E32-2 review from way back

[Schrewsburyduo]

For those of us with 32-2's from back then... I found this review from Boating magazine. It looks like November 1971. The review starts around page 42, and you have to follow the pages -- it skips to page 61 I think. I couldn't figure out a way to export the article to pfd to post here, so hence the link, but it looks like the link will be stable as it's google books. Seems interesting to see this boat reviewed back in its glory days. Also of interest is the tour of the plant, and the glass layup schedule...

http://books.google.com/books?id=HS...=onepage&q=moulton farnham larry kean&f=false

 

[Rick R.]

Great article. Thanks for posting.

Its neat that they had all 150. Employees learn how to sail so they understood the reasons behind what the were manufacturing.

 

[Schrewsburyduo]

Yes I thought that was interesting too about the afternoon sails.... Pretty visionary for their times. One thing I would have liked to know (maybe Seth can weigh in..) I don't know whether the 32-2 was made in two halves (the hull) and seamed, or was it laid up in one piece. Would be interesting to know.

 

[PDX]

Pretty sure all the embedded ballast Ericsons were laid up in two halves and then seamed. On my boat the transom was a separate piece, and the seam was a ten inch layer of roving going down the center.

 

[Schrewsburyduo]

Thats what I thought - I was curious why they didn't mention it in the article.

 

[PDX]

They probably didn't mention it because everyone was doing it. It was an extremely common construction technique in 1969, particularly among West Coast boat builders. I imagine it would be extremely difficult to build an internally ballasted fin keel boat without laying up separate halves. And internal ballast was considered an improvement in 1969. Ericson used to call attention to it in its brochures as a means of avoiding rusted keel bolts.

The big downside to this technique is not that the two hull halves will split apart. It is that you would need separate plugs for different keel shapes and sizes. The internally ballasted Ericsons only had one keel shape/size available. With externally ballasted keels you can offer an assortment of drafts/shapes just by bolting on a different keel.

 

[Loren Beach]

One small bit of trivia, if I may...
Some builders routinely used a take-apart mold set for hull designs that had some tumblehome in the sides. That way the hull could be laid up normally and the two "halves" of the hull were then unbolted down a centerline flange and jacked apart.

Matter of fact, the cockpit and interior molds of the Ray Richards-designed Rangers were done this way. More labor intensive to build but the seat bases angled back and the boats have a lot of foot room that was not possible otherwise.

(We owned several Ranger 20's and I used to crew on a Ranger 24. Both boats used solid lead internal ballast, and had one-piece hulls. Note that it's possible to misunderstand the method of molding them out when observing a one inch "seam" in the gel coat down the outside of the centerline where the little ridge was faired out after the hull was removed from its molds.)

Regards,
Loren

 

[Schrewsburyduo]

I have seen the rangers and wondered how they actually did that in one plug since the sides bend inwards at the top - they are so easy to tell they are rangers. That makes a lot of sense then. So how did the seam the Ericsons down the middle? Just fiberglass tape? Were there any bolts? I heard of some horror stories where in transport a 32-2 got split down the back of the keel, presumably when they went over a big pothole. I am asking as i am about to transport a 32-2 for 90 miles on the road. Should I beef up with FG any area where the seams are on the inside?

 

[Seth]

Not likely

It is true that the halves were joined with a heavy and wide fiberglass bond (no bolts), but I would be shocked if there is any cause for concern or reinforcement in this area. I can think of only one instance where this caused a problem and that was on a 37 or 39 IIRC (class? anyone? corrections welcome!) in very heavy offshore conditions thousands of miles from land. In the meantime, tons of these boats have completed very long offshore passages without problems. Voice of Reason, a 32-2 from Socal is actively raced offshore with modern sails so is subject to much higher than "normal" loading (she is pushed very hard) and AFAIK has had no structural issues relating to the hull seam. Don't worry, be happy.

S

I have seen the rangers and wondered how they actually did that in one plug since the sides bend inwards at the top - they are so easy to tell they are rangers. That makes a lot of sense then. So how did the seam the Ericsons down the middle? Just fiberglass tape? Were there any bolts? I heard of some horror stories where in transport a 32-2 got split down the back of the keel, presumably when they went over a big pothole. I am asking as i am about to transport a 32-2 for 90 miles on the road. Should I beef up with FG any area where the seams are on the inside?

 

[Loren Beach]

I have seen the rangers and wondered how they actually did that in one plug since the sides bend inwards at the top - they are so easy to tell they are rangers. That makes a lot of sense then. So how did the seam the Ericsons down the middle? Just fiberglass tape? Were there any bolts? I heard of some horror stories where in transport a 32-2 got split down the back of the keel, presumably when they went over a big pothole. I am asking as i am about to transport a 32-2 for 90 miles on the road. Should I beef up with FG any area where the seams are on the inside?

Note that the layup is likely continuous in many other boats with tumblehome in their topsides -- the Ranger Yachts 37 and its related designs might be this way also, but I do not know for sure.
I do know more about the Rangers from Kent, WA, as I was a dealer for a while and watched some of them being made. Over a period of years I owned three different R-20's and raced several of them a lot.

They all had a thru-bolted hull/deck joint, too.

Loren