Bill Shaw's Letter About the Pearson 530
Return to P530 page
| The BOAT
If you've come far enough to be considering a cruising boat like the 530, you know precisely what you are looking for. Certainly important in making your choice are the following characteristics; comfort; ease of handling with a minimum crew; a high degree of maneuverability both under sail and while under power; speed and weatherliness. Because of the sheer size of the 530, we were able to do a lot of things in terms of interior design, such as offer three staterooms with complete privacy. A separate dining salon for entertaining or just relaxing. A large navigation center with ample space for electronics. A passageway galley close to the social center of the boat. An owner's stateroom with its own queen-sized bed, many lockers, and a separate head. A walk-around separate engine room that encourages the kind of routine service and maintenance needed to keep an engine and generator ticking faithfully. Cruising sailors often sail short-handed. The 530's ketch-rig with its divided sail plan is one of the easiest to handle. With her optional double head rig and its self-tending staysail, sail control and trim is easy. The midships cockpit provided a central work area where visibility is excellent and the trimming of sheets is no more than an arm's length away. One of my important design criteria for all cruising boats is they must be fast. The cruising sailor who is often short-handed needs the ability to get from point to point quickly. This speed makes basic sense granted the fact that we all have limited time to enjoy our boats. With the 530, speed is an inherent safety feature as well. With her separate keel and skeg rudder configuration, the 530 can be short-tacked through a crowded harbor or powered to her mooring with complete control. The underwater hull form of the 530 incorporates many ideas developed for racing yachts without rule-influenced hull distortions. Instead, she offers a shape dictated only by the rule of the sea. The 530 was meant to be, and is, a gentle, forgiving, easy-to-handle boat that, quite frankly, will intrigue you. Come Sail With Us. William H. Shaw |
P530 | Marina Index | Members Index | Home |