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Shopping for a bigger boat

adam

Member III
I really like my current boat, but I want to start living aboard and the marina requires a minimum of a 35' boat for liveaboard. A 33-34' boat with a anchor, swim platform, or davit mounted dinghy is probably okay, but a my Ericson 29' isn't even close.

Ericson 35s are my top choice right now. I'm very happy with the sailing, quality, and design of my 29 so might as well just get a very similar boat.

I've also looked at an Islander 36s, but the v-birth seemed rather claustrophobic as compared to what I have now. I'll probably look at them again, but for now it's a probably "no".

Here are a couple of questions for now. Does anyone have thoughts on the Dinette vs. the settee version of the E35? And, perhaps it slightly taboo to ask about non-Ericson boats in here, but are there any other manufacturer's boats in a similar size/price/quality range which I should be looking into?

Cheers!
-Adam
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
I really like my current boat, but I want to start living aboard and the marina requires a minimum of a 35' boat for liveaboard. A 33-34' boat with a anchor, swim platform, or davit mounted dinghy is probably okay, but a my Ericson 29' isn't even close.

Ericson 35s are my top choice right now. I'm very happy with the sailing, quality, and design of my 29 so might as well just get a very similar boat.

I've also looked at an Islander 36s, but the v-birth seemed rather claustrophobic as compared to what I have now. I'll probably look at them again, but for now it's a probably "no".

Here are a couple of questions for now. Does anyone have thoughts on the Dinette vs. the settee version of the E35? And, perhaps it slightly taboo to ask about non-Ericson boats in here, but are there any other manufacturer's boats in a similar size/price/quality range which I should be looking into?

Cheers!
-Adam

I have done a multi-day delivery in an I-36. Foreward berth was quite large enough for a 6'2" person... But the main cabin with it's lack of a real sit-down nav table bugged me greatly. Solid hull and good sea motion, tho.

Having already added an anchor roller to our bow, I would suggest you at least look at a sister ship to our Olson 34. Especially since a nice one just appeared on the market in your area. (See the ad in the For Sale forum on this site.)
Our boat has a sturdier dining table than most other boats on the market, no matter what make and model, also.

We have a huge forepeak and nice layout for spending extended time aboard. I have added more tankage and an efficient Frigoboat refer system.
Only little drawback is that we lack strorage cabinets and drawers compared the to Ericson 33 and 34.
The E-35-3 is a much larger boat yet, IMHO, and has a separate shower (!).

Lots of choices out there...

Best of luck,

Loren
 
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thomthod

Member II
Adam

My Uncle had a Islander 36 and I will say I loved that boat! He had for almost 9 years and I found it very roomy and ornate down below. As well out on the open ocean with a 150 that boat hauled ass. I can only remember getting weather helm once in a 30kt blow. It has the skeg hung rudder which makes her very stable.



cheers


T


blooz traveler


e29
 

adam

Member III
Thanks, it sounds like I should keep the I36 on the list of boats to consider and take a look at some more of them.

A couple of additional questions.

How worried should I be about a boat which looks like it's been raced (e.g. has a whole bunch of winches around the mast)?

And... does anyone know anything about this boat down in San Diego? From the photos, it looks like it's in great shape and the price seems like a heck of a deal.

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1972/Ericson-35-2467406/San-Diego/CA/United-States
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Thanks, it sounds like I should keep the I36 on the list of boats to consider and take a look at some more of them.

A couple of additional questions.

How worried should I be about a boat which looks like it's been raced (e.g. has a whole bunch of winches around the mast)?

And... does anyone know anything about this boat down in San Diego? From the photos, it looks like it's in great shape and the price seems like a heck of a deal.

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1972/Ericson-35-2467406/San-Diego/CA/United-States

By Golly. Recessions are a good time to shop for boats, from the looks of this one!
If it looks 75% as good up close as it does in those photos, go for it!
:rolleyes:
FWIW, I do like the main sheet location a lot more in the E-35-2 than I do on the Islander.

As far as winches go, they can add a some value, especially if they are name brands and are ST. If not, usually no $ value. (IMHO)

There was a time, in the 70's and 80's, when it was common to set up the winches out from both sides of the foot of the mast. C&C used to do this a LOT. This kept line tails out of the cockpit area and also the coils of halyards after a hoist. What with 6 to 8 guys on board, it also moved some crew weight around kept them from running into each other.
Short-handed sailors, meanwhile, tended to like having lines led aft, and with the advent of really good clutch stoppers, could handle several lines with a large ST housetop winch on each side. Neither way is "correct" and either can work fine... it's like rearranging the compromises...
:rolleyes:

Our O-34 housetop layout kind of covered both line-tending situations by having a bank of three or four clutches on each side of the hatch garage, leading to a Lewmar 30ST on each side. Our winches are far enough forward from the rear of the cabin for one crew person to sit or stand on the sill or first step and work either side without being in the way in the cockpit.

It has also worked well for single and double handing our boat.

Worthless Opinions rendered cheerfully on the hour....
:)

Loren
 

exoduse35

Sustaining Member
There are advantages of a well raced boat. The one you noted in San Diego is typical of them from what I can see in the specs and pics. The big upsides are that they are usualy well maintained and the rigging, sails, bottom, and all the go fast stuff is in top shape. The second advantage is that if you are looking to outfit one for a purpose... like a world cruise, or live aboard... there are not a bunch of holes hacked into them for out dated, used up, equiptment that the old owner adds a premium for in the sale, just for you to rip it out and replace. The down side is that the eminities are bare like this one... no refer, hot water, charger, inverter, or... and that will add up quickly to add but it will be new and to your likeing as it is added. I would not shy away from a racer over a cruiser of the same boat, but you must also realize that they are very diferent animals and the price reflects it. I saw the same E35-2 a couple weeks ago on this site (in Texas and loaded to the gills with bells and whistles) for about 60k. That will buy a bunch of bells in a well maintained racer and you may come out slightly ahead in money with newer stuff, but you need to know what "your ultimate boat" will need and then run the numbers on what it will take to make each candidate fit your needs. For the nothing it is worth, I bought a very extensively raced 35-2 and love it. It looked and was priced much the same as the S. D. 35-2, 7 years and 20k later it is closing in on my perfect boat! I love mine and have never regreated buying a racer with the intent to cruise it. Edd
 

mherrcat

Contributing Partner
Well, the inside of that boat looks very nice, but they didn't show any pictures of deck hardware, exterior hull or engine. The only way to know for sure is to look at it in person. Cosmetic issues can be relatively inexpensive to fix, structural, hardware, electrical or engine issues not so much.

And who knows when those pictures were taken...
 

EGregerson

Member III
bigger boat

Hi; I did basically just as u are planning. Moved from an ericson 28 to an E34. Took it to FL for the winter down the ICW. What happened was, the E34 became my home; that is, you sleep there, you eat there, entertainment center; like a small tv panel; rabbit ears antenna on deck; dvd's cd;s for the stereo, groceries, beer, lots of drinking water; dinghy on deck or in tow; outboard; bicycle on deck. It becomes packed with living 'essentials'. I look back on that trip and realize how little sailing i actually got in. Repairs to the exhaust hose, fuel hoses, cng to propane conversion; took up a lot of time; and of course with the boat half ripped apart and trying to live in it at the same time left little time for recreational sailing. So. If i had the the money, I would keep the E29 (assuming it's totally adequate for recreation sailing) and get a 'house' boat. There are people all around this region picking up "power" boats that have been left behind; they use too much fuel and the owners give them away (figuratively speaking ); keep a roomey 'house' boat in the slip (full of living essentials) and the sailboat on a mooring for recreational use. Good luck with whatever you do.
 

exoduse35

Sustaining Member
interesting... I had not thought about it but the refit does realy crimp using it. but I guess you are also right in that I spend a couple nights a week on mine, but I won't let my wife come out unless I put the projects away and tiddy up. It is very comfortable and roomy IF everything is in it's place. Projects do kill that comfort and roomy thing fast! Edd
 

adam

Member III
What happened was, the E34 became my home; that is, you sleep there, you eat there, entertainment center; like a small tv panel; rabbit ears antenna on deck; dvd's cd;s for the stereo, groceries, beer, lots of drinking water; dinghy on deck or in tow; outboard; bicycle on deck. It becomes packed with living 'essentials'.

Thanks for the advice.

I spent 7 years traveling the world with a backpack. Along the way, I became something of an expert in keeping those essentials to the actual essentials. As you point out, more possessions is often a hindrance rather than a help. I'm living in my boat half-time now, and I have pretty much everything I need.

Everyone excuse me for heading off into philosophy, but this quote from Kahlil Gibran "The Prophet" seems very relevant:

And tell me, people of Orphalese, what have you in these houses? And what is it you guard with fastened doors?
Have you peace, the quiet urge that reveals your power?
Have you remembrances, the glimmering arches that span the summits of the mind?
Have you beauty, that leads the heart from things fashioned of wood and stone to the holy mountain?
Tell me, have you these in your houses?
Or have you only comfort, and the lust for comfort, that stealthy thing that enters the house a guest, and becomes a host, and then a master?
Ay, and it becomes a tamer, and with hook and scourge makes puppets of your larger desires.
Though its hands are silken, its heart is of iron.
It lulls you to sleep only to stand by your bed and jeer at the dignity of the flesh. It makes mock of your sound senses, and lays them in thistledown like fragile vessels.
Verily the lust for comfort murders the passion of the soul, and then walks grinning in the funeral.
But you, children of space, you restless in rest, you shall not be trapped nor tamed.
Your house shall be not an anchor but a mast.


http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jrcole/gibran/prophet/prophet.htm#Houses
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
One good quote deserves another

And, from a classic book, Racundra's First Cruise by Arthur Ransome:

"Houses, are but badly built boats so firmly aground that you cannot think of moving them. They are definitely inferior things, belonging to the vegetable not the animal world, rooted and stationary, incapable of gay transition. I admit, doubtfully, as exceptions, snail-shells and caravans. The desire to build a house is the tired wish of a man content thenceforward with a single anchorage. The desire to build a boat is the desire of youth, unwilling yet to accept the idea of a final resting-place."
 
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Grizz

Grizz
And 1 Picture (with quotations) = 1,000 words

This from a friend, original source unknown, but continues the concept from Loren's quotation:
photo.jpg
 

EGregerson

Member III
this is getting great

I wrote my bit based on Adam saying the marina required a 35' boat; so I assumed he would be mostly slip sailing; not cruising the globe on kon tiki (and wishing he had a cooler full of cold brewski). My ideal was a guy in Miami (the inventor of kevlar) who had a 'home' on the T dock ( 75' megayacht) to 'live aboard' on; and a 36' sailboat in a slip nearby to enjoy sailing. So he can have the best of both. Kind of like having a motor home and a ferrari; you can be mobile, yet have all the 'essentials' and enjoy a sunday afternoon ride. I recall a guy with a Sparkman stevens 44; he would carry 45 1 gallon jugs just for the drinking water; tons of tools of every sort; lots of books; all manner of 'essentials', so the water line sank 2"; his solution was to repaint the bootstripe 2" higher. I wondered how much the sailing characteristics and handling were affected.
 

adam

Member III
Thanks for the quote and especially the photo. I shared that photo with sailor friends.

But, back to the original topic. It seems there are even better deals on boats around LA than in San Diego. I saw a Ericson 34T online which looked very interesting. But there is very little info about them online. I remember hearing that boats that were optimized for IOR racing had some problems with sailability and/or safety. Does anyone have any thoughts about the 34T as a boat for living aboard, sailing the SF Bay, and coastal cruising?

===========

I'm going to answer my own question for the benefit of anyone else reading.

I found out that the 34T is nearly identical to the 34X. The 34X has a racing shaped deck rather than cruising shaped deck, and apparently about 1500lbs less displacement. Other than that, they seem identical.

Here's how someone else on this site described the 34X. Sounds very good:

"In any case, the 34 is a very nice design for PHRF racing and all kinds of cruising.

Might not be the best boat for Transpac if you goal is to be highly competitive. The boat will get you there safely for sure, but in race mode (always pushing) it is a bit of a handful downwind in big breeze due to the tall skinny sailplan and very narrow transom (coupled with moderate to slightly heavy displacement). If you have a section of similar vintage boats to sail against it is fine, but the newer, lighter boats will get there faster with less drama.

I like the design very much, though, and it is a great SF Bay boat!"
 
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adam

Member III
Updates...

Still slowly shopping for a bigger boat.

Looked at an Alberg 35 today. It's been a hardcore blue water cruising boat, and it's been converted a bit into a liveboard. The amount of storage in the boat is absolutely insane. But it feels a bit cramped with a fraction of the open space that even my Ericson 29 has.

I'm still considering it. But I'm not sure if an early 1960s boat is right for me.
 

Dave N

Member III
You axed, "Does anyone have thoughts on the Dinette vs. the settee version of the E35?" We have the settee version. Having lived with it for a while, I believe the Dinette version offers a few advantages.

Moving that big chunk of iron forward is a plus for weight distribution, helping the boat to sit on its' designed waterline rather than squatting a bit in the rear. Access to the engine would also be far better on the dinnette version. We owned a Pearson Vanguard and Tartan 34C, both had the engine placed forward, and initially I welcomed the opened up interior provide by moving the engine aft as in the settee version.

Placing the engine aft in the settee version may open up the interior space a bit. But, I'd rather have the additional storage space available under the companionway and along the forward main bulkhead provided in the dinette setup. Also, the berths on the settee version are extremely narrow and rather uncomfortable to sit on after a spell.

If all things such as condition and equipment were equal, I'd prefer the settee version.
 
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