Two years ago we stripped the bottom of our P35 the hard way—by hand. Started with chisels to get the old bottom paint off. I had some experience with this on a 26-footer we owned 6 years ago. Not an easy task. We spent 3 months stripping. I vowed that next time I would sandblast. Check with blasters and get references. Some do good work. Yards are expensive and use subcontractors to do the blasting. I heard that the media you use is important. First, you want to check the condition of the gel coat. From my experience you will likely have cracks and small blisters only in the gel coat. Very few of the Pearsons ever develop deep blisters. Opening the tops of small blisters can be done with hand power sanders once you blast the old paint off. The number of layers of epoxy varies for each system. But at least 3 layers or 10 mils is recommended by West. Hope this helps.

I sandblasted my P35 some years ago and was very pleased with the results. I had many small blisters that were essentially dry inside. If I were you, I would sandblast as soon as possible and let it dry out for as long as possible. I borrowed a moisture meter and checked to be sure the glass was dry before I proceeded to fill the voids. I used West System Epoxy with filler and squeegeed it on the hull three times, sanding between each coat. Then I applied Interlux barrier coat and 3 coats of Micron. The hull is still in great shape. Follow the directions on the barrier coat and epoxy. If you have large deep blisters, you may have to strip the gel coat. I would get a professional opinion on that first. Good luck.

I have a somewhat different suggestion—don’t sandblast. Have the bottom commercially "peeled." Peeling uses an electric plane to cut off a layer of material (usually only the old paint and gel coat). There are several advantages to peeling. The end result is smoother than sandblasting because a set, consistent amount of material is removed over the entire bottom whereas sandblasting can remove inconsistent amounts. Another advantage to peeling is the lack of mess. All peelers have a vacuum recovery system that sucks up the old (toxic) paint and glass splinters. You, the boat, the boatyard and the environment are all better off with peeling. There are some other problems with sandblasting fiberglass. The sand or silica abrasive can get imbedded in the glass. I blasted an old Pearson Ensign many years ago and due to the difference in hardness of glass fibers and resin, I ended up with thousands of small pits that required each to be open enough to let the epoxy in. A true pain. Since that time, I have had two production boats peeled and both times it was great. I highly recommend it.

A couple of other thoughts: It is essential that you dry the hull once it is peeled. I made the mistake of peeling and then barrier-coating after only waiting 4 weeks and did not use a moisture meter. It turns out that the moisture content was still high and I barrier-coated the moisture IN! When I went to sell the boat, the new owner took a moisture meter to the hull and when it came out wet, I had to drop the price significantly. Dry it!! The other bit of advice I would give you is to use West epoxy, slightly filled with microballoons on the second and third coat. There are many epoxy companies out there and I am sure many are good, but some are bad. Why take a chance? The job is a killer so do it right. Buy good materials and then you don’t have to worry. West is a bit more expensive but I think it is worth it. Good luck.

You should not be too concerned about the oil filter as long as you are using a major name brand. Fram is indeed a major, much-used brand. At a recent Atlantic City Sail Expo seminar, the Rep for Westerbeke said that engine makers always recommend their filter, but after-market filters by major brands were just as good or better. I use NAPA filters. I believe they are better than Westerbeke for half the cost.

My engine is a Universal M-25. I buy Fram oil filters and use them most of the time without hesitation. My secondary fuel filters, however, is a different matter. I only use the more expensive Universal filters there because I believe there is a much greater potential for harm if the filter turns out to be off from the design specs (namely, not fine enough to catch the small particles that can clog the injectors). Smooth sailing.

For a new motor, try RParts.com. Ocean Outfitters in Annapolis has a lot of old boat frig parts, including some DC systems in, I think, green.

Try R Parts (www.refparts.com) and Heatshield Marine (www.advicom.net/~marinerv) for parts and info. Allen at R Parts has been especially helpful. I am currently in the process of adding insulation to my box and found Dan Spurr’s Boat Book, Upgrading The Cruising Sailboat a good source also.

Basically, the best info to date is to use polystyrene (Dow Blue or similar) inside the box since it doesn’t hold moisture like urethane does. Heat Shield sells a pre-finished sheet of fiberglass, or you can glass in your own. Personally, I use epoxy and Dynel, a hypoallergenic cloth. I can get to half of my box on the outside and for this, I’ll be using Tuff-R—a foil-faced Urethane insulation sheet. Inside, I’m using fiberglassed-in vacuum panels topped with styrene. I removed the countertop and drilled holes to use low expanding foam (GreatStuff In a Can) to form a barrier at the perimeter of the box. Then I used pour-in urethane foam (floatation foam) to insulate the areas I couldn’t reach. You should drill a couple of small holes to make sure the foam got to where you wanted it to and also to relieve extra pressure. I expect to wind up with an R-value in excess of R50 if my math is right. Existing box has a 3-inch R15, space around it is another 2.5 inches=R10? One-inch vacuum panel is advertised at R30 and one-inch styrene is R5. Lots of work.

One of the reasons the water may be leaking out is that the intake hose is horizontal. On my boat, the hose goes from the thru hull up to the ceiling of the engine compartment, through a water strainer and then down to the intake fitting on the water pump. This way, the line is always primed and the pump runs "dry" after being wet.

Your raw water pump should be self-priming. Try a new pump impeller and maybe a new pump cover plate if it is worn on the inside. Be sure to put a little lubricant on the impeller, as they burn up quickly if run dry. The gaskets used are usually made from very thin paper so the impeller side will seal against the cover plate. If you can’t get a gasket to fit, try a thin piece of paper like a brown paper sandwich bag, moistened with some motor oil.

My 1970 P26 showed signs of the teak columns rotting and the beam sagging. I replaced the beam with a new beam made of laminated maple and the new columns are also maple. I also dug out the teak at the port side column base and replaced it with fiberglass. The port side carries most of the load since it is nearer to the mast. I found that the project was not as bad as it might seem. Things disassembled and re-assembled fairly easily. If you can work with wood, just take out the old parts and copy them with something more substantial. The old beam on mine was laminated sections of plywood. Not a very good choice in my opinion.

This story has the smell of money—yard money! I pulled my W30 this past spring and had the starter rebuilt. That starter is about midway up the engine from the oil pan in the rear and if you had water of any kind (sea or fresh from the cooling system) you would see it in the bottom (sole) of the boat. Getting the starter out while the engine is in the boat is a major job. The bolts holding the starter also hold the starboard-stern engine mount. It can be done, but after working on that engine in the boat you might just want to pull the engine while you are at it and work it over. What is wrong with the starter? How did they determine the starter couldn’t be re-built? Can’t believe that water is the problem. I had my starter rebuilt (1979, W30 with 900 hrs) when I had the engine out. It was in good shape and it is even better now. Think this one through. Sounds dumb but could it just be the battery?

I had another thought . . . The exhaust for the water-cooled heat exchanger is located about 12 inches from the starter on the other side of the engine. Might be worth a check. My hot water heater is placed on the starboard side, just up from the starter location. Might check that also if your hot water heater is also there. I just don’t buy the notion that water was the culprit. Rebuilding the starter will give you a better idea. I had a car place do mine and it cost about $120, complete with test data. I guess it is possible that a fresh water hose could have leaked (one is 5/8" from the oil cooler to the heat exchanger in that area). I still smell $$$.

The original owner of my P26 had a wheel installed. The center of the pedestal is 3.5 feet forward of the inside side of the transom. We do not have a problem with the main sheet.

I have a P35, and the previous owner had a solid oak board about 8 inches wide, braced underneath by another piece screwed into it. It fits perfectly between the winches to the jib sheets, curved to fit around the bases of the winches. Any hard wood should do. Because of the placement of the helm, the position of the winches is perfect for seating while underway. While heeled, I sometimes stand against the seat, but it’s a solid feel. While at port, it makes a great little table. Hope this helps.

I use a folding captain’s chair that is bar stool height. Works OK for the ICW and in light air.

I just finished building a helm seat for my P35. It has a small storage box under the curved high center seat and an attached teak cockpit table that folds out. It is mounted on a short West marine pedestal.

I used to use two cushions, but they fell over in heavy weather. Tried standing—got sore feet. Finally purchased teak half round seat that straddles the cockpit. Pros: new place to sit and store things in. Cons: I have seen a fishing chair mounted in the cockpit. Good luck.

I also have one of the Edson seats. It works great for me. I have also changed to a larger diameter wheel (32 inches) for easier steering when sitting off to Port or Starboard.

I have an Edson helm seat that came with my P35. It is two pipes that drop onto brackets fastened to the cockpit sides. The seat is built up in the center and arched for different heel angles. I’m not using it (use autopilot most of the time) and would be willing to sell it to you. You can contact me at jackbolsen@yahoo.com.

I found steering my P35 "Satori" for extended periods was also tiring because of the location of the wheel. Not wanting to add more gear to the boat, we chose to purchase the canvas covered folding seats found at most boat shows. They do not have legs and fit on either the port or starboard cockpit seat. They offer good visibility over the coach roof while at the same time provide a comfortable place to lean against. I do add a cushion to increase my height when conditions warrant. The folding seats cost about $70.00 at the shows. Ours have lasted almost four years now.

We installed a Performance-rigged vang a few years ago on our 1985 P303 and we are very satisfied. It helps with trim and eliminates topping lift. We installed a Harken car on our traveler with block assembly at each end and lines leading to the cockpit. It all works very well for improving trim both on the wind and off. Don’t know if this would work for you, as our traveler is on the cabin top, not in the cockpit.

Let me pass along some information that might be of help by hooking you up with some people who made just such a trip two years ago. They got about 15-20 boats from their Yacht Club together for the trip. They have told me that the preparation as well as the execution was very thorough and professional. The Club is the Yankee Point Yacht Club and it’s located at the Yankee Point Marina in Lancaster County just off the Rappahannock River. I would suggest you call Telephone Information to get the Marina number. Once you get them, ask to speak to one or more of the Club’s officers. I’m sure that one of them can put you in touch with some of the people who planned, conducted and participated in this cruise. If you fail to get through or don’t get satisfactory information, let me know by e-mail and I’ll pursue this more myself and get you what you need.