1975 Ericson 35 mk II minimum HP requirements

Hello everyone,

First post and just bought an ericson 35 that I am restoring and putting a new engine in.

I am now looking at a 16 hp universal made diesel but my question is if 16 hp would be adequate for this boat.

I am also looking at a 25 hp but the 16 is much more closer to my financial range.

Thank you all for your opinions.

One person's adequate might be another person's insufficient.
Having lived with an 11K displacement boat with a 23 hp diesel for 20 years, I would not want any less.

I do know of a couple that went blue water cruising in their Cascade 36 with a newly-installed Betamarine 20, and they have been happy with it. They sail every chance they get and value it as much for it's alternator output as for moving their boat. That hull is easily-driven, also.
So opinions, even learned ones, do vary on what is enough.

Loren

Hi,

We have a Universal 16 hp diesel engine on our E30+. It runs well and we are generally happy with it; however, we have been in some strong winds and waves--25 - 35 knots and 3 - 6 foot waves--where I had to put up sails to keep making headway as the engine alone was not strong enough to power through. So if you plan on being in those kind of conditions, I would recommend a stronger engine for a 35 foot boat.
I'm sure others will have opinions as well.

Frank

I think there is a general guideline of 2hp per 1000lbs of boat. That would mean about 22hp would be right. But mine came with an old tired Atomic Four. A great engine that was rated at 30hp when new. It probably never really had that much power more like 20hp. My old tired one probably put out 10 and it got me in and out of the marina. I finally put in a 27 real hp yanmar. More than enough power.

I'm sure you already know that you will probably have to change the engine beds and fuel (tank) system. It's no small job.

Good Luck

E35-2 engine

The 16 would be underpowered. You would tend to push it harder than you should to get anywhere. If you are only going in and out of the Marina, it would be fine. You need at least 20hp to be a good match.

19 HP not great

My 1972 E35-2 has a Universal M3 20B, which I think is about 18-19 HP. I put on a full 3 blade prop to maximize maneuverability. I have major difficulty trying to steer backing down, and performance forward is sluggish, although engine seems to run very well. I dream of 25-30 HP. Fortunately, I am in San Diego Bay, where tidal currents are negligible.

Do factor in eventual resale, when the correct engine will probably make up for the difference in prices. Even a brand-new 16 hp engine in a 35-foot boat would put off many buyers.

Our 35-II had the 20 hp yanmar and a 3 blade max prop. This was adequate for getting around. But we never motored anywhere near hull speed, even in calm water. The 16 you mention would not be enough, IMO. The 25 would be ok, but 30 would be even better.

Other Issues to Consider

Here are a few more things that will require horsepower:

Big Alternator - My E36RH has a Balmar 100 amp alternator that has a shut off switch because it can take up to 4 HP to drive it.

Bottom condition - always clean or growth accumulating all season?

Longer Trips - motoring all day to a destination or down the ICW to Florida. I'd rather cruise at hull speed at reduced rpm if I had to do it all day (or day after day).

Type of prop - If you like a folding prop like I do, a few more HP are advantageous. My E33RH displaced 9500 pounds on a waterline slightly longer than the 35-2. It had a 21 HP diesel that pushed it to hull speed at 2/3 max rpm.

Long Term Value - I agree with Christian. I consider the condition of the engine (low hours/repowered/diesel vs gas) one of the prime factors in determining the value of a used boat because the cost impact of repowering is such a large percentage of the total value of the boat. If you are planning on a restoration and using the boat yourself for some period of time, you will get to use all the benefits of the new engine and add value to your project for the eventual day when you sell.

Installation Cost/Effort - As costly and time consuming repowering can be, it just doesn't make sense to me to do it halfway. If I am going to commit the time and energy to the repower, I'm going to put in an engine that gets me the performance that meets my needs.

Put the 0.02 in your repower kitty!

Mark