Pearson 365/357

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Lady Captin

The only thing that concerns me about the westsail , is that the cockpit does not appear to be the lest bit cruiser friendly ! At this point my research is only by way of photos ! So it hard to say . I will bee more mindful of the displacement when comparing boats of equal size to have a better grasp of build strength, quality and ability to perhaps handle my perfect storm !

Concerns about the cockpit in the Westsail are very real. I have two friends with Westsail 32s, one who cruises extensively with his partner. Even with just the two of them he is not happy with the size of the cockpit. Also, unless a PO has installed coamings around the cockpit to redirect the water from the side-decks the cockpit can be very wet.

Regarding your concerns about the Perfect Storm, I read an interesting post a few years ago by a cruiser who had made several circumnavigations including a few trips to the far north and into the southern ocean where storms are quite common. He said in all the years of cruising they experienced storms perhaps 1-2% of the time, max. Calms on the other hand were much, much more common. Don't recall what % he put on that but if I recall 10-20% if not more. I have to say in my ocean passages that has been my experience as well.

Bottom line, 99% of the really nasty storms are avoidable. You don't cross the Atlantic in the middle of hurricane season. You don't sail to Nova Scotia in the middle of winter gale season. Learn the weather patterns, pay attention and follow a few basic rules and your odds of encountering a perfect storm or any thing even close to it are about zero.

[OldManMirage]

"Wow what an awesome reply ! In just one paragraph you pointed out things that may have taken me a great deal of time to figure out if left alone . Are you sure you don’t have a commission deal set up with Westsail32 ? "

Lol, thank you ! I wish I could find a way to make commision on my opinions, I could definitely retire sooner - and maybe I'd get a bigger boat !



"The only thing that concerns me about the westsail , is that the cockpit does not appear to be the lest bit cruiser friendly ! At this point my research is only by way of photos ! So it hard to say . I will bee more mindful of the displacement when comparing boats of equal size to have a better grasp of build strength, quality and ability to perhaps handle my perfect storm ! "

Yes, the Westsail has MUCH smaller cockpit, mainly due to the pretty canoe stern. Which is not much of a plus in my personal view at all. No place to mount a windvane, no decent stern ladder, and the afore-mentioned small cockpit - which in its defense is very seaworthy, but still...ya gotta live with it !




"As you ask , we just turned 57 and are both at the moment fit and physically able . Howerver as we all know that could change .

And you already know that you don't have the same capabilities that you did at 30, or even 40. And unfortunately - as I am finding out - that slippery slope just continues.

Out of all the boats you've mentioned, I like the CD's the most. I would try for a CD36, there are some out there, many up near you as they tend to be northern boats for some reason. You could not go wrong with a well found Cape Dory, and the 36 has awesome pedigree.

As always, this is just my 2 cents, opinions and mileage may vary.

[Barkingmad]

One thing I just realized is how completely unsuitable these boats are to cruising with large dogs! How do you plan on getting a 105lb rottie on board?
I cruise with a 35 pound dog that can jump into a small dinghy easily and I can lift her onboard no problems. She negotiates the companionway via the nav station and seat underway or jumps at anchor or docked.
She also grew up sailing, make sure your dog can adapt at 2 years old.
You need something with an open or drop down stern.

[Tortuga's Lie]

Another boat that you may want to consider which is along the same philosophy as the Pearson would be the Tartan 37, many have crossed oceans, sails quite nicely, Sparkman-Stephens design, 48% ballast/disp ratio, skeg protected rudder, finger tip steering, although it's a cored hull, I have never heard of issues with the hull (except cosmetic blisters on early boats). I had one for twenty years and always took pride in her. One in excellent condition probably could be had for under 50K.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Barkingmad

One thing I just realized is how completely unsuitable these boats are to cruising with large dogs! How do you plan on getting a 105lb rottie on board?
I cruise with a 35 pound dog that can jump into a small dinghy easily and I can lift her onboard no problems. She negotiates the companionway via the nav station and seat underway or jumps at anchor or docked.
She also grew up sailing, make sure your dog can adapt at 2 years old.
You need something with an open or drop down stern.

I am thinking Catalac actually:


https://www.catamaransite.com/reference/catalac_9m/

We had a 40kg Labradoodle and that was quite scary lifting him from a wobbly dinghy up into the yacht. A sugar scoop stern helped some.

Pete

[Lady Captin]

Googled the Tartan 37 ! The few I found where so far outside our budget , I had to chuckle . All in we top out at maybe 60,000 Canadian , they where all close to a hundred grand . It’s not that we don’t have more , but have to keep back a chunk to cover expenses and unforeseen things in retirement .

Don’t want the wife to sell me down the road and find herself a younger sailer, because I left us broke and ran out of money for the Princess ��

Jokes aside , thanks for the suggestions. The sailing world is just like the RV lifestyle we live . On occasion I find myself in my 12,000 dollar RV literally parked next to a million dollar motor home . We can sometimes share a beer and good times, but perspectives can be very different for sure.

[Tortuga's Lie]

I understand your constraints, but I think you may have looked at the newer generation of the 37 called the 3700. The model I am referring to was built between 1976 and 1984, most models had a centerboard but some were a deep draft version. The centerboard is not needed to sail, just to point higher, in fact, I thought about glassing over the board and slot at one point just because I wasn't using it much and did not race her.
Here's an example of one on YachtWorld:
https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/198...n-37c-8067700/
Oh, stay away from the T-37 named "Patriot", it's definitely a project boat and the owner won't negotiate lower, sad.
This one shows real clean if the pics are accurate:
https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/198...an-37-8018326/

There are currently 11 listed on YW, ranging from 32K to 65K with 3 of the 11 under contract. There were 486 of these boats built either in Hamlet NC or Grand River Ohio. Here's the link to Sailboat Data: https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/tartan-37-ss

[Lady Captin]

Have totally ruled out centreboard , not going there period ! We just have to draw some lines with boats in our own minds to get our final list , but thanks for the input .

[dlj]

Just for fun:

https://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/63115

dj

[kayakerChuck]

I also looked up the Tartan 37.

I'm not looking, but that boat checks a lot of the boxes for my next boat.

[Lady Captin]

Hey is it just me, or can you explain to me why people do this with their sailboats for sale ? They have one, or maybe two photographs at best, I can’t help, but imagine that the boat in question is a piece of crap and they don’t want you to see that, or they just can’t bother their ass.

Can’t help but feel that as a result it is most likely a waste of time to look at a boat like this, what is your thought and experience with situations like this . I have to confess I find it extremely frustrating for us, given that we don’t know these boats in the least, and often must rely on the photos to give us some concept of what the boat may look like, only to find one or two photographs that reveal nothing about the boat other than the price.

So what’s up with these listings, these boat owners can’t be that silly. I understand the brokers do this on purpose, just to get you the phone so they can reel you in and sell you a boat. But why do private sellers do this ?

[Tortuga's Lie]

Lady Captain,
Are you using a buyers broker? They can be very useful as they know the local market and which boats to stay away from and which ones are decent buys and perhaps can steer you to one that you may not have considered but checks your boxes. They don't cost the buyer anything but their cut comes off of what the seller gets. The only issue you may run into is a broker that is only interested in getting the most commission and will ignore the lower cost boats, you don't want those people anyway!
Just a thought.

And of course, get a survey on one that you think is "the one"

One more thought: Practical Sailor publication has unbiased boat reviews, or at least supposedly unbiased.

[OldManMirage]

I think that some boat owners can indeed be that silly.

When I walk around almost any marina and look at the condition of some boats - you know what I mean, there's almost always a few - that are just falling apart from lack of even a courtesy cleaning, well, as with anything else....

And some people are just not good with the internet and so on and so forth.

Just keep looking, you'll find the one that will suit you !

[Lady Captin]

Thanks to all who replied and given us some really wonderful insight. I realize with the best of intentions we are presenting perhaps an in accurate reflection of our situation. We are currently, due to circumstances beyond our control , completely unable to purchase a boat at this time.

My wife is an only child, and her mother is 83 years old, to put it clearly we cannot abandon her mother at 83, and as they say sail off into the sunset. We are here strictly and honestly to learn as much as we can, and feel that we are moving forward towards our goal of setting sail and seeing the world when the time becomes right for us . With the hope that what we learn till then , allows us to move quickly towards our dream when life and responsibility allows.


We realize that as buyers brokers can be very beneficial, as they do not cost us anything, but one must remember that at the bottom line they are salesman and they have a vested interest in selling you a boat. That does not mean that they are dishonest, or in any way out to screw you. Only that you must be mindful of their situation and your situation and put your needs first.

Thank you to all those who have reached out to us, who have offered boats for sale. I apologize in my enthusiasm, if we in someway misled you to feel that we were currently in the market for a boat. I hope this post clarifies our situation, and those that respond to us have a better understanding of where we are in the process.

Thank you again to all who continue to share an offer insight as a result of their experiences.

[Shanachie]

One important issue not mentioned here is insurance. You need to talk to a good broker before pulling the trigger on any older sailboat.



Explain who you are and what you want to do, then see whether a company will insure you at a rate affordable to you.


If you browse through this forum, you will find wildly different accounts on obtaining insurance. Some seem to do it in a snap. Others have agonizing difficulties that mess up their plans.


Generally speaking, it's more difficult to insure older sailboats such as the ones you're looking at. It's even more difficult when you start talking about the Caribbean and crossing oceans.


Not having extensive experience complicates matters even more.


Insurance is now required by many, if not most, marinas and boatyards. If you don't have it, you don't get in. There's also the matter of slamming into a million-dollar ego booster with an owner who will expect you to make good on expensive repairs.


Make sure you hire a great surveyor and don't make the mistake of buying a boat that "just needs a little cosmetic work." If it was easy to do, the owner would have done it.


He's just trying to pass his problems onto you.