Pearson 30

dLj · Nov 28, 2021

Pressurized alcohol stoves can illicit heated arguments possibly on the scale of what's the best anchor...

Is it a Kenyon pressurized alcohol stove? Kenyon completely rebuilt one I had a few years ago. I'm not sure if they still do that but if they do it's an excellent service! It takes practice to learn how to start and run these stoves. Some people seem able to do it well and others seem to struggle forever. The former group will tell you they are very functional, don't leave them unattended, be sure you keep them pressurized during use, danger of explosion exists if this is not done. The folks that never seem to learn how to start them without near death experiences will tell you rip it out and put in a different stove.

If you do wish to determine which group you will fall into, I'd suggest to learn how to start the stove, remove the stove from the boat and place it in an open area where high flames are no problem. Practice starting the stove until it becomes unspectacular and you are comfortable doing this while inside your boat.

dj

FastOlson · Nov 29, 2021

fred1diver said:
what can you all tell me about pressurized alcool stoves, I know most people try to avoid them but it's built in the galley, so replacing would be a challenge.

Best and safest procedure I know for dealing with a pressure alcohol stove is "shot put" it into a dumpster. Not kidding.
Find a used Origo stove if you like simplicity and safety, or another unpressurized competing stove.
Propane is great, but installing a new system from scratch will take some labor and $$. I have done this, complete with all remote shutoffs, sniffers, and etc. Done right, you will be safe and the boat will remain insurable.

Barnacle Bill · Dec 1, 2021

The narrower beam on the P-30 is one reason it sails so well. Its rig and keel are other factors. It is very well built and a fun boat to sail. The bigger the diesel inboard (more cylinders) the smoother it runs/sounds. Smaller diesels (fewer cyliners) shake more. An Atomic 4 has 4 cylinders and it is 30 HP, which is higher than most diesel inboards the same size. Atomic 4's are easy to work on and if properly maintained (which is not hard), it will give you years of reliable service. Usually the biggest problem with hard starting is the points. They tend to go bad, but i had a boat with an A-4 for many years and I never had to mess with the points. But, when people complain about hard starting, just put in new points and gap it to a matchbook cover thickness and I bet it will pop right off. Most start thinking it is a fuel problem, but usually not. Also there are CD ignition kits available which will eliminate the points all together and also you can buy an electric fuel pump and eliminate the mechanical standard one.

jssailem · Dec 3, 2021

I would lean towards the Pearson 30 as a better sailing boat. You be the judge as there are factors that favor the Pearson.
More Pearsons (1,000) were built and you can find newer Pearsons than Tanzer's
Here is the Pearson 30 Link Pearson 30

Better sail area to Displacement.
SA/Disp.:A sail area/displacement ratio below 16 would be considered under powered;
16 to 20 would indicate reasonably good performance;
above 20 suggests relatively high performance.
SA/D = SA (ft²) ÷ (Disp (lbs) / 64)^.666

Pearson 30 S.A./Disp.: 17.40
Tanzer 28 S.A./Disp.: 15.94

Better comfort ratio for blue water sailing
Comfort Ratio:
This is a ratio created by Ted Brewer as a measure of motion comfort. It provides a reasonable comparison between yachts of similar size and type. It is based on the fact that the faster the motion the more upsetting it is to the average person. Consider, though, that the typical summertime coastal cruiser will rarely encounter the wind and seas that an ocean going yacht will meet.
Numbers below 20 indicate a lightweight racing boat;
20 to 30 indicates a coastal cruiser;
30 to 40 indicates a moderate bluewater cruising boat;
40 to 50 indicates a heavy bluewater boat;
over 50 indicates an extremely heavy bluewater boat.
Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam^1.33), where displacement is expressed in pounds, and length is expressed in feet.

Pearson 30 Comfort Ratio: 24.25
Tanzer 28 Comfort Ratio: 19.38

Capsize Screening Formula (CSF):
Designed to determine if a boat has blue water capability. The CSF compares beam with displacement since excess beam contributes to capsize and heavy displacement reduces capsize vulnerability. The boat is better suited for ocean passages (vs coastal cruising) if the result of the calculation is 2.0 or less. The lower the better.
CSF = Beam/Disp (cubic ft)^.333. The displacement in cubic feet can be found by dividing the displacement in pounds by 64.

Pearson 30 Capsize Screening Formula: 1.88
Tanzer 28 Capsize Screening Formula: 2.11

Pearson PHRF 180
Tanzer PHRF racing average handicap of 204
But these are just numbers. They look different and will feel different. You need to identify which one you want to take out on a date.

Davidasailor26 · Dec 5, 2021

fred1diver said:
what can you all tell me about pressurized alcool stoves

I'd use the word "exciting", which is probably not a term you want associated with a cooking appliance. They are usable, but it takes some practice to get the initial pressure right and get it going without an Olympic torch style flame. Once heated up it cooks just fine.

PaulK · Dec 5, 2021

Flareups from the preheating of the stove can be exciting. Preheating it vaporizes the alcohol so that it burns better. The vapor can also leak out -- be sure there's a flame at the burner. A visiting boat in our harbor blew his cabin off when the vapors ignited.

DArcy · Dec 5, 2021

PaulK said:
A visiting boat in our harbor blew his cabin off when the vapors ignited.

That sounds like an extreme case, alcohol burns but doesn't explode. Maybe the flame burned back into the tank and the pressure tank exploded. I've never heard of that happening but it could be possible
I agree propane is a bit easier to use with a properly set up system however it would still be possible to blow the cabin off with propane. That much energy release would require a fault in the system which could happen with either alcohol or propane.
I used a pressure alcohol stove for about 20 years and after the first couple of times using it never had any flare ups. It's really easy to get the right amount of alcohol in the cup for pre-heating and most of the time I could just open the valve before the flame went out to get the burner going. Sometimes I missed it and needed to get the lighter out again but no flare ups. I'm actually more nervous having propane on the boat than alcohol.
As with any system, it needs to be maintained.

ScottMac · Dec 5, 2021

Hello
I owned a P30 for about 10 years great sailing boat. I found one with no spider cracks on deck soft spots etc so I bought it
I removed all the deck hardware drilled out the hole bigger filled with thickened epoxy
If she ever leaks that core will never get damage as far as she sails Fantastic I miss her a lot once I bought a new headsail I went from a solid 4th around the bouys to 1st
We won everything
She is a fast fun solid sailing boat
Check the port lights to see if leaking mine were and they were a pain too seal
Also check for soft spot around where the rudder post comes through the cockpit floor
They screwed down a plastic cover there and if not sealed it causes a problem
If it is soft it is a easy fix Inhad to fix mine the 5th year I had her and when finished you couldn’t even tell. If you buy her I have a 140% racing headsail that the new owner of Copacetic did not want if interested let me know. As far as the Atomic 4 great engine they run hard mine had electronic ignition upgrade Jus run an exhaust fan for a few minutes to make sure no fumes and you are good to go.

jssailem · Dec 5, 2021

PaulK said:
A visiting boat in our harbor blew his cabin off when the vapors ignited.

Likely singed his eyebrows and maybe the hair on his head, as well.

PaulK · Dec 5, 2021

jssailem said:
Likely singed his eyebrows and maybe the hair on his head, as well.

I think he went to the hospital and spent more than a week in the burn unit. Boat was destroyed in an explosion. Not a laughing matter. My understanding was that the vapors emitted in repeated attempts to light the stove filled the cabin. Have had this happen - makes your eyes water. His must have been an extreme case. Flour doesn't explode...until McGyver blows it with a fan throughout the house and throws in a match. Corn and wheat don't explode either, but don't tell that to a grain silo operator. The point is to be careful of any fuel.

jssailem · Dec 5, 2021

I am sure no one was laughing. Not I, and I have no knowledge of him nor what he did, save what you share.

Tally Ho · Dec 5, 2021

PaulK said:
A visiting boat in our harbor blew his cabin off when the vapors ignited.

Sounds more like propane than alcohol.

Greg

PaulK · Dec 5, 2021

Tally Ho said:
Sounds more like propane than alcohol.

Greg

This was back in the 60's far enough that everyone was using alcohol stoves. It shocked a number of people who thought alcohol "couldn't explode".

jssailem · Dec 5, 2021

Explosions happen.
Yachting Monthly showed us that Propane was not easy to go boom.. But when it does it is spectacular.

PaulK · Feb 8, 2022

Thought about doing that on our J/36. You can buy about fifteen year's worth of ice for what cold plates cost. The ice always works and has no mechanical parts that break or leak refrigerant. Portable electric cooler might be cheaper and less work. Our "new" boat with fridge/freezer requires constant monitoring of battery levels and running engine to keep things charged. It works, but it's a hassle. With the compressor turned off, twenty pounds of ice would last more than a weekend in the new boat.

FastOlson · Feb 8, 2022

One real-world fact not always mentioned in these discussions over keeping food cold is whether the skipper can easily source block ice while out cruising.
We love our efficient refrigeration, but one of several reasons we first installed it, over a decade ago, was the vanishing block ice from marinas and ports where we used to find it. When it was located on the docks, maybe at the fuel dock, it was not too (!) far to carry 20# or 40# back to our boat. When we had to schlep it from a market a mile away, we had to reevaluate our priorities, as the saying goes.

As for those "ice for sale" freezers on the docks? Nowadays they all hold cocktail ice in bags. With its short half life in the ship's ice box it was nowhere near as useful. The cubes are nice for mixed drinks, tho...

Also, having to deal with gallons of melt water was not pleasurable, either.

Pearson 30

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SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John

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