Pearson 365 vs. tayana 37...decision making?

[jonkahl]

Hey Yall!

Looking at these two boats, there are a lot a pros and cons for each. I'm trying to decide whether to go bigger and more expensive with the Tayana 37, or cheaper (I wouldn't need a loan) and older with the Pearson...

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi...g_id=1984&url=.

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi...g_id=1421&url=


I plan on spending the next 1.5-2 years outfitting before going offshore. The Tayana would lock me down for a longer time but seems a lot more comfortable both at see and anchor. Any insight into this is appreciated. Thanks!

Jon

[Boracay]

Hi and welcome to the Cruisers' Forum.

My two "feelings" when looking at the boat were that the Tayana is 22,500lb v's 17,700lb for the Pearson so that it is a much heavier boat and that the Tayana was well set up for cruising, maybe quite a while ago.

If it were me I'd only be interested in the Tayana. As one of the cruising classics it may loose less value if well cared for and will have admirers all over the world. All that wood will need more care.

As you have a long lead time I'd strongly recommend taking your time with the purchase. Do read up on surveying the aging sailboat (Don Casey?), crawl everywhere inside the boat, find owners' groups and try to work out what they actually sell for before making an offer (subject to survey).

As with all boats a survey by a surveyor experienced in fibreglass boats and endorsed by insurance companies is an essential condition to any offer.

[bobconnie]

Haveing sailed both of these boats in the past. my first choice would be the Tayana, as they are great sailing sea boats !So is the pearson, but the resale value is going to always be higher for the Tayana if properly maintained. The wood work on a Tayana is almost a deal breaker for lots of folks ! but if ya like varnish or can live with Sikkins it's a fine sailing boat !! just my 2 cents

[Pete the Cat]

I have been on both boats as crew, but really do not know much about them beyond what you have seen and noted (price etc). Neither is a swift sailer but they are both comfortable in different ways. You will put a lot of money to get the average boat up to cruising standards. You are unlikely to get all that back when you sell it, so equipment is an issue. So is maintenance. I am afraid of the V-drive issues with the Pearson, but the fiberglass layup is really well done on it and the owners seem to be really happy with both.

Good luck.

Ray

[btrayfors]

These are very different boats.

The Tayana 37, one of Bob Perry's first big hit designs, is a very capable ocean sailing boat. They have circled the globe and acquitted themselves very well in most every way. Heavily built, lots of beautiful teak to maintain.

The Pearson 365 -- a Bill Shaw design -- is a pretty well built boat for Bay sailing, The Bahamas, near coastal, etc. However, I'd never think of one for long ocean passages. I have chartered one in the Virgin Islands for a 2-month period, so I know their sailing capabilities pretty well. Nice basic boat, pretty slow, but in a very different league in most every way than the Tayana.

Approximate PHRF ratings:

Pearson 365....192
Tayana 37.......174

The Tayana has the edge in speed, though both boats are far slower than some more modern designs. However, given it's excellent sea-keeping and passage-making abilities, the Tayana is likely to far out-perform the Pearson 365 on ocean passages.

Bill

[Adelie]

Pearson -

Pro's
-Price. Both boats are well into their depreciation life, so price should be fairly flat over time, you would get more for the Tayana in resale, but only about as much more as you paid originally.
-Weight. The decreased weight of the Pearson leads to smaller sails, smaller anchors and smaller self-steering gear. All this is cheaper to buy initially, cheaper to maintain in the long run and easier to handle.
-If you are going anywhere shallow, the Pearson has a big advantage.
-Underway sleeping arrangements- 1 excellent (Pilotberth) and 2 good (settee) berths vs 1 very good (quarterberth) and 1 good (settee) berth in the Tayana. If there will just be 2 aboard, it's probably a tossup.

Con's
-Full liner, makes repairs/modifications harder, and looking for leaks a lot harder. (Does provide a bit of insulation.)
-V-drive.
-Ketch. Although the ketch rig divides up the sail area nicely, the multiple masts increase the rigging maintenance significantly.

Tayana -
Pro's
-Slight speed advantage in moderate winds (189PHRF vs 204).
-Cutter rig. Would make me a lot more willing to have a roller furling headsail having a hanked-on staysail. Also better and redundant support of the mast.

Con's
-Maintenance required for woodwork.
-Significantly increased fuel consumption.



Tossups
-Speed in very light air. Although the higher SA/D of the Tayana would seem to give it an advantage in very light air, the lower wetted surface area of the Pearson would seem to even it back up. I expect the age and shape of the sails will be the bigger determiner.
-Interior volume. The boats are very close in length and beam, any differences in perceived space will be related to interior arrangements.
-Hull strength. The Tayana is significantly heavier and would survive a mishap better. On the other hand increased weight may be contributing factor in mishaps thru increased fatigue of crew due to higher workload. On the whole I think there is an advantage to the Tayana, but since both boats are significantly overbuilt, I think the advantage is slight.

[Pete the Cat]

Adelie did a nice job of summing up. One thing I would add is that the layup on the Pearson is really nice. I do not agree with some of the comments suggesting this is a poorly laid up boat compared to the Tayana. I have seen cores of the 365 hull and they were nice. Not seen Tayana but lots of the Taiwan boats substitute resin for cloth and thickness for strength IMHO.

[casual]

Make an offer on the Tayana you never know,if that doesn;t work another willcome along.

[sailorchic34]

The tayana has factory fiberglass decks so thats a big plus. Check the lazzerette hatches as tayang does not glass the edges of the plywood backing. also check the bow sprint for rot. Check if the original diesel tank is still installed or not. They are black iron and sometimes an issue.

Tayana's are great sea kindly boats..

Vdrives make checking the packing gland fun, in a completely non-fun way. I have a V drive on my little boat. works fine, but a pain to adjust the packing gland...

[jonkahl]

Thanks for all the comments guys...

So the Tayana is out due to the owner wanting to put more work into her...puts it well above my price range. It was already a little high for my budget anyway...too bad...

I put an offer on the Pearson 365 for a number of reasons (mostly financial), and the survey came out solid, but I recently found an identical Pearson close by with about 20k in recent upgrades...windvane, 20 gal water heater, new auto pilot, new head, boom vang, new head sail and rebuild furler, new windlass, hard dodger and bimini, solar panels, and on and on...all at the same price as the first Pearson.

So I went ahead and had a survey done on the second Pearson (so I could sleep a little easier despite shelling out another G), and am waiting to hear back, but no major issues came up, and it looks like I'm going to go for her. I'm simply astounded at the condition of these stout little boats after 35 years...not a spec of mold or moisture on the top, hulls are sound, very solid...and perfect for myself and what I have in mind. And best of all, the price was right!

Thank you everyone for your input! I'll post some pictures after the deal is done...knock wood!

Jon

[denverd0n]

There is a lot to be said for paying cash.