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Ericson 34R.. for Cruising ??

JasperNH

New Member
Recently sold my Bristol 32, classic plastic cruising boat. Did not
get much, the market is . oh, well .. you know..
I got interested in an Ericson 34R. I don't know anything about
this boat, the Ericson boats, etc.. nothing. I am former owner
of a Pearson Commander, Pearson Vanguard, and Bristol 32.

The 34R is more a racer than a cruiser, that is for sure.
She has an airex cored hull. 1978 built. The owner told
me not too many of these were built. The airex gives the
boat stiffness, yet keeps the hull light. Only 10,000 disp.

I don't race. Never have. That does not mean I like going
slow. I just like getting out, having fun, going sailing. This
boat has loads of equipment, sails, etc. Since boat buying
is a compromise, I got to thinking that she would be an
interesting cruising boat. She has the basics of comfort
below, and I sail alone, solo, single handed so I figure I'm
all set there..

My big concerns: draft, she drafts 5'11". She has a fin,
a deep fin. The rudder is hung by itself.
Another concern, construction. I've heard that Ericsons are
core mush targets. Is that true? She is balsa cored. Most
boats of the era were. I'd always thought that if a boat
was taken care of, and not drilled into etc, the core does
not go bad.. am I wrong?

Tell me all about the construction, how well the Ericson boats
hold up, and if any of you know the 34R?

Will be stepping aboard for the first time this week.

The photos look good.. don't they always.

Jasper of NH
 

CaptDan

Member III
Recently sold my Bristol 32, classic plastic cruising boat. Did not
I've heard that Ericsons are
core mush targets. Is that true?

Jasper of NH

LOL! :egrin:

Sorry, I've heard many allegations about various boats over the years, but never this about Ericsons.

Here's what's true: most all Ericsons have balsa cored decks. Yes, that balsa can go mushy when deck hardware leaks. However, this is true of most other yachts of that era as well - including your old Vanguard.

I can't speak to the E34R, but Ericson hulls are solid, hand laid fiberglass. No chopper-gun slop anywhere in evidence; no balsa or Airex core. These hulls are among the most robust ever created in production yachts of their type. But since I'm not familiar with the E34R and its particular construction, I'll leave that to someone else to answer.

I'm thinking that, if you're looking at an E34R, you might as well consider other Ericsons in that size range as well - E34, 35 (II and III), E33, E32 (II and III). Perhaps even the 'Cruising' series - E31 and its more rare variant - E36C. At least you'd have other choices to compare this particular boat to.

Capt Dan G>E35II "Kunu"
 
Last edited:

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
They're good boats...

Recently sold my Bristol 32, classic plastic cruising boat. Did not
get much, the market is . oh, well .. you know..
I got interested in an Ericson 34R. I don't know anything about
this boat, the Ericson boats, etc.. nothing. I am former owner
of a Pearson Commander, Pearson Vanguard, and Bristol 32.

The 34R is more a racer than a cruiser, that is for sure.
She has an airex cored hull. 1978 built. The owner told
me not too many of these were built. The airex gives the
boat stiffness, yet keeps the hull light. Only 10,000 disp.

I don't race. Never have. That does not mean I like going
slow. I just like getting out, having fun, going sailing. This
boat has loads of equipment, sails, etc. Since boat buying
is a compromise, I got to thinking that she would be an
interesting cruising boat. She has the basics of comfort
below, and I sail alone, solo, single handed so I figure I'm
all set there..

My big concerns: draft, she drafts 5'11". She has a fin,
a deep fin. The rudder is hung by itself.
Another concern, construction. I've heard that Ericsons are
core mush targets. Is that true? She is balsa cored. Most
boats of the era were. I'd always thought that if a boat
was taken care of, and not drilled into etc, the core does
not go bad.. am I wrong?

Tell me all about the construction, how well the Ericson boats
hold up, and if any of you know the 34R?

Jasper of NH

Hi Jasper,
To approach your questions, in no particular order of importance,
Draft is entirely subjective, depending on your sailing area. Anything around 6' (or 7') is normal for a boat designed to go to weather better. We went from a smaller boat drawing 4' up to our present 34 footer with 6' draft and it does indeed restrict us to the top half of the incoming tide for a few areas that we used to cruise into with impunity. Not a major concern for us -- different for every skipper and geographic area.
As to the boat being a "racer" or a "cruiser" that is a distinction made by authors and brokers trying to steer customers into or away from a design based on commissions, IMHO. NA Robert Perry once said that the best racers make the best cruisers. Like a number of talented designers he draws boats that are fast, easy to sail, and have useful accommodations. Whether you race an Ericson or any other well-designed boat is just a matter of paying an entry fee and "sailing about in the vicinity of the starting line" as the rules say.

I prefer easy-to-sail boats with livable interiors, and Bruce King drew a lot of them for Ericson.
Solo sailing also requires a much better-designed cockpit and deck layout, and you seldom (almost never) see this on later model sailing RV's. :rolleyes:

Cored hulls, whether built by Ericson, C&C, J, or whoever all need a good survey. This will involve tapping out the whole surface with an educated hammer and hearing tuned in, and then a double check with a moisture meter (and the ability to understand what the readout means...) The deck on a decades-old boat, no matter what mfgr, will need a careful evaluation for water intrusion into the coring ("Tap tap tap, goes the little hammer.") . There are owners that rebed their deck fittings, but they are in the minority. Be prepared to do this job no matter what brand of 30-year-old boat you buy. ;) Ericsons are Not "mush targets."

Construction was above average for the era, and beyond that you get to the important stuff like condition of rigging, engine, sails, and etc.
Instruments on any boat beyond 15 years are without value in the pricing process. Having 15 bags of sails is usually meaningless -- most are used up and the owner(s) were not motivated to sell 'em cheap at a swap meet and no longer want them in their garage! :p

Spade rudders, along with fin keels, are nowadays the norm for ocean crossing boats. Good designer, good builder. Should be no problem.
Speaking of "racing" ... since a lot of the 34R models were indeed purchased for racing AND family cruising, they may have seen a lot miles. Usage is gooooood for a sailboat -- it's sitting at the dock that kills 'em.
Happy bargaining, and do let us know what you decide. Lots of good deals out there this recessional season.
:esad:

Happy holidays, and remember that these opinions are worth about what you are paying,

Loren
 
Last edited:

Rhynie

Member III
Jasper,
I just purchased a 34T which is the trunk cabin version on the same hull as you are looking at; she was built in '78. There were not very many of them built and info is hard to find on them, but I was looking for something that I an be comfortable on and play with beer can races. Mine is solid, needs a little TLC but that is expected.

Brian
 
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