RE: Ericson built boats

I agree. The helm is only a problem when the boat is over canvassed and crew weight is insufficient. Blade out the main and feather up in the gusts if necessary, keep some back draft in the main and open the leach if possible, play the traveler constantly. I 'd like to get a flatter main specifically for these conditions, as I think in most conditions the boat likes a main with more draft. I hate reefing as it throws the balance off and I lose the ability to keep the main boarded out. The boat just feels bow down and heavy with a reef. It's been interesting to experience the difference between the O911 and my old O25, which was a George Olson design whereas the O911 is a Schumacher design. I wonder if the Express boats he designed in the same era share the same characteristics. I know my O25 was much, much stiffer in a blow than the O911. It took a hell of a blow to get the O25 to seriously round up, but the O911 will do it readily in the right conditions. I also seem to find racing conditions in the Spring and Fall here in the Northwest that really favor a #2, although I know the common wisdom is to shift directly from #1 to #3. I'm wondering if anyone's seriously invested in a medium #2 to see how well the boat will move in conditions that would otherwise require neutralizing the main to keep the boat on its feet.  

I've had no blistering at all with my Pacific version. In fact, the boat seems virtually bullet proof even after all these years.  

Derek Reijnen
The Reijnen Company
phone: 206-842-4409
email: derek@reijnenco.com  

-----Original Message-----

From: Nick Barnhill [mailto:SailRedux@comcast.net] Sent: Wednesday, October 06, 2004 6:30 PM To: Roger Craine
Cc: Jennifer Kolar; Robert Izmirian; olson911@sailpix.com Subject: Re: Ericson built boats  

I haven't had blister problems with the Olson buildt Redux, but weather helm is always there to deal with. I don't think you can move the mast enough to fix it. Just the usual fixes of 1. weight on the rail 2. flatten the main with backstay, 3, carry a bubble in the main 4. feather up if you have to.
Sorry, no magic that I know of.
Nick

Roger Craine wrote:

Bob  

My answers are under your questions. My question--what do you use for jib halyards. One of mine broke and I need to replace it.  

Roger
----- Original Message -----

From: Jennifer Kolar <mailto:kolarjl@aol.com> To: Robert <mailto:rizmirian@comcast.net> Izmirian Cc: olson911@sailpix.com <mailto:olson911@sailpix.com> Sent: Tuesday, October 05, 2004 8:28 AM
Subject: Re: Ericson built boats  

On Sep 30, 2004, at 7:40 PM, Robert Izmirian wrote: I've a couple of questions for those of you with Ericson built boats. Mine is an '88 hull.  

1. I'm currently hauled out and for the first time I've discovered blisters, probably 20 to 30, each about the size of a quarter. The hull has a barrier coat. The boat has been out of the water for two weeks and the weather has been fairly warm. It may be that the warmth has caused some expansion of the moisture trapped in the hull, causing the blisters. Anybody have experience with blisters on their boats, and if so, what have you done? My inclination is to ignore the blisters. Dreamtime is an 88 sold in 89. She had blisters along the water line, on the keel and rudder, when I bought her. She was out for a month or so in 2000. I popped the blisters. Let them dry, then sanded and covered with barrier coat and filler to smooth. Since then I have a few recurr along the waterline--which I pop and ... But that's it.

Roger  

So the ericson's apparently have a history of blisters- the standard treatment is to sand down through the barrier coat, and put an all new barrier coat on.. a lot of work..
this was done on our boat before we bought it.. although we recently redid the barrier coat anyway since when we went to redo the pain we discovered that the one the previous owner had put on was pretty thin. We do still see occasional blistering at sharply curved areas- like near the keel joint- but that is it. The other place they are common (due to sun exposure) is the rudder.  

2. I've been retuning the rig to try to get rid of some of the weather helm my boat has developed. I've moved the tip of the mast forward over an inch by loosening the backstay and tightening the forestay. I think I'm using much more powerful sails and that has contributed to the increased weather helm. Has anyone successfully tuned the weather helm out of these boats?

 Not me.
Roger

Thanks for whatever help you can offer.  

Bob Izmirian

Jane Doe Received on Wed Oct 6 20:36:33 2004