I purchased a 1976 25 Ericson. It needs the running gear replaced. Do they sell kits or is it done a la carte? I'm new to sailing so I'm not sure if I can identify all the components that I need. Is there some resourse that I can use to help identify the parts I need to replace?
Chris Miller
Sustaining Member
ebay and garhauer...
Chris
Chris
Rob Hessenius
Inactive Member
Running Gear
Paul- Just go to West Marine and get it done. Have fun sailing Rob Hessenius
Paul- Just go to West Marine and get it done. Have fun sailing Rob Hessenius
For the purposes of sizing blocks etc., check this out:
http://www.harkencompuspec.com/
and, of course, Harken makes great stuff, so put them on the vendor list. Others to look at if on a budget include Ronstan.
Check www.defender.com for good prices on parts etc., and I've got a friend who had a nice new set of all running rigging made up at a very competitive price by Cajun Trading at:
http://www.cajuntrading.ca/
.
http://www.harkencompuspec.com/
and, of course, Harken makes great stuff, so put them on the vendor list. Others to look at if on a budget include Ronstan.
Check www.defender.com for good prices on parts etc., and I've got a friend who had a nice new set of all running rigging made up at a very competitive price by Cajun Trading at:
http://www.cajuntrading.ca/
.
Mike Thomas
Member II
Paul
I went to Cajun Trading and ordered my sheets/halyards a la carte. The only difference is that they make a couple of splices for you, give you some overpriced shackles and use the standard measurements for cut lengths. If the old rigging is still there you are best off measuring it and adjusting where you want more.
For the blocks, Garhuaer is great. Their site has pics for you to compare what you have.
Mike T
76 E-29
I went to Cajun Trading and ordered my sheets/halyards a la carte. The only difference is that they make a couple of splices for you, give you some overpriced shackles and use the standard measurements for cut lengths. If the old rigging is still there you are best off measuring it and adjusting where you want more.
For the blocks, Garhuaer is great. Their site has pics for you to compare what you have.
Mike T
76 E-29
Frank Langer
1984 Ericson 30+, Nanaimo, BC
Paul,
I might be best if you could find someone knowledgeable at your marina who could spend an hour with you looking in detail at what you have, what shape it is in, whether it all needs replacement, and helping you measure and decide what you need. Then go to a good chandlery/sailing equipment store or rigging shop to order it. If there is no one able to be helpful at the marina (there usually is someone willing to help, but not always), if there is a good rigging shop nearby, they might be willing to look at the boat with you for an hour on condition that you buy your running rigging there; in the worst case you might have to pay them an hourly fee for 1 - 2 hours.
That way you will have a better understanding than us trying to guess from your picture.
There are also likely general specifications for length and type of line you need on this website under the specifications section, or in the owners manual. Goood luck!
Frank.
I might be best if you could find someone knowledgeable at your marina who could spend an hour with you looking in detail at what you have, what shape it is in, whether it all needs replacement, and helping you measure and decide what you need. Then go to a good chandlery/sailing equipment store or rigging shop to order it. If there is no one able to be helpful at the marina (there usually is someone willing to help, but not always), if there is a good rigging shop nearby, they might be willing to look at the boat with you for an hour on condition that you buy your running rigging there; in the worst case you might have to pay them an hourly fee for 1 - 2 hours.
That way you will have a better understanding than us trying to guess from your picture.
There are also likely general specifications for length and type of line you need on this website under the specifications section, or in the owners manual. Goood luck!
Frank.
Steve Swann
Member III
Running gear
Paul,
I sent all of my E25 rigging to West Marine and had it all replaced. Two recommendations:
1) In hindsight, I would have replaced my halyard wires with one of the new, small diameter, no-stretch high tech rope products. The sails are very manageable to raise by yourself - and ridding your boat of these wires is probably the better option. If you don't want to, I will sell you both my new jib and main wire/rope halyards because I will go to the all rope halyards given the choice.
Another related item you might consider is to have your mainsail slides upgraded (loose-foot your main while you're at it, too). I went to Allslips and I LOVE them because they don't bind. You won't even need to use your halyard winch with these; just hand-over-hand, and up it goes!
2) If you raise and lower your mast, there is a small 12" or so, swaged wire from the split backstay plate that clips to your boom for raising and lowering. I have seen several posts in the past that claim this wire is adequate for raising and lowering the mast; well, it ISN'T! Have this replaced with something about 3X more substantial and make sure the swaging is adequate (I doubled mine). It ain't pretty, but it is stout. My original one failed and almost cost me a new mast!
Steve Swann
s/v E25 Seahorse
Paul,
I sent all of my E25 rigging to West Marine and had it all replaced. Two recommendations:
1) In hindsight, I would have replaced my halyard wires with one of the new, small diameter, no-stretch high tech rope products. The sails are very manageable to raise by yourself - and ridding your boat of these wires is probably the better option. If you don't want to, I will sell you both my new jib and main wire/rope halyards because I will go to the all rope halyards given the choice.
Another related item you might consider is to have your mainsail slides upgraded (loose-foot your main while you're at it, too). I went to Allslips and I LOVE them because they don't bind. You won't even need to use your halyard winch with these; just hand-over-hand, and up it goes!
2) If you raise and lower your mast, there is a small 12" or so, swaged wire from the split backstay plate that clips to your boom for raising and lowering. I have seen several posts in the past that claim this wire is adequate for raising and lowering the mast; well, it ISN'T! Have this replaced with something about 3X more substantial and make sure the swaging is adequate (I doubled mine). It ain't pretty, but it is stout. My original one failed and almost cost me a new mast!
Steve Swann
s/v E25 Seahorse
Steve Swann
Member III
More Rigging Thought$
Paul,
I went to a Lewmar mainsheet traveler and track and got rid of the original. Lower profile, more options for adjusting, convenient to change quickly, and slides a lot easier. I maintain better mainsail shape with this - coupled with an inexpensive vang.
Also, I see you have a backstay tensioner/adjuster. I have one too, but ultimately have stopped using it. I fail to see why our boats really even need one and think they might even be problematic for the longterm health of our boats. With the relative shortness of a 25' boat mast (and its huge cross-section making it very stiff), stays, and upper and lower shrouds, you don't have a lot of "span" to further tension the rig without lots of cranking. After tensioning the turnbuckles properly after raising the mast, I question whether to even place any more strain on the mast compression post area because it simply isn't as strong as I would like. My boat doesn't, but many 25's have stress cracking in this area.
Anyone, please feel free to correct or advise us!
Steve Swann
Boise, ID
Paul,
I went to a Lewmar mainsheet traveler and track and got rid of the original. Lower profile, more options for adjusting, convenient to change quickly, and slides a lot easier. I maintain better mainsail shape with this - coupled with an inexpensive vang.
Also, I see you have a backstay tensioner/adjuster. I have one too, but ultimately have stopped using it. I fail to see why our boats really even need one and think they might even be problematic for the longterm health of our boats. With the relative shortness of a 25' boat mast (and its huge cross-section making it very stiff), stays, and upper and lower shrouds, you don't have a lot of "span" to further tension the rig without lots of cranking. After tensioning the turnbuckles properly after raising the mast, I question whether to even place any more strain on the mast compression post area because it simply isn't as strong as I would like. My boat doesn't, but many 25's have stress cracking in this area.
Anyone, please feel free to correct or advise us!
Steve Swann
Boise, ID
NateHanson
Sustaining Member
I don't think that's the purpose of that 12" pigtail at all! On most boats that small wire swaged onto the backstay is just a topping lift, to hold the boom up after the sail is lowered. It's intended to hold your 20 pound boom, and I wouldn't trust it with anything more. Certainly not with the extraordinary force needed to raise your mast. You'd be better off just attaching a halyard to the end of the boom if you wanted to use the boom as a lever to help raise the mast.
Steve Swann
Member III
Cavemen and Metal Masts
Nate,
Of all the various ways to raise a mast that I have seen, the original Ericson recommendation has been the most inferior and most prone to accidents and damage that I am familiar with. I have modified my raising and lowering to be much more like my Nor'sea 27's recommendations - and if it works for a Nor'sea, you can darn sure use it on an E25!
The instructions that came with my Ericson said to use the little undersized gizmo on the backstay plate to raise and lower my mast using the backstay. Certainly the main halyard is stronger, it but wasn't referenced as an option - and I am not very smart most of the time. After I made the upgraded replacement, I now had a strong and convenient attachment point, so for me, it is now a moot point - and I now have options! Also, using the halyard winch was always problematic because it was always prone to binding at the most inopportune times. I now use a dedicated 6:1 block and tackle affair from the end of the boom to my transom drain holes, then lead the bitter end to a primary winch. Easy enough for a caveman to do it now!
Nate,
Of all the various ways to raise a mast that I have seen, the original Ericson recommendation has been the most inferior and most prone to accidents and damage that I am familiar with. I have modified my raising and lowering to be much more like my Nor'sea 27's recommendations - and if it works for a Nor'sea, you can darn sure use it on an E25!
The instructions that came with my Ericson said to use the little undersized gizmo on the backstay plate to raise and lower my mast using the backstay. Certainly the main halyard is stronger, it but wasn't referenced as an option - and I am not very smart most of the time. After I made the upgraded replacement, I now had a strong and convenient attachment point, so for me, it is now a moot point - and I now have options! Also, using the halyard winch was always problematic because it was always prone to binding at the most inopportune times. I now use a dedicated 6:1 block and tackle affair from the end of the boom to my transom drain holes, then lead the bitter end to a primary winch. Easy enough for a caveman to do it now!