Ranger 33 to an Ericson 34?

[Queequeg]

I am considering upgrading from a 1975 Ranger 33 to an 1987 Ericson 34 and would like some advice from Ericson owners.

Things that I like about the Ranger 33
-Speed (under sail)
-Encapsulated lead keel (no keel bolts)
-Seaworthy design (no weather helm)
-Turning radius
-Great looking boat

Things I would like to gain
-Interior room and quality joinery, more wood
-Skeg hung rudder (Ranger 33’s rudder hung from a post, no skeg, I am always afraid of it falling off)
-Speed under power
-Less maintenance
-Room for davits

I like the Ericsons large interior (3 cabin) and history of quality construction.
Was the 87 model made by Pacific Seacraft?
How is the blistering?
Does it have a skeg hung rudder?
Teak and holly sole?
Any problems with the keel bolts?
What is a fair price for a good condition 87 Ericson 34?

[Jeff_H]

If I am not mistaken, 1987 was around the year that Pac Seacraft bought out Ericson so I am not sure whether these are Ericsons or PSC''s. They are a nice boat that should offer better fit and finish than the Ranger. Working down your list the deep keel model offers a significant speed advantage over your old Ranger 33. The shallow keel model offers much less of an advantage. The Ranger is getting to an age where the encapulated keel could become an expensive problem. It is not unusual in a boat of this age to find that the encapsulation envelope has separated from the ballast. A proper repair is very expensive. I have never heard anything one way or another about Ericson/PSC''s keelbolts. I don''t know if the Ericson 34 will provide more room. I believe that the original Eriscon built 34''s used a post hung rudder and that PSC added skegs to some of the models that they continued to produce.I don''t know if the 34 was one of them. I do not think that you can add davits capable of holding much weight. These boats have a fairly long overhang and small transom area and so would tend to squat with the weight of davits, a dinghy with an engine hung off of the transom.

They seem to sell for somewhere between the mid $50k to low $60 range which is moderately expensive for a boat from that era.

Jeff

[RichardElliott]

I was told that my ''89 was built by Ericson, but the owner''s manual has a Pacific Seacraft cover. Blistering is minor, but the surveyor said that you can''t tell from one boat to another whether they will occur. She''s a powerful sailer with 6''2" draft. We love the aft cabin and quality of finish. We upgraded to a North furling 150, hard dodger, refrigeration and chartplotter. Power is a Universal M25XP.

[BillWorsley]

I am the third owner of a 1987 Ericson 34-2 hull # 224 that I cruise on Lake Pontchartrain and the Gulf coast. Previously, I owned a 1974 Ranger 29 that I raced. You will greatly enjoy all aspects of the Ericson 34.

There are two models of the Ericson 34. The older one, called 34T, was made in the 70s and early 80s. It has the pinched IOR stern and would be difficult to add davits. The later model, 34-2 or 34, was made by Ericson from the early 80s to early 90s - much wider stern. In ''89 - 91 or so most all the Ericson hulls were made in Mexico and seem to be more subject to blisters. I have had no blister problems with mine. Pacific Seacraft started making 3 Ericson models(the 32 as a PSC 330, the 34 as the PSC 350 and the 38 as the PSC 380) in about 1992. PSC no longer makes any Ericsons.

FYI - the Ericson 35-3 has essentially the same hull specs/dimensions as the Ericson 34 but the interior layout is different. The 35 is a 2-cabin layout with forward head and v-berth as master; whereas, the 34 has the aft head and aft cabin as master.

The Ericson 34 does not have a skeg hung rudder - it is spade. My 34 has the 6''2" draft and rates 126 PHRF. The shoal draft is 4''11" and rates about 132. I think your Ranger rates about 156. I have had no problems with the ss keel bolts or the teak and holly sole. Only problem I have had is mast leak(runs directly to bilge) which is common for most all keel stepped masts.

Ericson owners have a website:
http://www.ericsonyachts.com/
Under "owners/yacht registry" you can find about 10 E-34 owners and their e-mails.

There are several E-34s listed on yachtworld.com from 1987 to 1990 listed at 60K to 80K. The pictures will illustrate the excellent interior craftsmanship and joinery work.

Another good resource is the Ericson site sponsored by Sailnet.com. You may want to join if you have more questions in general.

If you wish to discuss further, please contact me off line.

Where are you located?

[RichardElliott]

I have an 89 which is an excellent sailer on Puget Sound with a furling 150. She passed survey in April with only four blisters, each about the size of a quarter. I have added a hard dodger, autopilot, GPS plotter and "stern perch" seats which mount on the sides of the stern pulpit.