Pearson P-40 Centerboard

[CeesH]

Are there P-40 owners here? So many questions and so little to find on the net.

I start dreaming about a P-40, very special design and centerboard. But is this sailboat easy to single handle? as an early '80 IOR design, over powered? downwind? etc. etc.

Regards, CeesH

[silverp40]

Hi

We have a Pearson 40 and done a bunch of sailing on her as well as cuising all sorts of weather.

It is a great boat but not very popular because of the flush deck mostly - not appealing to most cruisers looking for a boat.

The boat sails very well and is easy to singlehand especially if your wheel is forward - access to line controls is easy

Let me know if you have any other questions or you can pm me also

Regards
Ovi

[roverhi]

Love the boat but my concern was that it is a cored hull. Something that can be a problem if water gets in. Any complaints with yours and is the coring below the water line?? Sure are some listed at pretty low prices. Look like a bargain especially if you need shallow draft.

[Kettlewell]

I've sailed on one a bit, and I've known owners of two different ones. The whale bottom design with the centerboard makes for some odd handling downwind. According to one friend you couldn't leave the wheel for a second when downwind as it was unpredictable. However, on the wind they were swift sailors. They tended to be raced and with a full crew would be good. Not sure how a windvane or autopilot would work considering the squirreliness downwind. A friend did very well in the Marblehead to Halifx Race. I personally love the flush deck configuration. There are lots of good sea berths and I find the interior feels very open and spacious. Makes working on deck very easy too. Pearsons tend to be solidly built production boats, but I'm pretty sure there is lots of balsa core to look into on an older boat.

[silverp40]

The P40 is cored below the WL down to the integral ballast. None of the boats to my knowledge have had any issues with the coring, ours included. Pearson, now TPI, have a good reputation for good glasswork - they pioneered a lot of techniques over the years and not just in boats.

Regarding the squireliness, the original rudder was swept aft much, hence more feel but also more power needed to steer the boat on a deep angle in medium to heavy air.This is especially true with large headsails and spinnakers.

A Mark2 rudder addresses this problem and the boat is much tamer ( I have a picture of the new rudder in my gallery) - I believe faster also. Deep angles work well with the Cb up as there is less wetted area - the boat sails fast, much like the P35 with the CB up, although the P35 does have a little stub keel (to the best of my remembrance).

Upwind, the boat steers itself when the sails are balanced - no real need for an autopilot. We do use our windvane, hence upwind when conditions are a bit bouncy though.

Deck coring is typical of many other boats (including the P35) and there are potential problems if hardware is not properly bedded/sealed down.

Prices for the boats are Really reasonable, especially if one is quite handy to perform repair/upgrades him/herself.

Any other comments/questions I would be happy to answer to the best of my knowledge.

Cheers
Ovi

[capta]

We absolutely love our P-530.I know it's not the P-40, but it is a Pearson AND a centerboarder.
After 2 voyages to the Caribbean from Newport, RI and almost a year in the Caribbean we've done a lot of sailing on her.
It is as well built as any plastic boat I've ever sailed and a whole lot faster than I'd expected. An exceptional cruising boat.
The board is a godsend in a rolly anchorage, not to mention making her so much more comfortable when sailing.
Good luck & good sailing.

[armlau]

Hello,

I have to change the cutless bearings.
When using the engine, the shaft starts vibrating after a while. Switching to neutral then back to forward (or reverse) fixes the problem for the next 10 to 30 min.
I dove and the prop shaft can move 1/8 in left and right where the cutless bearings are.

I changed them about 7 years ago and was not expecting them to be worn already.

Is anyone has an idea how long they last?

I am going to pull out of the water next week and replace them. I don't have much time to do it and with Covid-19 situation I am afraid to not found a spare cutless bearing easily.
But I can't find the invoice of the one I bought 7 years ago. It would be nice if I could buy one online and ship it quickly before. But I don't recall the size.

Is anyone who have an experience replacing them can tell me what size I should buy? I would appreciate.
Thanks.

[Cheechako]

Sailed a bit in the Caribe with some buddies who were on one. It felt real nice inside.

[DDabs]

Flush deck club woop woop!!

[BobnCamie]

Had ours about a year now. Hull 66 I believe. Really like it, had it hauled again this week. Had to replace prop boot. There has to be a better way than what was performed on this, but is working for now, so we will see. Other mark against our boat is that I need to look at the mark 11 rudder. This one is unbalanced and always needs to be watched. Auto pilot is fine, but wind vane, I don’t know about that. Really hoping someone has better ideas on prop boot(before packing gland) as I ain’t real happy.

[El chefe]

Originally Posted by CeesH

Are there P-40 owners here? So many questions and so little to find on the net.

I start dreaming about a P-40, very special design and centerboard. But is this sailboat easy to single handle? as an early '80 IOR design, over powered? downwind? etc. etc.

Regards, CeesH

I saw an P40 1981 in a really good shape. There's no Infos about this flush deck sailboat. Wondering how this she sail's downwind in any conditions, because of her belly hull. I was also informed that the rudder handling is a tuff work, especially downwind sailing.

[silverp40]

The Pearson 40 is an excellent sea boat, especially if a Mark 2 rudder is outfitted.
You can see the comments I posted above a few years ago.


Downwind offshore, even in large waves, the boat handles excellent . Since there is no keel, there is much less friction, enhanced speed without the out-of-control surfing.

[El chefe]

Thanks for the reply.

[Henryreef]

Originally Posted by silverp40

The Pearson 40 is an excellent sea boat, especially if a Mark 2 rudder is outfitted.
You can see the comments I posted above a few years ago.


Downwind offshore, even in large waves, the boat handles excellent . Since there is no keel, there is much less friction, enhanced speed without the out-of-control surfing.

Hey i have a few questions looking at a p40 thats been sitting on the hard for a few years and before that it was sitting in a slip not doing much. Any key places to look for trouble would be great. Its a pretty big project already found a thru hull that’s rotted out and i can feel the core wet so im a bit on the fence about the boat.

[silverp40]

Hi PM me and I can give you all the info you need

Cheers