Considering a 1974 Ericson 29

[CondorChuck]

I'm looking at a used 29'er. There is about 2 feet of mushy (delamination) deck, on right side about 1/2 way up. I am new to sailing so please excuse obvious ignorance of sailing terms. I have talked to 2 fiberglass repair folks and it could be expensive to fix. Is this a common problem on boats of this age ? 1974. The deck still easily supports me. Also there's a leak in the cabin roof and it looks like caulking was done topside to address this issue. again is this a common occurance ? I am thinking of making an offer on this boat as I've read many good things about Ericson's. I plan on staying on the boat for extended periods of time, weeks at least. It has the Atomic engine and it looks old. The boat is on shore so I haven't seen the motor running yet. I will invest in a survey as part of the buying process. Can I expect to use/fix this motor for years to come ? I haven't seen the sails yet, it was raining while I looked her over. The inside is clean. This boat has obviously rammed something, the bow (?) has been fiberglassed where the impact occurred and it was an ameteur job. Should I worry about this as well ? The water system is manual pumping. There were no batteries installed so I couln't verify electrical operation, again I assume when surveyed the batteries will be in place. Any thoughts on the approx worth of a 1974 Ericson 29 in average condition ? If this is the wrong place to post, let me know.

 

[Dave N]

walk away

The boat, as you describe it, should be free. And even then I would walk away. Keep looking, it is hard work and very time consuming but you can find a much better candidate IMO. They are out there and it is worth the effort. It is a buyers market. Do not be afraid to be VERY aggressive with your offering price.

 

[Frank Langer]

Hi,
We have owned our Ericson (1984 30+) for six years and love the boat. But the three problems you mentioned would tend to scare me off buying the boat, unless you are a real handyman and like taking on projects. To fix the deck, you will need to cut off the top fibreglass skin, set it aside, dig out all the rotten balsa core, add new core to fit and then re-glass the top piece in to make it look as seamless as possible. I don't know about the bow, depending on what was hit and the resulting damage. Diesel engines are good, but not cheap to fix if you can't do the work yourself.

I would guess that there are quite a few older Ericsons on the market, so I would be inclined to look for one that doesn't have these significant problems. But you may have your reasons.... a surveyor could likely give you an estimate of what it would cost to fix these problems, and maybe you can get that deducted off the price.

Good luck!

Frank

 

[Afrakes]

Sounds Familiar

I looked at that project and decided to walk away. Also notice that the rudder is hanging well below the hull. Not how it's supposed to be. I have a well cared for 73, 27 across the lake if you're interested. My 28+ project arrives next week.

Al Frakes
Port Kent, NY
E-27 Shadow

 

[CondorChuck]

Thanks for the input

Dave & Frank
Thank you for your most valuable input. I was afraid of getting in over my head. I don't mind fixing things but I prefer to actually use the boat. The asking price was just reduced to $6900. I am afraid of putting $10K into it and still having a $6900 boat. I will keep looking. I've learned alot in a short time about sailboats (but I still don't know nutin) Thanks again.

 

[CondorChuck]

RE: sounds familiar

Al, yes thats the boat. I downloaded the manual and specs from this site and I thought that the rudder looked funny after seeing how its supposed to be. Thank you. Yes I'd be interested in looking at the 27'er. I'm busy Tues & Wed but then free to travel. Thanks for pointing out the rudder issue. I think this boat may have been handled roughly. Please contact me regarding your boat. my cell # is 802-233-7414

 

[bigd14]

Thats a 3 year job

I think you are making the right choice. That boat sounds in worse shape than mine was and I spent almost three years bringing her back. Once you get into it, you get deeper, and deeper and deeper. Do not underestimate the time and $$ it would take!

doug

 

[thomthod]

Condor

Thats a very good choice! There is a guy in my sailclub that bought a 40 somethig cruiser. He spent the last 5+ years in Overhaul and repair, when he could have been sailing something.

In boat you need to look at the 2 major issues;

1) Is the engine in good shape?

2) What is the condition of the hull?

Everything else is secondary and can be fixed or replaced in time. My E29 had a newly rebuilt engine and the hull was in great shape. Since Jan when I bought it:

replaced ALL blocks and added a boom vang
fixed the 30 degrees of play in the wheel myself
installed a new fuel tank
painted the decks and non skid
used main sail from Minneys.

this list is just to name a few! I am really starting to like this boat!


Cheers


T

Blooz Traveler
E29

 

[Condor]

Just to followup this was the response I received after sharing this thread with the Marina where it is being sold.
"I do not know who the Al guy is from Port Kent, N.Y. I am seeing a lot of judgement by people who do not know boats. The only item that I have questioned is the starboard deck area. There is a spot of delamination. The rudder is fine, the bow work is fine, It just needs some TLC to make that spot look better. I find that some lookers do not even have close to the money to buy the boat so they find fault everywhere."

The cabin leak you are referring to on the post was a full cup of damp-rid, a moisture control absorber, which just sucks up the humidity in the cabin.



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[PDX]

"It just needs some TLC "

Code for "I"ve got to move this dog."

 

[exoduse35]

If the marina guy thinks we know so little, put him to the test. Offer to buy it at the fair market value after HE pays for the minor TLC and delimitation to be repaired properly. He will Quickly tell you he is not in the boat repair business! That is code for "I will say anything to move this pig!" The guys who have posted here have DONE all the work that you describe, (or projects similar enough to give an intelligent estimate of the time and money involved.) Many on this site ARE in the boat repair business, and Quite a few posters here are the people who BUILT these vessels. If that is not enough, there is nobody here who really gives a crap if you buy or walk away, not in a bad way... we love the boats and want them to live on forever, but also recognize that there comes a point that it is no longer practical to keep pouring money into them, so we will support your choice the same either way. The guy at the marina by contrast wants both money and space to rent at his marina, so his boat is the ONLY one that he is interested in and his interest is clearly making it someone else's problem. There are too many fine boats out there for much the same money to buy a pig and a money pit! That being said, most of the owners here who were faced with any of the problems listed would gladly drop the coin and invest the time to repair their boat. That is because it is part of OUR family, like a pet that needs an expensive vet bill to continue being a part of our lives. What we are saying is that there is a hole pound filled with pets, any of which can become part of your life so why buy the one that COMES with a large vet bill. The marina guy is saying BUT IT"S SO CUTE! We may be idiots but we are unbiased, practical idiots! RANT COMPLETE! Edd

 

[CondorChuck]

my 2 cents

I'm the guy who originally started this "discussion". Just to clarify, I have plenty of money to buy a sailboat. I never intended to insult anyone or to inaccurately state anything regarding this boat. I have learned quite abit about sailboats during my search for a good boat to acquire and I stand by my observations previously in this thread. I have also learned quite abit about other aspects of buying a sailboat, not related to the actual boat. I'm glad I joined this site and I believe Ericson's are excellent boats and they are high on my list of desirable boats.

 

[Afrakes]

Being the Al from Port Kent

When my wife and I looked at the 29 in question in May of this year she was offered at $10,000. When the owner emailed me to gauge my interest after the viewing I replied that the boat was a little too much of a "project" for me. I did not haggle to get the price reduced to the point where the boat would become less of a "project". It is not in my nature. The vessel is now offered at $4,500. Had the original asking price been in a range that was commensurate with the condition of the boat it might not have seemed as daunting a "project" and might have found a new home. The used boat market is a tough one right now. Economic distress is taking a toll on values. I looked at another 29 this spring. This one was in Ohio. The condition of that boat was much worse than the one in Vermont except that it had a wheel and the hull had been painted, years ago. It was also on a cheap cradle with rust frozen adjustable pads which were causing depressions in the hull in a number of spots. The teak was worn to the point where is was fraying. It looked like it was growing hair. There was significant water intrusion damage. A plug had been installed in the bilge to let the water out. And this was not a keel stepped rig. The boat had never seen a cover. The boat screamed severe neglect. That boat was being offered at $14,500. Later sold for $12,500. Whether this can be attributed to the sales skill of the broker or just plain luck I don't know A lot has to do with location and the size of the local market. I've spent many $ and hours upgrading and maintaining my 73' 27. I will be moving it to a potentially more active market to try to get some value out of it. As the boat is on a trailer it will be easy for me to do. I'm trying to value the boat fairly not looking to make a killing. Real hard to do with boats anyways. I stand by my original assessment of the Vermont 29. I've restored two old wooden boats and improved a couple of plastic ones. I shop at the bottom of the market because I need to. Long on skills short on bucks. Al Frakes Port Kent, NY