Hi, I'm new here. I'm looking at buying a mid-70s Ericson 35 as a potential liveaboard, San Francisco Bay cruiser, possible beercan racer, and maybe, somewhere down the line, bluewater cruiser.
I'd be interested in anyone's thoughts on (1) how suitable this boat is for any or all of those purposes and as a sort of jack of all trades, and/or (2) what I should be looking at on a 35 of this vintage in terms of damage, wear, upgrades, etc., in deciding whether to buy or keep looking. Bluewater is something I would love to do in the long run but is my lowest priority at the moment, since it would be at least a few years before I go anywhere (and maybe more than a few) and there's plenty of time between now and then to change boats if necessary.
I know those are extremely broad questions, but it seems like you guys have a great community and a lot of knowledge here, so any thoughts would be appreciated.
About me: My background is mostly racing, although I've done some cruising and a few deliveries. The longest I've lived on a boat was a few weeks for a summer program when I was in high school. The longest recently was a week cruising the BVI on a chartered Beneteau with some friends about a month ago. My longest passage was a weekend delivery from San Francisco to Long Beach on a Santa Cruz 50. The only boat I've ever owned is a Vanguard 15 (two person racing dinghy). I had some summer jobs as a rigger, sailmaker, sailing coach, and things like that before I went to law school and ended up in the real world. I have not yet had the pleasure of sailing an Ericson.
Edit: Sorry if this should be in the "Design and Function" forum instead of here. Like I said, I'm new...
I'd be interested in anyone's thoughts on (1) how suitable this boat is for any or all of those purposes and as a sort of jack of all trades, and/or (2) what I should be looking at on a 35 of this vintage in terms of damage, wear, upgrades, etc., in deciding whether to buy or keep looking. Bluewater is something I would love to do in the long run but is my lowest priority at the moment, since it would be at least a few years before I go anywhere (and maybe more than a few) and there's plenty of time between now and then to change boats if necessary.
I know those are extremely broad questions, but it seems like you guys have a great community and a lot of knowledge here, so any thoughts would be appreciated.
About me: My background is mostly racing, although I've done some cruising and a few deliveries. The longest I've lived on a boat was a few weeks for a summer program when I was in high school. The longest recently was a week cruising the BVI on a chartered Beneteau with some friends about a month ago. My longest passage was a weekend delivery from San Francisco to Long Beach on a Santa Cruz 50. The only boat I've ever owned is a Vanguard 15 (two person racing dinghy). I had some summer jobs as a rigger, sailmaker, sailing coach, and things like that before I went to law school and ended up in the real world. I have not yet had the pleasure of sailing an Ericson.
Edit: Sorry if this should be in the "Design and Function" forum instead of here. Like I said, I'm new...
Last edited: