E25 for BLUE WATER???

ok, i'm brand spankin' new to these boats- was actually in the market for a tartan 27- but came across a great little, well-maintained, '78 ericson 25 (NOT the 25+)- the price is (more or less) right..

so my question is, is this boat capable of taking on heavy seas/blue water
cruising?? how about that stock, deck-stepped, mast???

thanks all- i'm checking one out quite possibly to buy tomorrow!!

brian smith
anchorage, alaska

Brian:

I have a 27 and have been to hawaii and mexico and have had no problem. The 25 is very similiar. In order to set it up for blue water sailing you will have to make some modifications if you are to be safe. I think you will be happy if you decide on the ericson. Beef up the rudder if you decide to go offshore and put a dodger on. There are so many suggestions I could give you that would make you safer. The Tartan has a full keel and the inside is smaller. Has a good reputation. I am obviously into Ericson's since I have had mine for so long and know the sailing characteristics of the 27. I know you will be happy with the 25. There is a guy named Swen who has a 23 and goes all over with it and he is very happy. He writes a lot on this forum.

Hope this helps you in your decision.

Don Anderson
Amigo E-27
Channel Islands, CA

All Ericsons are good boats, and welcome to the brotherhood if you buy today.

Check the archives for the same question on the E26 and E29, there is a lot of information. People have done things as crazy as taking such a boat around the world, but that is not what the boat was desgned for. A truly great coastal craft, and modifications could be made to improve seaworthiness if you are determined to head out of sight of land, but other boats are better for that purpose. Perhaps the boat you are looking at today could be a transition vessel for you to build some experience before taking on the big dream.

Gareth
Freyja E35 #241 1972

blue water mods??

cool, thanks- i put my money down today and bought her!
had a really splendid day out on the waters of katchimak
bay here in southcentral alaska- light air, maybe 7 - 8 knots?
genoa and main worked great together, gave us 3 1/2, 4 knotts
and a very pleasant 15-degree heel... E25 is a lovely little boat,
solid, dry- very nice size for one guy singlehanding i think...

so, would very much like to hear that list of 'blue water'
re-fits/modifications...??

brian smith
icreate@alaska.net

thanks-

thanks gareth, i put my money down today and bought her!
more or less came to the same conclusion about this being
a 'first boat', and great for weekending, coastal cruising..
we'll see where that leads me...

had a really splendid day out on the waters of katchimak
bay here in southcentral alaska- light air, maybe 7 - 8 knots?
genoa and main worked great together, gave us 3 1/2, 4 knotts
and a very pleasant 15-degree heel... E25 is a lovely little boat,
solid, dry- very nice size for one guy singlehanding i think...

brian smith
icreate@alaska.net

blue water...

a few years ago, a guy crossed the Atlantic in a kayak. Years ago, our ancestors came over in wooden boats, most of which were no where near as strong as a modern wood, fiberglass, or any other modern designed & built boat.

The Ericson 27 I am rebuilding (see my rebuilding thread for info and picts) has a pretty good hull, but I am adding some stringers down the inside where the benches are, and right under the sole, along with some decking re-enforcement. The bow exterior is also getting more layers of glass (there is a repair that makes this necessary, but im taking the opportunity to make the area much stronger than originally). If the E25 is build like the E27, I wouldn’t have any problem taking a good condition ship out on open water, people have circumnavigated with less!

It all depends on skill, I would work up to it, practice practice practice …

Off you go

Congrats on your new boat! There is a very good discussion in an older topic called "E 29 for Offshore" or something like that. There are suggestions from many of the experienced members-including some of my own personal favorites. Once you have looked that thread over, let us know what specific or additional questions you have and we will help you!

Good times!

S

Hi Brian,

Welcome to the club. I also own an E 25 and find it a stout little vessel. There are two web sites that deal with fitting out small boats that you might want to research and they are WWW.atomvoyages.com and WWW.triton381.com. They both deal with the old Triton 28 but are full of usefull information for any small boat.

Good sailing,
Chad

thanks guys- much appreciated! first and foremost... to get those old, green and frozen gate valves replaced!! then maybe see about replacing some questionable rigging here and there...

brian smith
homer, alaska