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E27 write up

alcodiesel

Bill McLean
That's my punkin! Thanks Mark. I love my E27 and sail the daylights out of her. And: if my Atomic 4 ever dies I'm going electric. You've inspired me.
 

JPS27

Member III
I love my Ericson 27 too. Still learning her idiosyncrasies after 4 years (starting as a beginner sailor). Most issues it has for me are attributed to user error. I've learned that -- to the contrary of my sailing pals -- "railing" whenever possible is not preferred or efficient or faster. I would agree that it is a cramped cruiser for two large guys or a family of four.

One thing this article has always perplexed me about is the comment about "the off center prop shaft". Mine is not off center.
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
At least it's not just my take on it as a not-too-cleaver hatchet job.
Goofy thing is that someone harbors a grudge since the 70's and then gets paid a few $ a column inch to rant. Oh well, I quit subscribing about 20 years ago when the magazine had become irrelevant.

The underlying ignorance was also in what what left out. Construction received no (zip nada) mention at all. That EY hull-to-deck joint with the glass roving connecting the top and bottom is and was unusual in the industry. It's a major reason to consider any EY from the era and to pass on the old Catalina's with their "coffee can" joint and rivets. As for the Hunter, I was working the display for the local dealer in '77, and will not forget the H-27 just off the truck with the keel joint showing large gaps where the Bondo had already fallen out along the top of a very uneven casting. The Hunters did manage to look better than the scary Bayliner Buccaneers with their miniature shroud wires and red fabric-covered interiors (imagine the movie version of an 1870's "sporting house")..... :rolleyes:

I mean Really, now!
:mad:
 

Mark F

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
I think in general it is a fair review. Certainly not a fluff piece but I'm okay with that. Some of the dates might be off regarding when teak was used on the interiors or the production timeline (is there a 1980 E27?) but I think some of the "criticisms" are valid. For me the comments about a heavy, under canvased boat are a plus for my sailing area.

Loren, I think the writer agrees with you, "27 is truly a small cruising boat with more to offer (at least in later models) than such boats of comparable vintage as the Catalina 27 or the Hunter 27, albeit typically at somewhat higher prices."
 

Mark F

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
Hi JPS27,

Are you sure your prop shaft is not off center? Mine is off set to starboard.
 

JPS27

Member III
Mark,
I could swear it's dead center. But I suppose I could be wrong. I'll check on the shaft alignment when I pull it out. Could that be why going in reverse is so exciting?
Jay
 

toddster

Curator of Broken Parts
Blogs Author
I haven’t actually looked at the shaft of an E27, but I’m pretty sure the strong pull on the tiller is due to circular prop wash. Just like on the E29 and others. The author seems to be fishing for an excuse as to why the wheel version is “clearly” superior. One of the little off-notes that didn’t seem to make the piece very credible.

Re: The low sail area/displacement - I was wondering about this a couple of days ago. Does this have to do with why the original sail plan calls for what seem today like ludicrously big overlapping headsails? And should that overlap be considered when comparing performance values? (If you have such sails...) Or is that just assumed to be the same for all boats? Just seems like a number that gets treated like a constant when it may be really more of a variable.

(I have this spreadsheet I use to ponder whether my boat could become a “real cruising boat.” It’s kind of depressing, though not surprising, what happens to the performance numbers under the extra weight of cruising gear.)
 

Afrakes

Sustaining Member
Dead Center

If I remember correctly (an iffy situation as time marches on) the shaft on my 73' 27 was dead center. Had to drop the rudder to pull the shaft to change the cutless bearing.
 

Macgyro

Amazingly Still Afloat
Blogs Author
Off Center

I may be a little off center, but when I pulled the prop shaft on my E-32, it wouldn't clear the centered rudder, but turning the rudder just a hair allowed me to pull the shaft along the side (starboard if I remember correctly) of the rudder. It wasn't much clearance, certainly not enough to justify calling it off-center in an article.

Anyway, that's the E-32, not sure how much help that will be, but I was worried I'd have to figure out how to pull the rudder, and didn't, thanks to the "off-center" prop-shaft.

-Dean
 

mordust

Member II
My E27 prop shaft is slightly off-center to the port side.
It adds to the fun of the prop walk to the left in reverse!
When I re-powered with an electric motor a couple of years ago, I
also replaced the prop shaft and was able to pull it without dropping the rudder.

Bob
 
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