Pearson Ariel Circumnavigation

[Bart Blankenshi]

I'm Bart Blankenship and am getting ready to go the Milk Run, although for me it seems like Everest. My boat is a Pearson Ariel. Has anyone heard of one going the whole way? I heard of one making it but stopping and selling once in the Med. Anyway, I'd love advice on prepping her. I plan on making fittings to secure dry bags in the cockpit to keep her from foundering in big waves and ease the cockpit draining.
Thanks, Bart

[Paul L]

Yours has the outboard in the aft well?

[s/v 'Faith']

The Way was actually a Pearson Commander, it went most of the way around.

They are good sailing boats, handle heavy weather well and are a good platform for the size for such an effort.

In my decade of owning mine, I have cruised with it, and lived aboard. The issues to address are fairly simple and covered well on the owners association ion web site; pearsonariel.org

Basic preps like checking the rig, and some less basic like considering a simple reinforcement to the strongback are pretty basic,

Yes, theoretically the cockpit could get filled with water so filling some of the space with something like well secured water cans is not a bad idea.

I have added storage space, and tankage to Faith... She has done some offshore work, and I feel as comfortable or more so aboard her off shore then in some much larger boats I have sailed.

[s/v 'Faith']

As for the outboard in the well, it is a good arrangement. I have (and use) my "plug" that installs in the well once you pull your motor. I have sailed offshore with the motor in the well, and other then reduction in drag it is not a significant problem.... About the same drag as a sail drive.

I believe that "the way" sailed across the Pacific with her motor in the well....

[Paul L]

It seems like the plug would help from dousing the OB when in big seas. I sailed an Ariel for a couple years in S. Cal but can't say I ever had it in anything really rough.

[Bart Blankenshi]

She does have the motor well, but I have my dive gear, propane and some water in there. Will rent an engine for the canals, but not the rest. So far have over 7K near coastal cruising and as far as Georgetown and back to Palmetto, FL. So no one has heard of an Ariel going all the way around? And thanks so far for the interest and advice!

[thomm225]

The Ariel is about the same size as the Contessa 26, and at least two Contessa 26's have circumnavigated.

They built the Contessa 26 up until 1990 though. Also, the Contessa has a longer water line, longer than a Bristol 27 also by a few inches.

http://www.cruisingworld.com/sailboa...er-contessa-26

ARIEL 26 (PEARSON) sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com

CONTESSA 26 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com

[roverhi]

Might want to add a second set of cockpit drains. Have seen other boats with big cockpits that have done that.

If you are happy sailing, the motor is just a space waster. You could probably rig the boat to scull row in calm, light air conditions for maneuvering when you can't sail.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=w4qpNsrtWzM

The Pardeys claimed to use it to get into marinas in a much heavier and bigger engineless boat. If you plan on doing the canals in Europe a motor on a bracket would be necessary, however.

[Bart Blankenshi]

I do use a sculling oar and can get in and out of places if there isn't any wind. The Ariel has a draft of 3'8" compared to 4' on the Contessa. The Ariel also has a higher profile and larger cabin opening. All making her less sea worthy.
I have noticed that on my Ariel even with no engine, she sits higher in the bow than she was designed for since the scuppers aren't the low point.
I saw that one Ariel had been rigged with double the standing rigging. This seems a lot of weight aloft and my stays and shrouds I replaced a couple of years ago.
Things I'm considering are that I have a nice bronze bilge pump with a two inch suction hose. It's unwieldy and I have it mounted on a piece of plywood that I can put in either the cockpit or the cabin depending on where I need to be. But it's such a stiff hose that I think it would be better on a permanent mount.
Also the ports are pretty large on the Ariel and on the Albin Vega, "Beserk", the skipper had plywood to cover them shoring up that weak spot of a window.

[thomm225]

A 5hp 4 stroke Mercury Outboard (25"extra long shaft) like this one would probably push your boat pretty well. You can pull the motor off the bracket once you are out to sea and mount it on the rail or store it someplace.

I cross the 18 miles of the lower Chesapeake a times with this one on around a gallon of gas or less. My boat weighs around 6500 lbs. And it has an overrev governor on it should you get in that situation.

The bracket has a 14" swing from the top slot to the lowest one.

Pictures are with motor in 3rd and 4th position down.

[thomm225]

Sculling in many places won't work. Even on this nice day, the currents would probably take you where they wanted to even in the Bay. But with a small outboard and autopilot, you can read, take pictures etc.........as you come in and this from 18 miles out.

A two stroke might actually be better for you though. This motor weighs 58lbs, and you can probably get an old two stroke at half that weight

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKhqcFgtRck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAIZGhf7DuA

These guys (and gal) have a small two stroke on their Contessa 26. Go forward to about 2:20:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuFK-uzwjRU