mark reed
Member III
My wife and I have been living aboard our E38 for the past 7 months now, cruising from Oregon down the California coast to Mexico. We have been as far south as Manzanillo, and are now headed north towards the Sea of Cortez for spring.
We didn't really envision doing a cruise of this length when we bought this boat, but when it came time to go cruising, we decided that we couldn't afford to get a bigger or more "blue water" boat and that we could make this one work. And so far, it has been a surprisingly good cruising platform.
Relative strengths we've noted:
1. Sailing performance, especially in light airs. We don't need as much wind to make a reasonable speed under sail as most of the other boats we've encountered down here.
2. Ease of handling. We can get underway quickly and manage the boat short-handed. Control lines led to the cockpit help. The spade rudder makes the boat easy to maneuver in close quarters.
3. Comfortable layout for two persons, with plenty of seating positions, and ventilation. The galley is well laid-out and easy to use.
4. Limited exterior maintenance (very little to varnish).
5. Adequate water capacity in multiple tanks. This has been helpful in dealing with uncertain water quality and lack of a watermaker. We find that the two of us can get by for 3 weeks with our 85 gallons. We only add bottled water to the middle tank, and use that for drinking. We aren't as picky when we fill the other two tanks. We run it through a 10 micron filter and treat it with Clorox if quality is suspect. We've spent less than $50 on water and have only had to hump loads a few times. Usually we fill from a hose and/or bottles while dockside.
6. Adequate fuel capacity (54 gal). Many cruisers down here carry rows of jerry jugs on deck. We brought one jug with us, but we haven't kept it filled for the past few months. Reliable fuel is easy to find down here.
Weaknesses we've noted:
1. Limited stowage (although it seems that everyone we meet has the same complaint, no matter what size boat they're on). Biggest items on our stowage wish list would be a second propane locker and a designated locker for gasoline (we carry 5 gal on deck and our 2.5 gal dinghy tank in the anchor locker).
2. Inefficient refrigeration system (stock icebox with Adler-Barbour Cold Machine). But again, most boaters we talk to also find that refrigeration is their main problem, in terms of energy use.
3. Leaky mast (seems to be an Ericson trait). Luckily we have had very little rain, but we're concerned about leaving the boat for any length of time in the tropics.
Most valuable equipment, based on amount of use and impact on our lifestyle:
1. Electric anchor windlass. The PO installed a Lofrans, and it has worked flawlessly on a daily basis. We're using a 55lb Rocna anchor w/ 5/16" chain, and that system has worked very well. We've only needed a stern hook once so far. We have spent as much as 30 days in a row on the hook.
2. Honda 2000w generator. We bought this based on feedback from others who had cruised Mexico before us. We didn't need it at all until we got to tropical waters, but we use it every other day while at anchor down here, which saves wear on the main engine. We operate it on the side deck just forward of the cockpit, and we keep it in the cockpit footwell, unless we are doing a long passage, in which case we stow it in the starboard cockpit locker. If we didn't have refrigeration, we wouldn't need it at all, as the solar panels would keep up with other needs.
3. Bimini for sun protection while sailing. We've also got a cloth that zips between the bimini and dodger, for really hot days, and some garden shade cloth (Home Depot) that we rig as a boom tent at anchor.
4. Avon RIBLite dinghy with 8hp outboard and wheels. It has a folding transom, and we can stow it flat, athwartships just forward of the traveler, on passage. It will plane with 2 of us, and it will hold 4 when needed (not often).
5. Windvane. After much deliberation, we went with a Hydrovane, and we are very happy with it. It is easy to use (the Admiral can operate it), it doesn't use electricity, it works on all points of sail and in fairly light airs, and it could serve as an emergency rudder in the event we lost the main rudder.
6. Single sideband radio. Some of the younger cruisers prefer to carry satphones for emergency use, but we like checking into the cruiser nets and hearing what other boaters are up to.
Least valuable equipment, based on the amount of use:
1. Solar shower. This was a surprise, as we used it all the time in the PNW. Down here, the water in the tanks is warm enough, and the shower wand in the cockpit is very convenient.
2. Inflatable kayaks. They are lightweight, but they do take up space, and we just don't use them often enough to justify having them onboard. And BTW, we were avid sea kayakers before we had our boat, and we also carried folding kayaks while in the Pacific Northwest that we used all the time. Its different in the heat.
3. Jerry jug for diesel (see comment above under "strengths")
We have met very few other Ericsons actively cruising: one couple in their twenties on an Ericson 29, and a couple in their thirties on an E38 like ours. The majority of boats we've encountered are heavier, more traditional boats. But based on our experience so far, we are very happy with our decision to cruise on the E38. We will spend at least one more season in Mexico. After that, who knows?
We didn't really envision doing a cruise of this length when we bought this boat, but when it came time to go cruising, we decided that we couldn't afford to get a bigger or more "blue water" boat and that we could make this one work. And so far, it has been a surprisingly good cruising platform.
Relative strengths we've noted:
1. Sailing performance, especially in light airs. We don't need as much wind to make a reasonable speed under sail as most of the other boats we've encountered down here.
2. Ease of handling. We can get underway quickly and manage the boat short-handed. Control lines led to the cockpit help. The spade rudder makes the boat easy to maneuver in close quarters.
3. Comfortable layout for two persons, with plenty of seating positions, and ventilation. The galley is well laid-out and easy to use.
4. Limited exterior maintenance (very little to varnish).
5. Adequate water capacity in multiple tanks. This has been helpful in dealing with uncertain water quality and lack of a watermaker. We find that the two of us can get by for 3 weeks with our 85 gallons. We only add bottled water to the middle tank, and use that for drinking. We aren't as picky when we fill the other two tanks. We run it through a 10 micron filter and treat it with Clorox if quality is suspect. We've spent less than $50 on water and have only had to hump loads a few times. Usually we fill from a hose and/or bottles while dockside.
6. Adequate fuel capacity (54 gal). Many cruisers down here carry rows of jerry jugs on deck. We brought one jug with us, but we haven't kept it filled for the past few months. Reliable fuel is easy to find down here.
Weaknesses we've noted:
1. Limited stowage (although it seems that everyone we meet has the same complaint, no matter what size boat they're on). Biggest items on our stowage wish list would be a second propane locker and a designated locker for gasoline (we carry 5 gal on deck and our 2.5 gal dinghy tank in the anchor locker).
2. Inefficient refrigeration system (stock icebox with Adler-Barbour Cold Machine). But again, most boaters we talk to also find that refrigeration is their main problem, in terms of energy use.
3. Leaky mast (seems to be an Ericson trait). Luckily we have had very little rain, but we're concerned about leaving the boat for any length of time in the tropics.
Most valuable equipment, based on amount of use and impact on our lifestyle:
1. Electric anchor windlass. The PO installed a Lofrans, and it has worked flawlessly on a daily basis. We're using a 55lb Rocna anchor w/ 5/16" chain, and that system has worked very well. We've only needed a stern hook once so far. We have spent as much as 30 days in a row on the hook.
2. Honda 2000w generator. We bought this based on feedback from others who had cruised Mexico before us. We didn't need it at all until we got to tropical waters, but we use it every other day while at anchor down here, which saves wear on the main engine. We operate it on the side deck just forward of the cockpit, and we keep it in the cockpit footwell, unless we are doing a long passage, in which case we stow it in the starboard cockpit locker. If we didn't have refrigeration, we wouldn't need it at all, as the solar panels would keep up with other needs.
3. Bimini for sun protection while sailing. We've also got a cloth that zips between the bimini and dodger, for really hot days, and some garden shade cloth (Home Depot) that we rig as a boom tent at anchor.
4. Avon RIBLite dinghy with 8hp outboard and wheels. It has a folding transom, and we can stow it flat, athwartships just forward of the traveler, on passage. It will plane with 2 of us, and it will hold 4 when needed (not often).
5. Windvane. After much deliberation, we went with a Hydrovane, and we are very happy with it. It is easy to use (the Admiral can operate it), it doesn't use electricity, it works on all points of sail and in fairly light airs, and it could serve as an emergency rudder in the event we lost the main rudder.
6. Single sideband radio. Some of the younger cruisers prefer to carry satphones for emergency use, but we like checking into the cruiser nets and hearing what other boaters are up to.
Least valuable equipment, based on the amount of use:
1. Solar shower. This was a surprise, as we used it all the time in the PNW. Down here, the water in the tanks is warm enough, and the shower wand in the cockpit is very convenient.
2. Inflatable kayaks. They are lightweight, but they do take up space, and we just don't use them often enough to justify having them onboard. And BTW, we were avid sea kayakers before we had our boat, and we also carried folding kayaks while in the Pacific Northwest that we used all the time. Its different in the heat.
3. Jerry jug for diesel (see comment above under "strengths")
We have met very few other Ericsons actively cruising: one couple in their twenties on an Ericson 29, and a couple in their thirties on an E38 like ours. The majority of boats we've encountered are heavier, more traditional boats. But based on our experience so far, we are very happy with our decision to cruise on the E38. We will spend at least one more season in Mexico. After that, who knows?
