Pilothouse Boats for Circumnavigation

[fyodor1564]

Am in the process of trying to narrow down choices for a trade wind circumnavigation. The favourite choices of myself and partner currently are
34' North Sea Pilothouse - 1981 North Sea Pilothouse Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com
36' Pearson 365 - 1980 Pearson 365 Pilot House Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com
Any and all comments or criticism that this forum can offer would be greatly appreciated. Particulary any real world experience with the pearson

[Solosailor]

Also consider a Vancouver 32 or greater. Really stiff little boat. Sailed like a dream.

[delmarrey]

I guess that would depend on your sailing destinations. Up here in the Pac. N.W. a pilothouse boat is nice but in the tropics it could be mucky, unless you had AC and the power to back it up.

As for which one, I haven't really researched.

[Nauticatarcher]

We found our pilothouse good in the tropics as well as in southern latitudes, just ensure good airflow and maybe an awning to keep direct sun off

[barnakiel]

There is quite a number of PHs if that's what you like. I like the idea because we sailed the Pacific in a wet year and it was hell.

b.

[Butler]

I just read of someone who went around in a Garden designed Gulf 32 Pilothouse. I like these a lot, especially the Capitol Yachts version. A dockmate of mine sails one of the older versions. He reports that they are good sailors if not particularly fast or close-winded. Check Carl's Sail Calculator for the stats.

The original Gulf interiors were a bit spartan and the pilot house layout not as practical as is found in the Capitol Yachts version that came later. The interior of the Capitol yachts version is really nice and well laid out but those are supposedly not as strongly built as the old Gulfs. All the Gulfs have a problem with leaky pilot house windows. They are still being made on a semi-custom basis. Used ones run in the high 20s to the low 40s... check them out on Yachtworld.

Another really liveable pilot house boat that is an even better sailer than the Gulf is the Newporter 40... harder to find than the Gulf and it is a glass over ply boat. They were really well built but you would have to be careful of core rot from the caprail down. When they are good they are great for a lot of reasons. The PH is a lot bigger and Royce made some comment about charging in from the Channel Islands on a big day no sails up doing a "pilot house reach" The interior space is wonderful and would be perfect for a family. Also on Yachtworld. Good turnkey boats can fetch from the high 40s mid 50s

Of course Pilot house boats have exposure issues... I wouldn't go too far w/o making shudders... PH owners here might have their own thinking on this.

Good Luck!!

[Southern Star]

My last boat was a Cartwright 36 pilothouse cutter and I agree wholeheardtedly with all of the positive comments about pilothouse designs. They allow you to keep out of the elements to steer in bad conditions, to have the chart table/radios etc. not only beside a helm station, but also out of the elements. Furthermore, pilothouse boats usually allow the diesel to be mounted under the pilothouse sole, allowing easy access for servicing and repairs.

I have no personal experience sailing any of the boats mentioned above (although I would consider the Gulf 32 a bit small/underbuilt for a circumnavigation). A boat I would highly recommend, however, is the Corbin 39. Incredibly strong construction, very good sailing performance, proven offshore capability and good visibility from both inside and outside steering stations as it is a flush deck forward. This is, in my opinion, extremely significant as many pilothouse boats require the helmsperson to stand up to steer when in the cockpit (where you will be most of the time).

My Cartwright was also a flush deck forward (and very similar in design to the Corbin, but without the canoe stern). An additional advantage to this design is that the relatively small coachouse permits much smaller fixed portlights that do not require storm shields.

Other boats that have a similar design (flush deck with small pilothouse) include the Endurance 35, the Kingston 35 and a series of Ted Brewer designed double enders betweem about 38 amd 48 feet that were built in Orient in the late 70's, early 80's (and whose name now escapes me).

Good luck in your quest!

Brad

[scook1]

I have sailed a Pearson 365 several times. She did not point incredibly well, but we always felt safe on her. She was heavily built and beamy. I miss her.
Spencer

[Curmudgeon]

Well, if money is no object....

Astral Express - Background Information

[NotQuiteLost]

My pilothouse makes my sailing experiences an absolute dream. I only have to go out and 'do battle' with the elements either when I want to, or when it's a true-blue emergency.

As for being in the tropics, yeah it gets warm but like Nauticatarcher says, ensure airflow throughout and keep the decks bright white/covered and you'll be fine.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by scook1

I have sailed a Pearson 365 several times. She did not point incredibly well, but we always felt safe on her. She was heavily built and beamy. I miss her.
Spencer

I have many years and miles in P365's.

They are heavy, strong, slow, very seaworthy sea boats.

"Did not point incredibly well" is the understatement of the year. They have long, shallow fin keels and hardly point at all. You will find yourself motoring if your destination is anywhere upwind.

They are real sea boats with little concession to comfort. Just about as different from today's Bavs and Benes as you can get. There is no accomodation at all (!) aft of the companionway, all this space being given over to deck storage. For berthing you've got just a small v-berth in the forepeak and a pullout berth in the salon. No good for more than two people, or maybe three if two are a couple.

Excellent nav table for the size of the boat, and a decent galley. The heads compartment is the only luxury on board -- a separate shower, in this size boat, is really nice.

Poor access to the engine which is one of the design's biggest disadvantages. Driving through a v-drive, which is also a negative in my book.

Crude rig without a traveller. Combined with inefficient hull form not a good sailing boat.

Maybe ok for trade winds sailing.

Definitely very seaworthy and very safe, however.

Rather pretty to look at.

I'm writing about the normal aft-cockpit version, not the pilothouse, but the pilothouse will be similar.

[fyodor1564]

Dockhead - do you think that this would make uo for any shortcomings that it may have? (realising that a large percentage of time on route is often spent motoring or motor-sailing) thankyou for your insight into the 365. Having stated its pros and cons, would you comfortably and confidently take the 365 round the world? One pilothouse for sale that caught my attention was one that had been repowered in 2003 with a Nanni Diesel 2.250TDI 85hp. Do you think that this would make uo for any shortcomings that it may suffer? (realising that a large percentage of time on route is often spent motoring or motor-sailing)

[bcarli]

we spent six years sailing a ted brewer pilot house cutter and the biggest problem with the pilothouse was it got so warm from the sun...something to think about if you are heading for the tropics