# Am I Insane or What?



## Aragorn47 (Jun 14, 2012)

Longtime powerboater that lost my mind and rescued (bought) a forgotten Ericson (Crealock) 26 vintage 1968! What was I thinking. The cabin cleaned up great, and now to get the barnacle/mussel condominium down below vacated and painted. OK I caved and bought an outboard motor to do what the sails should if I only knew how. Steve


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## CalebD (Jan 11, 2008)

Try a dull cold chisel and a hammer on your barnacle condominium. Use the hammer gently at first. It will all come off but not without your help.
Congrats on the boat. These look like the specs for the E/Crealock 26: ERICSON 26 (CREALOCK) sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com
The outboard motor will come in handy. So will the sails when you learn how to use 'em.

My boat is from 1967. A Tartan 27', so I'm not really qualified to say that you're more "what" then "insane".

Enjoy.


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## Stumble (Feb 2, 2012)

Lol, gotta love cleaning barnacles. 

My advice is go to Lowes and buy a hoe, ya the gardening tool. Then take a blow torch and heat the neck where it bends 90 degrees untill it is red hot, then bend the neck out. This will give you a flat hoe that will make short work of barnacles. Sanding can take the residue off...

But if you are willing to play with chemicals, muratic acid will disolve the organic glue, and shells off in nothing flat. The only problem is it will also eat your flesh, metal, rocks, pavement, ect... Used sparingly it can make a slog of a clean up a breeze. Used in quantity it can make an even bigger mess.


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

Aragorn47 said:


> Longtime powerboater...


That was the insane part. 



Aragorn47 said:


> ... that lost my mind and rescued (bought) a forgotten Ericson (Crealock) 26 vintage 1968! What was I thinking. ...


Now you're seeing the light.

Welcome.


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## Aragorn47 (Jun 14, 2012)

Tks all for your encouragement. Will see you out there after the barnacles are dealt with, bottom painted, and if the creek don't rise.


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## Capt Len (Oct 9, 2011)

The job is similar to stripping old shingles off a roof. same tools but working over hand.Lots of under employed roofers out there to help.


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## Justapersona (Oct 25, 2010)

Aragorn47 - yep, you're crazy. Welcome aboard, as they say.

Stumble's advice to (laboriously) straighten a hoe seems silly if you can just find a FLAT HOE. However, after thinking I could post a link to one for sale at Home Depot or something (I can't find any)... maybe you'd do well to follow Stumble's advice.










Don't give up on using the sails. You'll be glad you got it.

And a Crealock! That's great.


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## Stumble (Feb 2, 2012)

Justaperson,

I tried to find a link too, but couldn't. I have made them, but it really is easier if you can just go buy it, sadly I don't know where to do that.


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