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Ericson 37 Cutter

sgwright67

Member III
Interesting. How is the headroom in these with that almost flush deck? I like the cutter rig.

Not sure how you have engine fire in a diesel, I guess it was a short on the starter or alternator cables?

I just looked at an Alberg 37 today, but aside from the LOA and displacement being almost the same, I imagine they are two very different boats under sail. The Alberg is a beautiful boat, but the interior needs a lot of work (exterior is very good for a '69 that's been to NZ twice though, with original gelcoat). Price is similar to this E37 at $28K CAD.
 

bgary

Advanced Beginner
Blogs Author
The E37 is a great boat. Spent lots of time racing one, back in the day.

I'm not sure, though, why they refer to this as a "cutter". It was designed to be competitive in the IOR "1-ton" class, and has pretty typical rig proportions for that era. Definitely not a cutter in the traditional sense - cutters normally have the mast set farther aft than on a sloop, and are set up for inner staysails...

Bruce
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Regarding the question about a fire with a diesel engine..... there is a Newport 30 moored near me that had a smoky and destructive engine compartment fire several summers ago. Yup. Original Universal (M25 or M25XP ) with the wiring harness and those cursed "trailer connectors". They lost their summer vacation time, - had to towed in and the boat trucked home, but a year later did end up with all new wiring and it is now 'better than ever'.

My theory (and if you don't like that one I have others...) is that electrical fires due to ancient connections and wiring chafe are becoming a larger concern than flooding, per se, as all boats age. Especially boats from the 80's with oodles of wiring runs and odd connections to give owners lots of new-fangled interior luxuries as the market tried to move "upwards" --- without investing too much more in design, labor, or parts. :rolleyes:

The higher end builders like EY, did a better job of this, but it was still a bell-curve of reliability.

Gotta say, if I were 20 years younger, I would for sure be headed up to Seattle to look at that sexy E-37. Just sayin' .......
 
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sgwright67

Member III
The E37 is a great boat. Spent lots of time racing one, back in the day.

I'm not sure, though, why they refer to this as a "cutter". It was designed to be competitive in the IOR "1-ton" class, and has pretty typical rig proportions for that era. Definitely not a cutter in the traditional sense - cutters normally have the mast set farther aft than on a sloop, and are set up for inner staysails...

Bruce

I was wondering that too, as I don't see mention of the cutter rig in the details. I noticed that one of the diagrams at sailboatdata shows a cutter rig with sail areas for the foresails:

https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/ericson-37

Is that an aluminum brace running amidships from the mast? I think I'd want some padding on that!
 

sgwright67

Member III
Regarding the question about a fire with a diesel engine..... there is a Newport 30 moored near me that had a smoky and destructive engine compartment fire several summers ago. Yup. Original Universal with the wiring harness and those cursed "trailer connectors". They lost their summer vacation time, - had to towed in and the boat trucked home, but a year later did end up with all new wiring and it is now 'better than ever'.

My theory (and if you do like that one I have others...) is that electrical fires due to ancient connections and wiring chafe are becoming a larger concern than flooding, per se, as all boats age. Especially boats from the 80's with oodles of wiring runs and odd connections to give owners lots of new-fangled interior luxuries as the market tried to move "upwards" --- without investing too much more in design, labor, or parts. :rolleyes:

The higher end builders like EY, did a better job of this, but it was still a bell-curve of reliability.

Gotta say, if I were 20 years younger, I would for sure be headed up to Seattle to look at that sexy E-37. Just sayin' .......

I've not witnessed one of these trailer connectors yet, but I hate them even for just trailer lights. I can't imagine using them for anything with a greater load. Do they actually run the starter solenoid current through them? Surely not the entire starter current?

The boat is certainly interesting, but maybe a bit too far in the wrong direction for me; I'm tending more toward cruiser than racer... I even had thoughts of the Westsail again. I really liked the Alberg 37 yesterday - beautiful lines - but it needs a lot more work than the price can justify. Felt like a tank though. There's something about stepping onto a boat that feels more solid than the dock you just stepped off...
 

bgary

Advanced Beginner
Blogs Author
I I noticed that one of the diagrams at sailboatdata shows a cutter rig with sail areas for the foresails

Yeah, I noticed that too. It was pretty common in that era for IOR boats to use a double-head rig (big 150% high-clew "jib top", plus a low aspect-ratio genoa staysail raised on the topping lift) when close-reaching at angles too narrow to fly the "star-cut" reaching spinnaker.

To my eye, it looks like a typical big-J/short-boom masthead racing rig for that era. Very different from (what I think of) as a "cutter rig".... with an inner jib tacked to the stem, and a flying jib tacked to the end of a bowsprit.

But... I'm no expert...

cutter.jpg
 

gadangit

Member III
Yeah, I noticed that too. It was pretty common in that era for IOR boats to use a double-head rig (big 150% high-clew "jib top", plus a low aspect-ratio genoa staysail raised on the topping lift) when close-reaching at angles too narrow to fly the "star-cut" reaching spinnaker.

The picture on sailboatdata for the 39 shows that very same set up or something approximating that with a strange looking staysail way off to the side. https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/ericson-39

I've often wondered what that was all about. Any thoughts on that??
Chris
 

bgary

Advanced Beginner
Blogs Author
Any thoughts on that??

I think there's some optical-illusion going on in that photo. The staysail is almost certainly tacked to a fitting (probably the pad-eye for the spinnaker-pole foreguy) on the centerline of the foredeck.

That double-head rig was remarkably effective in close-reaching conditions. In light air (as in that photo) you'd get the benefit of a "double slot", which was pretty magical. In more breeze, that double-head rig was a way of staying powered up without creating a lot of heeling and weather helm - it pushed the center-of-effort forward and low, and turned most of the wind into speed instead of drag.

$.02
 

supersailor

Contributing Partner
That's a spinnaker pole. This is not a cutter. Yacht Brokers are sales people (think used car salesmen)and "cutters" are very popular with the "wanna be" potential cruisers who don't know much about boats in the North West. This is a boat that you aren't likely to sell to a rabid racer so aim it at the cruising crowd. Why anyone would want a full keeled cutter here in the North West is beyond me. They don't go well hard on the wind and half our sailing time tends to be to the windward and they won't move until the wind is blowing at least 10 knots. That means they have bought a slow powerboat as much of the area doesn't often see that much wind. On Club cruises going north all the full keeled boats power while the fin keel boats sail. Good tough image I guess but if I wanted a power boat I would have bought one.
 

gadangit

Member III
I think there's some optical-illusion going on in that photo. The staysail is almost certainly tacked to a fitting (probably the pad-eye for the spinnaker-pole foreguy) on the centerline of the foredeck.

That double-head rig was remarkably effective in close-reaching conditions. In light air (as in that photo) you'd get the benefit of a "double slot", which was pretty magical. In more breeze, that double-head rig was a way of staying powered up without creating a lot of heeling and weather helm - it pushed the center-of-effort forward and low, and turned most of the wind into speed instead of drag.

$.02

I'm trying to stay out of the racing scene, but I've often thought that our storm staysail set inside our smaller reachier assym would be a nice duplication of that affect.
 

Geoff W.

Makes Up For It With Enthusiasm
Blogs Author
Didn't see this one out at all last year for Duck Dodge. Wonder if that has to do with the engine.
 

steven

Sustaining Member
I raced one of these on S.F. Bay in the '70s.
As I recall it was rigged 3/4 ton. Even though it was possible (I was told) to set her up 1 ton.

Memory is foggy, but I seem to remember a 110 genny for up wind work.
And a conventional (but too large) spinnaker for beam or broad reach.

Truly powerful boat and a hoot to sail.

Never saw or heard of rigging as a cutter.

--Steve
 
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