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Purchasing 87 E 34

FWQuinn

Junior Member
I am purchasing an 87 E34 and will be doing extended trip north along pacific coast. I've been told I should replace the 2 blade bronze prop with a 3 blade for more power as I bash north. I have read about Maxprop (expensive) and CDI, any suggestions?
Also, I dont plan on racing, only cruising. Has anyone had experience with bolting on weight to bottom of keel on 34? I read someone that did it to 38 and was happy with stability. SF bay and the pacific northwest blow 30 plus a lot and I want to add stability without having to reef down excessivly. Thoughts? Any other good /bad things about this boat?
Thanks.
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Welcome!
:egrin:
From the model year, it sounds like you have a 34-200, with the tri-cabin layout (aft head on one side and aft cabin on the other). Good looking boats!
Lots of other owners listed in the "owners" part of this site for you to contact, and they are a very helpful group.
As to your prop choices, only YOU can sort out the priorities... speed under sail with a folder, featherer, or the Autoprop, or the most traction under engine with a three-blade, or just save your $$$ and stick with the stock two blade. "Racing" or "cruising" is irrelevant in this quandery.

Our boat came with a stock two blade and we get a lot of light air in the NW so we changed to a featherer... and spent just under a thousand $ to do so. And that was for a two blade. There is a picture of our prop in the Maint. section here -- do a search and take a look. Note that Maxprop is just one brand of several, and one of the more expensive choices. I have a friend with an Autoprop and he loves it, but it cost "real dollars".
:)

SF Bay may have heavy air in some seasons, but Puget Sound is the home of light air. All my experience is off the Washington and Oregon coasts, with one trip down to SF -- and we always seem to end up motoring Northwards due to light air and adverse current -- or stay in port for another day if the seas are too large.
:rolleyes:

As to additional ballast, it would be good to know which keel profile you have. Then, you may want to ask the designer for some input. This may not be free... but you do not want to over-stress the keel bolt system and the TAFG engineering. I would humbly suggest that you sail the boat for a year to two before pursuing such a change. Mars Metals can do you the split bulb option like they did another Ericson (38), but you need to know if this is wise, structurally.
As to reefing "excessivly", all boats reach a point of heel or risk-to-sails where they should be reefed -- some earlier than others. Most produciton boats sail well to about 15 kts with a full main, give or take. Note that speed in lower winds and sailing fresh breezes without reefing are mutually incompatible in most boats...
:rolleyes:

In buying a 1988 Ericson, or any other brand, the major cause of excessive heel and need to reef early is usually a blown out main. It may look OK from a distance, and be generally together, thread-wise, but the draft has moved aft and you cannot flatten it with any of the controls. We first had our orig. main recut, then bought a new dacron main. Boat immediately sailed flatter and the helm became more neutral.
You didn't ask... but I would suggest some serious "bashing" in SF Bay for a windy season before even thinking about heading North past Mendacino... and if gale warnings are forecast be patient for a day or 3. On my trip South we were in seas (as the USCG calls them) "to 19 feet", and "gale force winds" for 36 hours... Sunshine all day, full moon at night, and breakers clear to the horizon in all directions. It made us all more religeous... at least for 36 hours...
:scared:

Going the other way, north, would have been "interesting" to say the least.
:(

Like I said earlier, do searches here on any subject relating to Ericson 34 and any parts of it you need info on. There is also a half-decent search engine over at Sailnet.com, where the Ericson subscription List is popular.
And, if you find any paperwork specific to your boat that is not already on this site in the Specs and Docs section, PLEASE contact the site admin to get it uploaded to help others.

Best,
Loren in Portland, OR
Olson (by Ericson) 34 #8
 
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