We were pleasantly surprised to hear the we have apparently hit Internet and other electronic information sources. A few new members found out about the NPYOA through the "information super highway." We are grateful to these services and all sister sailing publications for their support.

Recently, Pearson owners from many of our favorite (and, alas, only dreamt of) cruising places have become members. Two new members are currently on extended cruises in the Mediterranean, specifically Greece and Turkey. We have asked them to write about their experiences and send it in for publication in TPC for the benefit of members. We repeat our request to all of you for articles on any aspect of your boating experiences that might be of interest to fellow members. We particularly want to publish information involving refitting, upgrading or any significant repairs you might have made to your Pearson. If you wish, contact us by phone or mail and we’ll help you put the article together.

Please be sure to read the special notice on page 2. We are initiating a new service for members and in order to accomplish our task, we need specific information about your boat

My family and I did get to sail our P35, "Satori" to Block Island and to several favorite anchorages on the Eastern Connecticut Coast, as well as our usual haunts along Gardener’s Bay. One major and most pleasant factor we couldn’t help noticing was how much cleaner the water was this year, especially within the harbors themselves. I suspect that this is a direct result of a lot of environmental consciousness on the part of yards, boaters, and those who rely on our beaches and coast lines for pleasure and profit.

On the down side however, we witnessed a serious increase in the need for greater security to protect our boats and dinghies. In their March 94 issue, Soundings reported on a seminar taking place in Boston to "tackle the growth of boat chop shops." Many of the Nautical catalogs and publications have also been reporting on new security devices and alarm systems for our boats — particularly our dinghies. It is most unfortunate that the boating world must also confront this new era of increased crime. It will certainly take a cooperative effort by all of us to keep it to a minimum. Any suggestions or comments from members on this topic would be most appreciated.

In the last issue of TPC, we reported on a member’s rather major refit of a Pearson 424. Ms. Sharon P. Kaurez (whose name we apologize for misspelling) had her article on the project published in the July ’94 issue of Mid Gulf Sailing. Sharon sent us a copy with permission to reproduce it for any interested members. Drop us a line if you would like a copy. A Cruisers’ Dinner is being held on Saturday, February 11th at the 1995 "Sail Expo" in Atlantic City. Invitations and details will be sent to all members. Please plan on attending.

Wishing you smooth & safe sailing, Bill Lawrence

Probably nothing hits a boater deeper than witnessing a perfectly fine craft suffer the ravages of nature. 1991 was a year most boaters and insurance companies would love to forget. 1991 was a year of near record damage as a not so gentle Mother Nature unleashed her fury on many sections of the nation. The Atlantic Northeast was among the impacted areas culminating with Hurricane Bob which hit the New York/New England coast on August 19th.

Despite its fury, Bob spared some boating facilities while leaving others in a state of almost total destruction. Dearing Harbor on Shelter Island nestled in between the north and south forks at the end of Long Island was particularly hard hit due to its exposed northern geography. Many fine boats found themselves high and not so dry after Bob departed the region on its path towards Rhode Island. One of the boats heavily damaged was a here-to-fore well maintained 1979 Pearson 30 named "Free Spirit." The Free Spirit had been sailed out of Dearing Harbor on Shelter Island since it was new and had become a familiar part of the nautical landscape of the region.

Sadly, Hurricane Bob left Free Spirit with a gaping hole along her starboard side. Her deck and hull were severely damaged with a five foot rip along her deck joint not to mention serious damage to rigging and other equipment. The carnage was so extensive that the insurance company considered her a total loss and destined her for scrap or Davy Jones’ Locker.

Due partly to luck and partly to the installation of new pilings and docks, Brewers Yacht Yard of neighboring Greenport escaped with almost no damage. As a result, we offered our facilities as a staging area to many boat owners who weren’t so lucky. Free Spirit was one of the boats towed to Brewers to await the final outcome of what was then an overtaxed crew of insurance adjusters.

Brewers of Greenport has historically been a yard with a well trained staff with an even broader base of traditional skills in almost all aspects of boat maintenance and repair. All of us at Brewers were distressed with the prospect of what had been a fine craft being given its last rights, so we purchased Free Spirit from the insurance company and decided to go to work on it over the winter of ’92/’93.

The worksheets for the total restoration were almost comparable to building a completely new boat. More than 1000 hours were put into the job and, as is often the case, it turned out to absorb considerably more time and effort than originally estimated. As the cleanup and removal of damaged gear and parts were undertaken, it became clear that Hurricane Bob and years of use demanded significantly more work be done to return the boat to pristine condition.

Almost all deck hardware had to be removed as well as all damaged parts of the hull and deck. Templates had to be made to preserve contours and deck curves. The steering quadrant and engine which had to be replaced were also removed. All hull and deck sections which were removed were laid up from templates for eventual re-lamination after the deck flanges and hull supports were replaced. New coax cable and connections on the mast and most of the house were replaced, as were the panels surrounding the engine room.

The damage to the hull was so extensive that major structural parts and sections had to be carefully constructed and fitted. This work absorbed many hours of effort. However, as is often the case, the bulk of the time was spent on finishing, sanding, preparation, cleaning, and removing damaged gear and parts. Considerable time was spent restoring deck gear, winches, rigging, handrails, and headliners to mention only a partial inventory of this effort. Rewiring alone turned out to be a major task, particularly since it was easier to start from new rather than attempt to patch from the old.

It was decided to replace the old gas driven power plant with a new diesel, even though the original engine was in good running condition. Inspection of the boom revealed no structural damage, but several holes from rigging changes had left it in less than perfect condition. The decision to order a new boom was made and added to the growing list of new purchases.

The crew at Brewers started work on Free Spirit around the end of June, 1992 and it was not until late May of ’93 that she was hauled out of the shed and put into the water. Those who monitored the progress and knew of her condition when she was first rolled in, took great pride in the fact that this little craft was once again as good as new. Indeed, she may now be even better because the technology and parts we used didn’t exist for the folks at Pearson Yachts in 1979.

Free Spirit lived up to her name and all of us admired her stately appearance as she sat at her slip, looking as shiny and sleek as when she was first rolled off the production line. All of us at Brewers took particular pride in the quality of the final product and the knowledge that what might have ended up as a rotting hulk in some forgotten lot will now be back at sea, giving the pleasure she was originally intended to provide.

Free Spirit was eventually sold to the Captain of one of Shelter Island’s Ferrys, thereby insuring no change to the nautical landscape of the region. We wish her a long life with as much sea time as her new owners are able to demand of her.

I sail a 1978 Pearson 31, on Lake Michigan. The Bill Shaw design was conceived as a racer-cruiser and though this purpose was beautifully executed in my view, evidently the boat didn’t meet expectations, as production stopped after only two years in 1979.

It’s a great boat and I’ve been very pleased with her performance except to windward as she routinely tacks through 110°. The headsail blocks attach at the toerail yielding a 14° jib lead angle. I’ve always assumed she was meant to have inboard tracks. Copies of original drawings only show optional genoa tracks on the coamings (way back for even my 155%) but no inboard jib tracks. I’ve been tempted many times to put down inboard tracks and bring the lead angle down to 9°–10° but I’m afraid of damaging the cored deck under load. As there were few P31’s of this vintage built, I’ve never seen another so I haven’t been able to confirm if inboard tracks were just somehow omitted on my P31. Any insights would be greatly appreciated. — Craig & Norma Jean Juel Valparaiso, IN

Dear Craig & Norma Jean, You are right, the P31 did not stay in production past 1978 ending in that year with hull number 65. The version of the 31 that you own was considerably different than the one that was produced from 1986 through 1990. Your P31 was designed to capture a market demand for IOR class racing. Being both a masthead and 7/8 rig, the boat had limited appeal to the general market due to the relatively small cockpit design. The P31 was redesigned in 1979 to enlarge the cockpit thereby forgoing the IOR designation.

We are trying to find out the history of the P37. How many were built? When did they stop building them? Is this boat OK for cruising? Does this boat have any quirks we should know about? What is the Baby stay for? How do we use it? How do we use the hydraulic backstay and boom vang for maximum effectiveness when under sail — both in high wind and under light air? What jibs should we use for effective sailing and maximum speed? What determines when it is best suited to reef the main, and approximate wind velocity for the first reef and then also for the second reef? Would it be possible to hear from other P37 owners? We have a lot to learn about the boat. It is a beautiful boat and we are proud of her. — Terry and Jeanie Tornow Savinaw, Texas

Dear Terry & Jeanie, Your P37 was also an IOR design, produced from 1981 through 1983, hull number 42 was the last one produced. This boat has the distinction of having twice won the Boat of the Year in the Gulf of Maine series. As a solid, well-built boat, the P37’s racing orientation does not preclude its ability to handle off shore seas. What constitutes a cruising over a racing boat is very often a personal decision. Can this boat handle blue water? Most assuredly. However, the IOR did impose design restrictions that might make the boat less attractive to those looking for a more traditional or dedicated cruising design. Only you can make that decision which typically turns out to be based on comfort — however that factor might be defined by you and your crew.

Over the winter I had the pitch changed from 14x8 to 14x9. Based on limited seatrials, the boat seems to drive through an oncoming sea much better.

I know that using a 3 bladed prop is costing me some speed under sail when compared to a 2 bladed prop. Is there some rule of thumb that states how much speed is lost when sailing with a 3 blade as compared to a 2 blade? Has a tabulation ever been made that compares 3 bladed props to equivalent 2 bladed props? How much more pitch do you need on a 2 blade to match a 3 blade prop while keeping a constant diameter? If I am happy with the performance of a 3 blade 14x9 prop under power, can I find an equivalent 2 blade prop that will be compatible with the engine specifications? Bear in mind that the diameter can not exceed 14 inches. — George Taylor Waltham, MA

Topics for the newsletter: How can we stop internal mast noise and water infiltration via the sail track in keel stepped masts? Why is "pre-1984" mentioned when discussing parts availability? — Joseph Weinbrecht Stockton, NJ

I have a Pearson 26, no. 311, built in ’71 that I keep in Malletts Bay on Lake Champlain. Being a lifetime sailboat racer, I rarely cruise, but race regularly at least once a week. And there is not another boat that I could have bought for so little money that I could have made as competitive with a wide variety of racers/ cruisers under the PHRF handicap system. The boat has won Class D in the Lake Champlain Racing Conference 4 times.

A few months ago I decided it was finally time to bite the bullet and buy myself a boat. There seemed to be lots of used boats out there to choose from. Well, it didn’t take long to start getting frustrated. Since I love to sail in strong weather on the Bay and also wanted to do some coastal cruising, I needed a strongly built boat -- this quickly eliminated a lot of boats in my price range. I also wanted a boat with a reasonably sized cabin that two could live in for a week long trip, preferably with 5’8" standing headroom. This was more easily satisfied. The real stickler was my third and most important criteria.

Having spent a lot of time sailing our club’s Ensigns and Commanders, I was very used to their level of sailing ability. After taking a few boats on test sails, it didn’t take long to truly appreciate our club boats. I soon realized that if I was to be happy with a boat, it would have to handle at least as well as the Commander, and the boats I had tested weren’t even close. In fact, what I really wanted was a Commander with a smaller cockpit and larger cabin. Enter the Ariel.

As you can imagine, I was quite pleased to find one in great condition with reasonably good sails and loaded with important extras.

Any information the Association can provide about the history of the boat, parts availability, original owners manual, and local groups would be appreciated. — Greg Davids 540 31st St., Richmond, CA 94804.

Ron Davis, 5505 Honey Dew Terrace, Austin, TX 78749 owns a Pearson 28 and is interested in sharing information with other owners on modifications and improvements. Ron is an architect and "prepares fairly detailed drawings he is willing to share before undertaking modifications."

David Mershort at 9 W. Essex Ave., Lansdowne, PA 19050 has a Pearson 39 and Steven Lesak, RD 2 Box 58, Calver, PA 15927 owns a Pearson 33. Both would like to hear from like owners seeking to improve performance and just keep in touch.

Fother
An obsolete term used to stop a leak at sea. A sail, tarpaulin or a bag made of old canvas and filled with pulled rope yarns was hauled over a leak and secured until permanent repairs could be made.

Line Storm
A storm occurring in September or March when the sun is near the equinoctial or celestial equator. Also called equinoctial storm.

Dollop
A sea that leaps over the bulwark rail and breaks on deck.

The Real McCoy
During Prohibition in the USA (1920’s and 30’s), huge quantities of liquor were smuggled along a stretch of coastline between New York and Atlantic City. One of the most audacious and successful men engaged in this traffic was a boatbuilder from Nova Scotia called Bill McCoy. Over a period of four years he is credited with delivering over $70,000,000 of contraband whisky. Although later caught and convicted for smuggling, McCoy was a man of integrity. He kept himself independent from the gangsters and was careful never to stray inside US territorial water — transfers were made at sea. He was proud of the fact that his activities brought prosperity and, at a time when adulteration was widespread and people were blinded or fatally poisoned from the effects of backstreet distilling, every bottle that McCoy brought in was 100% genuine and unblemished. Hence the suggestion of authenticity contained in the expression.