Ericson 34-2 boom height off cockpit sole?

[George P]

Hello group, this is my first post. Thinking of potentially purchasing a 34-2 and am wondering about a bimini install and how much height there is for a bimini where I can stand underneath, I am 6'1" tall.

Also, does the mast on the 34-2 have pre-bend in it or was it designed to sit straight without bend?

Thanks

 

[Bobby Steele]

I have a 34-2 and there’s a lot of distance from the cockpit sole to the boom. When we were boat shopping, we had to take into consideration our daughter’s 6’ height.
Only if standing on the seat, do I run a risk of vetting hit by a giving boom.
We’d like to add a Bimini, but can’t afford it presently. I think the issue might be interference from the main sheet traveler means the dodger needs to be low, but I think you could get it done so that it gets higher after the dodger.
Inside, the cabin height is the best I’ve seen for a tall person.

 

[George P]

I have a 34-2 and there’s a lot of distance from the cockpit sole to the boom. When we were boat shopping, we had to take into consideration our daughter’s 6’ height.
Only if standing on the seat, do I run a risk of vetting hit by a giving boom.
We’d like to add a Bimini, but can’t afford it presently. I think the issue might be interference from the main sheet traveler means the dodger needs to be low, but I think you could get it done so that it gets higher after the dodger.
Inside, the cabin height is the best I’ve seen for a tall person.

Thanks Bobby, appreciate your insights.
Very helpful

 

[HerbertFriedman]

I have an 87 E34 with a dodger and a bimini. No problem with the boom, it clears the top of the dodger by a few inches. If you ever do get a bimini, make sure that there is a window cut in the top to allow you to view the top of the mast, usually were the wind arrow is located. The only problem with the dodger is that you cannot spin a winch handle a full 360 degrees, which is a minor problem for the main halyard.

 

[TimTimmeh]

There should be no problem with the Bimini height, the boom will easily clear it. As for the mast, mine (1989) is tapered and bendy with a hydraulic back stay.

 

[Loren Beach]

The boat owner controls the height of the bimini, when they contract to have it made and the bows are installed. This canvas does have to "ramp down" to the rear of the dodger when that opening is closed off for rain/spray when the boat is in the slip or under power on a wet day. That's a separate long rectangular piece with a zipper on each side.

The boom is typically going to end before the bimini begins. On some boats the designer does let the the connecting panel get too close to the end of the boom, IMO.

If starting from zero, do be damned sure that the boom, when sailing and with the backstay fully tensioned, is still at least a couple inches above the dodger. I learned a very expensive lesson regarding this, dealing with a builder with little sailboat knowledge.

Designing cockpit canvas enclosures is quite an art, and done right, can be a masterpiece.
Have a look at the photos in this guys web site: https://www.iversonsdesign.com/itop_photos.html
(20-20 hindsight: I should have probably gone with Jason's company.)

 

[Prairie Schooner]

Hi George,
These are some photos from the ad when we bought our 35-3. I think our model is similar to the 34-2. We haven't used the canvas since getting the boat, but will eventually.




The fabric and vinyl on the dodger was complete toast so we removed that and the frame soon after we got the boat. We'll modify and recover it at some point. The bimini is far too long, fore/aft, for my taste. You may notice the struts that completely block out the primary winches. ?!?!?!!! We've removed the fabric and folded the frame back for now. We're going to remove the forward bow of the bimini, lengthen the short secondary bow, and resew the canvas to fit. This will move the leading edge of the bimini several feet aft. Then we'll make a longer fly to connect it to the dodger. As Herb recommends, we'll add a window(s) in the bimini to see sail trim when we're sailing with it deployed. There will also be a flap to cover the window for when we want to block the sun more. The bimini frame will probably be strutted to the pushpit. We'll put some more gentle curve in the bimini and dodger bows. They're too flat and collect rain.

A fair amount of canvas configuration comes down to personal preference. For the day sailing we've done this, our first full season, we far prefer having the bimini stowed and the dodger off. As we do cruising next year I'm sure some snotty passages will push canvas further up our priority list. But I'm not looking forward to the extra clutter. I have a good friend who is a canvas technician. She is an accomplished sailor and for many years lived aboard various sailboats. As Loren recommends, if you are having canvas built or modified, I highly advise finding someone like that.

Cheers,
Jeff

 

[Loren Beach]

Our bimini frame is cantilevered off the stern rails and is quite solid, i.e. no deck attachments. I did specify this in the design phase just avoid conflict with winches etc.
Our strut attachments can be seen on the starb. side fairly easily in this photo from last weekend at a club outing up the Gorge.
Might be something to keep in mind if designing a new frame.

 

[Prairie Schooner]

I measured the distance from cockpit floor to boom, with boom held by topping lift. 6' 7"
We have a different model, but perhaps a useful data point.