Recent content by ofshore74

Sailing Just For Fun, and other obscurities from the bookshelf. "Sailing Just For Fun" A. C. Stock writes about "high adventure on a small budget." Love the simplicity and obsessive little details of someone who sailed a tiny little boat with no engine and no electronics called Shoal Waters...

Thar she blows!

Fair winds and a safe return!

Would a small hand-held router with a longer bit work? Build it up around the parameter of the hole with 1/2" to accommodate that raised wood on the left. Add a guide. It would give you a nice clean edge too. Just a thought. As I say this I realize the "raised wood" on the left is another door...

Results are in Oil tests came back all good! She's got another 2-4years in her maybe more (the engine surveyor said with confidence.) He also said the blow-by wasn't too bad, he's seen a lot worse. And come hell or highwater I'm prepared for a re-power in 3-5 anyway for some offshore sailing...

Good to know Mike. Neither am I but I guess you learn how to be one when you purchase a boat with an old engine! There are a few other items that the surveyor pointed out are things that can be rectified but the compression is a big ticket item, will ask the surveyor today when we get the oil...

So I asked "why didn't you do a compression test?" Here's the answer I got: "As far as doing a compression test, on gas engines it is standard, but not on diesel. This is because there are no spark plugs to remove to perform the test. Doing a compression test on this Universal diesel would be...

Interestingly the surveyor suggested I check if it's clogged. Surprised he didn't for the price I paid for the survey. Also didn't do a compression test. Said something about it being a lot of work?! I guess I could keep replacing dip-sticks and get the piston rings redone? Someone suggested...

He claims 100hrs a year, so roughly 28 yrs (assuming the previous owner did the same) 2800hrs - 3000hrs. The engine surveyor didn't say "this is a bad engine" but that a re-power wouldn't be out of the question in 3-5yrs. It does bother me that I don't know how many hours are on it. Will mull it...

So I just had an engine survey done on a 88' E-38 with the Universal 5432 Diesel engine. It has no hour meter. Planning on doing a full marine survey next week but had the engine survey done first to see if there were any red flags. I'm not sure if this is common for a boat this age but I'm...

^^^ What Christian said. A month ago I surveyed an 89' E-34 that was covered with hundreds of big and little blisters that immediately started shrinking once the boat was out of the water. I was told the only way to find them to repair them once the hull is dry, is to take a Maul (sharp tool)...

No engine hours available. Notes on engine: It ran good when we left the dock, although there were some oil leaks that got addressed (loose dipstick, air cleaner removed cleaned and reinstalled, apparently if the oil level is full broker thinks it's clogging the filter with oil, suggests...

All helpful tips above, thanks for that.

Thanks Loren, yes: http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/Ericson-38-200-3009182/United-States#._kyJMrLyw

There's an E-38 I'm looking at that has some obvious corrosion around parts of the boom and mast - guessing this is an issue with dissimilar metals. How late is too late for corrosion? And is redoing the entire mast boom the only option? Something tells me patch work won't be enough and it would...