Please help me

I just bought a '76 E-23 which is my first boat of any type, but not the first boat I've ever been around. I'm very excited about it, but a little worried also because it is missing the rudder, centerboard, and the foresail, and also needs some major TLC. I bought the boat because it came with a trailer, and it was a very good deal. Besides, I've always wanted my very own sailboat. I need to know where I can find a rudder, centerboard, and foresail at a reasonable price, or if it is possible to build the rudder and centerboard myself. Does this boat have the lead ballast already in it? Where can I find some cushions, I'm missing all of them also. How do I rebuild the winches? Any and all information about an E-23 would be greatly appreciated. I've got a couple of buddies and coworkers who used to work in boatyards here in Savannah that are going to help me with some fiberglass work and some other things, but the missing pieces are what's bothering me. I read somewhere on the internet that this boat doesn't really need a centerboard due to the keel looking thing that serves as the centerboard trunk (made that way to provide more headroom inside the boat) is this true? I'll be doing my sailing in the intracoastal waterways, etc. Do I have to have a longshaft motor, or can I use a regular shaft motor? How many batteries do I need to put in it if I want to stay out for a weekend? How do I step the mast up? It has a little hinge bracket thing. Are there any trouble spots that I need to look for? This boat needs alot of TLC, so I don't really expect to get it in the water in '08, besides the fact that I have a 15 month old daughter and a son on the way in May. It would be nice if I could get it in the water this summer, but I doubt it. Once again, any and all information, advice, and help will be greatly appreciated. If the members of this site are interested, I will keep ya'll posted on my progress. My first project is going to be CLEANING!!!

Thank you,
Robert

Quite the Shopping List!

Robert, WOW:eek:!!! that's one "MAJOR" list. BTW WELCOME!
There IS "help" around this place! Don't be discouraged, you bought a GOOD little boat.

Check the condition of the "port" bulkhead and chainplate for any sign of "rot" and movement.

I think Steve Swann has a rudder(25, I think it's the same) and also has the "steel" backbone for the CB. Bob Boe has "built" new ones from scratch. Both can be located by looking in the "Owner Section". ALL of the "ballast" is in the surrounding keel and they do sail w/o the board, BUT you "do" want one!

Bob also runs a E-23 newsletter and will, I'm sure, "chime-in" soon. That may be a source of some "used" sails. Wait-a-minute I'VE got some old "head-sails" I may be willing to part with! There are also "numerous" sail-lofts that sell used sails.

Shaft length depends on the "mount" you have. I have a Honda 8 w/ a 23" shaft(cav plate to mount) that works great.

Any upholstery shop can make up a "new" set of cushions. Probably for the best as mine are getting "awfully tired".

You may try acquainting yourself w/ salvage yards(you're coastal) as many items can be found from salvaged boats.

HOW did this boat end up being so "impaired"???? Any knowledge of it's history? Have you "towed" her home yet???? If not you should have the trailer "checked-out" by someone close!

Do a "search" of E-23 and you will find many answers to "most" of your questions! There's a lot of good info here! Play around on the site and get youself up-to-speed on previous information and posting photos.

Definitely get US some pictures as that's the easiest way to "share" information!

I have a very limited knowledge of the boats history. I came across it while looking through Jacksonville's Craigslist. My wife and I took the trip down there last weekend, looked at the boat and spoke with the owner. It turns out that this man rents out houses and one of his former tenants moved out owing him money, so he left the boat, two vans, and a car for the landlord to sell. It looks like the boat hasn't seen water in a LONG time. Well, the landlord isn't interested in any kind of sailboat, especially one that isn't turnkey, and he doesn't want the vehicles either. I looked over the trailer, and all seems well except for the tires, dryrot, so I'm taking a few spares with me when I go to pick it up on the 20th of this month. The only questionables are the bearings. I'm a welder by trade and a diy mechanic, so I'm sure of the structural integrity of the trailer, and the bearings I can handle. I'll be pulling her back with my Chevy Trailblazer, so I'm going to stop several times during the 181 mile trip to rest my truck and those questionable bearings. The weight of the boat and is right at the limit of the towing capacity of my truck. The good thing for my truck is that the whole trip, except for 20 miles, is going to be on the interstate. On the other hand, that's bad for the bearings on the trailer incase they decide to act up. I've looked all over the internet, and I haven't found much of a following for the E-23. Most everybody likes the bigger Ericsons. I'm on a pretty strict budget right now, so I'm trying to find the best deals that I can for the missing parts. Is there any way that I can make the rudder and centerboard out of marine grade plywood for now, and upgrade to the right stuff in a year or two? I plan on keeping the boat on the trailer when she isn't being sailed. Okay, don't laugh at me for that question, I'm new to this. I would like nothing more than to put the correct, high quality parts on her from the start, but like I said, I'm on a tight budget for right now with my little boy coming and my daughter growing out of her clothes left and right. When do kids stop costing so much money??? I think I've rambled on enough for right now. In two weeks, around this time of day, I hope to be backing my boat into her new home. I can't wait!!!

E-23's

Robert- It sounds as if you have a ton of enthusiam for your "new" boat You have come to the right place in EY.org. You will find hours of educational entertainment. Dont just read the 23' stuff, lots of systems were used on other models too. You will be able to find or build a new board and rudder. Plywood is not a "real" choice, just be patient. We all have tons of "crap" in our basements that we have stored for no frickin reason other than to have it.
Get the boat home and then start a list of things to do and stuff that you need. PRIORITIZE, your needs vs. your wants, be realistic. As you will find that it will take 3X longer than you expect and 5X the money that you expected. Just the facts! Advice is free, take advantage of this sight. You will learn more from here than any other place on the net.
If anything I can give you immediately is think before you do anything. Dont create more work for yourself. Get new tires and bearings for the ride home, dont "F" around. You will need them. Nothing worse than being broken down on the highway. When you get home, KEEP THE PRESSURE WASHER AWAY FROM THE BOAT!!!!!

Most all of us have been where youre at, we are here to help you. No questions are stupid questions.

Regards,
Rob Hessenius

C A U T I O N

Robert, I agree w/ Rob(usually do) on the trailer issue! 181 miles of Interstate is "not to be taken lightly"(period)! There is also the issue of "brakes"! If it's been sitting around for awhile they may not be working(IF they exist). The "laws" on trailers vary from state to state but most states require brakes on at least one axle over 3,000#. The boat weighs 3,200# and the trailer is probably ~900# so legally you SHOULD have them. Do you have a "bud" w/ a bigger rig(truck)? If you "go-for-it" make sure the bolt-pattern is the same for the spares and check the bearings after 10-20 miles. If they're not "warm" you're probably OK(but check often). IF the bearings go bad on the road you will more than likely HAVE TO replace the whole axle(bearings will destroy the spindle)! Having a proper trailer while being the "safe" thing to do will also allow you to take'r to diferent places in the future! I may be doing a "trailer rebuild seminar"(here) in the spring as mine is in "local-use-only" mode.

There were only 270 E23's built and they are pretty well dispersed all over the country! That and the last one was built in '79(mine's 2nd to last) explains the lack of exposure(it's fun when you see one). You have found THE SPOT when it comes to info, ~10% are registered here! The 23's a great boat, I've had mine for 22 years, and it's a good place to start for a "newbie".

So get'r HOME(safely) and the other "stuff" will fall into place!
A pic so you remember!

Once she's home and the big stuff is taken care of.

Robert, A thought on cushions. In almost two decades of owning two Ericsons, I had both recovered using Sunbrella in place of the original vinyl. It won't burn the backs of your legs in the summer and won't freeze them in cold weather as vinyl tends to. In both cases, the canvas guys simply covered the 4" foam with mere dry cleaners clothing bags designed to protect the foam from too much water saturation which is inevitable and almost more importantly, facilitates getting the foam into the Sunbrella cover. The E25+'s covers were Sunbrella Toast color, a handsome look when clean but with dogs always in our lives, the second time around, I had them made in Sunbrella dark brown for way fewer washes between uses. Glyn Judson, E31 hull #55, Marina del Rey, CA

Contacts!

Here's a couple of contacts,

Sails and rudder(check that its a E23-2)
http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/showthread.php?t=4899&highlight=rudder

Rudder(25 should be the same)
http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/showthread.php?t=4764&highlight=rudder

The E23 - E27 shared many components.

IF I may be so bold, what did you pay for it? PM(private message) if you're not comfortable.

I think that my truck will pull the boat easily. I pulled my car on a heavy lowboy trailer once, and hardly noticed that it was there. The truck has 2 piston brake calipers on the front with disks on all four corners. The trailer doesn't have any brakes at all, I really don't think that I'll have much trouble stopping. I'm an experienced trailer puller, I've been pulling big travel trailers with my Grandpa since I was 15, so we should be alright. The guy was asking $500 for the boat and trailer, but I talked him down to $350. The trailer alone is worth more than all of that from what I'm seeing on the internet. My first thought was to buy the boat whole deal and sell it or salvage the boat. After taking the trip down there to look at the boat, I fell in love and can't wait to start work on her. I am going to have to get all new cushions, my wife is funny about used couches, beds, cushions, etc. It'll be much more comfy that way and smell better too. I wasn't even thinking about using a pressure washer on it, there isn't much growth on the bottom anymore after being out of the water for so long, but I was thinking of scrubbing it down with bleach inside and out to kill off all of the mold. I just hate the fact that I'm going to have to park it under an oak tree, acorns and leaves are going to find their way into it no matter how well I can cover it. Sleather, your boat is beautiful, and I like the shine that you can see on it. Mine will need a new paint job to accomplish that, luckily we have a paint shop inside the factory that I work at. Glyn, thanks for the tip on the cushions. You're from Marina Del Ray, is that anywhere near Oceanside? I was stationed there (Oceanside, Camp Pendleton) when I was in the Marines. Pretty place. I was one of the Marines that drove the AAV's around in the ocean.

W O W

Capt.Rob8129 said:

The guy was asking $500 for the boat and trailer, but I talked him down to $350. The trailer alone is worth more than all of that from what I'm seeing on the internet.

Click to expand...

WOW, that's definitely going to leave you a pretty good "rehab" budget. Good find! One in "good" condition could bring ~4K min.

Don't crush'em.....Restore them!......Where's the mast?

I live amongst the %#%&#%'n trees and it drives me nuts!

Robert, Marina del Rey is about a 10 minute drive north of LAX and about a two hour drive north of Camp Pendelton. Glyn

The mast is on the starboard side of the deck, it doesn't have one of those nice mast carriers like yours has. That would be nice.The boom is inside with the mainsail wrapped around it. I didn't even bother to look at the sail, kinda scared to, but It looks like all of the standing rigging is still there and in good shape, but the running rigging is missing or rotted. That's going to be fun, I've only sailed before, not rigged a boat up. Ya'll sure are pretty interested in this, that's pretty cool. Is the dry weight of the boat 3200# including the ballast, or do I need to add another 1200# of ballast to the 3200# of boat for the total weight? I had figured it up as 4500# of boat and ballast combined from what the specs on this site says. It sure would be nice if it was only 3200#, that would make me sleep alot better at night when I think about that trip back with the boat. My truck is rated at 5400#, so I would probably be going over the limit after you figure in any extra weight that might be hiding in the boat somewhere. It'll be okay though, a few hundred pounds won't matter much.

Free Weights

Robert, Hey we like to make a "newbie" feel at home! Rob and I are "climatically challenged", so we're bored. Plus it's great to have another E23 aboard. There's been a number of new ones in the last few months.

The 3,200# IS the hull weight, including ballast. So the whole rig on the trailer should be ~4,100#. Remember your missing the rudder(~80#) and the centerboard(heavy ~200#). The boat weighs less than it looks!

The mast support system is DIY, pretty simple, I can get you some sketches if you wish. Pics are "out" till spring(one bow roller shot) There's also a shot of the centerboard set-up.

I'm going to have MY complete "owners manual" available "soon"!

ENJOY!
.

Weight

Robert- The boat with the ballast weighs 3200 lbs, trailer another grand, misc, couple hundred. You should be fine with your Trailblazer. I still believe in surge brakes. In Wisconsin it is illegal, dont know about the "Peach" state.

Dont sell out your gel coat so quickly. There are lots of products out there that can bring it back to mirror shine. It doesnt need to shine to sail it!

Interested! God, us guys up in the frozen tundra are begging to keep thinking about sailing. We have all been on the hard for over two months, with 3+ to go.

Keep em coming

Rob Hessenius

Title?

Robert, Have you checked into the registration/title on this boat? Does the current owner(the landlord) hold the documents? There was a recent thread from a E23 owner looking for a title to his boat and it wasn't pretty.

Congrats on your find. You will find a huge amount of support for the E-23's.
I have a 1976 E-23 Mk II with the shoal (centerboard) Keel. Great boat!
This spring I ground the bottom down to the original gelcoat and put on 2 coats of antifouling. I don't think it had ever been sanded. I also sanded the black housepaint off of the hull and sprayed it with Imron paint in our factories paint booth. What a difference. To make the bottom more accessable for paint and sanding, I lifted the boat with 2 lifting straps and 2 forklifts at the shop. Let me know if you would like to borrow the straps.
As a matter of fact, you can also borrow the bow, stern and midships mast support if you would like to. Also, my boat has the liftable fiberglass rudder, but the original varnished mahoganey (spelling?) rudder and tiller are still like new stored below. Make me an offer if you are interested. I also have an extra used, but still usable, main and working jib if you are interested. Again, make me an offer. I am located 6 hours south of you in Venice, Florida. Unlike some other poor souls, our good sailing weather is just starting. Had her out twice last week. (Sorry guys). If you want to wander down this way, I would love to take you out to give you some project motivation.
I am trying to attach 2 photos, We will see how it works.
Make sure you find Bob and his newsletter. What a great source of information.
Welcome and good sailing.

Grrrrrr*********

TL, Glad to finally see yours, you and the Red Witch should get together for a "photo-op". Mine "might" be going in for a "peel" in Feb.(before OUR climatically challenged season begins) My bottom maintenance to-date has consisted of dropping-the-rollers, one side @ a time..... I HATE guys w/ fork-lifts and "factories"

Looks like Robert will be in "great-shape" soon, didn't realise there were so many "spare-parts" lying around. The funny thing is I've had my E23 for 22 years and just found the "site" while "bored-ing" about on the Internet, "Thanks Google". Is "that" mahogany rudder "lift-able"?

Bob Boe and the "letter"($10/y) can be reached at,

Bob Boe
Ericson 23 Owners Association
1472 River Road
Madison Heights, VA
24572
e-mail oleboe@aol.com

TL, I might take you up on that offer! I may be doing a Shamrock "hunting trip" in Feb-Mar and there are quite a "few" in Fl. Perhaps I can share some old "racing tips" for some "tiller-time" and maybe a bunk?

E-23

I spoke with the guy that I got the boat from about the title before I even went down to see the boat, and it's all there. Clean and clear title.

TL, nice boat. Good choice in colors and it looks great. Thanks for the offer on the stuff. I'm gonna take you up on it, but it will be a few months, I've got alot of work to do before I can even think of putting her in the water. I can't wait to get her here and start working on her. It was 75 degrees here today, perfect day to work on the boat, not to be stuck at the welding table.

I sure am glad that the whole boat only weighs 3200#. I was afraid that it was alot heavier than that. Would it be too stressful on the hull to take it in and out of the water every time that I take her out.

E-23

Robert-
No there are no issues with stress on the hull by dry launching the boat as needed. If you get the mast raising system down it will make it go much faster. I dont know what the "slip/mooring" scene is like in Savannah, but I would guess that they go for a premium.

I agree with you, I really like the color scheme that TwistedLogic has got going on. My boat is the same colors, but opposite. I have had a few thoughts of reversing the colors too.

Regards,
Rob Hessenius

Slippage!

Robert, Another thing to consider between trailering or keeping it in a slip is that some marinas offer dry storage(on the trailer) w/ the mast up & rigged. You just launch-and-go! Trust me, you don't want to be raising-and-lowering the mast any more than you have to(it's a beast).