Viewing a 35-3 soon, any suggestions?

[bsangs]

After a few years of doing the sailing club thing, we're ready for our own boat. Been researching Ericson, and have been fortunate to find one newly listed near us.

Any suggestions from the Ericson veterans on what to look out for? It's a 1985, and the listing mentions that the running rigging is useable, but could be replaced. (Not sure what that will run us.) Engine was replaced in early 2000s. Overall it's listed to be in very good condition, has a lot of extras, and they're asking $40k. We will have a surveyor check it out should we like it, obviously, but wanted to see if I could get some hints and suggestions from this crowd before looking at it. Thanks in advance.

 

[dhill]

Hi @bsangs ,

I bought an Ericson 35-3 last year - it is a great boat! Is this the boat - https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1985/ericson-35--3-3934350? If so, it looks like the boat is pretty well equipped. The windlass, Max Prop, spinnaker, dinghy davits and hoist are nice additions. It also looks like there have been some key recent updates (genoa, water heater, dinghy, dinghy motor) in addition to the diesel engine.

The listing says the boat draws 6'0", which is between the standard 6'2" deep and 5'0" shoal keels. The keel is shaped like the latter.

Life lines and stanchions, bow and stern rails, deck, and binnacle feel nice and solid? Does the deck have any spots where it looks like it has been repaired (different color, different non-skid)? Winches spin easily with a nice tick-tick-tick sound? Blocks (spin), rails (slide), and clutches look in good condition? Does the hull bottom look clean with no sign of grounding?

The overhead hatches look like they have crazed, and some of the exterior wood looks like it might need refreshening. It looks like some of the winches may have been replaced. From the description, it sounds like the running rigging may need to be replaced. When was the standing rigging last replaced?

The interior looks to be in good shape, but it is hard to tell in some spots with everything stored in the boat. Sounds like that will be cleared up in a couple of weeks after the listing, so you should be able to get a better sense. Be on the lookout for signs of water intrusion, particularly around the mast, dorade vents, portlights, bilges, etc. The portlights, dorade vents, and anchor lockers can be particularly problematic. The portlights are easier to deal with (see next paragraph) and many on this forum have done so, but the dorade vents and anchor locker can lead to deck wetness. The painting of the cabin sides in the forward stateroom might indicate portlight leakage, so I would ask when the portlights were last sealed.

Check to make the TAFG (Tri-axial Force Grid) under the mast is sound and that bilges and other compartments (cockpit storage areas, areas under the settees and berths) throughout the boat are clean, sound, and well-cared for. That can help determine how well the boat has been maintained in general. It is always good to look in the areas people usually never see.

Canvas and cushions can be very expensive to replace - what condition are they in? Does the boat smell (mold, diesel, sewage)?

Check the zippers in the headliner - are they stuck? They could indicate water intrusion. If they do open, does everything look nice and dry behind them? Are headliner staples visible due to headliner distortion/sagging and have the staples rusted? Do doors, drawers, and cabinets line up and open/close the way they should?

I recommend Don Casey's Complete Illustrated Sailboat Maintenance Manual, particularly the chapter on inspecting an old sailboat, as a guide for reviewing the boat.

Get to know the current owner if possible. How did they use the boat, were they themselves active in the care and maintenance/repair of the boat, etc.

Good luck!
Dave

 

[Prairie Schooner]

. . . the running rigging is useable, but could be replaced. (Not sure what that will run us.) . . .

Hi,
We bought an '86 E35-3 last fall. We've had the original (!) standing rigging replaced. That cost about $4K for everything but the forestay. We were hoping to use the roller furler again, but could not. A new one and the forestay cost approximately another $4K.
We paid about $20K for the boat, purchased in CT. We live and keep it in RI.
Hope that helps. Feel free to write directly if you have other questions.
Jeff

 

[bsangs]

Thanks so much for the great information. Indeed, that is the boat we're looking at, and I do have Don Casey's book, so will bone up on that chapter. Much appreciated.

 

[Prairie Schooner]

Ditto Dave's comments about the dorade area and leaking. We're rehabbing that as well. The deck isn't too bad though. There's some good information here about that repair.
In fact, all of what Dave said is valuable.

 

[bsangs]

Just wondering about the keel questions you both raised. Are there different keel sizes available for a 1985 35-3? I'd come across shoal keel options and the like for other boats I'd looked at, but didn't even see them mentioned as an option when researching Ericson.

 

[dhill]

Hi @bsangs ,

Sailboatdata - https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/ericson-35-3 - shows the difference between the two keels. The shoal keel is longer with a perpendicular trailing edge. The deep keel tapers more to a shorter bottom edge with a trailing edge that slants forward. The shape of the keel on the boat you are looking at resembles the shoal keel, which is the same keel I have.

I don’t know if a shoal keel automatically equates to a shorter rig. My rig doesn’t seem to be any shorter, at least by proportion compared to other drawings I’ve seen. Admittedly, I have not measured it. I have yet to see a drawing that shows a comparison between a short and tall rig, even though diagrams show the difference between the two keels. Perhaps someone can provide more context on that.

Even with the shoal keel, I have found that the boat performs very well to windward, my favorite point of sail. My understanding is that Bruce King designed the boats with a shoal keel in mind, instead of as an after thought. This past summer, I was able to sail aside an older 12 meter boat racing locally along with several other fast boats and while I was out-footed, I was able to stay with them from a pointing perspective. So far, I outperform most other cruising boats. There have been a few cases already when cruising that I’m glad I draw 14 inches less.

Hope that helps!
Dave

 

[Prairie Schooner]

Hi,
We bought an '86 E35-3 last fall. We've had the original (!) standing rigging replaced. That cost about $4K for everything but the forestay. We were hoping to use the roller furler again, but could not. A new one and the forestay cost approximately another $4K.
We paid about $20K for the boat, purchased in CT. We live and keep it in RI.
Hope that helps. Feel free to write directly if you have other questions.
Jeff

My better half pointed out that I mis-read your original question. We got a quote for $2,300 for running rigging.

 

[nquigley]

I see a (extra?) battery under the port side settee - that's were I'm planing to add an extra battery.
But, I think I see a fuel tank outboard of that battery(?) - is that what it is? Interesting! I wonder how much extra fuel volume it provides.
Is that normal for the 35-3, or an extra tank? My 32-3 only has a fuel tank under the quarter berth.

 

[Prairie Schooner]

I see a (extra?) battery under the port side settee - that's were I'm planing to add an extra battery.
But, I think I see a fuel tank outboard of that battery(?) - is that what it is? Interesting! I wonder how much extra fuel volume it provides.
Is that normal for the 35-3, or an extra tank? My 32-3 only has a fuel tank under the quarter berth.

On our E35-3 the port settee battery location you see there is where we have our two house batteries. There's a start battery under the forward part of the quarter berth. The fuel tank is under the aft end of the quarter berth. Under the port settee, forward is our black water tank. There's a potable water tank under the starboard settee, forward. I'm pretty sure these are the original locations on our boat.

 

[bsangs]

(Post deleted. Wouldn't allow me to upload a picture.)

 

[Prairie Schooner]

(Post deleted. Wouldn't allow me to upload a picture.)

Other Document - EY.o User Guidelines: Media Gallery Module

Outline of the goals and requirements of the Media Gallery module.

ericsonyachts.org

This might be your problem:
"There are size limits set on the server now – which limit the images to 2000 pixels by 1000 pixels, and no more than 3 mb in file size. We enjoy seeing larger, higher resolution images"

 

[bsangs]

Thanks man. Let me try again. Saw the boat today, liked it overall. As some of you surmised, it is the smaller draft keel, which is actually fine with me. But this bothered me. What do you guys think? This something superficial, or of great concern?

 

[Prairie Schooner]

We had similar condition. After a thorough examination inside and out the surveyor said the hull/keel joint was tight. Definitely something you should have your surveyor check out. We're going to clean it off and seal it this year and at some point would like to rebed the keel.

 

[dhill]

@nquigley , one of our two water tanks is outbound of the house batteries under the port settee with the black water tank fore of that.

@bsangs , is that the forward part of the keel? What is the crack in the upper left hand corner of the photo or is that a drip stain?

I agree with @Prairie Schooner , definitely something for the surveyor to check out if you are still interested in the boat. I’ve heard that rebedding the keel can be expensive. If rebedding is needed, you might want to check with a local boatyard to see what that cost might be. At the boat’s current price point, that would be a concern for me.

Dave

 

[bsangs]

@nquigley , one of our two water tanks is outbound of the house batteries under the port settee with the black water tank fore of that.

@bsangs , is that the forward part of the keel? What is the crack in the upper left hand corner of the photo or is that a drip stain?

I agree with @Prairie Schooner , definitely something for the surveyor to check out if you are still interested in the boat. I’ve heard that rebedding the keel can be expensive. If rebedding is needed, you might want to check with a local boatyard to see what that cost might be. At the boat’s current price point, that would be a concern for me.

Dave

Yes, we’re still interested. That is the forward part of the keel, and it is a drip stain Dave. Definitely having the surveyor check it out - once I find one.

 

[Doug177]

I see that kind of mini-smile on a lot of boats. At least the previous owner doesn't seem devious as it is there for all to see. A surveyor should be able to tell if it is a symptom of a more serious problem. It looks like more than a couple of inches? Has it been filled further back and you just can't see it? More than a couple or 3 inches would be of concern.

 

[bsangs]

Just wondering, but why is finding information about the Ericson 35-3 on the internet like trying to unearth state secrets? Plenty of info about the 35-2 out there, but the scarcity of 35-3 info is quite frustrating. Anyone have access to a 35-3 owner's manual? Or what the actual differences are between a 35-2 and 35-3? Sounds like more than just the size was changed. It's challenging attempting to research this vessel to the fullest, which has me worried for when it comes times to repair, replace, refit parts on it.

 

[Prairie Schooner]

Just wondering, but why is finding information about the Ericson 35-3 on the internet like trying to unearth state secrets? Plenty of info about the 35-2 out there, but the scarcity of 35-3 info is quite frustrating. Anyone have access to a 35-3 owner's manual? Or what the actual differences are between a 35-2 and 35-3? Sounds like more than just the size was changed. It's challenging attempting to research this vessel to the fullest, which has me worried for when it comes times to repair, replace, refit parts on it.

I'm supposed to be at the yard working on my boat, but why work when I can procrastinate? I agree there does seem to be a lot more 35-2 info out there than 35-3.

There's a complete 35-3 manual in the Resource part of this site. Go to Categories > Model Specific

A little bit in this thread starting with post #19 about the differences between the 35' models:

Just purchased a 1986 35-3 from the original owner in CT

Not sure if this is the best place to post this, but here goes: The boat surveyed as solid. The owners were getting on in years so there is a good deal of deferred maintenance and updating to be done. And there are some repair projects that assure me I won’t have any problem filling my...

ericsonyachts.org

Also a conversation on E35 models:

E35 vs E35 MKII vs E35MKIII HELP!!!

Hello All... I own a 1985 E35 MKIII Tall Rig, hull #211, "Mr Toad". (formerly "Molly May") Can anyone tell me the differences between an E35 vs E35 MKII vs E35 MKIII? I am asked this question often and am starting to get a complex when my response is not much more than a blank stare. Please...

ericsonyachts.org

When we signed up for a boat that's been out of production for ~25 years we kinda figured we'd need to do some improvising and cross-referencing. We've got quite a long list projects started and have been pretty much able to get parts and good info. A lot of the gear (toilet, engine, etc.) were used on other boats, too, so info is available. The head-scratchers can be when you start taking hull & interior things apart. "What the heck does this look like inside?"

Sean has done a remarkable thing with this site. It's a valuable resource and fun community. Searching can be difficult, tho. If you do a web search (StartPage, Google, ?) and include "ericsonyachts.org" or "ericson owners" with the search terms you can find stuff in here. But it does take detective work, for sure. Folks on this site have been very generous with input on any question I ask. In fact, this site is one of the great selling points of buying an Ericson.

 

[Christian Williams]

Or what the actual differences are between a 35-2 and 35-3? Sounds like more than just the size was changed.

Yes, they're quite different boats. Hull redesigned, Tri-axial Force Grid added. You can compare specs here:

ERICSON 35-2 - sailboatdata

Called the ERICSON 35-2 by convention as an earlier but relatively rare ERICSON 35 footer (1967?) exists which is an entirely different design, this later version is one of the most successful boats built by Ericson. Shorter Rig option: I: 40.00′ / 12.19m J: 14.00′ / 4.27m P: 32.70′ / 9.97m E...

sailboatdata.com

ERICSON 35-3 - sailboatdata

Different design from ERICSON 35-2. Shoal draft: 5.0′ Short rig: I: 43.0′ J: 15.8′ P: 36.7′ E: 12.0′

sailboatdata.com