How did I not see this thread before?
I own a 1974 Pearson 30. I sail out of Kingston, on
Lake Ontario, thousand islands region.
My P30 has an 18hp 1985
volvo penta 2002, new
sails, new standing
rigging (very strong), chart plotter,
dinghy,
furling jib,
Autohelm ST2000+, and of course a flat panel TV. For more info, click
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...da-150816.html
The P30 was built with a poor seal around the
rudder post. Check for delam and soft decks in the aft part of the
cockpit floor. Its not expensive or difficult to
repair, just a chore.
Check the bottom of the
compression post for
rot.
The
cockpit drains were built with no seacock (shutoff). Although they were built "hull thick", its still not good. Many have, at some point, been cut and had seacocks installed with proper shutoffs.
On my boat, both the headwaste tank (and all hoses) and the freshwater tank were replaced. Likely for good reason.
The original atomic 4, while a decent, reliable
engine, is not suitable for offshore. You need the range,
safety, and
reliability of a diesel. Nothing wrong with an atomic 4 equipped P30, but a diesel is much prefered, especially if you are going offshore.
The original sails are too old to be serviceable. Be sure you have new or newer sails.
The P30 sails wonderfully. For a 30' boat it handles great, and can take a big
wind and a big sea. But its still just 30'. I was out today in 15 knots winds with a full
jib (no main today) and had a great time. Over 5 knots most of the time. Lee rail down, but no water on
deck or over the bow.
If you have any specific questions, I'd be happy to try to answer as best I can. And I've got pictures:
http://1drv.ms/1CrbSlc
If you are thinking of cruising around the
Caribbean, I think its a good boat for that. However, IMHO, not suitable for long passages or ocean crossings.
https://youtu.be/trNsXH8xUNE