need a bit of advice...please:-)

[Kmax]

We have been looking for the right boat for the right price for a while now
and we have a choice right now between a 1980 Beneteau Evasion 32' Pilothouse Ketch and Pearson 35' sloop. The Pearson is half the price of the Beneteau but is very bare bones and rather unattractive interior. The beneteau has had a recent re-fit and seems in very good shape with a very livable interior as is. We are planning to live aboard and cruise the Gulf Island in BC and Washington for the first year, go up to the Queen Charlottes the 2nd year, and then possibly sell and go up to a bigger boat more suitable for global cruising or maby just take the 'bendytoy' down to Mexico.

I hear that Pearson is a well respected sailboat and people on the dock seem to think it's a good deal. Although it's bigger, it does not seem as well laid out inside and has the most antique electronics i've seen on a boat like that. The stereo is one of those 70 ghetto blasters for example.

I'm pretty green so I would appreciate any advice (objective if possible;-)

Cheers!

[Connemara]

Which does the Admiral like best?

Connemara

[Kmax]

Admiral likes the beneteau of course;-)

[skipmac]

Not sure about the Beneteau but the Persons are generally very well built. I would not base my purchase on the electronics as these are cheaper and better every year and should not be too expensive to upgrade the older units on the Pearson.

On the other hand if you don't like the interior (was it the appearance or the layout?) that may be more of a problem. If just the finish and trim that could be a nice long term project.

If yoiu plan on any serious offshore cruising I think the Peason is a better choice.

[Kmax]

We do plan eventually to do some more serious offshore cruising but not nescesarily in the Beneteau, as it is fairly small anyway for that. 30 feet, 32 counting the spar.

What i want to know really..are there any Beneteau Evasion owners out there and have they had any problems with this boat design for coastal cruising. The weather does get nasty up here sometimes in the Pacific Northwest. We go out on a sea trial tommorow.

thx:-)

[roverhi]

The P35 has a nice easy motion, sales reasonably well, and is built well. The hull thickness at the turn of the bilge is close to an inch. Many of these boats are knocking hard on 4 decades and even the newest 3. Sailing gear may be ancient. On mine, I've added self tailing winches, new boom with internal reefing, new main traveller, new sails, etc. It can add up. Like the way it sails and the interior is livable though not the most ideal in design. Boat has too large a cockpit and too small a galley chart area but I can live with it, easily.

Not familar with the Beneteau but haven't seen a Beneteau that had any soul.

Aloha
Peter O.
Pearson 35 #108

[BassAckwards]

I prefer the Pearson, but livability is important. Poor livability will effect the interaction between the two of you. I also like the ketch because of the flexibility it offers and the ease of sail handling. Living in a warm clime I dont like a pilot house.

I have a 32' O'day with an aft cabin. we spend a lot of time on her and I have to say that the extra cabin sure makes a positive difference on board. Livability shouldnt be underrated. A small boat gets cramped at times and we each just need a little space.

I would leisurely sail each boat for as much time allowed. Then I would ask the seller if we could just stay on the boat for a few hours alone. Bring a lunch, explore the boat, talk to each other, get a feel for the boat. This is exactly what we did in buying our last boat.

[Kmax]

sooo...we went on the sea trial. She sailed pretty well and the engine seems in very good shape; powerfull enough. Had her up to almost 6 knots in a 15 knot wind and it was super fun. However, the spreader was busted on the mizzen mast and my foot nearly went through the roof of the pilot house at the end. The fiberglass has become quite brittle with age and is forming large semi circular cracks in it.

We're going to pass on this one.

I know that somewhere out there, in our price range, is a well sailing, comfortable, NON LEAKING boat but we have not found it yet.

Any ideas or recommendation still appreciated.

[imagine2frolic]

Ask yourself this.....Do I want to sail, or work on boats? It always cost much more than thought, and the same with time!

[witchcraft]

We have bought boats that required work, and did the work ourselves. It is our approach, and not suitable for everyone certainly. It is fun ( and lots of hard work) to turn the plain jane, or sadly neglected boat into something nice. However one needs to make certain structural aspects are sound.
We all complain about costs no matter what. Remember these two saying " Boat = a hole in the water into which you pour money." or BOAT = bring out another thousand.
Still we seem to love it.
Fair Winds
SV Witchcraft

[jphillips67]

Hi,

I have a Pearson 36 Sloop that we completely refit and is in charter in Florida. So if you would like to see what can be done with an old Pearson, this one looks like brand new. We made the investment because of the good design and sailing characteristics of the boat. Very happy with the Pearson.

Jay