# Is Ericson 35 1972 built for offshore cruising?



## guggech (May 1, 2015)

Hi,

I am contemplating purchasing a Ericson 35' 1972. Is this boat built for offshore cruising?

Thank you for your help

Charles


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## kd3pc (Oct 19, 2006)

Good boat, and they were used offshore....I would be more concerned with the age and condition than the design.

It is not an "Offshore" boat by any stretch, it was built for coastal cruising. It may have been upgraded over it's life and could be used easily on the Bays of the US.

Be aware it is an aged boat.


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

Ever been off shore? Would you go offshore on a 40 year old boat? I wouldn't! 

You joined the site didn't introduce yourself?


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

i know of more than 3 folks went to sea in ericson 35mII
good boats. 
weather helm 
fast.
solid production boat with encapsulated keel. 
i was gonna do it with mine before i found my 40 ft boat.
i would rather go to sea in a solid 40 yr old boat than in a new production boat.
my formosa is close to 40 yrs old. 
ericson had solid hull, not cored. encapsulated keel
would you take a sloop offshore?? 
look at the boat and compare with others of newer builds and see for yourself. 
i would do it. 
i owned one.


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## Ajax_MD (Nov 24, 2009)

deniseO30 said:


> Ever been off shore? Would you go offshore on a 40 year old boat? I wouldn't!
> 
> You joined the site didn't introduce yourself?


Denise,

You are highly skilled and intelligent, and have been on this site for so long, that I can't believe you actually made that statement.

You know full well that usage history, maintenance and upkeep has far more to do with a boat's health than simple age. Just because the boat is old, doesn't mean that it has been neglected.

Much newer boats have been in the news lately, for dropping keels and killing or stranding their crews offshore.


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## aeventyr60 (Jun 29, 2011)

How was it upgraded over the years? Age of chain plates, standing rigging, mast, rudder, engine, sails etc etc..most of these will have been replaced several times by conscientous owners. How much money has been spent on the boat recently?...Older boat and a fixer upper then walk away...lovingly kept and upgraded then maybe you have a solid boat to explore with.


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## guggech (May 1, 2015)

Thank you all for your replies. It is appreciated

Charles


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## nolatom (Jun 29, 2005)

What do you mean by offshore cruising? Ocean passages of more than a week? I too think of it as more of a coastal boat, where you make port instead of riding out really bad weather at sea.

Thing is, and as others have well said, if the hull, deck, and hull-deck bonding are sound, then you would look at (meaning "replace") any standing rigging that's elderly or sketchy.

Plus the through-hulls and rudder post. 

Though not (in my opinion) heavy enough to be an ocean-crosser, it would probably make it if nothing broke, and probably has done so, I wouldn't know.

But "Ericson" doesn't come quickly to mind as a blue-water boat. Neither does "really old Triton", but they have made it too, only 28'. Good weather is a big factor in how sketchy a boat gets there.


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

I'm getting mean in my old age LOL Nah..


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## Nancyleeny (Jun 2, 2014)

zeehag said:


> i know of more than 3 folks went to sea in ericson 35mII
> good boats.
> weather helm
> fast.
> ...


This is one of the two boats my husband and I fell in love with last year. A MKII. Glad to hear another opinion that it's a good, solid boat.


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## PitApe (Feb 28, 2015)

With a couple of exceptions, Ericsons were designed and built for coastal/weekend use. However, as others have mentioned, a number of Ericsons have been used for bluewater cruising. Well maintained and beefed up a bit they are not a bad choice for bluewater. But there a many boats that are much better.


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

Nancyleeny said:


> This is one of the two boats my husband and I fell in love with last year. A MKII. Glad to hear another opinion that it's a good, solid boat.


nancy there's a E32 in my club and it's for sale. 8000 or less


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## Jeff_H (Feb 26, 2000)

I know these boats pretty well. I raced on one that was almost new back in the early-1970's and a different one around 1980. That was back in the day when race crews helped maintain the boats we raced. 

As others have said, these were conceived a race boats, or racer cruisers. They would not make a particularly good boat if offshore cruising were your primary goal. 

From a build quality standpoint, Ericson was neither a top of the line builder nor the bottom of the ladder shop. They were early adopters of internal framing systems, which meant that the boat could be lighter and stronger than many of their competitors. For a race boat these boats had nice interiors but very simply finished. Systems were simple in those days, and so were serviceable, but not in keeping with later standards. 

The Ericson 35-2 (which is what a 1972 model would be) deck hardware, winches in particular, would be considered undersized as compared to the equipment that would be standard on boats of this weight and sail area. 

In terms of sailing ability, Ericson 35-2 were a revelation when they first appeared on the race course. Compared to the boats which came before them, they were fast, and pointed very well. They were better boats in light air or in heavy weather boats than the CCA boats which preceded them. But compared to modern designs, or boats which are truly intended for offshore use, these were tough boats to handle in heavy weather, and they do not perform particularly well in light air. 

I was actually aboard one in big waves and moderately high winds. It was a real battle even with a very skilled and strong crew. The issue with this boat, like many from this era was that they were heavily dependent on using very large headsails in order to sail well in light to moderate breezes, but quickly built up a lot of weather helm as the the wind picked up into the high teens. I think we typically reefed around 15 knots and had a second reef by 20 knots. We typically switched down to smaller jibs somewhere around 18 knots as well. I believe that we had four jibs on that boat, would go through quite a few sail changes in any kind of rising and falling winds. A furler might cut the number of sails, but more frequent sail changes still will be required than I would consider idea. These boats did develop a lot of weather helm in a breeze and depended on a lot of weight on their rail in a stiff breeze. 

These boats also did not seem to tolerate carrying a lot of weight. It really seemed to hurt performance and motion comfort. 

The only structural problem that seemed to bother these boats was the rudder/rudder post attachment. The boat I was on had its second rudder and I have seen other 35-2 owners talking about that problem as well. 

So, while I still think these were exceptionally good boats for their era, I would not recommend them if serious passage making is in your plans. 

Jeff


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## braidmike (Sep 3, 2003)

Haven't been here in a while... We've been cruising Mexico on a '72 Ericson 35 for a couple years now. Ditto to all the advice on checking out the history, etc. Our experience has been great with Dejala. We removed the Atomic 4 and have an electric motor for marinas & tight spots. (yeah, we're probably nuts, but patience and light air skills work for us) The boat sails very well, is well mannered, and stable. We've sailed in 30+kn, and anchored in 45kn. We sailed on another boat to the Marquesas last year as crew; I'm confident when we cross with Dejala in a couple years, she'll be fine. We don't push it, and keep in mind her age. After cruising from SoCal as far south as Bahia De Navidad, and 2 summers in the sea of Cortez, We still love our boat. There are faster, more spacious, more everything boats out there, for us this old Ericson has just the right compromises. We are on the hard at this moment, upgrading a few items, normal cruising maintenance. There used to be a reference to a fellow from the Caribbean somewhere that completed a circumnavigation in his old Ericson. It can be done!
Good Luck.
Mike
Google Dejala and there is a blog with plenty of Mexico/Ericson pictures.


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## jerryrlitton (Oct 14, 2002)

kd3pc said:


> Good boat, and they were used offshore....I would be more concerned with the age and condition than the design.
> 
> It is not an "Offshore" boat by any stretch, it was built for coastal cruising. It may have been upgraded over it's life and could be used easily on the Bays of the US.
> 
> Be aware it is an aged boat.


I would not let age by its self be a discriminator. If the design is good, if it has been kept well and been upgraded as needed THAT would be the go/no go point. My boat is a 68 and I will go gladly in mine.


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## Nancyleeny (Jun 2, 2014)

deniseO30 said:


> nancy there's a E32 in my club and it's for sale. 8000 or less


Thanks,Denise! I'll look up its specifications - one of my issues is my husband is 6'7", so the less he has to stoop, the better!
Nancy


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## braidmike (Sep 3, 2003)

Just one more quick note: The original Ericson 35 hull is a twin to the '60's Alberg 35, with a Columbia 36 topsides. It was redesigned and built as a 'Mark II' around '75. They are completely different boats, only sharing the name and size designation. Ours is an original Alberg copy. It would be a good idea to filter the comments and advice to which model you are considering. The original design boats built after '70 or '71 have a split window after Ericson lost a lawsuit to Columbia, but its still the original design. 
Fair winds,
Mike


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

Nancyleeny said:


> Thanks,Denise! I'll look up its specifications - one of my issues is my husband is 6'7", so the less he has to stoop, the better!
> Nancy


find him a basket ball court and you go sail the boat Nancy!


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

my '79 35mII had only 6'1" headroom


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## krisscross (Feb 22, 2013)

Ericson 37 would be a better choice for offshore use. Better design (IOR 1 ton class) but less common than E35II. http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=2137


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## JonEisberg (Dec 3, 2010)

krisscross said:


> Ericson 37 would be a better choice for offshore use. Better design (IOR 1 ton class) but less common than E35II. ERICSON 37 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com


I don't know, after reading Webb Chiles' STORM PASSAGE, you might revise that opinion...

He had to do a _LOT_ of bailing on that trip... 

http://www.inthepresentsea.com/the_actual_site/books_files/STORM_PASSAGE.pdf


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## SailingJackson (Jan 1, 2011)

deniseO30 said:


> Ever been off shore? Would you go offshore on a 40 year old boat? I wouldn't!
> 
> You joined the site didn't introduce yourself?


I think most of us have read about a fellow who went offshore in a wooden boat that was claimed to be near to 100 years old before his refit. If the Spray could make it, I'm sure a properly inspected and upgraded Ericson could do it.

GJ


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## krisscross (Feb 22, 2013)

JonEisberg said:


> I don't know, after reading Webb Chiles' STORM PASSAGE, you might revise that opinion...
> 
> He had to do a _LOT_ of bailing on that trip...
> 
> http://www.inthepresentsea.com/the_actual_site/books_files/STORM_PASSAGE.pdf


Well, this guy removed all through hulls in his E37 (and his engine) to make the boat less prone to leaking, without addressing the condition of his rudder, where his leaks were eventually coming from. But (and that is important) he and the boat did round the world via Horn, which really does support my claim of E37 being a good choice for an offshore boat.


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## uncle stinky bob (Feb 28, 2016)

guggech said:


> Hi,
> 
> I am contemplating purchasing a Ericson 35' 1972. Is this boat built for offshore cruising?
> 
> ...


SailboatData.com give's the Ericson 35 very good reviews. It does point out some weak points and areas to keep an eye out for problems. Good luck and fair winds.


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## roverhi (Dec 19, 2013)

The Ericsons were slightly above the average California weekend to Catalina cruisers typical of that era with more attention to the interior finish and volume. They sailed reasonably well but were not hot boats for the serious racer. Construction was adequate but not what would one consider a high latitude cruiser by any stretch of your imagination. That hasn't stopped a ton owners taking boats of similar construction sailing all over the world. One big design problem for blue water cruising is a too large cockpit. Way too much volume to store water if pooped in wild seas. I'd take the boat to Hawaii and Back, SoPac, The Caribbean, even across the Atlantic but it wouldn't be my first choice of a boat.


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