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Holes that I don't know the use for.

Cruella

Junior Member
Hello, I have a Ericson 38, 1981, there's 2 holes on the end of the cover of the slidding hatch of the cockpit. If you know what the use of it is, please let me know. I have a picture of it. It doesn't open to a space and the bottom is wood, rectangular with round ends. it's just on the back of the middle hatch. the wood is all rotten and water is coming in from there. We are going to close it with fiberglass. So would be nice to know if it has a utility before we do the work

thanks

Cruella
 

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storage

If I remember correctly, the 38s started out with their halyard winches on the mast. Those pockets were for winch handle storage on one that raced in my area in the early 80s.
 

Cruella

Junior Member
wow thanks

If I remember correctly, the 38s started out with their halyard winches on the mast. Those pockets were for winch handle storage on one that raced in my area in the early 80s.


thanks this is the best answer I've got and seem quite real. it would fit, i will try, thanks so much
 

e38 owner

Member III
That seems logical I will try it. I always thought the pocket forward of the mast was for winch handles and the back pockets were for drinks. Someone once told me they were for sail ties but I always tie those to the guard over the forward dorade
 
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Cruella

Junior Member
Any other ideas ??

Hello, I have a Ericson 38, 1981, there's 2 holes on the end of the cover of the slidding hatch of the cockpit. If you know what the use of it is, please let me know. I have a picture of it. It doesn't open to a space and the bottom is wood, rectangular with round ends. it's just on the back of the middle hatch. the wood is all rotten and water is coming in from there. We are going to close it with fiberglass. So would be nice to know if it has a utility before we do the work

thanks

Cruella


Anybody have any others ideas about this ??
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Just guessing

Also a place to hold sail ties when you hoist the main.
My SWAG is that in the design and tooling stage someone thought it would be a nice little custom touch for the cabin top - 'eye candy' as it were.
What with the later realization that it was rather difficult to keep water out of the coring in those areas (because it was difficult to water proof the cabin coring under that raised surface) many owners wished they had left that surface plain.
:rolleyes:
 

toddster

Curator of Broken Parts
Blogs Author
If the hatch fit into the hood very tightly, it might have been difficult to open or close, due to compression of the air/expansion of the vacuum within. So someone might have introduced "vents" to alleviate that, thus negating the protection offered by the sea hood in the first place.

Nah... Ericson was never a government shop was it?
 

Navman

Member III
Holes in the sea hood

I have a E-38 with the same holes. They both have drains/weep holes and are properly sealed into the hood. They may have once been intended for winch handles but I use mine mostly as temporary storage for sail ties before I come off deck, but mostly for tool and parts storage while doing work on deck. My tools won't slip into the drink nor will my screws, nuts and bolts. Who hasn't had a tool or part on deck only to get waked and rolled by a passing boat only to watch them ever so slowly roll, just out of reach, fall into the deep blue. This is one of those items best not to be over thought. Instead of trying to find out their intended purpose, Just decide how they are going to serve YOU.
 

kiwisailor

Member III
Blogs Author
A month ago I had a leak running down my outside port light above the dinette that I managed to track back under the headliner to a leak from a slide hatch cover bolt and water coming from the tool holder thingies leaking under the hatch cover and past the sealer that had perished. It required me to remove the traveler and then the hatch cover. I then modified the forward tool holder thingies to drain into small tubing that now exits through the forward weep holes to ensure the underside of the slide hatch cover remains as dry as possible. I then cleaned and re bedded the cover with 3M 4200 and rebolted/screwed the cover and traveler back down. No more leaks and the tool holder thingies remain dry.

Total time to repair 2 days of vacation (needed fine weather days) and 4 tubes of 3M 4200.

Boats = maintenance in exotic locations!
 

footrope

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
At least one owner has glassed over/filled in those openings in the sea hood. Whatever you do with these doesn't really affect the function of the sea hood or the sliding hatch because the openings are well behind where the sliding hatch stops. A long neck beer bottle will fit into the opening, if that makes any difference to you.

The original wood rotted out and was ugly on mine, but no problems resulted since I didn't get any leaks from the sea hood screws as others have. When I replaced my traveler I had to take the sea hood off. I removed the wood boxes and put in a shallower fiberglass floor and drained them with a couple holes in each. I do use the openings to hold small tools and fasteners when working nearby on deck.
 
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