Ericson 31c

[tommyh]

Ready to buy 1977 Ericson 31 c to do some SF bay sailing and up and down the coast some. Any thoughts about how well this boat is suitable for this.

[Cheechako]

Love that boat! Never sailed one though. Should be suitable , I nearly bought one when they were new, looked well built with a good size keel. It's got about a 40% ballast ratio and easy to handle cutter rig, so should be fine in the SF winds. Pretty big cockpit ,but thats nice if you get some people aboard. If you do a lot of off the coast stuff you might want to add a couple big drains through the transom. Some people worry a lot about cockpit size, I dont really. Sailed a 30 ft boat with a similar size cockpit, up and down the coast to Mexico from Seattle. One of the driest boats I ever owned though. Pretty boat for sure...

[tommyh]

The one im looking at is not the cutter,just a standard masthead sloop. The mast is set up for adding a staysail if I chose to add one. My biggest worry is that its a slow boat. I need 6.5,7.5 knots to get around the bay and out the golden gate. I just can't Handel being on a slow boat. I already had one of those.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by tommyh

......
I just can't Handel being on a slow boat.
......

I prefer "Water Music" on a fast boat too

[tommyh]

Yes I do,also I like getting there on time

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by tommyh

The one im looking at is not the cutter,just a standard masthead sloop. The mast is set up for adding a staysail if I chose to add one. My biggest worry is that its a slow boat. I need 6.5,7.5 knots to get around the bay and out the golden gate. I just can't Handel being on a slow boat. I already had one of those.

With a LWL of 23.92 feet, your looking at a theoretical 6.55 Kn maximum speed. In the Slot you might be able to achieve that with a clean bottom, good sails and proper trim. As a practical matter, however, I think you'd be looking at a 5-6 knot boat. With our Cal 2-29 (in the late 70's-'80's) with a 24' LWL we could count on 5.5 kn all day and 7.5 kn surfing down the faces of waves at sea. You won't be doing that with an Independence however.

FWIW...

[tommyh]

So are we talking SLOW boat? I really am having a hard time deciding on this. I can get the boat for a real good deal but I do not want to be stuck with it if its not a good boat.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Tommy,

Slow or fast does not equate to "good."

As was stated it has about a 24 foot waterline and is not a fast boat. The longer the waterline the faster (in theory) the boat. My Mariner ketch with a long keel had a 27 foot waterline and I averaged about 5 knots.

I like the looks of the 31c Ericsons and would be good for coastal cruising or a jump to Hawaii depending on a weather window.

kind regards,

[Pete7]

Our experience matches SV, we plan on 5.5 knots with a 25.5ft waterline. However, when there is light winds we can be down to 4 knots. If the wind continues to drop then its the engine or the cruising chute. You must keep the bottom clean though, it really does make a difference. You can had 1/2 knot with a folding prop which helps but they are pricey.

If you want to go fast then it's a light cat or tri.


Pete

[tommyh]

My last boat was a E-27 so I know what slow is, just do not want to go down that road again however, I would like a more classic looking boat with some performance. I know there is no perfect boat and only have so much money to throw at it.

[Cheechako]

It's all about waterline really. Buy the waterline that fits your speed requirement. Also, the lighter the boat, the faster it will accelerate to that speed, and of course a racing design will go to weather better. In 31 foot boats, there are likely much faster boats overall than the 31c.

[tommyh]

J know about water line and weight but I also do not want a light weight boat for the ocean,I cruised down the coast in a catilina 30 and it was wet and uncomfortable going around point conception.ill give up some speed for safty.

[roverhi]

There is a decent Ericson 31 in Oceanside. Owner has had it listed for a year with no action. Supposedly quite motivated.

As far as fast or slow, it's all relative. If you are sailing in a lightwind area and are committed to sailing, then a light weight ex racer is your boat. If you are sailing SF Bay, any old boat will move along in the mostly strong winds and do it comfortably. The E31 should sail as well as any other moderate displacement boat with it's water line length.

[SkiprJohn]

The 31c will be faster than your 27 but not as fast as the Catalina 30.

[tommyh]

Ok, after all this discussion on speed is the consencess that its a good in between boat.Not a full cruiser and not a racer but something that will perform well if sailed and set up correctly. A good 6.5 kn speed is just fine with me.