Recent content by SteveL

Fifteen percent is what Fred at PYI, Inc. initially said the clearance should be. But once I contacted him with the actual measurement, he kind of shucked and said it would probably be fine even with this amount, though more would be better. I'm going to live (happily) with 1/2 inch for this...

A number of you have commented thoughtfully as I tried to work through the problem of extreme prop walk on my E32-2. Yard guarantees not withstanding, a 12" 3-blade MaxProp did nothing to relieve the problem. However,building-up the propeller blades from 12" to 15" has made a night-and-day...

It's helpful to place an oil absorbant pad under the area you're working on. Minimizes the amount of oil that finds it's way into the bilge.

Does anyone know what the base of the strut holding the propeller shaft looks like inside the fiberglass of the E32-2/E35-2? Does it have flanges or wings or something that extend laterally from the centerline? Any information about how big they are? I have been lurking more than contributing...

InSych, Thanks so much for the pix. The PO has done exactly what I am hoping to do, except he/she used a a u-bolt instead of a boom bail. In case you're curious, the original traveler was a metal track that was bolted to the cockpit divider. A car slid - or not - along the track and the...

Hunter, Buying a boat of this vintage means that work will have to be done sooner and later. How much to spend on what and with what degree of compromise offers plenty of opportunity for disagreement. The issue is (sorta) whether you and the owner have the same answer to this question: "Are...

A lot depends on what condition the boat is in, how many upgrades have been done, and how you plan to use her. In general, the 32-2 is a great boat for coast cruising. I recall the righting angle as 135 degrees, but if anyone else knows for certain, please correct me. I think of it as a Buick...

Thanks so much. This is very helpful. Since I already have a 6-part block on the mainsheet, losing a couple of feet of boom length shouldn't be a problem. Any issues with the crew and passengers when sheeted in or coming about? Also, do you have instruments installed? I'm still trying to...

Thanks Jim. How did the boom bail work out in terms of preventing the sheets from getting tangled in the pedestal and the stuff attached to it? Do either you (or Steve) have pix handy that show how you arranged the hardware? Steve

It's an interesting idea. I'd be a little uneasy sailing without a compass, but that is irrational, I know. There are a number of other ways to get oriented on a modern sailboat. Did you put some sort of tubing/protection around the chartplotter? If not, what keeps it from following the...

I have been struggling over how to mount a chartplotter on my 1974 E32. The problem is that the end of the boom - and mainsheet block - is almost directly over the pedestal. I think the E35-2 has the same arrangement. I put in a Harken windward sheeting traveler (not for this reason) that...

Thanks, Dan. Most people find it hard to understand how large a problem prop walk is on this boat. I'm waiting to hear back from the expert at Maxprop, so there'll be more to follow. But during our initial conversation, he acknowledged that some boats spin in circles in reverse and there isn't...

I recently had to replace a hatch. The hatch was screwed into the deck and it's rotten balsa and was also cemented by 5200 or something similar. The twist was that instead of bungs, the screws in the hatch were covered by 3/8" of epoxy! A very cheap solution was to borrow a friend's Fein saw...

Dissension, Ray? What about revolution or insurrection!

Thanks, Second Star. It may be hard to tell from that single picture, but the size of the rudder is actually larger than the original, which was swept back and seemed to be completely in the water only when the boat was heeled. Martin's description really captures the essence of this...