me.

That's a wing keel.

Correct, I called it a shoal keel for the draft
Current owner said "The keel was upgraded by the previous owner from the standard to the winged keel."

It would be nice if there were a photo of the nav desk.

There is no NEMA backend and I assume all electronics but the radar are garbage or just usable

Check the dorade and the inside fascia panels in the cabin under it.

I have not looked to see how the dorade vents are removed but I will be sure to ask the surveyor if I don't do it myself. THANKS!

Check the condition of the sole.

The sole felt solid and dry

When you do the haul out for the inspection, check the shaft strut for stability.

It is on the hard now, I got no movement horizontally and barely any vertically

What kind of battery bank is powering the boat?

It has lead acid, maybe 200 A/hr @12v not expecting much from that

Looks like the opening portlights are Lewmar.

Thank you for the heads up

Would you replace the alcohol and microwave set up with a propane stove/oven?

In the short term I would likely just put my Coleman camp stove in the propane locker with a few cans. Maybe replace stove later on

Have you owned a boat before, or been active in maintaining one? Do you expect to do most, much of the work yourself, or will you hire the work out? Are you going to stay in the Great Lakes or will you be going salty, too?

I have a Catalina 22 out of Erie PA for 5 years and have had a marina slip for the last 4 years. Hopefully most of the work can be done by myself with some brotherly help. When I retire I would like to sail it down to FL and either trade up to a 42-45' or continue to the Bahamas if I am happy aboard

Thanks for all the feedback!

 

[Out There]

I went back to see the boat again today and got some more pictures: https://photos.app.goo.gl/aXrxQk4RaBVLu6D36

These are the spots of concern that I found and better pics of the mentions above

 

[Loren Beach]

The keel joint looks OK to me. A survey will be more informative. Those Lewmar port lights look they all need to be removed and re-bedded. As others have mentioned, the cabin top vents will likely need to have their insides resealed.
One thing I do have personal knowledge of is those OEM plastic thruhulls. I replaced all of ours with SS ones and a friend of mine replaced all the factory ones with bronze, on hie E-32-3. The factory must have bought those by the gross, back in the 80's.
UV (direct and reflected) really eats them up.

 

[Kenneth K]

From those pictures, through hulls all look good.to me. My boat's an 85 and just last year I replaced a lot of the threaded fittings attached the top of the through hulls. All were solid as a rock. Took a pipe wrench to remove the fittings. Check out the backing plates too and if those are dry and solid you should be in good shape.

 

[Out There]

Can anyone help me understand how the tack of the head sail attaches to the furler? What looks like the attachment point looks much lighter than a shackle. Is there possibly more hardware attached to the sail?
I see Harken stamped in the top

 

[Loren Beach]

My Harken Mk 4, uses a twist shackle with the pin going thru a hole in the aluminum base fitting. I found a picture/diagram on the web that shows the attachment at top and bottom. Hope this helps.

 

[HerbertFriedman]

looking at the photos and the 1987 year, I would guess that this boat is not an E35 but an E34, like my 87 E34. The way to tell the difference easily is to look at the cabin arrangement, the E34 has an aft double berth so one partner sleeps under the cockpit sole, rather confining. I think Ericson only made the E34 in 87 no longer t he E35. My E34 is 34 feet 11 inches so it could be called a 35 but I think Ericson wanted to differentiate between the newer E34 and the older E35.

 

[Kenneth K]

Can anyone help me understand how the tack of the head sail attaches to the furler?

The original (MK I) Harken unit used a snap-shackle on pivoting & swiveling base to tack the sail.

I've been trying to figure out was the hose clamp is for. The torque tube is the long cylinder that clamps onto the foil and rotates it. It attaches to the lower body with three flat-heat screws. Maybe the hose-clamp is holding in some stripped screws?? It could be worth looking into--if the torque tube comes loose from the lower body, the furler is useless. On the other hand, if one or more screws are stripped, it might be simple to just re-tap the unit to take larger screws.

 

[Out There]

looking at the photos and the 1987 year, I would guess that this boat is not an E35 but an E34, like my 87 E34. The way to tell the difference easily is to look at the cabin arrangement, the E34 has an aft double berth so one partner sleeps under the cockpit sole, rather confining. I think Ericson only made the E34 in 87 no longer t he E35. My E34 is 34 feet 11 inches so it could be called a 35 but I think Ericson wanted to differentiate between the newer E34 and the older E35.

Interesting, this quarter birth looks like this one: https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/ericson-35-3/ rather than this https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/ericson-34-2/ also with the head forward the settee

 

[bsangs]

looking at the photos and the 1987 year, I would guess that this boat is not an E35 but an E34, like my 87 E34. The way to tell the difference easily is to look at the cabin arrangement, the E34 has an aft double berth so one partner sleeps under the cockpit sole, rather confining. I think Ericson only made the E34 in 87 no longer t he E35. My E34 is 34 feet 11 inches so it could be called a 35 but I think Ericson wanted to differentiate between the newer E34 and the older E35.

As an '85 35-3 owner I can attest that the interior photos of this look identical to mine.

 

[Out There]

I found this that is hopefully close enough, https://www.harken.com/en/shop/mkiv...OqCByG7ULTE2zBD6ULo41nMxWiOSOWf_nk3mPoPfmnZXq

I ordered the 6mm bow shackle as a backup in case the 1/4" inch ones I have are too big

 

[Loren Beach]

Looking at the interior photos, the boat is an E-35-3. This has a forward head and shower stall, and the aft nav desk. It's a close kin the to the E-34-2, because the hull mold was said to be the same. Different deck tooling and interior modules, however.