Ericson 41

A Vintage Performer for Offshore or Coastal Sailing

Issue 144: May/June 2022

After a lifetime of sailing dinghies and family boats, Scott Owens began exploring the concept of supplementing his retirement income by reconditioning older boats. He and his wife, Jane, planned to relocate to Sidney, British Columbia, and as he searched for suitable boats for this new venture, Scott promptly fell in love with a well-used 1970 Ericson 41 in Seattle. Imagine his wife’s surprise when he called to announce the purchase of their first cruising sailboat! Naming the newest member of the family Lady Jane smoothed the somewhat ruffled waters.

It has been a solid choice. Decades ago, author Ralph Naranjo and his wife circumnavigated in an Ericson 41, and Lady Jane has proven to be the epitome of a coastal cruiser with offshore capability; indeed, previous owners had sailed her to Mexico. Since purchasing her in 2003, Scott and Jane have endured a steep learning curve of boat maintenance and renovation, but this has led to sailing experiences in the Canadian Gulf Islands and American San Juan Islands, eventually encouraging longer voyages to the fabled Desolation Sound in the northern reaches of the Salish Sea. Dreams of a Vancouver Island circumnavigation are on the horizon.

History and Design

In the chaotic world of fiberglass boatbuilding in the 1960s, a small group of enthusiastic employees left Columbia Yachts and started Ericson Yachts in Southern California. A pair of boats soon emerged, the Ericson 26 and Ericson 30. A young Bruce King and his design team were on board, and over the years, Ericson launched models from 23 to 46 feet. The Ericson 41 was in production from 1968 to 1971; how many reached the water ranges from 50 to 70, depending on the information source (sailboatdata.com publishes the lower number).

Sailboat design in the mid-1960s favored narrow beams and extended overhangs, taking advantage of the CCA rating rule. Lady Jane is typical of many of the early fiberglass designs inspired by this rule, with a relatively narrow 10-foot 8-inch beam and short 29-foot 2-inch waterline. (For a thorough explanation of these developments, see “Rating Rules Shaped Our Boats,” May/June 2000, by the late Ted Brewer.)

King’s designs focused on pleasing lines and sailing ability. From the sweeping shear to the generous overhangs, Lady Jane simply looks “right.” King later emerged as a favored designer of large sailing yachts, such as the 105-foot Whitehawk and 90-foot Whitefin, each admired for extraordinarily beautiful lines.

Construction

Ericson Yachts was part of a shift in the boatbuilding industry fueled by low prices for fiberglass, resin, and hardware. Hand-laid, molded, fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) construction helped make production boatbuilding affordable to the sailing middle class. The key was factory assembly line production with low labor costs, combined with volume purchasing of materials.

The Ericson 41’s lean hull, round sections, cutaway forefoot, and an early internally ballasted, swept fin keel reduced wetted surface area compared to the previous generation of full-keel boats. This added to the boat’s light-air capability and didn’t hurt her heavy weather abilities, either. A swept spade rudder separated from the keel, and modest 6-foot draft, contributed to her maneuverability under power and sail.

The balsa-cored deck is reinforced with solid laminate where hardware is attached. The hull-to-deck joint is an inward-turned flange through-bolted to the deck, then enclosed in fiberglass and topped with a solid teak toerail. This arrangement could pose a real challenge should it develop leaks over time or be damaged in an impact. Fortunately, Lady Jane has suffered very few leaks in this area even after 50-plus years of service, a testament to her solid construction. Scott ensures the joint remains dry by periodically renewing a small bead of sealant along the teak toerail.

Ericson yachts of this era are known for a lack of osmotic blistering. Scott had Lady Janes’s bottom paint removed in 2008 and found very few blisters, all easily repaired.

Deck and Rigging

Wide, unobstructed sidedecks and a huge cockpit make the 41 an ergonomic pleasure to sail. The shrouds terminate at chainplates just inboard of the teak toerail, allowing for easy passage forward without struggling past the rigging. The relatively low freeboard makes for easy boarding at the midships gates but does require a substantial step up to the coachroof to work at the mast.

Two large deck hatches dominate the coachroof, allowing plenty of light and ventilation into the cabin. Lady Jane has a sea hood to protect the companionway; this was not original.

Scott has chosen to keep all of Lady Jane’s halyards, with applicable winches, at the mast. The boom is original to the boat, although Scott replaced the keel-stepped, single-spreader mast and standing rigging in the fall of 2012 while the boat was on the hard for a complete Awlgrip paint job.

As mentioned, the chainplates are just inboard of the teak toerail and then bonded to the hull, hidden behind the main cabin’s mahogany woodwork. Unfortunately, there is no easy access without removing some of that mahogany. After 50 years of service, Lady Jane’s could pose a serious leak and delamination risk. Appropriate maintenance where the plates meet the deck is called for.

The genoa track is mounted on the toerail with no accompanying inboard track, somewhat increasing sheeting angles when sailing to windward.

The cockpit is 10 feet long, with a raised mainsheet traveler track just forward of the helm. This makes the mainsheet handy to the helm but does divide the cockpit. Standing room behind the wheel is somewhat restricted by lockers, making the helm position seem confining. The design, and the high teak coaming, does not lend itself to steering from the gunwale. Scott has added an elevated, removable seat for helming, particularly under power.

The long, narrow cockpit provides comfortable seating with tall coamings for back support, as well as the ability to brace oneself on the opposite seat while heeled. Primary winches are the original, large, Francis D25 two-speeds, with Barlow secondary winches mounted just forward. Although the helmsperson would have to reach forward from the wheel to the primary winches, trimming sails singlehanded is doable.

Two cockpit lockers—a large, deep one to port and another deep one under the helm seat—provide storage, while the sealed propane locker is aft.

Belowdecks

Climbing over the companionway bridge deck to step below, I was immediately struck by the abundance of warm mahogany cabinetry. Interiors of this era were built in place, one cabinet at a time, and in the case of Lady Jane finished with a warm satin varnish. The hull interior is completed with mahogany strips with no fiberglass in sight, enhancing the cozy feel.

The Erickson 41’s narrow beam and long overhangs cut into interior volume. Lady Jane reflects the traditional layout of the times and its emphasis on offshore sailing accommodations.

The U-shaped galley immediately to port of the companionway has a deep double sink close to the centerline; beneath it is a 6-gallon hot water tank. Plenty of storage is available behind cabinet doors and in lockers accessible through the countertop. The huge icebox was converted into an engine-driven, cold-plate refrigerator system.

A 40-gallon water tank is supplemented by an even larger tank under the V-berth that Scott and Jane have never used.

To starboard of the companionway, a large navigation table includes ample storage for sundry sailing supplies, though there’s limited space for the electronics now deemed critical. Scott has remedied this by installing an AIS-capable VHF radio and multifunctional chart plotter with GPS, radar, and forward-looking sonar at the helm, where it should be anyway.

A substantial folding table dominates the saloon when deployed. An L-shaped settee forms the portside seating area with storage compartments behind, below, and above the seatbacks. A straight bench and pilot berth on the facing starboard side complete the cabin.

Cabin heat is provided by an electric furnace when secured to a dock and a propane Force 10 Cozy Cabin Heater mounted on the mast cabinet when underway or at anchor. Two large opening deck hatches and an opening portlight in the head provide interior ventilation. Cabin portlights are all fixed, a blessing in the sometimes monsoon Pacific Northwest weather.

A narrow corridor separates the saloon from the V-berth. Finely crafted storage drawers and lockers are to starboard. A roomy head to port includes a small holding tank under the vanity cabinet.

The V-berth is wide and long, ample room for any 6-footer to stretch out. Mahogany doors provide access to a generous chain locker at the bow.

Mechanical

The Ericson 41 emerged from the factory with engine options including the Atomic 4. With a deck fuel filler cap labeled GAS, it’s safe to assume that Lady Jane came equipped with this venerable gasoline engine. The previous owner replaced it with a Perkins 4-108 diesel producing 53 horsepower at 2,500 rpm and driving a Max-Prop through a Paragon V-drive. This combination allows for a comfortable cruising speed of 6 knots at 1,900 rpm.

Access to the forward portion of the engine compartment under the companionway steps is excellent, with additional access through a large panel in the quarter berth. The aft end of the compartment is a bit more problematic, through the two cockpit lockers. The raw-water strainer and fuel filters are within easy reach from the main cabin; the oil filter is mounted remotely for better access. Although not as quiet as newer sailboats of similar size, Lady Jane moves nicely under power with an acceptable level of noise.

A 36-gallon stainless-steel fuel tank—more than enough fuel for Scott and Jane’s current cruising needs—replaced the leaking, original, steel 40-gallon main tank and 25-gallon reserve.

With refrigeration mechanically driven off the engine, electrical demand is extremely low. One starting and two deepcycle 12-volt batteries under the quarter berth are more than adequate to keep the electrical system up and running. No solar panels, no genset.

Underway

We sailed Lady Jane on an early fall day off the Sidney waterfront, the wind building as the afternoon progressed. I was immediately impressed by how stable the Ericson 41 felt. The 18,000-pound hull accelerated quickly under power and proved very maneuverable in tight quarters. Scott cruises at 6 knots, but the reserve engine rpm would easily reach theoretical hull speed of 7.2 knots. The relatively short 29-foot waterline extends considerably when the stern squats onto the overhang under power and when heeled under sail, so higher speeds are possible.

At the time of purchase, Lady Jane came with seven sails including a symmetrical spinnaker and cruising gennaker. For local cruising, Scott and Jane keep the 130% genoa, full-batten main, and cruising gennaker aboard. We hoisted the lightweight, tape-drive UK mainsail without needing the mast winch, and then rolled out the genoa off the Harken MKIV furler.

With a relatively narrow beam, the boat initially heels over in a fresh breeze and then stiffens, surging forward to virtually hands-off sailing. The short, static waterline stretches considerably when heeled, just as the designers intended. I’ve driven a number of boats in this size range, including older Beneteaus and C&Cs, and I was favorably impressed by the Ericson, not expecting a hull of this vintage to perform as well as the more recent race- oriented hulls.

Directional stability was remarkable. The steering was a bit stiff; the early spade rudder design needed a bit more surface area forward of the rudder post for improved balance.

The wind rose to 10 knots with gusts to 15 as we sailed close-hauled into the chop. Scott indicated that the knotmeter was reading low, and I estimated a solid 6 knots to windward. Off the wind she was stable, though Scott reports that when running in windy conditions with quartering seas, the stern tends to get skittish, the rudder not quite deep enough to counter the push of larger quartering waves.

The few PHRF fleets around the country with Ericson 41s rate it 132 seconds per mile, the same as the S&S-designed Tartan 41 of similar vintage.

Conclusion

An Internet search did not find many Ericson 41s for sale; those available were offered between $40,000 and $59,000. As always, condition, upgrades, and maintenance determine value.

At any point of the wind, the Ericson 41 is a genuine cruiser with proven offshore capabilities. The wide sidedecks and comfortable cockpit make her a pleasure to be aboard at anchor or under sail. Time has shown she is solidly built and will sail for years into the future with proper respect and care.

Bert Vermeer and his wife, Carey, have been sailing the coast of British Columbia for more than 30 years. Natasha is their fourth boat (following a Balboa 20, an O’Day 25, and another Islander Bahama 30). Bert tends to rebuild his boats from the keel up. A retired police officer, he also maintains and repairs boats for several non-resident owners.

 

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