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Pearson 36 Boat Review

Posted by Ed Lawrence | Boat Reviews , Reviews

This 1970s family cruiser offers a fair turn of speed

Bill Shaw was a graduate of the U.S. Maritime Academy at King’s Point and a student at the Westlawn School of Yacht Design. Afterward, he worked 11 years for the prestigious firm of Sparkman & Stephens, where chief designer Al Mason gave him a key role in the development of the Nevins 40 (1954) and the Tartan 27 (1960). His move to Pearson Yachts in 1964 was the beginning of a long relationship.

Bill thrived in Grumman’s corporate environment, becoming both general manager and chief designer. His first boats were the Coaster and Wanderer (1966) and the Renegade (1967), the first Pearson with the rudder detached from the keel. Our review boat , the Pearson 36, came along five years later. It was in production from 1972 to 1976, numbering 103 units. The base price in 1975 was $29,500.

In Bill’s words, “The boat was designed as a performance-oriented cruiser also designed for the race course” in what he described (in those days) as “a world of beamy cruisers and pipe-berth ‘tonners’ ” that left buyers with the choice of going slow comfortably or less slow uncomfortably.

A Comfortable Cockpit

The result is a fast 36-footer that provides crew with comfortable accommodations in the cockpit and down below. The design features a high-aspect-ratio masthead rig that represents the shift from the CCA rule to the IOR era. A tall-rig version was available.

The overhangs are moderate, with a raked stem and fairly broad (by IOR standards) counter transom. Also typical of the IOR are narrow ends. The resulting lack of deck space at the bow is an inconvenience for those using these boats as cruisers.

The hull is nicely proportioned with an overall length of 36 feet 6¾ inches This 1970s family cruiser offers a fair turn of speed by Ed Lawrence Boat review Pearson 36 and a waterline length of 29 feet 2 inches. Sail area is 601 square feet, with only 260 square feet in the mainsail, meaning that large headsails will require some effort if they are to be trimmed tight in a stiff breeze. The sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 17 and the displacement-towaterline- length ratio of 243 are about right for a cruiser with better-than-average performance. ( Note: These numbers may have varied a bit over time, of course, but those were the original specifications. –Eds. )

So, while Bill Shaw paid his respects to the IOR, the 36 was more of a dual-purpose family boat. That was, in fact, the overall design philosophy of Pearson Yachts throughout its history.

The hull is solid fiberglass with integrally bonded bulkheads and the deck is cored with end-grain balsa. Water tanks are made of fiberglass, the fuel tank is fashioned from Monel. The external ballast is lead, and the rudder is hung on a skeg.

Wheel Location

I’d been aboard for at least 11 seconds when I noticed that the wheel is located far forward in the cockpit, a big difference from most boats. It was a welcome sight.

Most wheels are located well aft to enhance crew comfort (such as protection under the dodger), allowing the crew to work winches forward in the cockpit, and relegating the helmsman to a seat at the stern. On many boats, the mainsheet traveler is mounted on the bridge deck, so it is more or less out of the way as well. But this arrangement results in mid-boom sheeting which requires a heavier boom.

On the Pearson 36, the boom is only 12 feet 10 inches, so the mainsheet is attached to the end of the boom. The result: a mainsheet and traveler that can be managed from the helm position. It’s great for singlehanding. And whenever there is crew, the jib and spinnaker trimmers are aft, out of the helmsman’s way, an important consideration when changing course or jibing a spinnaker. A minor downside is that the mainsheet, when on centerline, interferes with companionway access.

While underway during our test sail, the cockpit proved to be large enough for six adults and a child. One can relax against the high-sided coamings and stretch out comfortably. Our review boat has old-fashioned cockpit lockers in which loads of sails and gear can be stowed. In the original manufacturer’s configuration, however, the quarter berth housing took up a lot of the starboard locker.

Accommodations

The 36’s interior is well-organized and nicely appointed. Heading below is as simple as stepping onto the top companionway step, which measures 20 by 18 inches. That dimension is noteworthy because it provides a convenient perch on which the night watch can scan the horizon without getting too wet or cold. What’s more, this step can be raised to gain access to the top of the engine.

The 11-foot 1-inch beam produces a wealth of space belowdecks coupled with the 6-foot 4-inch headroom. The saloon measures 9 feet on centerline, allowing two people to stand shoulder to- shoulder without feeling as if they’re packed in on a crowded subway ride. The galley and a settee are to starboard; to port is a nav station and second settee.

On our review boat, the table folds out of the way on the bulkhead, freeing space and allowing the settees to slide out and convert to berths. Both berths are more than 6 feet long. A pilot berth to starboard will be popular on a long passage, since sleeping amidships is like being on the pivot point of a teeter-totter. On this boat, its opposite space to port is occupied by a bookshelf and two cabinets. Some Pearson 36s have an additional pilot berth to port.

The large area devoted to the saloon unfortunately subtracts space from the forward cabin. The V-berth is long enough and wide enough for a couple, but with the door is closed there’s precious little room for dressing.

The navigation station sports a 25- by 30-inch chart table, just right for folded NOAA charts.

The L-shaped galley in our review boat is fitted with an Adler-Barbour 12-volt ColdMachine refrigerator and two-burner Optimus stove/oven. However, Bill Shaw sneakily threw a curveball when he placed a cupboard door under the sink, giving the impression of accessible storage space there. In fact, the door provides access to the fuel and water filters on the starboard side of the engine, though only a gnome will be comfortable working on that side of the engine.

The 11-foot beam makes for a spacious saloon with pull-out settee, a large table, and pilot berth to starboard centrally located for sleeping when the boat is underway. The settee berths are more than 6 feet long. The table folds up against the main bulkhead. The galley is aft in the starboard quarter. The top companionway step makes a good seat for keeping watch on a cold night.

Also of note is the wet locker to port of the companionway. Although small, it is vented to the engine compartment so wet things will dry.

The head is a small compartment crammed with a toilet, a vanity with a small sink, and a shower.

Pearson 36 Performance

The first thing I noticed during a test sail on Puget Sound was that the Pearson 36 motors at 7 knots with the diesel turning at 1,800 rpm — pretty snappy performance. Theoretical hull speed is 7.29 knots. The original engine was a 30-hp gasoline Atomic 4 .

With a full-battened mainsail and an aging genoa, our test boat sailed to weather in 9 to 11 knots of breeze making 6.5 to 7.6 knots, impressive performance for a cruising sailboat. She covered the bottom at about the same speed when we eased sheets and sailed on a broad reach. She’s a tad on the tender side, but once heeled to 20 degrees she buried her shoulder and forged ahead.

Replacing the three-bladed prop with a folding prop should add at least half a knot.

The Pearson 36 carries a PHRF rating of between 135 and 158, depending on the fleet. Rating for the largest fleet, on Narragansett Bay, is 141. For comparison, a Ranger One Ton and an Irwin Competition 37 of the same year rate 120 and 123 respectively.

When shopping for a Pearson 36, be advised that Pearson built a number of 36-foot sailboats before it disappeared from the scene. The first of the 36s is very different from those that followed. The original 36s were built between 1972 and 1976. The next boat, the Pearson 36-2, was in production from 1985 to 1990. (This one is shown on the cover.) Other variants, all designed by Bill Shaw over the years, are the popular Pearson 365 (a ketch), the Person 367 (a cutter), and the Pearson 36 Pilot House. All of these 36-footers are well-loved and actively sought after sailboats.

What I can say for certain is that the Pearson 36 is a well-built, moderate interpretation of the IOR that still looks good and sails well today.

About The Author

Ed Lawrence

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Pearson 303

• By Bob Reeve
• Updated: April 22, 2008

Pearson303cp368

By the early 1980s, Pearson Yachts of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, had built more than 1,000 Bill Shaw-designed Pearson 30s. To replace that seemingly timeless design, in 1983 Shaw created the Pearson 303, and it’s an entirely different boat. More than 300 were built before production ceased in 1986.

Above the waterline, the Pearson 303’s hull is solid laminate. Balsa core is used in the bottom and in the deck. The rudder is mounted to a substantial skeg, which helps the boat track well downwind.

With its broad beam, the Pearson 303 is quite stiff, and it likes to be sailed on its feet to avoid excessive weather helm. It has a seakindly motion and offers a dry ride and a comfortable, “big boat” feel.

Four adults can occupy the cockpit in comfort. On early models, the mainsheet was at the end of the boom, and with primary winches mounted just forward of the wheel, one person can singlehand with ease. Later boats had midboom sheeting from a traveler on the coachroof. A single-spreader rig supports the keel-stepped mast.

The companionway steps are easily removed to expose the two-piece box surrounding the 13-horsepower Yanmar diesel that will move a P-303 through calm water at 6 knots. Some owners feel it has insufficient power in rough conditions.

The galley, to port just forward of the companionway, is small but adequate. Its best feature, the well-insulated 5-cubic-foot icebox, unfortunately drains to the bilge. Most boats were fitted with a two-burner Origo alcohol stove and a small single sink serviced by both pressure and foot-operated freshwater pumps. A deep bilge sump ensures that the cabin sole stays dry.

Aft to starboard is a large quarter berth. Lockers outboard of it convert readily to a navigation station; later models have a chart table fitted at which the navigator can work while seated at the head of the berth.

Port and starboard settees in the saloon are comfortable berths with the seatbacks removed. A dining table folds down from the starboard bulkhead and has a leaf that extends to the port bench to allow seating for four.

Forward of the saloon and to starboard is the head compartment. Quite large for a 30-foot boat, it has standing headroom, a handheld shower, and an electric pump to drain the sump overboard.

A bifold door opens into a truly comfortable owner’s cabin. It has a small bureau and a large V-berth. Headroom throughout the cabin is more than 6 feet. Large Bomar hatches, above both the forward and main cabins, and four large fixed ports and four opening ports provide plenty of light and air below.

At prices from $30,000 to $35,000 for examples in good condition, the Pearson 303 is an economical and versatile family cruiser from a builder with a reputation for producing solid and reliable boats.

Bob Reeve sails his Pearson 303, Evergreen, from Old Saybrook, Connecticut, with his wife, Susan, and their teenage daughters, Allison and Kristen.

• More: 31 - 40 ft , before 2000 , Coastal Cruising , keelboat , monohull , Pearson , Sailboat Reviews , Sailboats , sailboats classic plastic
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Pearson 28-2

Forgiving to sail and comfortable below, this 80s-era boat is the ideal first "big" boat

I did a lot of my early racing on the Pearson 28-2 Sun Dog owned by Pete Klein and sailed out of Kenosha, Wisconsin. I had a great time sailing with the entire Klein family all over Lake Michigan. We were a moderately experienced race crew, and the Pearson always took care of us. Toward the end of my time aboard Sun Dog, we took a direct lightning strike to the mast while underway. There was electrical damage and some minor fiberglass damage, but that good old boat just kept going. First impressions

Pearson Yachts built several boats that could be considered a Pearson 28, but the one I am reviewing is the Pearson 28-2 drawn by Bill Shaw and built by Pearson from 1985 to 1989.

The Pearson cousins cleared out of Pearson Yachts in the early years and Bill Shaw came in as designer in 1963 and took the helm of Pearson in 1966 as general manager and chief designer. Shaw learned his craft during his 11-year stint at Sparkman & Stephens, under the tutelage of Olin Stephens and Al Mason.

The 28-2 has a conservative look that has aged well. The underbody is fairly conservative, with a fin keel and spade rudder. The wetted surface is moderate, with a fairly flat forefoot, and flat sections aft to allow good speed downwind. Construction

The hull is solid fiberglass and the deck is end-grain balsa cored for rigidity. Interestingly, Pearson yachts claims to have come up with the idea of using end-grain balsa to limit water migration. Prior to this development, balsa was used in three-foot-long, two-inch-wide strips. There are rumors that, in early model boats, Pearsons were built in fiberglass but scaled to wooden boat scantlings, the builders not quite trusting this new material. But in fact Pearson did a lot of advanced material property testing and had a very good handle on how to work in fiberglass.

The hull and deck are through-bolted on an outward flange, and the resulting sandwich is then covered with a plastic rubrail. This method of attachment is strong but the outward facing flange is a bit ungainly and exposes the flange to damage in the event of a collision. The flange is topped off with an attractive oiled teak toerail.

The boat uses molded hull-and-deck liners, but this isn't a bad choice for a small boat. The mast is deck stepped with a stout stainless steel compression post and the lead keel is externally fastened. The keel attachment is robust, but most externally fastened keels are at risk of damage in the event of a grounding. There is an option for an externally fastened cast iron shoal-draft keel, shortening the draft from 4 feet, 10 inches to 3 feet, 6 inches. What to look for

There was not a lot of difference over the model years, so you mostly need to look for a good, clean boat. Some of the problem areas are small deck leaks around the portlights and hatches, and cracking of the plastic-framed portlights. I would carefully inspect the above-water plastic through-hull fittings, used for the cockpit scuppers.

These boats are roughly 20 years old, so expect a fair amount of owner tweaking. Inspect the quality of the added gear and its installation. Original electronics will likely need to be replaced, so be sure to give a close look to this equipment.

The hulls were well built, but those without barrier coating could be subject to mild hull blistering, as are most boats of this era. Give the keel attachment a thorough inspection-the keel, stub and bolts are robust but the arrangement is vulnerable in a hard grounding. It is not unusual for the boats to develop a bit of a "smile" at the hull-and-keel joint, where the filler and fairing compound can crack and break loose. This problem is typically cosmetic and can be easily fixed up when doing a bottom job. On deck

The cockpit is really spacious, especially considering this is only a 28-foot boat. It consists of two long settees, with a small lazarette on port and a large, deep sail locker on starboard. The boats came with Edson pedestal steering. The factory placed the traveler on the raised bridgedeck, near the boom end, but some owners have moved it to the coachroof in an attempt to open up the cockpit.

The deck hardware is good quality; a nice mix of Harken and Lewmar, with an Isomat deck-stepped spar.

The side decks are very friendly. There are teak handrails on the raised cabinhouse and you are protected by a double lifeline. The foredeck is workable and includes anchoring gear with a shallow anchor well. Down below

The interior of the 28-2 is very comfortable. The boat is a tad beamy and this translates into a lot of interior volume. The interior is finished off in a classy mix of oiled teak and fiberglass liner.

The saloon consists of two long settees with a centerline folding table mounted on the compression post. There is lots of storage above and outboard of the settees. The main portion of the galley is on port with a single sink, two-burner alcohol stove and storage. The large icebox is on starboard, and the lid doubles as the chart table. There is a fully enclosed head compartment with a nice fiberglass liner. It holds a proper marine head, sink and shower.

The brochure boasts two full double berths, one forward and the other in a private stateroom in the port aft quarter. The aft stateroom is comfortable, with a hanging locker and ample room to stand up to change clothes. The after berth is large but a lot of it is under the cockpit well, limiting headroom on the inboard side.

The cabin sole is finished off in traditional teak and holly. Ventilation is average, with a large forward deck hatch, two small deck hatches in the head and aft cabin, and a few opening portlights. Engine

The boats used a two-cylinder 15- or 18-horsepower Yanmar diesel inboard. This engine pushes the boat nicely and has the capacity to throttle back to allow you to stretch the 16-gallon fuel capacity. The two-bladed fixed prop is driven with a 1-inch stainless shaft supported by a bronze skeg and shaft log. Over the years, many owners have upgraded to a two-bladed folding prop for a bit more speed under sail. Underway

I spent a lot of racing hours on a Pearson 28-2 in the mid-1990s; we did a lot of buoy racing and quite a few of the distance races. The boat was never first-to-finish but we always sailed to our handicap. It was very nice on the distance races as it offered a bit of creature comfort.

The boat is beamy and relatively heavy at 7,000 pounds, not a great combination for light-air sailing, but the boat stands up to a blow. When the wind pipes up, the form stability offered by the wide beam keeps the boat on its feet. To improve light-air performance on the boat I sailed we added a 150-percent genoa and an asymmetrical spinnaker. The light-air No. 1 took us upwind nicely in the light stuff, and we put up the chute to reach or run.

Overall the boat was a lot of fun. It would move nicely in light air with the right sails, would stand up to a blow, and motored nicely during deliveries. Conclusion

The Pearson 28-2 is a well-built, attractive boat; a perfect first "big boat." The boat is fun to sail, spacious and forgiving.

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Thoughts on a Pearson 10M

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Looking at a Pearson 10M Tall Rig (1979) as my first real sailboat. The broker that I am working with has one that just came on the market for just over $27K. Looks to be in decent shape from the photos. I haven't seen it in person. I was almost set on a P34 (1984), but the price was a little out of my range. (mid 30's) and would require a couple of self-tailing winches to make it easier to single hand. The 10M has them already. I checked on the Pearsoninfo.net website for more details on the 10M, and it says it has headroom in 6'1-6' 2" range. I am a a little under 6" 6" and fit into the P34 (not much clearance), but it is listed as 6' 3". I may be able to get the P34 for $32K ish, but it still requires the winch upgrade. Aside for those details, anyone have a Pearson 10M or owned a 10M and since moved on. Likes, dislikes? Should I strongly consider (if I fit) or save my pennies for the P34. I am also going to post on the Pearson email list, but that is like asking someone who owns a Pearson, do they like there Pearson. DrB  

The best person to ask about a P-10M is Dan Pfeiffer, the father of the pearsoninfo.net website. He now owns a 10M that he is extensively overhauling. You can contact him through that site. Dan will spare no detail about the good and bad points of the 10M. In fact, his site has an extensive section of projects he has done on the boat with photos taken at every step. You can learn a lot about a boat's construction that way. And yes, do post on the Pearson email list. People argue all the time that current owners of any particular boat will only tell you the good stuff about that boat. That has not been my experience in the least, and others who have followed my advice have sent me emails thanking me because they found out both the good and the bad by talking to current owners. In my book, hearing from current owners is a lot better than asking for opinions on here from someone who may have been on a particular boat once 10-20 years ago, or knew someone who had one at the same marina sometime ago -- or at best may have seen one in a boatshow. YMMV of course. Disclaimer -- I have owned a P-27 and now own a P-33-2. I have written a history of Pearson Yachts for Good Old Boat, and was commodore of the Pearson Sailing Association of the Chesapeake for 3 years.  

The 10M is a solid boat - essentially a larger version of the P26 and P30 of the 1970s. They are still competive club racers and make good cruising boats. My main concern would be the age - especially the engine if its original. Many came with an Atomic 4 which will probably need a complete rebuild or replacement with a diesel.  

I think Practical Sailor has a generally positive review of the 10M. (I loaned my copy of their Used Boat Buyers Guide out, and haven't gotten it back yet. Won't make that mistake again.) That would be worth reading for details. The 10M has always appealed to me because they look good, and seem to be put together OK. The 1970's P36 is similar, and would offer more headroom and stowage space - if you can find one of those in your price range. The caveat on the engine is valid, though if it ain't broke...  

Experience with a Pearson 10M I'm the third owner of a 10M that I purchased in 1991, and used - until recently - to cruise the Maine coast. It's very stable and offers performance similar to boats 3-7 feet longer. The original construction was probably overdesigned, with very thick hull sections and a heavy rig. There were some oversights - aluminum backing plates under the winches come to mind - but those I've found are easily corrected, with one exception. The mast step is set low in the bilge, so it's always wet. The step is iron (or steel) and the mast is aluminum, so corrosion is inevitable! I agree with SailorMitch re Dan Pfeiffer's web site, with one caveat: I'm not sure how active Dan is today. I've contacted him because I'd like to list my boat - which I'm now selling - on his site, and received no response. As a sailing boat, I found the 10M, which was my first sailboat, very satisfying. (I never considered upgrading to another or bigger boat.) With grandchildren and a new house on the Maine coast, I just haven't found the time to use it during the last four years.  

In 1975 I chartered a Pearson 10M in St. Thomas for a 2-month trip through the Lesser Antilles with my young family. We sailed her in the Virgins, across the Anegada Passage to St. Martin, then down the chain of the Leewards as far as the Saints (Isles des Saintes) south of Guadeloupe. Then, back up through the Leewards, across the Anegada Passage, and back to St. Thomas. Wonderful trip, poking along and visiting every island in the chain. The boat was "Joker", a red-hulled Pearson 10M which belonged to Dick Avery. She was well known in the islands, as she usually cleaned up on the racing circuit. She WAS fast, and a delight to sail. Once, beating up the channel in a breeze of wind under Mountain Point on Virgin Gorda with just our genoa and a cockpit awning up, we sailed by a professionally-crewed Gulfstar 50, much to the dismay of their crew! I'd echo the earlier comments about the Pearson 10M...good boat, strongly built, fast for her size, seaworthy, with a few flaws like all boats. Don't know about the price these days, but if you like her and feel the price is right, go for it! Bill  

The comment isn't exactly timely, but my wife and I chartered JOKER from Dick Avery in St. Thomas in the late 1970s. It was actually a Pearson 28, an ugly little bugger, but a fine boat when you were aboard looking out.  

I pulled the trigger!! The offer was accepted. I am now broke, and soon to be broker, but who cares, the goal is to have fun, right? It goes into the water tomorrow! DrB  

Congrats!! Good luck!!!  

Congrats.. I hope you're making the offer subject to survey and sea trial.  

Survey and Sea Trial The offer is contigent on the Survey and Sea Trial. Plan on keeping her in Marbleyhead Harbor in in Massachusetts. I am tickeled about the Tall Rig. Hopefully will help in the typically light air on the Massachusetts North Shore. Thanks to all for their help and advice. DrB  

gordonr3 said: I agree with SailorMitch re Dan Pfeiffer's web site, with one caveat: I'm not sure how active Dan is today. I've contacted him because I'd like to list my boat - which I'm now selling - on his site, and received no response. Click to expand...

We love ours We have a 1974, hull number 47 and love it. With the tall rig it is a fast, easy to sail boat. Sea Jules has been re-powered with a 20hp Perkins diesel. The deep keel is cause for concern sometimes as we cruise the Chesapeake. We have Barient 26's and wish we had self tailing, but other projects always seem to be higher priority. We have recently: 1. Added blocks and a winch to the top of the cabin so we can raise the main from inside the cockpit. 2. Installed a single line reefing system, again, so we don't have to leave the cockpit. 3. Installed a strong track system to raise the main with ease. 4. Installed lazy jacks. 5. New bimini and dodger. 6. New class D VHF. As you can see, we keep find new ways of parting with our disposeable income. It's a great boat!  

Ha! Dick Avery was a friend of mine. He passed away last year in Saco, Maine. I believe I had JOKER for a few years, bought it off the fish cops in St. Thomas for a song and refitted it. The "song" turned into a long, drawn out aria, but kicked ass in all the races. She was rigged with tiller only. I sold it about 10 years ago. I believe she was lost in Irmaria. Had a 3' hole in the side and we had to replace all bulkheads and repower it when I bought it.  

I am sorry to hear that Dick Avery died. I have heard him described as the inventor of bare boat chartering. I lost track of him after the 1989 Hurricane Hugo destroyed all his docks and boats, including my Pearson 40 HOTSPUR, which I bought as a repossessed charter boat in his fleet. I was lawyer -- a maritime lawyer -- at the time, and as I was considering buying the P40, I asked with lawyerly caution to see his management contract. He said he didn't have one, and if I didn't want to do business on a handshake, we wouldn't do business. We shook hands and had a great 6-year relationship. I suspect it was Hugo that wrecked JOKER. The stories I heard were that the anemometer at the San Juan airport blew up in the wind, all the trees in St. Thomas were stripped of their leaves, and the streets there were clogged with rolled up tin roofs blown off the houses. His business was ruined, and it turned out to be uninsured because the insurance company to which he had only recently switched the coverage failed a few months after the storm without paying claims.  

Dick, along with Rudy Thompson, were the originals. Ahhh . . . Of Mice and Men . . . John Steinbeck used to charter with Rudy (Dick's best friend) way back in the '60's. Rudy (now also passed) was dyslexic, so Steinbeck wrote him a letter - backwards. The family still has it. Rudy told me about it on a delivery to SXM years ago. I might have had the last boat of Avery's fleet out of Frenchtown there. It was a 1973. Coulda been Hugo that holed her. Coulda been Marilyn. Coulda been stupidity by a later owner, too. But was Irmaria that et her (long after I sold it). She served us well as a nice, quick Water Winnebago for weekending and racing between Fajardo, Culebra, Vieques and the US and BVI's.  

If you bought a JOKER in 1973, it could not have been the JOKER we knew. We chartered that boat in 1977. It would be a pleasure to correspond with someone who knew Dick and knows that the bow of a boat is the front end, not a device for launching arrows. But this isn't the place to do it. I have a burner email address, [email protected] . If you would like to send me your email address, I'll respond with my real address. We live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and so you don't need to worry about our showing up on your doorstep some dark night.  

Nononono. The boat WAS a red, 1973 (based on HIN) 10M. And Dick thought it might be Joker. We painted it white awlgrip and banged the hell out of it on the starting lines. I got a port tack the start rep about 15 years ago. Didn't care if someone hit me. Always followed the rules, but I was difficult to take up.  

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Pearson 33...?

• Thread starter SoloGlider
• Start date Jun 16, 2014
• Forums for All Owners
• Ask All Sailors

Hi everyone, Recently, a 1974 Pearson 33 with shoal keel and centerboard was offered to me far below its market value and it has really caught my attention. Like any boat of its age there are issues; none of which seem to be deal breakers. That aside, what I am hoping to get from you are some thoughts about Pearson 33s of this vintage, their sailing characteristics, build quality, issues, etc.. I look forward to your comments. Thanks!  

A 40 year old boat being offered far below market value, and that hasn't already sold, must have issues, big issues. That boat has already exceeded the point where age problems start showing and these are usually major. A surveyor should be hired to check the centerboard assembly and the centerboard housing and controls. Then check the rudder, steering gear and prop shaft assembly. These are all items that require a haul-out to really access and problems here are all over $1,000. Then move to look at the bottom for soundness and blisters. The engine should be checked out for wear, motor mounts, pumps and transmission also would be covered in a survey. Don't forget the sails because new ones will be another $2000+. In many cases a low-ball cost boat can still cost too much even if given to you. If this boat is your fathers and has been in the family since new then I could be wrong. If my dad owned it I'd be asking a very low price. Ray  

Pearsons were generally built well and sail well. I am not familiar with the 33 of that vintage but we had a 1976 28 that was a great sailer and was built very well. You could trim the sails so that the boat needed no steering input. Again, that is the 28. The 33 may be completely different. Bill Shaw designed many of their boats and all his designs were very good.  

Thanks for your responses. My current boat is 40 year old Catalina 27 and requires quite a bit of love and attention to maintain her, and I would assume no less of the Pearson. The P33 has been owned by a single family and I know the mechanic who has maintained her for the last 25 years. She was repowered with a new atomic 4 within the last ten years and has a good running history. Besides needing a new fuel tank and a new main sail (in the next few years) she is in pretty good shape and fairly clear of major needs. What I’m really trying to get at is, what are these boats like? How do they sail? Should a shoal keel with a centerboard be avoided? Are there particulars to watch out for on P33s? What your experiences have been with Pearsons have been, etc.. I’m having a hard time finding info on this particular model and just want to get a better idea of nature of this particular build before I take on another project. My wife and I would love to have a little more space than our 27 provides and we don’t want to spend 30 – 40K and don’t mind putting in some sweat equity to get there. Thanks again!  

We own a 1982 Pearson 323 (32ft). She is a 3/4 keel. Well built, strong like ox. That is back when they laid the glass thick. Our boat is just alright in light winds, really bones in with moderate winds, and kicks ass in heavy wind. We are out sailing in 35 knot wind while others are getting back to the marina. They also do not get pushed around in heavy seas. They are very comfortable at the dock. Shaw designed great boats. I cannot give any details about the keel design on your boat other than it is not a bolt on design, so that is good. If it is a solid clean boat with minimal needs, I would jump. Pearsons from that era need a couple things addressed. The mast step needs to be closely looked at for corrosion and the mast possibly cut at the base and the mast step raised. Also if the chain plates have not been replaced yet, replace them.  

Sandy Stone

Looking at the page on Sailboat data, the P33 looks like a scaled down version of the P35, a very popular keel-centerboard cruiser. I have owned a P26OD and a P32, very different boats than the 33, but both Bill Shaw designs that were well built and sailed great. With a 40 year old boat, previous maintenance and condition is everything, but if you are satisfied with that I think you will be very happy owning and sailing her. If you have any concerns about resale value, keep in mind a gas engine will have a negative impact.  

Sorry, like all above, our Pearson is a different model. However, it is a centerboarder and an early 80's Bill Shaw boat, and we really like it. Never had any issues with blisters, delamination or construction faults.  

We have a 1972 P-33; and I have sailed on various Pearsons for years. My dad owns a 30. The 33 is built like a tank, like all Pearsons. The K/CB arrangement was a very popular for many years up until IOR; and if the new J 95 with a K/CB is any indication, may be coming back into favor. The 33 goes pretty well to weather with the board up, and quite well with the board down. Sailing on inland water, we love the draft with the board up. Bill Shaw, the designer, much preferred a centerboard to a wing keel, which began popularity following the '83 America's Cup. The 33 is in some ways a scaled down P-35. However, unlike the 35, the 33 is not a full keel boat. The underwater profile is more like a Pearson 39. You could also think of it as a 323 with a centerboard to improve upwind performance. I was pleasantly surprised at how spry she is for a boat with a K/CB and a skeg rudder. Very comparable to the maneuverability of my dad's 30 with a fin/spade. All weather we've had her out in has been taken in stride. A typical CCA design, she cuts through the water because of the nice narrow beam and good overhangs. Sailing motion is quite comfortable, especially compared to so many of today's super beamy boats. She just "looks right" also. The 33 will perform a bit better than the 323, especially in light air. All of the comments regarding what to check are good. Although, if the boat has been in fresh water the corrosion won't be as much of an issue. I'm sure you know to have a surveyor check everything. But, if there are no major issues, go for it! You won't be disappointed in performance, livability, or build quality, especially moving up from a Catalina 27. I have copies of 2 different brochures ('69 and '72). PM me and I can send them to you if you'd like.  

Don't be too quick to condemn a boat because it isn't selling. You can't sell a boat when there are no buyers. I have had my Islander on the market since January and have had only six casual inquiries.  

pearson`s Ive owned 2 of them first was a 74 10 meter 33ft but quite different from a P33 The second is my current boat a 75 p26w. both were excellent sailers shaw designs solidly built Any boat of that vintage is going to have issues. get a good surveyor add up the numbers the pro`s and cons and then decide. Unfortunately you got one big isssue the Atomic 4 good luck  

MikeInMaine

SoloGlider said: Hi everyone, Recently, a 1974 Pearson 33 with shoal keel and centerboard was offered to me far below its market value and it has really caught my attention. Like any boat of its age there are issues; none of which seem to be deal breakers. That aside, what I am hoping to get from you are some thoughts about Pearson 33s of this vintage, their sailing characteristics, build quality, issues, etc.. I look forward to your comments. Thanks! Click to expand

Stu Jackson

I, too, disagree with the immediate resistance to the deal. Pearsons are great boats. Our dock neighbor had a P33 next to us for many years. Very nice boats, nice layout below, too. Thing I noticed was that due to the gunwhale teak trim, the deck didn't drain too well back near the cockpit. He also had a louvre to the port locker that would seem to be counter-productive to water-tightness, although that could have been added by a PO and not a standard feature. Other than that, properly rigged it's a fine vessel, with solid gear. You might be interested in this to check it out for yourself. http://forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=102541 Good luck, hope it works out for you.  

Gary Calahan

ALL PEARSON 33 OWNERS OR PREVIOUS OWNERS! I have a 1972 Pearson 33 that has been on the hill for the last year that I spent rebuilding her. I too have questions about sailing characteristics. BTW....mine is competition interior with CB removed and slot in mod shoal keel glasses over. I can not find anything about the P33 and would like to hear about your experience especially offshore. Anyone have a brochure? Respectfully, glcalahan  

sailnoproblem

bffatcat said: pearson`s Ive owned 2 of them first was a 74 10 meter 33ft but quite different from a P33 The second is my current boat a 75 p26w. both were excellent sailers shaw designs solidly built Any boat of that vintage is going to have issues. get a good surveyor add up the numbers the pro`s and cons and then decide. Unfortunately you got one big isssue the Atomic 4 good luck Click to expand

In my sailing career I owned 4 Pearson yachts. 2 Ensign one design racing/day sailing boats 22 ft LOA, a 1974 Pearson 30, and finally a 1971 Pearson 39 yawl which we owned for 24 years and cruised New England to New York. In addition, we chartered a 33 such as yours back before we bought our 30. Pearsons in that day were generally built very strong and carried fairly short rigs, in keeping with the Narragansett Bay/RI Sound generally heavy air sailing. The 33 is a nice, comfortable boat built very heavy. I still have a 1-1/2 inch plug I cut out of the hull of our 39 to install a through hull fitting. As I recall, the hulls were solid glass and the decks were plywood sandwich construction. In all our Pearson yachts we never had leaks from anything. I recall the deck to hull joints in our 39 were through bolted and glued, and the 30 were heavy fiberglass. All our boats were joys to own and never failed to get us to safe harbor. The POs of our 39 sailed her to the Barbados and back. You could do much worse than owning a P33. Treat her right and she will take care of you.  

kevinhickox

MikeInMaine said: 1970 P33-1 Bill Shaw We really like our 1970 Bill Shaw P33. Simple boat. Easy to work on. sails fine. Stable. Minimal weather helm.. but we're quick to reef the main. Much dryer boat that our old Pearson Triton. Ditto on the things to watch out for. I'll add that the centerboard is lifted by a cable on a drum and sistered on the drum is the lifting line that pokes thru to the cockpit. The cable travels down a metal tube, thru the bilge and into the centerboard trunk where it attaches to the board. The tube has a fitting at the bow end of its bilge run that can be a leak problem. We have not yet attacked our board/cable attachment but plan on replacing it and the cable one of these years. If you lose the cable you'll be sailing with a 7'-ish draft instead of 4'. It amazing how much more roll you get with the board up. If you leave it down for sleeping to reduce boat roll you'll also probably hear it banging back and forth in its home a bit. We really like skeg hung rudder for its durability. With her roller reefing she's an easy single-hander for me. Cockpit is ultra roomy and the cabin is big enough with a table you can walk by to get to the head and vberth. We have the cruising interior. There was also a "competition interior with a quarterberth. Working on the back of the engine, exhaust, fuel tank, and electrical is fairly easy because I can climb right down into the aft bilge from the cockpit seats. I'm 5' 11" and 210lbs.. so its a pretty big opening for me to fit thru. The original fuel tank is installed under the cockpit floor and the stuffing box is located under the tank, making it a bit difficult to get to but doable. We got ours cheap and have been chipping away at upgrades and such. All our own labor of course. Mike Click to expand

Davidasailor26

kevinhickox said: I've got a 1970 33. The rudder keel and shoe broke off and I've recreated it with epoxy and 1708. I am new to glassing and am not sure if this is the best bond or if I should have used polyester? Now I'm reinforcing the bow/pulpit and anchor locker.Should I use epoxy inside and polyester for the deck. Click to expand

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• Sailboat Reviews

Pearson Vanguard

The ravages of time notwithstanding, the vanguard represents a lot of boat for the money..

Pearson Yachts, of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, was founded in 1956 by cousins Clinton and Everett Pearson, and fellow Brown University graduate Fred Heald. For the first few years it produced dinghies and runabouts in fiberglass, a boatbuilding material pioneered in the early days of post-war America by Ray Greene, Taylor Winner and a handful of other erstwhile inventors. Then in 1959 Pearson exhibited its prototype Carl Alberg-Designed Triton at the New York Boat Show, wrote enough orders to pay its hotel bill, and sold public stock to raise the necessary capital to expand facilities. The Triton, while not the first auxiliary sailboat built of fiberglass, was the first boat to enjoy a long production run (over 700), and keep its builders in the black.

The Vanguard, designed by Philip Rhodes, followed in 1962 and remained in production until 1967, totalling 404 hulls. It was preceded by the Invicta, Alberg 35, Bounty II, Ariel, Rhodes 41, and of course the Triton. This line of fiberglass cruisers and sometime racers gave Pearson a strong position in the market. The pedigree of the designers was odorless, and construction quality was good for that particular moment in the timetable of plastic boatbuilding technology.

Sailing Performance

The early Pearsons were club raced with moderate success under the now-defunct CCA Rule, and in some offshore events. Indeed, the 37′ Invicta yawl Burgoo won the 1964 Bermuda Race. It was the first time a fiberglass boat had won the event and prompted a lot of advertising ballyhoo from the company. While the Vanguard never acquired as memorable a victory as the Invicta, it performed decently.

One does not, however, buy a vintage Pearson for scintillating performance. A PHRF rating of 216 indicates the Vanguard will spend a lot of time watching the transom of even a Pearson 32, a 1979 design with a divided keel and rudder underbody whose rating is 174. The reasons include greater displacement and shorter waterline. The theoretical hull speed of the Vanguard’s 22′ 4″ waterline is just 6.3 knots. As the boat heels, however, the waterline’s sailing length quickly increases, as will speed. Therefore, the Vanguard was intended to sail at about 15° of heel for maximum efficiency. Once its “shoulder” is immersed, the boat is fairly stiff.

Maneuverability is good. Comments from our reader surveys say, “Turns on a dime.” Despite bearing the “full keel” appellation, the Vanguard’s generous overhangs, cutaway forefoot and raked rudderpost mean there’s not as much lateral surface area as one might suppose. Backing down is dreadful, but that’s to be expected with a keel-hung rudder and propeller in the aperture. One learns to aim in the direction of the prop; to attempt otherwise is to thumb your nose at physics and invite the maledictions of watchful owners on nearby boats.

Like many CCA-inspired designs with large mainsails and small foretriangles, the Vanguard likes to carry a large headsail longer than is customary on more contemporary designs. Instead of switching down from, say, a 150% or 165% genoa when the wind approaches 18 knots, the wiser practice is to reef the main. The consequence of any other strategy is a wicked weather helm that makes tiller steering seem like a two-handed wrassle with an alligator.

Owners have dealt with the weather helm problem in various ways. Because raking the mast forward (to move the center of effort forward) is an insufficient measure, some have installed double-duty bow platforms to relocate the headstay farther forward, and as a permanent home for their main anchor. Others have tried roachless mainsails. The easiest solution is simply to adjust your thinking about sail combinations. As one reader wrote, “It took me three years to learn to shorten the main (before reducing headsail size).”

A small number of Vanguards were delivered with yawl rigs, and though none of the readers in our survey were owners of split rigs, they presumably would be easier to balance than the sloop.

Despite these idiosyncracies, the Vanguard is well behaved in deteriorating weather. It is never skittish while tacking or during sail-changing maneuvers, and in fact, by luffing the mainsail it is possible to carry sail longer than is prudent. Switching down, of course, is inevitable. “In 50 knots with a storm jib and trysail,” said one reader, “she can make three knots to windward.”

The ubiquitous Atomic 4 gasoline engine was the standard auxiliary for the Vanguard. Many are still in operation though it is more and more common to find thrifty replacement diesels, a certain improvement in resale value. If the Atomic 4 hasn’t been replaced yet, one should factor in the cost of repowering in the not-so-distant future.

Accessibility varies dramatically between the standard aft galley layout and the dinette arrangement with quarter berths aft. In the first, the engine is located under the sink; access is from the front via a cupboard door and from the side by removing the offset companionway counter steps. Needless to say, this is not a convenient setup for even routine oil changing, let alone major repair work. In the second, the engine is covered by a box directly under the bridgedeck; removable panels, fastened by knurled thumbscrews, expose the engine on all sides except the aft transmission end, which is under the bridge deck. While ease of engine maintenance is certainly an important factor in choosing a boat, in the case of the Vanguard the two general arrangement plans also have significant impact on livability at anchor and at sea, giving prospective buyers pause to contemplate the many implications of the two different layouts. More on this later.

Construction

Owners’ faith in the integrity of older Pearsons borders on the religious. “They don’t make ’em like they used to!” is a frequent call in the hallelujah chorus of these proselytes, usually followed by some refrain of boatyard wisdom such as, “Back then they didn’t know how thick fiberglass had to be.” Or they say, “My hull is …this thick!” as the space between their thumb and finger grows like Pinocchio’s nose. There is probably some truth to these beliefs—that scan’tlings for fiberglass boats were for a time loosely derived from the builder’s knowledge of wooden boats—but a thick skin doesn’t necessarily result in a well made boat, nor does the hull layup tell the whole construction story. Amen.

The Vanguard’s single skin hull was indeed the beneficiary of generous laminations of 1 1/2-ounce mat and 24-ounce woven roving, but probably not as many as some owners would like to believe. One indication of panel stiffness is whether the hull changes shape in its cradle; a door that suddenly won’t open is a telling clue, and with the Vanguard, this is seldom the case. It is also true that most Vanguards weigh about 1,500 pounds more than the designed displacement.

Perhaps the most dramatic difference between old and new Pearsons (and most older boats for that matter) is the use today of many more fiberglass molds: furniture foundations, iceboxes, shower stalls, etc. In some instances this practice may represent an improvement, in others not. The Vanguard’s interior was constructed of plywood taped to the hull. Correct building procedures were generally followed, such as peeling the plastic laminate where bulkheads are taped to the hull for better adhesion. Neatness, however, sometimes was lacking; examples might include wrinkles in the cloth and frayed, untrimmed edges.

The all-wood interior, properly taped to the hull, nevertheless creates a strong internal support structure and is amenable to do-it-yourself modification. Where it becomes unsatisfactory is in some structures such as the icebox, which in the Vanguard was built in situ from plywood and sheets of Styrofoam; the result is too many thermal leaks, not enough insulation, and more weight than necessary. Owners wishing to upgrade the icebox have the dubious choice of adding insulation on the inside (resulting in an unacceptably small box) or ripping out the entire box and building a new one from scratch, which is a devil of a job.

The deck is balsa cored and the hull-to-deck joint is a simple flange that is sealed and through-bolted. The balsa is terminated several inches from the rail so that deck hardware such as lifeline stanchions and cleats are mounted on solid glass. As with most older boats, bedding compound tends to deteriorate over time, and severe gelcoat cracking allows the ingress of water. This is of particular concern where coring is involved. Extreme remedies for punky decks—grinding away one skin of the deck sandwich, removing watersoaked wood and reglassing—is a major and costly project.

The one real problem with the Vanguard’s basic structure is the keel (it’s not a problem as long as you don’t hit anything, but groundings, for the curious cruiser, are as predictable as the tide). The lead ballast castings were set in a bed of resin inside the hollow keel, which is part of the hull mold, then glassed over so that water entering the keel cavity will not enter the cabin. Without fiberglass reinforcement, the resin bed is brittle and provides little added protection from a grounding. Voids between the ballast and keel sides were filled with various types of material over the years, including sheets of balsa, which can soak up water like sponges if the keel is holed.

The Vanguard’s mast step is a welded steel box bolted to the deck. Twenty years seems to be about the maximum useful life of these steps, eventually succumbing to rust and requiring the custom fabrication of a new one. Entrance to the forward cabin is offset to starboard so that a solid teak compression post could be fitted to the head side of the bulkhead.

Fuel (21 gals) and water (45 gals) tanks are Monel, the former mounted under the cockpit footwell and the latter under the main cabin sole on centerline. The fuel tank should be removable, but replacing the water tank would require dismantling the sole, which unfortunately is not an unusual situation in many boats. On the plus side, Monel is an excellent tank material and will probably survive the boat itself. Plumbing is straightforward with bronze, barreltype seacocks on through-hull fittings.

Most owners have strong opinions about the two arrangement plans—standard and dinette. Neither is without problems. The forward cabin is the same in both plans, as is the head. In the main cabin, the standard arrangement features a settee/berth to starboard with a pipe berth over; to port is an extension settee that pulls out to form a full-width single berth and a pilot berth outboard, totaling four decent sea berths. The aft galley is divided by the offset companionway with icebox to starboard and sink and stove to port. There is no provision for an oven in this plan, which may be a drawback for live-aboards and some cruisers. The fold-down bulkhead-mounted table makes for more open space but is something of a contraption.

The dinette plan has a more useful table, which is handy for chartwork and lowers to form a double berth. But because of the Vanguard’s comparatively narrow beam, the dinette is small. The galley is a sideboard affair with adequate plate and food stowage.

Its chief advantage is a three-burner stove/oven, and its greatest liability is a sink that won’t drain with the rail down on port tack. In fact, in such conditions the sink overflows into the stowage bins behind and ultimately into the bilge. This requires closing the sink drain seacock in blustery weather. Two quarter-berths are secure at sea though adults might find them a bit claustrophobic on a regular basis. But at least they won’t have to be stripped of bedding each morning, as do settee berths in the main cabin.

The stepped coachroof provides unusual headroom in the main cabin (about 6′ 5″), and marginal headroom in the head and forward cabin (6′ 0″ plus). Berth lengths are all just over 6’. The head is small, though there is adequate stowage space, and an aluminum fold-down sink at least makes shaving a semi-civilized possibility.

The Vanguard’s interior is virtually all plywood, with bulkheads and furniture foundations taped to the hull. The imitation teak-grain plastic laminate is hardly the fashion today, and contributes to a drab, dark feeling inside. The cabins could be given a real breath of life by painting over the laminate (good sanding required for adhesion, though results may still be marginal) or applying a new veneer on top.

A molded fiberglass inner liner was used for the overhead, and the hull sides are covered with vinyl, the latter being a popular target of home renovation projects. The installation of a wood ceiling or cementing some durable fabric or other foam-backed material is a relatively easy and quick way to spruce up the interior. Fiddles, moldings, handholds and other trim are teak. The cabin sole is teak over plywood, and the floors are wood fiberglassed to the hull.

Conclusions

A reasonable shoal draft of 4′ 6″ makes the Vanguard suitable for cruising the Bahamas and Florida Keys, yet also gives it enough stability for offshore sailing. Perhaps the boat’s major drawback for living aboard or extended cruising is its size; a short waterline and narrow beam condemn owners to stowing on deck surplus drinking water and fuels, sail bags, ground tackle and the like.

Prospective buyers cannot ignore age either; at more than 25 years old, wiring, bedding compound, wood, plastic and metal parts experience a steady rate of failure when a boat gets this old. If the boat hasn’t been the beneficiary of a major upgrading effort, it soon will.

The Pearson Vanguard is a traditionally styled boat, and therein lies her appeal. Rhodes could draw a mean sheerline and this boat is no exception. Like most of the early Pearsons, the Vanguard offers a lot of boat for the money. Its value peaked in the early 1980s between the high $20s and low $30s, more than twice it’s original cost. In recent years, age and the glut of used boats on the market has brought prices down well below $30,000, often into the teens. Much depends on the amount of upgrading performed by past owners, the most important being engine, topside reconditioning, interior customization, condition of teak and non-skid, and sail inventory.

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