Little Ericsons, big problems?

[CalebD]

Specs of an Ericson 27'
ERICSON 27 sailboat on sailboatdata.com
Specs of my Tartan 27'
TARTAN 27 sailboat on sailboatdata.com
Specs of a Catalina 27'
CATALINA 27 sailboat on sailboatdata.com

These three boats displace about the same amount of weight/water. The nearly full keel of the Tartan allows it to track nicely, even in some sloppy conditions but the full keel make it a bit slower to come about when compared to the other fin keel models with spade rudders.

The fin keel and spade rudders probably make them a bit more prone to "quick motions in a seaway" as reed1v mentions. I'm not an expert so it would be nice to hear from Jeff_H on this one.

SloopJonB is also correct that every boat owner finds some way to extol the virtues of their own model. I really like my old classic plastic Tartan 27' - proof enough. If I owned a Catalina or Hunter I'd probably feel the same way.

[blt2ski]

There are three E27's on my dock, they go now where. 2 of the E27's I have yet to see leave a slip in the 4 yrs I have been here. One does move once a year for 2-3 weeks....

That said. Ericsons have a good overall rep with folks that have them. Then again, So does Hunter! Ericson was on the upper end of quality from a basic style boat back in the day. Not as pricy as a Swan, but not as cheap as a Hunter.....

Marty

[Springline]

Hah! blt2ski, I'm not sure I can imagine a greater range than Hunter to Swan!
Also, thanks a bunch for the links Caleb. I've actually looked at a couple of C25s and C27s, and they're not bad boats, but I'm going to explore all my options. I'm still trying to figure out what I like, and why I like it.

[blt2ski]

Reality is, in a mid 20-30' boat, there is not a lot a manufacture can do to boats to really make them standout per say, other than floor plan, and inner cabin material. And for the most part, for models like you are looking at, back in the day, there was more true wood inside than todays boats with faux wood per say. Even my 85 jeanneau has real wood, well, even todays do, but a wood fiber teak to look like real wood over plywood. I do have a lot of teak plywood too.

Depending upon price, look at some of the older Jeanneau and Beneteaus. Islander, San Juan, C&C, to name a few more that have mid 20-30' boats that might work.

marty

[jsnaulty]

it's "per se", meaning 'it speaks for itself'

[CalebD]

As in: This thread ended about 5 months ago per stirpes, per se.

If you caught that grammatical error you are going to have a field day around here per say[sic].

[reed1v]

Originally Posted by blt2ski

There are three E27's on my dock, they go now where. 2 of the E27's I have yet to see leave a slip in the 4 yrs I have been here. One does move once a year for 2-3 weeks....

That said. Ericsons have a good overall rep with folks that have them. Then again, So does Hunter! Ericson was on the upper end of quality from a basic style boat back in the day. Not as pricy as a Swan, but not as cheap as a Hunter.....

Marty

try out the ericsons' cockpits. i found them very uncomfortable. low back rests, too cramped to brace feet against opposite lockers, and shallow cockpits(great if your going through a hurricane, not so great otherwise). the ergonomics of the cockpit really is an area that can make or break the pleasure of sailing. only way to tell is to try them out to see what fits yourself.

[oneshotonekill]

I'm also looking at an upper 20's boat. Sabre is at the top of my list, followed by Erickson and Catalina. I did some calculations based on LOA, LWL, Beam, Ballast, Displacement, and etc., and I feel most comfortable with the Sabre. this is also do to what I've heard about build quality. Of course, if it's not been maintained in years, it's likely a dog - pure and simple. since I'm new at this, does it sound like I'm on track?

[reed1v]

Originally Posted by oneshotonekill

I'm also looking at an upper 20's boat. Sabre is at the top of my list, followed by Erickson and Catalina. I did some calculations based on LOA, LWL, Beam, Ballast, Displacement, and etc., and I feel most comfortable with the Sabre. this is also do to what I've heard about build quality. Of course, if it's not been maintained in years, it's likely a dog - pure and simple. since I'm new at this, does it sound like I'm on track?

yes, sabres are way above the other two in quality and seaworthiness. imho ericsons should not be allowed on the open ocean. ok for lakes and bays. butler's catalinas have proven themselves worldwide but tender boats. sabres have proven themselves in hurricanes, extreme climates, etc. think you will find sabre relatively easy to bring back to bristol condition. doubt if you will find even an abused one that has structural problems. now about those decks that pop free of the hulls in the other brand....

[mikel1]

An E27 held the record for a while between Japan and San Fran. . . .one of the things they are known for is the build quality! . . . Sabre . . . Catalina!? Really?