1977 Endeavour 32

Name: Chris, Bill, and Christopher Berry berrycook@primary.net
Boat Name: Glass Slipper
Year: 1977
Size: 32' sloop
Date Purchased: 1998

Boat History:
Previous owner: Stephen Trok of Arlington,IL who purchased from Mike LaBeau. The boat was also sailed around the Traverse City, MI area by a possible third previous owner as "Dorothy Jo". The previous owner detailed the transom with a few Disney characters (all mice) from the novel Cinderella set into the name Glass Slipper with a shoe.

Experience:
Bill and I took a week learn to sail course on Lake St.Clair outside Detroit in 1988 while dating. After owning a 23' Gulf Coast sloop that we day sailed while my son,Christopher was small we decided to look for a full amenity boat that could eventually become a medium distance cruising vessel for us. (We are currently time poor!) We found GS after a year long search for an older bulletproof with a wish list that included such basics as: wheel steering, standing headroom, roomy cockpit & sensible cabin layout, diesel, and rollerfurling...the budget $25,000. or less and "project boats" were out of the question! From the first time we saw the '77- E32 at Skipper Bud's in Waukeegan, IL. we were sold. It seems she was traded in by her previous owner on a powerboat after some time on the market as a FSBO at $35,000. and she was in their way. We worked a deal that included their taking our 23' (in trade) and hauling her to the St.Louis area for $ 20,000. We tell everyone we didn't get two-foot-itis, much worse, we became dislexic and went from a 23 to a 32!

Boat Review/Upgrades:
We have only been sailing her a year now but have grown to love the roomy floorplan (except what WERE they thinking when they put the toilet paper holder on the back side of the door under the lav.?),the terrific ventilation with 10 working ports and the two popup vented hatches, the very useful cockpit icebox, the beautiful exterior britework and the light interior that comfortably accomodates the 3 of us plus several guests. I appreciate the high boom but have to drop the dodger when manuvering in and out of the harbour even at 5'-8". Also due to her unforgiving starboard walk in reverse we dread backing her out of our starboard side tieup slip on windy days as the weather helm plus lack of the ability to turn her back to port means we often find ourselves BACKING all the way down our alley before we can get her under control. In this we find ourselves often very embarrased and frustrated. Maybe others have experienced similar problems. It seems the prop just doesn't "Grab" the water also when we shift to forward after one of these manuvers and we coast sideways. We'd like to know if anyone else has had this problem who might offer some solutions. Has anyone changed props? Anyone go to a bigger prop or a 3 blade one? If so, what was the result?

Once we're out on the lake we have found her to be very stable. She seems to sail best in 15-20 knot winds. Had her out yesterday in white caps with shifting 20knot winds that gusted to 38 knots with foresail out at 110 and main at first reef that rounded us up a few times but overall she handled well even considering we are only fairweather 15 weekend-a-year sailors.

Aside from the prop thing we have to deal with our water system. It seems a previous owner abandoned the head for a portapotty which is fine, however the water heater has been removed and the system deck fill has also been abandoned, with no visible remains of it anywhere. The footpumps at the galley and lavatory work and pump out "pink water" but we aren't quite sure how to recommission the cold fresh water fill system. (especially since we are missing the plumbing layout diagram from our E32 manual)

I will say the best investment we have made so far has been the sail cradle system that flakes the main down to the boom. It is especially helpful in shifty winds.