Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. Advertise Here
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 12-11-2008, 17:43   #1
Registered User

Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Salt Spring Island, BC
Boat: Spencer 31'
Posts: 5
Images: 3
Send a message via Skype™ to Kmax
need a bit of advice...please:-)

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!
Kmax is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-11-2008, 17:46   #2
Registered User
 
Connemara's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Toronto, Canada
Boat: Mirage 27 in Toronto; Wright 10 in Auckland
Posts: 771
Images: 2
Which does the Admiral like best?

Connemara
Connemara is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-11-2008, 18:00   #3
Registered User

Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Salt Spring Island, BC
Boat: Spencer 31'
Posts: 5
Images: 3
Send a message via Skype™ to Kmax
Admiral likes the beneteau of course;-)
Kmax is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-11-2008, 18:13   #4
Senior Cruiser
 
skipmac's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: 29° 49.16’ N 82° 25.82’ W
Boat: Pearson 422
Posts: 16,306
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.
skipmac is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-11-2008, 18:27   #5
Registered User

Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Salt Spring Island, BC
Boat: Spencer 31'
Posts: 5
Images: 3
Send a message via Skype™ to 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:-)
Kmax is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-11-2008, 22:59   #6
Moderator Emeritus
 
roverhi's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Carlsbad, CA
Boat: 1976 Sabre 28-2
Posts: 7,505
Send a message via Yahoo to 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
roverhi is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-11-2008, 23:29   #7
Registered User

Join Date: May 2008
Location: Galveston Bay
Boat: 32' CC Oday
Posts: 106
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.
__________________
"You do not ask a tame seagull why it needs to disappear from time to time toward the open sea. It goes, that's all."

Bernard Moitessier
BassAckwards is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 14-11-2008, 03:52   #8
Registered User

Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Salt Spring Island, BC
Boat: Spencer 31'
Posts: 5
Images: 3
Send a message via Skype™ to 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.
Kmax is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 14-11-2008, 04:15   #9
Eternal Member
 
imagine2frolic's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Las Brisas Panama AGAIN!
Boat: Simpson, Catamaran, 46ft. IMAGINE
Posts: 4,507
Images: 123
Ask yourself this.....Do I want to sail, or work on boats? It always cost much more than thought, and the same with time!
__________________
SAILING is not always a slick magazine cover!
BORROWED..No single one of is as smart as all of us!
https://sailingwithcancer.blogspot.com/
imagine2frolic is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 14-11-2008, 06:37   #10
Registered User

Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Kingston, Ontario
Boat: Saugeen Witch, Colvin design vessel name: Witchcraft
Posts: 383
Images: 14
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
witchcraft is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-11-2008, 18:07   #11
Registered User

Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 5
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
jphillips67 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
beneteau, buying, pearson

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
A little bit of advice re Blocks please john connell Classifieds Archive 0 28-09-2008 06:57
A Little Bit Dreaming Retired&Happy Meets & Greets 5 15-07-2008 12:30
A bit squeezy. cat man do Multihull Sailboats 7 17-01-2007 20:43
A bit about me scott_CAN Meets & Greets 4 29-02-2004 07:46

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 00:59.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.