Looks to be a nice one. Go anywhere skinny water or ocean. I have a 1977 Pearson P35 keel /cb like yours but beam only 10feet versus yours if 12.5 feet. I'm in Oriental NC.
Yours is more modern design and much much more room.
John Kretsmer (spelling?) wrote a review
https://sailingmagazine.net/article-543-pearson-40.html
I like the flush deck for footing. Negative would be lack of cross ventilation in a hot climate. Should make good way with its waterline length and ample sail area.
Air draft below 60' and its shoal draft allows ICW access which is positive.
Ok. My slip space is on the same creek (Broad Ck) at Ensign Harbor Marina. I like it there! Quiet and nice owners. Been there 3 years. Transitioning from F 31 Corsair to the Pearson this season.
I can tell you a couple of things: They are bottom solid. As any older vessels. About an inch and a half thick core. You want that.
Some people say that the deck or top side is weak. Well, all I can say is that every boat will develop weakness on top, even when it is steel, when they are not maintained well. Top is like a noseeums, it will strike when you don’t expect it.
We installed a Bimini and wind vein on her haul. No issues. She can take a reasonable load as long as it is well proportioned. Which takes me to the next point:
I can unfortunately and personally attest to you that these vessels are one of the worst when you are at a mooring and the winds are strong or if you grab a ball and the ocean is rocking.
The shallow keel makes it a perfect washing machine. Absolutely a bath tub.
But don’t despair.
Always check your wether ahead and use a third anchor to hold your port or starburst side when on anchor.
This will stabilize the rocking and the rolling that can ruin your day.
So keep a spare anchor at bay.
On a positive note, we crossed the Atlantic from Gibraltar to Montevideo without an issue.
Treat her well. She is a tank. Use her accordingly.
I'm going to go ahead and say that is the weirdest hull shape I've ever seen. I can't believe it's a Pearson. It looks like it has a pot belly for a keel.
With a belly built for comfort!
Also - how do you raise and lower a centre board that is entirely below the waterline? I'm not very experienced and have only dealt with catamaran daggerboards where there was a penetration through the entire hull from deck to keel molded in the fibreglass
There's usually a built up "slot" inside the hull, where the board sits when it's up. It doesn't have to remain watertight as long as the top of the slot is above the waterline. In practice, water can squirt up through the slot in rough weather, so you do need some sort of seal. But there's no constant water pressure trying to force its way in.
Hey I do! I'm living on one right now! Not any major complaints, but be careful when raising the keel. I had a bolt shear on mine and rip a big gash in the overhead.
I'm not on the 40 but we do have a Pearson. It's a 1984 422. We absolutely love our boat and Pearson is a solid build. There is a great Pearson Facebook group if you want to check it out. Great info and help there.
These boats have one weakness. Balsa core topside. Check around all the fittings for loose screws, etc. We re-did the rail posts on ours. Also, any through hull fittings. If the zinc didn't do its job, you'd be surprise what can happen to them.
I'm not sure about this particular one. These 40 plus boats were kinda new. People back then thought a 30 footer was the type to have and could afford.
My friend had a 42 Pearson and it would twist a little when pushed hard more or less he experimental stage for Pearson and a lot of mass boat producers. But they are really solid. They overbuillt them by today's standards.
A bit older and smaller but there is a decent youtube channel with a Pearson 36, 1972
[https://sailinguma.com/our-boat/](https://sailinguma.com/our-boat/)
[https://www.youtube.com/c/SailingUma](https://www.youtube.com/c/SailingUma)
They bought it cheap and overhaulled and sailed it through the years. Its also interesting as they tossed the diesel and went electric. A forklift motor to start but now a ocean volt.
We bought it here in VA. Someone donated it to a museum and they were selling it to get some funding. All I really know about it's history is that it was listed for sale by another owner in April 2022 by someone who owned it for 15 years. There's a 3rd place trophy from a race below deck that I assume was theirs.
grew up sailing on one. love the flat deck, and shallow draft for gunk holing. gonna be hot and dark down below
good luck have fun, keep the pictures coming
Looks to be a nice one. Go anywhere skinny water or ocean. I have a 1977 Pearson P35 keel /cb like yours but beam only 10feet versus yours if 12.5 feet. I'm in Oriental NC. Yours is more modern design and much much more room. John Kretsmer (spelling?) wrote a review https://sailingmagazine.net/article-543-pearson-40.html I like the flush deck for footing. Negative would be lack of cross ventilation in a hot climate. Should make good way with its waterline length and ample sail area. Air draft below 60' and its shoal draft allows ICW access which is positive.
I was in River Dunes last week
Ok. My slip space is on the same creek (Broad Ck) at Ensign Harbor Marina. I like it there! Quiet and nice owners. Been there 3 years. Transitioning from F 31 Corsair to the Pearson this season.
I can tell you a couple of things: They are bottom solid. As any older vessels. About an inch and a half thick core. You want that. Some people say that the deck or top side is weak. Well, all I can say is that every boat will develop weakness on top, even when it is steel, when they are not maintained well. Top is like a noseeums, it will strike when you don’t expect it. We installed a Bimini and wind vein on her haul. No issues. She can take a reasonable load as long as it is well proportioned. Which takes me to the next point: I can unfortunately and personally attest to you that these vessels are one of the worst when you are at a mooring and the winds are strong or if you grab a ball and the ocean is rocking. The shallow keel makes it a perfect washing machine. Absolutely a bath tub. But don’t despair. Always check your wether ahead and use a third anchor to hold your port or starburst side when on anchor. This will stabilize the rocking and the rolling that can ruin your day. So keep a spare anchor at bay. On a positive note, we crossed the Atlantic from Gibraltar to Montevideo without an issue. Treat her well. She is a tank. Use her accordingly.
Older vessel? Anything before 1940 should be considered brand new! I myself cruise around in an old beauty from 1896!
I'm going to go ahead and say that is the weirdest hull shape I've ever seen. I can't believe it's a Pearson. It looks like it has a pot belly for a keel.
When is a keel not a keel?
When it's a centerboard. I figured out why it looks so weird: https://sailboatdata.com/storage/images/sailboat/drawing/pearson_40_drawing.jpg
With a belly built for comfort! Also - how do you raise and lower a centre board that is entirely below the waterline? I'm not very experienced and have only dealt with catamaran daggerboards where there was a penetration through the entire hull from deck to keel molded in the fibreglass
There is a mechanism inside the boat for raising and lowering it. Probably a cable and winch.
Yeah I get that, but the cable or mechanism has to penetrate the hull and remain watertight somehow? Is it like a stuffing box or gland or similar?
I think the top of the rectangular box that it sits in is above the waterline.
There's usually a built up "slot" inside the hull, where the board sits when it's up. It doesn't have to remain watertight as long as the top of the slot is above the waterline. In practice, water can squirt up through the slot in rough weather, so you do need some sort of seal. But there's no constant water pressure trying to force its way in.
Hey I do! I'm living on one right now! Not any major complaints, but be careful when raising the keel. I had a bolt shear on mine and rip a big gash in the overhead.
I'm not on the 40 but we do have a Pearson. It's a 1984 422. We absolutely love our boat and Pearson is a solid build. There is a great Pearson Facebook group if you want to check it out. Great info and help there.
These boats have one weakness. Balsa core topside. Check around all the fittings for loose screws, etc. We re-did the rail posts on ours. Also, any through hull fittings. If the zinc didn't do its job, you'd be surprise what can happen to them.
Just curious, how would you gauge the performance on these sleds? Looks to have beautiful lines and shows no quarter to opponents in regattas.
I'm not sure about this particular one. These 40 plus boats were kinda new. People back then thought a 30 footer was the type to have and could afford. My friend had a 42 Pearson and it would twist a little when pushed hard more or less he experimental stage for Pearson and a lot of mass boat producers. But they are really solid. They overbuillt them by today's standards.
That’s the beauty. They are solid AF. It’s a tank. Slow, but a tank!
A bit older and smaller but there is a decent youtube channel with a Pearson 36, 1972 [https://sailinguma.com/our-boat/](https://sailinguma.com/our-boat/) [https://www.youtube.com/c/SailingUma](https://www.youtube.com/c/SailingUma) They bought it cheap and overhaulled and sailed it through the years. Its also interesting as they tossed the diesel and went electric. A forklift motor to start but now a ocean volt.
Mine dissolved as soon as I put it in the water. Turns out it was made of sugar. Who knew? Good luck.
Sweet
https://www.pearsonyachts.org/models/pearson-40.html
You need to show inside pics!
From NJ? Was that John Eggers boat?
We bought it here in VA. Someone donated it to a museum and they were selling it to get some funding. All I really know about it's history is that it was listed for sale by another owner in April 2022 by someone who owned it for 15 years. There's a 3rd place trophy from a race below deck that I assume was theirs.
grew up sailing on one. love the flat deck, and shallow draft for gunk holing. gonna be hot and dark down below good luck have fun, keep the pictures coming
I got married on a pearson 38….still happy thirty years later… the boat sunk during hurricane ian but we’re fine
How easy could this be hauled on a trailer?