The Pearson
Current
VOL. 2, #3
1995
Index for this issue
PUBLISHER’S LOG
A MAGIC CARPET RIDE TO TURKEY
For those of you with a 424 who may be contemplating ocean voyages, I offer the following comments
BILL SHAW ANSWERS THE MAIL
MEMBER NOTES, INQUIRIES and TIPS
BASIC STATISTICAL DEFINITIONS & TERMS
We asked Bill Shaw to list some of the basic measurements and ratios that are used by the designers to define the performance characteristics of various sailing yachts. These are some of the more common definitions, terms and ratios used by designers. In a later issue of The Current, we will look at some of the values for these ratios and how they are obtained.
NAUTICA
Sailing terms and expressions
Another season has passed. Those of us in northern areas have tucked our boats away for the winter with a twinge of envy toward more tropical members who get to enjoy an extended sailing season. Maybe an upbeat way to think about it is that a winter layup gives us a chance to think through all the enhancements and gadgets we are convinced our boats must have just to get them out of their berths in the spring.
We continue to get many letters and requests from NPYOA members. They are becoming more sophisticated in terms of issues being addressed. For that reason, we have decided to launch the Parts & Service Directory called for in our last issue. We ask again for names and addresses of yards with particular expertise, mechanics, carpenters or parts/equipment vendors you recommend. As our boats age and need more care, these references will be an invaluable resource to all of us.
You should have received the "like boats" listing by the time this issue reaches your deck. This task was a bit more complicated than originally thought and has led me to reevaluate our software in order to gain a bit more versatility.
As promised, Richard Duval’s article about his extended cruise in the Med is included in this issue, as is a piece I asked Bill Shaw to put together to help us better understand some of the ratios that Naval Architects use in sailboat design. I strongly recommend that our members join US Sailing. They have, in addition to products and services for sailors, some very informative books and pamphlets on performance, design, ratings and sailing tips that cover many of the more general questions we receive.
While perusing our membership list, I noticed that we have several women who skipper their own boats. While there is growing literature on "Womanship," I have received more than a few notices of canceled memberships because the "spouse" no longer shares an interest in sailing. I would like to request any ideas, articles or comments from members that may help to make sailing more enjoyable for women. A lot goes into owning and sailing a boat, but some planning and a clear understanding of preferences regarding tasks, can make sailing a pleasurable experience for all family members. Please forward any thoughts you might have.
The NPYOA will again participate in the Atlantic City boat show this year. Expect an invitation as soon as I get information from the SAIL-EXPO planners.
Very best wishes to you and yours for the holidays.
Bill Lawrence
by Richard Duval, NPYOA Member from Orange Park, Florida For those of you with a 424 who may be contemplating ocean voyages, I offer the following comments Magic Carpet, a ketch-rigged Pearson 424 hull number 165, has been mine since commissioning in March of 1982. Together we have sailed over 33,000 nautical miles including a windy and rough Atlantic crossing in the summer of 1991. Most of my sailing, including much of the crossing, has been single handed and, therefore, I have come to know Magic Carpet well. It has been very forgiving and tolerant of my shortcomings and I can and will attest to its strength of construction. There was a knock down on the way to the Azores and a collision with a whale while in the Azores adding spice to an already spicy adventure. The mid-Atlantic knock down was the result of a combination of waves from two directions. The whale however, actually attacked Magic Carpet. Perhaps I came between him and his mate. I thought at first that I had hit one of those submerged containers that we read so much about now-a-days. The hit was just under the port spreaders and caused a shudder throughout the boat. Hull flexing caused some epoxy coating to come free, but no other damage was apparent.
Yes, the boat does have blisters. The bottom contains thousands of tiny measles-like blisters. The Petit epoxy coating, put on about eight years ago, has worse problems than the original hull layup. Within two months of returning to the water, the hull showed tiny surface blisters, this time in areas like the rudder, where no blisters had occurred before.
After six weeks in the Azores, where I managed to visit six of the islands, I made my landfall in dense fog at Caiscais, Portugal. For the first time I was truly thankful for the recently installed radar, as I had to cross the busy shipping lanes at night and in fog. One highlight of my time in nearby Lisbon is an article that appeared in the sports section of the local paper. In it, I was interviewed as a single-handed sailor and the article even included a picture. Visits to the magnificent museums and palaces that abound in the area were rewarding.
After leaving the Lisbon area, I slowly cruised the east and south coasts of Portugal and the river that forms Portugal’s western border. The beauty of this Algarve coast is to be savored and not rushed.
My first winter in Europe was spent in Seville, Spain
— a deep water port some 50 miles up the River Guardiana. That may not be a typical cruising destination, but it is so lovely that I now use it as a standard against which all other European cities are compared. I have yet to find one that exceeds Seville, though Florence came close. My second winter was spent in Elba and this, my third, will be spent in Antalya, Turkey. In the intervening time, I have cruised the south coast of Spain, Gibraltar, the Balearic Islands, the French Riviera, Monaco, the coast of Italy, the Greek islands and am presently cruising the south coast of Turkey. While it is generally true that there is either too little or too much wind in the Med, Turkey is an exception. There are good anchorages, sheltered harbors and lovely protected sailing waters here.After a multi-system TV that I purchased in Portugal, I took aboard a 70-cc motorcycle. At sea, it rides quite comfortably on the port side held down by aircraft tie-downs just inside the shrouds. In port, this transportation makes all the difference in what I can do. It allows me to shop where I want, go where I want, and see much that would be out of reach otherwise. I count purchasing this Honda among my better decisions.
While it is difficult to get yacht parts in most of the Mediterranean, that is not true in Italy. Being a major yacht building center, the west coast of Italy offers almost anything for your yacht if you can stand the price. Italy is not cheap. Still, even in Italy or Gibraltar, it is necessary to count on trips home or on friends visiting for most spares. Even the items that are produced here in Europe are less expensive when purchased in the States. Stock up well with spares before you come. I did and there are still things that break (the Wilcox head) that I do not have and cannot get over here.
As I am retired from the Navy, I have the opportunity to visit bases and get the home-grown food that can't be found in the markets of Europe. Italy and Spain had such facilities. How good it is to have hot chocolate, bacon, V8 juice or something familiar from time to time. For those of you with a 424 who may be contemplating ocean voyages now or in the future, I offer the following comments on my particular boat and things I have learned about her. The list is hardly complete, but it hits the highlights that I recall.
On the crossing, with the high winds and seas often on the nose, the boat took a bit of a pounding. At one point on the journey from Santa Maria, Azores, to Caiscais I noticed that the bow sections were flexing every time the boat hit a wave. In port I found that the shelves in the area of the vee berth had torn free of the hull. As I assume that these shelves, now lockers on Magic Carpet, function as hull stiffeners, I have had them re-glassed. Hopefully the problem will not repeat. It turns out that the original glassing of these shelves to the hull had not been properly bonded.
Hull-to-deck leaks have always been a problem with this hull, and on the crossing, much gear in the lockers became wet. Of particular concern is the bow area, galley and master berth, though I suspect that this joint leaks all around the hull. Most lockers show signs of water stains. A few years after delivery, the foam-backed vinyl hull lining started to peel. The worst areas were the vee and master berths. I was able to locate sheet cork which made an excellent covering. Following the crossing stains, showed where water had run down the inside of the hull, and I have now covered the cork with textured vinyl.
All the wind and water action that Magic Carpet has experienced, has bent the stainless steel strap connecting the boom to the pin in the gooseneck. Repair or replacement will be done this winter. I question if this gooseneck is strong enough. New rigging was installed before the crossing, but the mast was not removed and checked. Before crossing again I plan to do that. Before accepting the boat, I had the mast step raised so that the base was out of bilge water. There are corrosion signs at the mast base. My prior boat, a P323, had bad corrosion in this area after only five years. The step had not been raised before that time.
Scuppers had been added in the rear of the overlarge cockpit some years ago and when knocked down the drainage was adequate. Very little water found its way below as I had the drop boards in place at the time due to the high seas. Though an Epirb, a man-overboard system (why does a single handler carry one of these?), a mizzen mounted TV antenna and a towed electric generator were washed overboard, no damage was done to the boat itself. Water pouring off the main, bent the dodger.
I have chosen the deck space just inside the forward companionway to deck-mount the life raft canister. Although I cannot think of another place to put the raft, this placement creates problems. With large boarding seas, water becomes trapped between the canister and hatch coaming and gets below despite all remedies I have tried. Placing a teak strip close against the hatch lip may do the trick. I am still working on that one. Some years ago, an uncontrolled jibe caused the car for the main sheet to carry away. I replaced the car with the next size up (three sets of rollers) and added a Waller boom brake. This brake also functions as a vang with lines leading to the coach roof for the vang and cockpit for the brake.
With the gear aboard for long range cruising I am afraid that I have altered Bill Shaw’s design a bit. The waterline has been raised around 3" and I find that at anchor, the resulting configuration rolls badly. I do not recall this awful roll when I first got the boat, so assume that the loading contributes most of it. In an anchorage with a surge running, it is most annoying.
Having struggled with an all chain rode and a manual windlass all these years, I am now resigned to the fact that people my age need all the help they can get. I have just run the wiring for an electric windlass and plan to install a vertical windlass when I can find a place to purchase one. Locating the windlass is the next problem as the anchor well is taking up the favored spot. Perhaps off to the starboard side of the lid.
Ham radio, computer, printers, instruments, chart plotter, auto pilot, VHF, radar, SSB, 12 Volt refrigeration, stereo system, GPS, loran, Wefax, TV, VCR and other assorted pieces of electronic gear consume plenty of electrical power. There is a Wind Bugger mounted on the mizzen mast just below the spreaders which has managed to keep me in the positive if there is wind. An Ample Power monitor system lets me know more about the state of my gel cell batteries than I want to know. A high output (150 amp) alternator has been fitted along with an engine-driven refrigeration compressor. Before leaving Florida, I installed a stainless steel box liner and a dual coil holdover system for the refrigeration. Scuba tanks and a diving compressor are carried though there is little to see in the waters over here. The Turkish government seals the diving gear on the boat to prevent the taking of under-water antiquities.
Should anyone have a question that I can answer, I would be happy to do so.
We thoroughly enjoyed the rendezvous in Newport this summer. It was great to meet other owners and exchange ideas as well as be able to discuss concerns with Bill Shaw. We subsequently used Frank Davis’s mooring in Newberryport and hooked up with the Osborne’s in Rockland for a visit. We also became more sensitive to other Pearson owners we encountered on our cruise and exchanged names and addresses. We encouraged them to join the association. Keep up the good work.
We have additional questions relative to our 1984 Pearson 36' sloop-rigged sailboat which we hope you or other owners can answer.
When I pulled the boat this fall, I noticed the fiberglass had come loose from the port side center board pivot plate. The screws which held it on were loose. I tightened them and plan to re-glass over the plate. Why would this occur? What should I do to prevent reoccurrence? What are the construction details of the pivot assembly? Our mast pumps a lot in 20-25 kt winds. How do I stop that action? How can I drain the diesel fuel tank? The boom clevis pin which secures it to the mast keeps working out by distorting the cotter pin and dragging it into the clevis pin hole. It would appear that the cotter pin hole won’t take an adequate size pin. It always works out not in? Why?
My FWC Yanmar does not have a cooling expansion tank in the fresh water/antifreeze side. I find myself constantly refilling it! Why was that not installed on the boat as built? I need to replace some rubber gasket material under the stanchions and swim ladder support. Where can I find white gasket material? This year, one of my swim ladder supports, where attached to the stern, started rusting badly and stained the stern of the boat. Why?
—
Don and Liz Bunch, Poughkeepsie, NYDear Don & Liz,
I’m not sure why the glass came off or screws became loose but water might have got
in behind the glass, causing it to come off. When replacing the screws, they should be set
in bedding compount to prevent them from vibrating loose. To the best of my recall, the
assembly looks like this:
As for the mast pumping problem
— does it pump while sailing or when at anchor at a slip? If underway in a sea, the lower shrouds may need tightening. If moored, use a spinnaker pole lift lead to stem head fitting to pre-bend mast forward.About the fuel tank
— the only way to drain it is to pump out through the deck fill or rig up a pump from the fuel supply line to the engine.For the cotter pin
— put a SS washer between the cotter pin and gooseneck. The hole in the washer should be a close fit to the clevis pin disc.Contact Mack Boring in New Jersey as they supplied the engines to Pearson. With a FWC system there has to be an expansion tank somewhere.
D&R may be able to help you find a gasket. Some owners have cut an old tire tube to size.
A swim ladder support will rust if it develops a small crack or if the fastening is of a different alloy or if there is a gap between the fastening and the part (called crevis corrosion). Clean it up, wax it and the rusting should stop.
I would like to know what you mean by "full access to our technical support team" and if it includes Bill Shaw, the designer of my 1983 Pearson 34.
Specifically, I would like to know if it was designed strong and safe enough to withstand off-shore sailing with minimal modifications. I have compared it favorably by sight with the Pearson 36 which has cruised off-shore extensively. I need to know about stability, righting angles, hull and bulkhead strength, etc. I know about the weak rudder since mine failed during coastal cruising. I also would like to communicate with others who have taken the Pearson 34 off-shore and what these people did to make the boat seaworthy.
Finally, I am glad to be part of the NYPOA as I have enjoyed my Pearson so much. I would like to know if there are any plans to make communication between members easier such as 800 numbers, E-Mail, BBS, or chat groups on the Internet. I can help with these communication services.
—
Bruce H. Peel, Chelsea, MADear Bruce,
We have covered the off-shore question several times in past issues, but needless to say,
the smaller the boat, the more potential danger is involved. About range of stability and
other statistics, US Sailing may have the P34 in their IMS listing. Their new address is:
U.S. Sailing Association, PO Box 1260, 15 Maritime Drive, Portsmouth, RI 02871-6015, (401)
683-0800, fax: (401) 683-0840.
As for easier communication
— you’re right, we plan to offer some on-line services in 1996 (we’re now working on what kind we should offer) and would appreciate any help our members can give us. In the meanwhile, keep that "snail mail" coming!Being a relatively new owner of a ’79 Pearson 40, I would greatly appreciate it if you would pose a few questions to Bill Shaw regarding this boat. Since Bob Bavier indicated in the November 1979 issue of Yachting that Shaw was the designer of this Pearson-built boat, I assume he will be familiar with it.
As a performance-oriented, cruiser/racer my assessment is that Shaw was right on target with this design. In fact, it is one of the most comfortable, best-handling boats that I have been on in over 30 years of sailing. Because of this, my first question to Shaw is, "Why the short run for this design?" Information available to me indicates that this boat was only produced in 1979 and 1980, and that there were only about 80 of them built. Correct?
Being a centerboard design, would you recommend any changes/improvements in this feature? Having read a number of accounts of centerboards falling out of their well, should the center-board pivot pin (whatever it was made of) be replaced (perhaps with monel)? Also, what is the easiest way to access/replace the center-board pennant and/or the centerboard pin? The manual that came with the boat doesn’t even mention the centerboard.
What was the planned use of the "staysail"? Was it planned for use in light air, or was it intended for use in cruising so as to give the boat a double-headsail, cutter configuration? If not intended for the latter, any suggestions on how this might be arranged as an option?
Any suggestion regarding extended, offshore use of this boat? Its low bow and flush-deck led me to think it might be very wet, and not perform well in heavy seas. However, my limited experience with it thus far leads me to think this may not be the case. Any comments from other owners of this boat?
Charles E. Bland, Greenville, NC
Dear Charles,
The production of 80 boats was not considered a short run for this size and price. The
smaller the boat, the higher the numbers.
As for the centerboard, the design was not modified from the original. I believe the CB pin is accessed from the outside and has a fitting similar to the P36 (see the drawing on page 2). With the boat in slings, sight up the slot to locate the F&A position of the pin, then mark the keel vertically. By tapping the keel, you should be able to locate the fitting. To inspect the pennant, lower the board until the attachment point is visible. The pennant should be inspected annually and the pin should be inspected every two to three years. Monel is excellent for the pin. However, we have found that a good quality prop shaft works well.
We would need to know your specific configuration to fully answer your staysail question because there were a few different options offered over the years. About your off-shore query, as we have mentioned before, the P40 was an excellent off-shore boat but does need some upgrading for such use.
My wife and I have a 1988 Pearson 31 named "Blue Skies" docked at Annapolis City Marina in Annapolis, Maryland. One question I’ve got about the boat concerns the safety of leaving the boat in the water over the winter. Our surveyor recommended putting seacocks on the thru hull fittings for the cockpit and deck drains. They empty to thru hulls at the waterline under the stern. The yard manager meditated on this and said it would be a difficult job to fit seacocks in the limited space and that if he did, he would replace the plastic thru hulls with bronze and add bronze seacocks. And, besides, there was no reason to add seacocks because we would never want to close them because we would never want prevent the cockpit or deck from draining.Of greater concern was his opinion about leaving the boat in the water in the winter. He said, if water froze in the hoses between the drains and the thru hulls, and if there were sufficient ice in the cockpit to lower the stern by an inch or two to put the thru hulls under water, the boat could sink if the hoses failed due to the ice. Then we talked about moving the thru hulls somewhere up on the transom but agreed this would be a big job.
This is my second year with the boat and we hauled her last winter. My plan was to haul every other year and to leave her in the water this winter. But this issue puts my plan in doubt. We love the boat and find it hard to believe that Pearson designed the boat never to be left in the water in moderate icing locations like the Chesapeake, let along New England. Any help you can locate for me would be greatly appreciated. In particular, I wonder what was Bill Shaw’s thinking on these issues when he located the thru hull fittings on the 31'. I look forward to membership in the Association.
Doug Crain, Springfield, VA
Dear Doug,
Pearson never considered the option of leaving a boat in the water where icing conditions
could take place. That would have been poor judgment on our part. If there is any chance
of freezing, the boat should be hauled. We have seen boats with seacocks in the water
where the drains iced up, flooding the cockpit, the sail lockers and into the interior.
The bottom line is, seacock or no seacock
I have a 1985 Pearson 27 Shoal Draft. I bought this in Rhode Island where it was sitting in a yard having been damaged in Hurricane Bob which moved through Cape Cod some years ago. We use her mainly for daysailing and around the buoys racing in club and regional regattas. We have had some success in handicap racing with her and are continually looking for ways to ‘get an edge.’
My question is, what do you think the performance difference between the shoal draft keel and what I presume was also sold as a full fin keel version? We find when racing that the optimal wind range is 8-18 knots, below that her sail area to displacement ratio is low, and above that the limitations of the shoal draft keel become more apparent. I am assuming that a deeper keel would allow less weight and better upwind ability especially in the stronger wind range. Part two of the question is: If you feel the performance difference is significant, does anyone know of a ‘junked’ keel and what is involved in changing keels?
Thanks for any information or words of wisdom you can provide!
Colin G. Mann, Lunenburg, NS
Dear Colin,
We tested wing (shoal) versus deep keels on P31s & P33s and found that off the wind,
there was no difference in performance. Up-wind, the deep keel made less leeway and had a
higher straight line boat speed. This is also true for P27s. By the way, in light air,
sail area/ wetted surface dictates performance not sail area/displacement which is a
measure of heavy air performance. I have no experience with "junked" keels, but
to improve light air performance with a shoal keel, consider adding to your sail
inventory. A bigger jib and for heavier air, reef the main, de-power the jib by moving the
jib sheet further aft which lets the top of the jib fall off. Install an inclinometer and
redline the angle of keel to about 22-24 degrees.
I have a 1976 Pearson 10M, and I feel she could point better if I installed an inboard genoa track. Can you suggest length, placement position, angle from centerline, etc.?
Also, I’ve been told that the 3/8" wire rope on the forestay and backstay is excessive. When Hild Sails installed my Furlex jib furler, they replaced the 3/8" forestay with the next smaller size, (5/16", I think). Do you think this will become a problem and, if so, under what circumstances? If you don’t think it’s a problem, can I down-size the backstay to 5/16"? (It might save me a few bucks when I add a backstay adjuster.)
Bruce S. Ginsberg, New York, NY
Dear Bruce,
The inboard track will improve pointing only in less than 8 knots of wind or more than
about 20 knots, depending on conditions. To secure the proper angle for the track, it
would have to lay alongside the cabin trunk and be backed securely with a backing plate
from inside the cabin.
For her size, the 10 meter is a very powerful boat. When designing headstays and backstays, we would often go up one size when calculations indicated a load near the limit of a smaller wire. This was done to reduce stretch, thus reducing the amount of sag in the headstay. Not having the calculations, I am unable to pass judgment on this change. I would suggest leaving the backstay as is, again, to minimize stretch.
I have found the answer to the dinette cushion problem when it is converted to a double berth on the 1986 P36.
We furnished two cushions of rectangular shape to fill in the space on top of the table.
When not in use, these cushions were stowed in the aft cabin against the hull to the underside of a shelf.
I plan to have a scale model constructed of my Pearson, and to have this done, I need to find where the "lines" of the P35 can be obtained.
While my owner’s kit from Pearson included plans of the boat and one drawing showed where the stations were taken, the "lines" were not included. I would very much appreciate any help that you may be able to provide.
— Robert McLravy, Lansing, Michigan
Dear Robert,
As mentioned in previous issues of TPC we continue to try to get access to the plans for
as many Pearson’s as possible. We did get a brochure from Trident Studio, Pasadena
MD, 410 255-8004. They can build a model of most production boats and have assured us that
they have many Pearsons available for half models, etc.
This is a photo of a "Chart Holder" I’ve built for my P33. The combined ice box — chart table on the P31 and 33 is great except for the lack of space for holding charts or a chart book. This chart holder will be mounted on the port midship bulkhead.
Peter Schaefer, Providence, RI
We own a 10M hull #85 (ex Rampage) which I believe you owned at one time. There were some sailbags with "Lawrence" tags on them.
We also own an Ensign that was recently damaged and are trying to locate a source for gray gel coat. Any information would be appreciated. Robert S. Byers, Greenlawn, NY
Dear Robert,
I have run into more than a dozen Bill Lawrences’ and fault my mother seriously for
her complete lack of imagination in naming me, I did not own a 10M but would surely like
to. Matching your gel coat is almost hopeless if you are trying to do a large section.
Natural fading and different dye lots makes the task of locating your particular sample a daunting exercise. I did have my yard patch a few places on the deck of my 1969 P35 over the summer and I couldn’t find the spots they worked on when I went to check the job out. You might either experiment with basic mixtures yourself or get a professional to help you out.
This is a response to Alan Silverman’s question (Vol. 2 No. 1, page 3) about increasing access to the engine-room of his P33. Recent models, in addition to floor-level access provided by a removable lower cabin-step, also have a modest opening available through the wall of the quarterberth. In earlier models such as my 1986 P33, the builder did not provide access from the quarterberth. Therefore, last year I cut out a much larger section of wall with a jig-saw. The resultant opening provides a beautiful view and adequate working space for engine inspection, clearing the fuel line, locating the dipstick, following ground wires, etc.
I then screwed two strips of wood along the inside edge of the opening, one on either side, and drilled holes through the cut-out wall section with its original insulation glued in place, in order to fit it back flush I secured it with wing-nuts to bolts fitted into corresponding holes in the wood strips.
This refit results in no more than hairline breaks in the engine-room insulation, so that there is no increase in noise and no engine odor in the quarterberth.
Thank you, Bill, for your very real service to Pearson owners.
A.J. Penfied, Sterling, NY
I am the owner of a 1967, 30 foot Pearson Wanderer, and would like to receive information you might have on said model, such as construction drawings or other owner information. Your help will be greatly appreciated. Alberto I. Izquierdo, Tampa, Florida
Dear Alberto,
We are trying to get access to these drawings and are publishing your request in the hope
that another member will be able to respond to your query.
My wife and I own the boat "Deborah Lynne," a 1978 Pearson 323 hull #23. We will enjoy kibitzing with other 323 owners and, as importantly, learning more about our boat. She sails well and is tough, but among the things we’d like to learn is how tough. Currently, we are trying to sell her; however, we are also giving serious consideration to refitting her for true, bluewater sailing. Although more waterline would be a plus, more hull, deck, rigging and fittings to upkeep could keep us out of the water altogether! 28 feet of waterline, in this case, is just dandy.
Any information we can obtain about specific areas of weakness in the design and lay-up of the 323 would be a godsend; and of course, I’m dang curious to know where other 323 owners have ventured in their crafts. There’s nothing so informative as experience, after all.
Thanks very much. Until the next social event, I suppose.
David Halliday Millstone, New York, NY
Dear David,
We have talked about the off-shore capabilities of Pearsons in past issues of TPC. Our
boats are "tough" but were not, for the most part, designed for off-shore. They
can be refitted and much has been written to cover what needs to be done. Maybe we should
put together a bibliography of books and articles dealing with this topic since we get so
many letters asking about extended cruising.
I’m very enthusiastic about joining this organization, networking with fellow Pearson owners, and contributing to the Pearson Current.
I grew up sailing on the western shore of Lake Erie on an interlake, and later our family purchased and sailed a Tartan 27 for many seasons. My partner and I purchased a Pearson 323 in 1982, followed by our current boat, "Kalliste," a 1989 Pearson 37
— Hull No. 21. We have made substantial upgrades each season and are both proud and pleased with our vessel.Kalliste has sailed extensively in the prime cruising waters of the Great Lakes, specifically Lake Huron, Georgian Bay, and North Channel, and I enclose a photocopy of a shot of Kalliste in arguably the prettiest anchorage on the Great Lakes
— South Benjamin Island. The rock surrounding Kalliste is vivid pink granite, contrasting dramatically with the blue water of the Northerly Caribbean, i.e., "North Channel."Thanks for the invitation to join the owner’s association and kudos to all of those responsible for creating this network. Please sign me up!
William H. Braunlich, Monroe, MI
Recently, I bought a 1980 Pearson 365 Pilothouse (Hull #2) and have had a great time learning some of the history and trying to bring her back to better than new. I spoke with Bill Shaw a while back to learn what I could do about the PH.
I understand there were less than 50 made and Pearson used the 365 hull and added the PH. The mast/boom is the same except Pearson welded about 24" on the bottom to accommodate the PH. The main is the same size, but the Genoa is larger because of the higher mast. Bill indicated the PH window frames and sides were made of aluminum to give it strength because of the large window area. The PH roof is 3/4" plywood with FG on both sides, making the cabin roof about 1" thick. Bill also indicated that Pearson decided to put a larger engine in the PH to accommodate the added weight and used the Westerbeke 50 which is actually 42hp.
I have improved the sailing characteristics by adding a North Sail 135% Genoa, full batten main, designed a Harken traveler system #7 for the Main and a poleless spinnaker w/Snuffer. The Snuffer saved my marriage. We have definitely noted an improvement in how she sails. The PHRF rating assigned by Florida Suncoast PHRF is 201. Naturally I would like about 215, but we are a comfortable cruiser and not a racer.
I have contacted three other PH owners, one in Corpus Cristi, one in Annapolis and one in transit at St. Pete. If you have any others who might like to compare notes, it would be great to hear from them. Also, if you have any other information about the Pearson PH, please share it.
Ralph Bowen, Osprey, FL
If anyone can provide some assistance to the following two members, please write and reference this issue.
Can you tell me where I can get replacement bearings for the rudder shaft on my pearson 30, Hull #236, sailing better than ever.
Julius M. Wilensky, Stamford, CT
With reference to your note in the last pearson Current, I am not looking for a list of Wanderer owners per se, but am interested in finding out where I can find replacement opening portholes for the forward cabin of my boat.
I have written to D & R Enterprises in Assonet, Massachusetts, and telephoned them several times to try to find replacements. They have not responded as yet. Do you have any other suggestions?
Possibly a plea in the Current would get a response. Any leads would be appreciated.
John R. Saxe, Islip, NY
The following are two members’ responses to a question/problem posed by Don & Liz Bunch (Volume 2, Number 1 of TPC). Bill Shaw answered Don & Liz in that issue and now Bruce Lawton and Mort Fortgang offer a second and third explanation of/solution to the same problem.
I have only been a member of the NPYOA for a short time but have already found value in my association with the organization. I would like to reference the "Bill Shaw Answers the Mail" column in the Volume 2, number 1, 1995 edition of the Current. Specifically, I am referring to question #1 in the letter from Don & Liz Bunch and Bill’s response to that inquiry. I had recently experienced the exact same condition with the AC "ON" indicator light of my Pearson 31 II as mentioned in the letter from Don and Liz. My suspicion was that it was either the beginning of filament failure in the indicator light, or, as suggested by Bill Shaw, something more serious like a ground short. In any event, the letter prompted me to action. After calling Bass Products Inc., who supplied the electrical panels and component parts for most of the 1980’s vintage Pearsons, and talking with Andy Faden of their Technical Service department, I learned that the most probable cause for the flicker was the less serious bulb failure. Based upon Andy’s advice, I ordered the indicator light, replaced the original and have seen it return to a normal operating display.Certainly, an AC electrical system malfunction can represent a very serious safety hazard on a boat and likely one that would require some professional help for an accurate diagnosis, as recommended by Bill Shaw. However, if the symptoms are exactly as noted in Don & Liz’s letter and as with my own experience, the logical first step is probably to replace the indicator light.
I am including below the pertinent information relative to the part number and where it can be obtained along with my public thanks to Andy who I found to be more professional, helpful and personable.
Mr. Andy Faden
Bass Products Inc.
50 Grove Street, Salem, Mass. 01970,
tel. (508) 744-7003
Yellow, AC Main, On/Off, Indicator Light, Model #13-0213.
Bruce W. Lawton, Richmond VA
This letter has two purposes: first to thank you for organizing the rendezvous and second to fulfill a promise I made to a few members at the rendezvous, to look into problems with the AC power that were noted on a number of boats.
Don Bunch, in his letter, had noted that his AC indicator light flickered and sometimes went out when a load was placed on any of the AC lines (outlets, battery charger, water heater, etc.). I noticed the same thing on my Pearson 36 at my home marina and at my yacht club, as had a few other members. At the rendezvous, I promised to use my engineering expertise to examine all of my boat’s systems and locate the problem.
I have done so and the unexpected result is that all the boat systems check out perfectly!
The problem was actually in the dockside wiring at my marina and at the yacht club. By shifting my power cord to another dockside outlet, the problem disappeared. I have subsequently used my AC at Brewer’s Bruce & Johnson in Branford, CT; Mystic Shipyard in Mystic, CT; American Wharf Marina in Norwich, CT; and at a properly wired outlet at my marina, with all AC systems operating as specified.
To those of you who are experiencing flickering AC indicators and low (or no) AC voltage, I urge you to try a dockside outlet on another power pole, and to notify the marina operator that their power is suspect.
— Mort Fortgang, Port Jefferson, NY
We Found These in Our Mailbag:
Written on an NPYOA membership form with no name or address: Sorry, sold my Pearson, sadly, too old — me — not the boat.
From Col John Wessmiller, Chatham MA: We have owned our Vanguard "Olivia" for 28 years. I am 76 and still sailing.
From Peter DeVelle, Ft. Lauderdale, FL: Raised a boy and girl on our Alberg 35. They have left, but at 75, I am still living aboard my Shaw-designed P26.
Our conclusion
— Pearsons contribute to a longer and healthier life!
We asked Bill Shaw to list some of the basic measurements and ratios that are used by the designers to define the performance characteristics of various sailing yachts. These are some of the more common definitions, terms and ratios used by designers. In a later issue of The Current, we will look at some of the values for these ratios and how they are obtained.
LOA: (length overall) in most cases, this is the overall length of the hull excluding such things as bow sprites, bumkins, etc.
LWL: (length waterline or load waterline) length waterline is more common usage.
DWL: (design waterline or datum waterline) this represents the waterline that hopefully the yacht will float at, based on the designer's estimates of the various weights that go into the boat. LWL or DWL are frequently used interchangeably.
DISPL or Displacement: the amount of water displaced by the hull for a given condition of loading. Sometimes it refers to the design displacement which includes the weights calculated for that condition, or it may be the half load displacement, i.e., half fuel, water, stores, crew etc. It may also be the full load condition. As listed in the brochures or the publications, unless defined, it usually means design or half-load displacements. If someone is trying to promote a hot racing boat, the lightest condition is often used. The displacement is also given in pounds in cubic feet salt water and sometimes in long tons (2240 lbs).
Sail Area: this is normally given in sq. feet which is the sum of the mainsail + mizzen + 100% of the fore triangle. The area of the fore triangle is simply that area bounded by the fore side of the mast, the headstay and the deck. Again, we find different approaches to this calculation. Some listings will contain the area of an overlapping genoa instead of the 100% fore triangle.
Wetted Surface or Wetted Area: in simple terms, the total area of the hull and appendages in contact with the water. In addition to the hull, we include the keel, rudder, prop shaft, prop skeg and centerboard if one is present.
Brochures or publications will often include various ratios used by designers to evaluate the merits of their design as compared to others.
Sail Area / Wetted Area (SA/WA): This ratio is useful as a measure of light air performance. The wetted area represents the frictional drag which must be overcome by the driving force generated by the sail area. The higher the number, the better the light air ability of that design.
Displacement / Length (DISPL/L):
this ratio tells us if a given design is heavy, medium, or light weight. To simply say
a boat is heavy or light is meaningless unless we know something about its size. For
example, a 30 footer weighing 15000 lbs would be on the heavy side, whereas a 40 footer
weighing the same is light.
Sail Area / Displacement (SA/DISPL): the sail area to wetted surface ratio is a bench-mark to evaluate light air performance as well as heavy air conditions. Think of the sail area as our engine or driving force, and the displacement as our resisting force, the drag. Again, the higher this ratio the better the performance will be in heavy air. At higher boat speeds the total resistance grows rapidly and, in addition to the frictional drag, we have a tremendous increase in the wave-making drag. To visualize this, picture a sailing yacht on a reach in a fresh breeze with a large bow wave a hollow amidships and a large stern wave. Achieving speed under these conditions requires a high ratio of sail area to displacement.
Dellenbough Coefficient: in yacht design, we must know how stiff the boat is, i.e. how much she will heel over in a given amount of wind. This coefficient assumes a 15 knot wind which translates into a pressure of approximately 1 lb. per sq. ft. The lower the number, the stiffer the boat is. Depending on the boat's size, designers assign different values that they want to achieve. For example, in a 15 knot wind you would expect a small boat like a Blue Jay to be railed down at times, whereas a 60' might heel only a few degrees. If you redesigned the small sailboat to heel only a few degrees in 15 knots, the boat would be a complete dog in light air. Conversely, you would not want to increase the sail plan on the 60 footer to the point where it would go rail down.
Prismatic Coefficient: also "coefficient of fineness" tells us something about how the underwater hull volume is distributed fore and aft. For example, the prismatic coefficient for a barge that is shaped like a big box is 1.00. The PC for a racing shell might be around 0.45. The PC for a high-speed power cruiser is around 0.67. The value of the PC has a relationship to the wave-making resistance. Knowing the speed at which the boat is to operate, there is an optimum PC to minimize this resistance. Choosing the best PC for a sailing yacht is more difficult because speed varies with conditions.
Sailing terms and expressionsLubbers Knot
A knot made by mistake when trying to make a reef knot. It slips, and therefore should never be used on a boat. The Lubbers knot is also called a granny’s knot, why I do not know. Does anyone?
Danger Angle
In coastal navigation, a horizontal angle between two fixed objects on shore lying
approximately at the same distance on either side of a danger to be cleared, outside of
which it is considered safe for the ship to pass. It may also be the vertical angle
subtended by a lighthouse or other prominent object on shore, the height of which is
known, at a safe distance from the obstruction to be cleared. The navigator sets this
angle on his/her sextant and knows that as long as the observed angle does not exceed that
shown on the sextant, the danger will be safely cleared.
— from International Maritime Dictionary, Van Nostrand Co., New York, 1948