• Untitled Document

    Join us on March 29rd, 7pm EST

    for the CBEC Virtual Meeting

    All EYO members and followers are welcome to join the fun and get to know the guest speaker!

    See the link below for login credentials and join us!

    March Meeting Info

    (dismiss this notice by hitting 'X', upper right)

E26 Reefing

BDEidson

Member II
differences between 25+ and E26

I haven't sailed the E26 yet - I'm in the process of buying one now. However, I suspect it won't be as easy as an E25+, but I don't think it'll be particularly hard, either.

I've found with my Cal that the best tool to make singlehanding easier is an autohelm. I'm taking the ST 1000 I have with my current boat and putting it on the Ericson. It's within the right weight range, but if I were buying one from scratch, I'd get the ST2000. I singlehand often, even when my wife is aboard really... I find the ability to set the helm, reef the sails, auto tack if need be, or go forward to set the drifter all invaluable.... not to mention make a sandwich or check your navigation.

I found this link helpful when choosing the E26 - hope you do, too.

http://web.archive.org/web/20041018094458/www.perfectpocketyacht.com/page21.html

Bottom line, I find the E26 appearance more pleasing than the 25+ - purely subjective, of course. But it just appears a bit more modern to me.


Bill
 

BDEidson

Member II
differences between 25+ and E26

Just looked at my last note...to clarify - I think the traveler on the deck *might* be a tad more difficult to use than one on the bridge deck. But it certainly makes the cockpit more livable if you have guests aboard. Also, the tiller goes quite far forward in the cockpit - so I think it'll be easy to keep a hand on the mainsheet.

Bill
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Whither the Traveler

Just looked at my last note...to clarify - I think the traveler on the deck *might* be a tad more difficult to use than one on the bridge deck. But it certainly makes the cockpit more livable if you have guests aboard. Also, the tiller goes quite far forward in the cockpit - so I think it'll be easy to keep a hand on the mainsheet.
Bill

There have been good past threads on traveler location. Note that putting it on the housetop works well if you seldom adjust the mainsheet or the traveler, and works extremely well when selling boats at winter boat shows inside of heated buildings. Non sailing family members like the idea of keeping all that messy rope-y stuff out of the way.

Out sailing, many of us rather like having the traveler on a bridge deck for ease of adjustment and also (odd coincidence) for having something to grab onto when accessing the cabin entry when the boat is moving around or heeled.
Having the tiller near the traveler is well nigh perfect.
With our boat's wheel, I can still flick the main sheet in or out of the Harkens cams from behind the wheel -- a workable solution.

LB
 

RKCRWLR

Member II
All good advise above...

I'll add that single handing the E26 is a snap if you bring all your line aft. I still need to bring the reef lines back myself (next project). When single handing, it would ne nice to have the traveler closer, but when the family is on board as "crew", the cockpit on these boats is small/crowded as it is, so having the traveler on the house becomes a major plus. You will love the boat. Amazingly stable and easy to sail. Being beamy for her length gives her a unique look as well. Last note, I would go with smaller reef line than orignial. If your leading aft, there is no need to stay so large since you will not have to match up diameter with the cams... Welcome (soon) to the E-Family! Tim
 

mherrcat

Contributing Partner
Here is the cam cleat I mentioned earlier in the thread. I had to make a little mounting plate for it out of a scrap of teak to comform to the curve of the mast but other than that it was simple. Bought the cleat at the boaters swap meet for $5.

Works well and while singlehanding yesterday I used it to help put in a reef in about 18 kts of wind with little difficulty.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0049_sm.jpg
    IMG_0049_sm.jpg
    68.7 KB · Views: 48
  • IMG_0052_sm.jpg
    IMG_0052_sm.jpg
    75.7 KB · Views: 46
Last edited:

BDEidson

Member II
cleat on mast

Thanks, Mark - that makes a lot of sense. I was standing on deck of my boat today having to ask my wife to tail the halyard led aft. This is a nice addition.

Bill
 
Top