• 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)

Ericson 30+ the first 10 months

Last year at this time we were in the process of looking for the right boat. I think we were starting from a place of what looked right. The engine started, the boat was in good shape, it was well built and had the right layout to suit our needs. I have to say one of the selling points to buying an Ericson was this group and the incredible wealth of knowledge.

10 months later...What we now know.

First, we love our boat. Our biggest challenge in year one is the struggle between sailing and working on the boat. We love doing both, but somehow sailing always wins. Both my husband and I are still working so if it is a nice day we were sailing. The boat it had been maintained by the PO, so many of the nice to do projects could be delayed. Now that fall has set in it is time to review our checklist (gathered from one of my earlier questions). I know this is easy to say on a rainy day with no wind, but a few of the items that have creeped up are now more of a need to do versus nice to do.

So, what have we done in the first 10 months
- new radio - it turns out the radio we had wasn't connected to the cable
- new chart plotter - temporary hook up until we complete the system
- woodwork: rails, companionway ladder, cockpit table
- lines - new sheets and halyards (still more to change) and set up for using the spinnaker (even though it took us months to work up the courage to use it)
- sail repair - genoa stitching
- propane - safety fix and then stripped a fitting and had to replace the hose (day one of our first week long trip)
- new safety gear (personal and boat)
- new head, hoses and pump (we didn't replace the pump when we changed out the hoses and head and it was the one thing that failed on our summer trip)
- battle of the bilge - still battling some oil in the bilge. No leaks anywhere, but we think it may be remnants from the compass that completely drained into the bilge *new theory.
- engine - changed the heat exchanger and thermostat and general maintenance
- oxidation on the gelcoat - still working on this. Frank provided me some great tips and products to try.
- new batteries (day 3 of our second trip) We still are having some issues here that we need to dig into
- New dodger - I learned that you shouldn't scrub the dodger with a brush and the products you use can eat through the fabric

I think that covers it... It seems like we have done a bit of work and managed to still get in sailing on the nice days. As a new owner what we have discovered is the pleasure of owning a boat is more than sailing, it is about making it yours. Understanding ever inch of the boat, but also knowing if you uncertain there will come a day that you will learn about it.

The funny thing is that even though there is work to do, you can still enjoy the boat. There will always be projects and things to improve, but what is the most amazing part of owning a sailboat is the endless opportunities to learn.

From a sailing perspective - we have improved our skills and have both honed our skills as crew and skipper.

End result. The sky is lifting, time to head to the boat and see if it will be a working on the boat day or turn into a sail day.
 
Last edited:
Top