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Ericson 32-3

Built 1985–? by Ericson Yachts

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About the Ericson 32-3

Researched from public sources for this model. Any individual boat may have been modified or repowered — confirm before relying on any figure.

Illustration of a Ericson 32-3
Illustration, not a photo of this model. AI-generated illustration of a typical mid-size cruising sloop.
Built
1985–?
Builder
Ericson Yachts
Designer
Bruce King
Length
32.5 ft
Waterline
25.83 ft
Beam
10.83 ft
Draft
6 ft
Displacement
9,800 lb
Ballast
4,200 lb
Hull
fiberglass
Hull / keel
fin keel
Rig
sloop
Propulsion
inboard
Fuel
22 gal
Holding
17 gal
Water heater
AC + engine
Stern thruster
not fitted
Steering
pedestal cable
Tank capacities — where the figures come from
  • Fuel 22 gal
    “22-gal. aluminum fuel tank” — review (1985 on), practical-sailor.com
    Practical Sailor agrees; no factory figure could be checked.
  • Water unknown
    “32-gal. freshwater tank located amidships with an optional 20-gal. tank under the V-berth” — review (1985 on), practical-sailor.com
    Sources disagree: Practical Sailor gives 32 gal standard, plus an optional 20 gal forward tank for 52 gal if fitted, while a spec database says 33 gal. The owners' association's spec sheet is for members only and couldn't be checked.
  • Holding 17 gal
    “Holding tank is 17y-gals.” — review (1985 on), practical-sailor.com
    Practical Sailor agrees, allowing for a typo in its text.
  • Water heater AC + engine (Raritan)
    “The Raritan 6E water heater is mounted beneath the cockpit sole aft of the engine” — owner's manual (1984), finessesailing.com
    The Ericson 32/3 owner's manual (June 1984) puts a Raritan 6E heater under the cockpit floor, heated by 110 V at the dock or by engine coolant through a heat exchanger, without calling it standard or optional. Its model code suggests about 6 gal, but no size is printed. A 1988 owner reports an Atwood that lasted 20 years, so the brand changed.

Tanks are often replaced or added on older boats — check the tank labels or a survey for yours.

Thrusters and steering — where this comes from
  • Bow thruster unknown
    The builder's owner's manual (6/84) does not mention a thruster.
  • Stern thruster not fitted
    Our earlier figure of none has no source; the owner's manual is silent.
  • Steering pedestal cable
    “Your Ericson 32 comes equipped with pedestal steering with a 36" destroyer wheel, brake, pedestal guard” — owner's manual (1984-1985), finessesailing.com · “Inside the pedestal a roller chain turns over a sprocket on the wheel shaft. The chain joins a cable at each of its ends” — owner's manual (1984-1985), finessesailing.com
    Ericson's owner's manual (section 3.6, drawing dated 6/85) describes chain-and-wire pedestal steering to a radial quadrant, with an emergency tiller. The pedestal maker isn't named; one owner on the association forum describes Edson steering on a 1985 32-3, but one boat isn't enough to set a brand.

Thrusters and steering are often replaced — check the units on your boat before ordering parts.

Sources disagree on water tank — left blank rather than guessed.

Bruce King's 1985 Ericson 32 (called 32-3 by sailboatdata); Practical Sailor says it ran about four years with more than 700 built. Keel-stepped mast. Deep fin standard; shoal (4.33 ft) and wing (4.42 ft) keels and a tall rig optional. The 32-200 (1988) shares hull dimensions and is listed with a Universal M25XP; sailboatdata says renamed Ericson 333 later. Main water tank size disputed (see disputed); optional 20 gal forward tank per PS. Aluminum fuel tank.

Engines fitted

Generator

The owner's manual covers only 12V DC and 110V shore power; no generator.

Known problems for this model

Model sources (4)

sailboatdata.com · sailboatdata.com · practical-sailor.com · finessesailing.com

Other Ericson models

Researched from public sources. Spotted an error? The sources are listed above — tell us what they got wrong.