1985 Ericson 26-2

Gitana

Gitana is an Ericson 26 mark II from 1985. Remarkably in a boat of this length there is standing headroom, an enclosed head and sleeping accommodations for up to six: Two settee berths, one of which can be made into a double, a v-berth and a quarter berth. I can’t imagine a circumstance where this would be desirable but it makes for a lot of accessible storage. This is an ideal entry level boat for Southern California. The majority of your sailing is going to be venturing out into Santa Monica bay for a few hours enjoying the peace and quietude of of the ocean and returning to your slip. It’s a perfectly comfortable boat to sail to Catalina and to relax on once you’re there. A boat this size has the advantage of short preparation time to get out and equally brief time to put it away once you get back to your slip.

A Note about Costs of Boat Ownership

Everyone understands in an abstract way that owning a boat can be expensive. While the purchase price of the boat is important to pay attention to, there are many other costs that are very important to consider. A boat like Gitana has all the amenities of a small cruising boat yet you save quite a bit on many major items: Maintenance - all boats require it, even new boats. Slip fees - will represent a very large part of your expenses. Insurance Haul outs Bottom paint Engine service

Because of Gitanas clever use of space, she qualifies for the lower end of all these expenses without sacrificing the amenities we all look for in a boat.

Equipment: Improvements

Unlike many boats in the marina, Gitana is sailed regularly.All improvements and upgrades have been done in the service of its sailing abilities and ease for the crew.

The following have been purchased or performed in the last two years:

Bottom painting 10/2022. This is recommended approximately every five years. Two new Lewmar self tailing winches for the jib sheets to replace the original - Makes a huge difference when tacking and indispensable when single handing. Triple Spinlock rope clutch. New Jabsco toilet. New mainsail - significant increase in sailing performance. New running rigging. All control lines replaced with modern rope material.

This represents over 6000 dollars in parts and services.

Propulsion

Gitana has a small inboard diesel engine that sips fuel. It is a reliable Yammar 1GM. Diesel is desirable over gas because it is not explosive and doesn’t rely on an electrical ignition system which isn’t really friendly with salt water. Engine has very good accessibility.

Under Sail

All lines lead to the cockpit and cabin top winches and are controlled by rope clutches. Head sail is on roller furling. There are three simple instruments visible in the cockpit; knot meter, depth meter and compass. Interior

As can be seen in the photos, the cabin has some beautiful teak cabinetry. There is very little fiberglass seen in the cabin. Almost all teak and the ceiling has a vinyl liner that unzips to easily run hidden wiring. The galley has a large insulated ice box. We removed the old alcohol stove and replaced it with a portable butane burner. which comes out only when needed and provides useful extra counter space for the kind of food prep we usually do. There is a very clever folding table that stores against the bulkhead until needed when it can become a half or full table. The cabin has a very warm feeling.

Unsolicited Note About Buying a Boat

That forty footer for 10K that “just needs a little TLC” is not a good deal. Boats in the price range of 20 K and under are most often from the 70’s or 80’s, so forty to fifty years old. Often they have original rigging and/or sails. These are expensive items to replace. Deferred maintenance also has a heavy price tag.

A Final Note About The Sale

If you’re looking for attractive, fairly priced boat that you can sail now with confidence, you should take a look at Gitana. The boat is only for sale because I have found another boat I always wanted to own. I don’t want to get into the nightmare of owning two boats and paying for two slips while waiting for the other boat to sell. I will only sell Gitana if the other boat is still available. Otherwise I will keep her.