Waiting on survey

Our offer was accepted and now we are waiting for a survey. Winter up north complicates things for sure. The boat is already on the hard with no access to water or electric. Other than structure not sure what kind of Survey they can do with these restrictions. But we.are moving forward.
I have been told boat has good structure but has been neglected as far as cleaning. This concerns me a little as if they can't be bothered to pressure wash, what other things are neglected. Also obviously the pics in add are outdated as it looked meticulous. Why are old photos allowed as I want the boat in the picture
Than on another site someone was talking smack about ericson 35-3.
Getting mighty nervous here. Someone tell me they love their ericson please

I suggest you provide the link to the public listing of the prospective boat. That may draw specific comments.

There are many "potential buyer" threads here. A recent one:

http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoex...13545-Potential-buyer-would-appreciate-advice

To collect all the information about your specific model, Google:

"Ericson 35 Ericson Forum"

That will include posts here and elsewhere on the Internet.

The Ericson 35-3 is mentioned pretty constantly on this site. The owners like both the quality and the sailing ability. Heck, the founder and owner of this site sailed one for years.
As Christian suggests, do a bit of searching - google works better than the search function baked into the site software.

Cheers,
Loren

Dear Lorih, the E35-3 is the best boat every built my Ericson , I think the tubby E36 may be prettier but the E35 has better performance.

We picked the E35 over the Waquiez for quality of finish, over the Han Christian for nimbleness, over the Nonsuch for traditional sail-plan. We are very pleased with all of it's qualities.

Of course a lot depends on the maintenance and care given to the boat. If you could post some information about your potential purchase the forum members will pick up many items to check-out.

I do not know how to post links or pics but she is on yachtworld in pepin wisconsin. The pics on add are 1 yr old. I was told by an anonymous source they have neglected her as far as power washing etc, so she is very very dirty but is a good boat that just needs a loving owner.
Sails are used but supposedly crisp. We specifically asked about the mast support crushing problem and hers was fixed several yrs ago at a cost of a few thousand.
She is owned by an elderly couple that said they put very few miles on motor. They have owned her 5 years.
We got her for a bit less than advertised. She was priced at 32 this past spring and no buyers in past 2 yrs so she was reduced. Her keel was professionally modified.we would not have even considered her if she had deep draft.
We really like her. Just getting some nervous cold feet
Anyone know of a good surveyor near pepin. We have been unable to lock one in and we need her surveyed before the 15th

Links can be copy/pasted, like this one.
http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1984/Ericson-35-2828436/Pepin/WI/United-States#.VjqyA9BUPNQ

Is this the boat?

If so, that keel mod looks like one from Mars Metals. If so, that's about 8K worth of added value IMHO.

From the pix, the above-water thru hulls aft look like the original plastic, and if so should be replaced by bronze, marelon, or ss at your first haul out.

Clean interior and it looks very well maintained.

That boat seems like a bargain at that price.

One quibble- that engine is likely to be a Universal M25, rated at 21 hp. (brokers are often confused about the model and hp of mid-80's Universals).

Keep us posted.

Regards,
Loren

yep that her

thank you for the link. thats our hopefully girl. can you be in love with a boat you have never seen? yes i think they said she was modfied there. hubby would know. if she looked this good when pictures taken a year ago I cant imagine she could be that nasty now. i was assured the pictures were only 1 yr old. She is pulled out now so we will definetly check the thru hulls. thank you.
I think we really need to see the boat, But checking out flights we really dont want to spend right now. It is costly. we are paying cash so I am being very careful with the coin.
I think part of my nervousness is we had put a deposit on a different boat. Come to find out all the nice cushions in the pictures had been removed and tossed. OK we could live with that, Then the boat broke down being hauled out and we bowed out. so Come to find out their were some very wicked soft spots topside and under, no cushions anywhere and the tranny was shot. Plus the previous owner had died in there. I just dont want bad surprises so we saved more money for a more expensive boat hoping to get a chance of not buying a total fixer upper. fingers crossed....

35 cold feet

Hi Lorih,

I'll endorse the 35 Mk III as a remarkable boat and this site as full of remarkable resources. Do a little exploring in the download section and you'll find a great deal more information about your vessel than anywhere else on the internet. Regardless of light winds or small boat warnings the 35 Mk III is a pleasure to sail and very forgiving. Spacious as a liveaboard, comfortable accommodations all around, and state of the art technology (for its time).

If your yacht is as advertised you're getting a big bang for your money. Expect to invest a bit more (it is a boat after all) to upgrade those systems you wish they would have when they built the boat (replacing PVC thru hulls as Loren suggests) and you'll join the ranks of very happy and satisfied Ericson owners. I think you're very wise to invest a bit more in a boat that needs a bit less.

Welcome to the Ericson family,

Max

September Sun
Ericson 35 MkIII
ERY35240D686

Also, on the (very) bright side, you're not committed to anything yet.

And the buyer is always in the driver's seat.

Good luck!

I am jealous, my Mk11 is 1980, needed new rigging etc but she sails so beautifully. Thanks for the link, I'm going to steal a whole lot of the interior ideas. I paid $35,000 AUD and spent another $25k and still going but when she gets the bit between her teeth it is worth every cent. I am loving my "Rhiannon" more each day.

got some pics

and written survey coming this afternoon. boat has definitely been neglected since the pictures. Sure someone is inaccurate with pictures only 1 yr old. Most of the stuff from pictures is from the fact she has been ignored and she is old. nothing that will stop us from moving forward.
the biggest concern is the motor. reading only 1600 hours but bilge had lots of oil and debris.Imagine we will need to have a compression test and oil analysis....good luck to us finding anyone,
I have decided if this falls through...i will not be looking for awhile. We are anxiously waiting for the rest of survey. I am beginning to think that boat shopping is a very very unpleasant experience.

You've got me worried because you seem worried.

Have you seen this boat in person? Sounds like it's 800 miles away. Where will it be sailed? Is road transport in the picture?

The price seems fair, but that's not significant. You always get a fair price on a boat--or you don't buy it.

Are all parties in the family enthusiastic on this project?

Never, never, never, never buy a boat unseen, or a boat about which you have the slightest doubt.

Just plain don't.

I agree with Christian (who wouldn't ), but on the other hand, any large purchase like a boat is going to induce anxiety and raise uncertainty. For example, 1600 hours on the engine is very low and could be a very good thing in the long run, and the oil could just be from a messy oil change; on the other hand maybe there is an oil leak that would need to be investigated, but that could also lower your purchase price as you build in the cost of repair.

I think once you buy a boat (this one or another) it usually takes a year or so to really get to know the boat, iron out the wrinkles, do the repairs that the survey might have missed, reorganize it functionally to suit your use and sailing style and to get used to how she sails and maximize her sail trim. But all of that is part of the fun of boat ownership--yes, very frustrating at times too when you have an electrical problem that eludes you, a broken part that is no longer available and requires a creative solution, etc.

But these Ericson boats are well-built, sail great and are lots of fun. Find a good one, even if it needs a bit of cosmetic work, as long as it's not a "project" boat, and you could get lots of enjoyment out of her for many years.

I have owned boats for over 20 years, have had our current Ericson for 10 years, and despite periodic frustration for the reasons mentioned above, she's been great!

Frank

In the same vein of what Christian and Frank raise, I think back to long distance boat purchases in the past, and we always were contingent on our acceptance and a good survey, and it was always worth the rental car/plane tickets etc. to make that in person inspection.

I must ask a question though. What is your sailing experience? I'm not feeling warm and fuzzy from what you have written that you are a seasoned sailor or know what you are possibly getting into. I do not mean to be condescending, but just trying to cover all the bases and get a handle on where you are coming from as you embark on this journey. Boat ownership can be a great thing, and I can't imagine life without one, but I grew up sailing in a water oriented family, so it's in the blood so to speak.

Still waiting.ugh

Thankyou all for the replies public and private. I appreciate the encouragement
We both have small power boat experience although it has been years. We have no sailboat experience . I am not concerned really about tbat.. Their is a marina a few hours from here that gives lessons and we are signed up to get some before we take possession of any boat. Even this one since she will be up north until spring.
We are both ready to learn a new skill aND looking forward to it.
Our plans are ; lessons, get boat to our area in spring and sail in our area. Perhaps with a trip to Florida the following year. We have 5 years to get proficient before we i hit it hard. 5 yrs to learn the ropes and get a boat in shape. ...And get all our adopted. Grandkids raised And save money of course
My husband has dreamed of an ocean adventure again. He was navy and has told me about.the beauty out there. I am feeling it is now or never and yearn for some travel and freedom. ts all good

Beauty and Magic, indeed

Lorih said:

Thankyou all for the replies public and private. I appreciate the encouragement
We both have small power boat experience although it has been years. We have no sailboat experience . I am not concerned really about tbat.. Their is a marina a few hours from here that gives lessons and we are signed up to get some before we take possession of any boat. Even this one since she will be up north until spring.
We are both ready to learn a new skill aND looking forward to it.
Our plans are ; lessons, get boat to our area in spring and sail in our area. Perhaps with a trip to Florida the following year. We have 5 years to get proficient before we i hit it hard. 5 yrs to learn the ropes and get a boat in shape. ...And get all our adopted. Grandkids raised And save money of course
My husband has dreamed of an ocean adventure again. He was navy and has told me about the beauty out there. I am feeling it is now or never and yearn for some travel and freedom. Its all good

Click to expand...

Well, you have received encouragement and cautions here so now some time must pass before there are further revelations...

In the mean time, looking over your hopeful last sentence, I hope that you both (re)discover the beauty "Out There".
I have many coastal deliveries over the decades, altho only a fraction of the time and miles that Christian has done. While I have had a few parts of days where I was scared, the other 95% have been uneventful.
The best memories are simply being at sea. After a day, I get more-or-less used to hanging on with one hand all the time, and it seems like that constant motion burns up calories faster than I can fill up with snacks and Ramen!
I almost always lose some weight, even when I think that I must be eating too often!

Speaking of "beauty" one of the best night passages down the WA coast I have done was the when Kathy came along on a friend's Cal 34-3, and we actually had a full moon much of the night on a moderate sea. She liked it a lot but in the years since sez she would rather not do overnighters -- likes to be in harbor at night.

Watch standing is tiring and all of my deliveries these days are with 3 or 4 total crew in order have a decent chance for 2 or 3 hours of sleep during the night.
There is one old TV screen shot that I love because it is almost Exactly how it looked on that magical night we sped down the coast.

Cheers,
Loren

This all sounds good - keep on going and do your best to keep the heart out of it and make it a decision of logic. Oh, wait, we're talking boat. Never mind. Just have a good time and go for it.

Go for it Lorih, we knocked about in dinghies and trailer sailers and our Ericson is our first keel boat and we bought her to go coastal sailing (east coast Australia). Look forward to seeing you in Vanuatu or Fiji..

I own a sister ship to your hopeful boat, owned her over 24 years, learned all of her systems during that time, very few if any disappointments, overall very well built, excellent sea kind motion, a joy to sail. I singlehand almost exclusively without an autopilot and have no complaints. Like you, I never sailed until I took this boat out on a sea trial. She is the only boat I have ever owned.

So I second the comments of going for it. Yours is also a freshwater boat I assume so many less worries there, northern climes less UV concerns but more freeze damage concerns (heat exchanger and especially the plumbing. Double check the water heater, if original likely shot). One concern is the pics on the sales website appear to be from several different boats, check the pics of the pilot berth area, they are not the same. May reflect the other pics as well. So a personal visit is definitely in order. Good luck and Godspeed!

Helm pics are of different boats as well.