I cruised and lived aboard a
Pearson 30 for many years. It was a great boat, tough and a good sailor. Let me tell you what I didn't like.
Living arrangement - Pull out berth and dining table shared the same area in the main
cabin. I couldn't eat breakfast in the morning until I made up the berth. I couldn't go to sleep at night without clearing and folding the table.
Tankage - 20 gallons of
water. Usually enough for short hops of a day or two.
Holding tank, same thing. No
overboard capability. Pumpout stations were not always available. 20 gallons of gas. Nowhere near enough. Had to fill up every day motoring down the
ICW. No room for error. Days had to be planned around gas stops.
Cockpit - nice and long and roomy. Tiller
steering consumed most of the space. I'd get a
wheel.
Storage - OK for limited cruising. Little
clothing storage. Lived out of a duffel bag. V berth was, like most people, a storage area for
sails,
gear etc.
Engine - Atomic4 gas. Reliable, easy and
cheap (relatively) to fix. Limited range with 20 gals. of
fuel. If you're cruising you'll
motor more than you care to admit.
That's my experience in a 30 footer. If I were to do it again I would address all of these. Dedicated sleeping quarters, lots of tankage,
diesel engine.
Dick Pluta
AEGEA