pearson 424 ketch???

[jerryscooper]

Hey, Im still looking for "the" boat. I have come across a 42ft pearson 424 ketch. Just wonderd if anyone has any knowledge that might be helpful. Also, I have never sailed a ketch. Any opinions on the advantages or disadvantages of this setup are welcome.

[Ex-Calif]

I have no experience with the boat but a large number of multi-masters would revert to a sloop or cutter rig if given the chance.

It depends on how much you sail and with how many people on board. We have good friends with a 51 foot ketch and getting them to go sailing requires a destination, some distance and some planning to make the effort worthwhile for them with just 2 aboard.

All our sloop and cutter friends with furled sails will come out on a moments notice.

[jerryscooper]

Thanks Ex-Calif! I plan to live aboard here in Charleston, SC. for a year. Id want to spend at least that amount of time on the boat before I cruise. My last boat was a 36 ft Scanmar. Great boat, sloop rigged with everything running to the cockpit. Just not sure how much more effort it wll take to sail this boat. She has everything running to the cockpit as well. People I have met and talked to, as well as my friends who sail, seem to be split down the middle.
That being said, I have been taking my time in trying to find a boat that will fit my must have needs and the I can live with out options(that also fit my budget). This boat has everything and more. The more being the second mast. Again, a lot of the old salts like the option of the second mast. Of course, no one I know has a ketch. Many have moved to dry land. I guess what im asking is, if this boat has what I have been looking for, is the effort of sailing a ketch so much more that it is a deal breaker? Just a side note...Im in my late 30s, and am at this moment healthy and fit.

[Yotboss]

We had a couple of Pearson 424s at a charter company I was working for in the 80s - when they were new. Compared to the other boats in the fleet, these were built very well (typical Pearson), easy to maintain and sailed pretty well. I personally like the dual companionway setup - a different but interesting use of space. As far as the split rig goes, there are many cruisers who still swear by it for it's more manageable sail plan and ease of balancing the rig. I don't think hauling up one more - smallish - sail is much effort at all and trimming one more isn't either. Besides, ketches look cool.
How long until you plan to go cruising?

Tom

[jerryscooper]

Thanks Tom!! Thats kinda what I was thinking. But again I have never sailed a ketch.
I plan to stay here in Charleston until next November. I want to spent that time living aboard and getting to "know" whatever boat I end up with. I would like to make it back to St John USVI. I spent 3 years there not so long ago, and still have friends and contacts there. I have owned and worked in the food and beverage for years. Also, I play music for a living now and am doing well with that. So, I hope to bartend and play music while cruising. But still working on the first step of finding a suitable boat. I think Im getting close though. I definatly have learned what boats I dont like!!

[Latitude9.5]

We were very seriously looking at a pearson 424 when we found the CAL, the pearsons are really nice boats, well laid out, good use of space, nice shower, aft cabin and very well put together. I love the midship hatch access from the deck. They sail quite well too!

There are some advantages and disadvantages to ketch, for the most part the most important are just a matter of preference. Yes you do have 3 sails to raise, although you'll find a lot of ketch owners who sail short sails with just a main a genny. It is a good way to increase sail area on larger vessels. I've got a cutter rig which puts me with a genny, staysail and larger main. The differences in raising the mizzen and unfurling the staysail are minimal in my opinion. You have a smaller main and a nice heavy weather sail... ie drop the main sail with the mizzen as a storm sail. You also have the disadvantage of having an additional mast in or near your cockpit and in your cabin.

[Vasco]

Great layout. better than the Whitby 42. Of course I prefer aft cabins. Easy sailing with jib and jigger.

[Triton318]

How many do you anticipate will live aboard and cruise? You only mentioned yourself. My first thought was that 42 feet seems a little big for one person. I suppose it would be very spacious and comfortable for two. Just remember that larger boats cost more to sail and maintain. For two people, you could probably find a somewhat smaller boat that would still be "big" enough for you. Just my thoughts! In any case, good luck. (P.S. I think making music for money while cruising would be a rather enjoyable way to finance the lifestyle.)

[CARL]

Get the biggest boat you can both handel and afford to look after,the space,extra water line length,(for speed) and if and when it turns nasty,youll be glad of it.Twin mast great,add an inner stay,and the opptions of sail plan are fantastic.Downsides i can think of ,extra rigging to mentain and extra sail cloth to buy .

[jerryscooper]

Thanks to everyone for the great advice!! To answere some questions... There will be two of us sailing. At least until she goes back to work next year. Also the extra space will be needed for the min. amount of equipment that I will need to "work". Also, the marina where I will keep the boat, only have 40ft. slips. But they said no problem docking and living aboard the 424 for the same price of a 40 ft boat. I love small beach towns!!!
I plan to have the all the rigging checked out by a friend of a friend who is a pro. rigger, on top the the normal survey. Ill let you know what happens.
I really appreciate the honesty in the advice that I get from everyone on this site. Even though I have been sailing for a while, I feel like I am just at the tip of the iceburg in what I need to know about boats, sailing, and living this type of life. But learning is part of the fun I think. Thanks again!!

[Charlie]

Jerry:

Jack Tyler is a member on this forum and I believe he has a 424. There are alot of people cruising them around the oceans. It was one of the boats that I was looking at when I was in the market. I prefer the cutter rig but a Ketch is not a bad choice.

[Tnflakbait]

In my opinion the ketch rig is better suited for cruising than day sailing. Often, but not always your main mast is shorter than if it were a sloop or a cutter. This means a lower center of effort.
There are many more sail combinations, making various wind conditions easier to adjust to. The sails are all smaller, making them easier to handle *individually*.
However, doing a lot of tacking and short sails can be tiresome because of the number of sails/sheets.

[camaraderie]

I have a ketch and my boat comes in a sloop version as well. The MAIN benefit is that it lets me get uner the ICW bridges whereas the sloop cannot!
A secondary benefit is that it keeps the mainsail size manageable on a big boat.
Obviously, it does not go quite as well to windward...no big deal for a cruiser IMHO.
It gives me an extra mast in case one comes down. I can (and do) have redudnant antennas for VHF. The mizzen is essentially self tending and takes 30 seconds to hoist or douse so is no big deal. You DO lose some manuverability on deck with the extra shrouds.
On balance, we've really like having a ketch after a series of sloops. I however would not either buy or reject a boat on the basis of ketch vs. sloop. It just is not that important.
I have been aboard Pearson 424's and 422's (center cockpit version) and find them to be very well built, seaworthy boats and worthy of consideration as one of the more affordable blue water cruising vessels availiable in the 40' range.

[hellosailor]

Spent time on one, would never buy one. It's not a bad boat--but that damned mizzen boom wanted to spend too much time with my head. As long as you are under four feet tall or stay away from the helm position, they're nice enough boats.[g]

[speedoo]

Is this the boat?

eBay Motors: Pearson 424 Ketch sailboat 42 sail boat yacht SC SALE!! (item 120176173761 end time Nov-01-07 13:32:55 PDT)

In any case, I love the layout, and this seems like a good boat. Ketch is a very good cruising rig. Shoal draft is also great for the Bahamas. A little on light side for offshore sailing at 21,000#, IMO.