Considering a Purchase, Opinions/Things to Consider?

Aug 12, 2020
9
Pearson 35 MA
Hi all,

My wife and I are continuing our search for our first sailboat, and are lining up a second viewing / test sail of a 1974 Pearson 35. She's listed here: 1974 Pearson 35 Cruising Sailboat - 2nd PRICE DROP - boats - by...

We noticed some issues with the brightwork, much of which looks rotted, as if it will need to be completely replaced:

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The rigging, lifelines, and sails are all a bit long in the tooth, and she doesn't have a dodger, only a bimini. Otherwise, she appears to be in comparatively good shape.

Otherwise, I see no major issues as of our first review. That said: I'm new to this. :)

Is there anything specific we should be considering/looking at here? The current owner is an EE, and the wiring looks to be very well done; we'd be looking at some systems upgrades over time, but hope to negotiate the price down to around $10k. There is a survey from 2018, albeit one the seller provided, with no issues listed.
 
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Sep 25, 2008
7,075
Alden 50 Sarasota, Florida
Sounds like you are focusing on cosmetics - DON'T! The stuff which costs a lot isn't cosmetic but rather keel/hull integrity, delamination issues, hull integrity, rudder and rudder shaft integrity, mast step, rigging replacement. engine and transmission wear, hull/deck joint, etc....too many bigger issues to list here.


We all bought our first boat once and at that time, we all 'didn't know what we didn't know' - get a pre-purchase survey done by someone you hire. A 2 year old survey (likely done only for insurance purposes rather than condition) by the owner is meaningless.
 
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May 27, 2004
1,964
Hunter 30_74-83 Ponce Inlet FL
And, while some of the teak looks bad, most of the toe rail might just need a good sanding
and a few coats of varnish. It appears the current owner opted for paint stain in hopes of avoiding the joy of outside teak maintenance. :yikes: :banghead:
 

kmart

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Jan 1, 2012
87
Pearson 10M Fall River, MA
Ok. I'll put in my pitch. , :) im selling my pearson 10M on this site. In very good condition. Has brand new headsail. Brand new dodger. Also has bimini. And lots of other upgrades. Check the posting on this site. Located in fall river MA
 

Joe

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Jun 1, 2004
7,999
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
The teak brightwork just looks like it needs to be refinished... that old stuff peeling off looks like Cetol. Good weekend project. No biggie. Teak is very resistant to rotting... a lot of people do NOT finish their exterior teak, preferring the grey, patina look. What ever you decide refinishing it is a somewhat satisfying project because it makes the boat look so much better. FWIW, I quit using Cetol 15 years ago, now use Min-Was Spar Urethane. Runs about $17/quart which enough to do entire boat multiple seasons.
 
Jul 27, 2011
4,988
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
Looks like a good boat but as Don said, problems to look out for are more basic and subtle. I owned a 1979 Pearson. It had been well maintained when we purchased it in1992. By the time we traded it in 2004 the raw-water-cooled Universal diesel was rusting out internally. The SS fuel tank was rusted to point of springing a leak and emptying diesel into the bilge. The rusted portion was along the forward rim at the bottom. Also, look for signs of leakage along the salon windows, which I had to rebed. A survey may discover structural issues, if any, related to the hull and its attachments, such as thru-hulls and chain plates, along with a few others. Ours discovered that the compression post had bowed due to some softening of the house at the mast step combined with over tightening of the shrouds. So, our first repair was to replace that compression post.
 
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Aug 12, 2020
9
Pearson 35 MA
As an update, we DID purchase this sailboat! We had a full marine survey conducted, and while there were some issues discovered, nothing came up that scared us off.

We took delivery just under 2 weeks ago, and spent this past weekend cleaning out every locker and storage space on the boat, tracing the various water lines, and beginning to build out our long-term to-do list with copious help from Casey's This Old Boat. We also pumped out the holding tank (who sells a boat with that still full!?), and had some trouble with it -- thankfully easily opened via the inspection port for a proper cleanout, but we plan to replace with a Type I and an electric macerating head in the spring.

I've replaced the binnacle compass already, and in doing so removed the wire-nut connected lighting for the old compass with properly crimped wires.

Here's her current state, complete with terrible upholstery and cushions that will go away soon. :)
 

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Aug 12, 2020
9
Pearson 35 MA
It's been a bit, and I thought it might be interesting to update everyone on what we've been up to. We ended up hauling her in the early fall of 2020, and she has been on the hard since. In the intervening couple of years, we've completed ASA 101, 103, and 104 classes, and are lining up 105 and 106 for the fall and early next year. We're roughly targeting a summer 2024 departure date for some longer-term cruising, and hoping to put the boat -- which we're renaming Wanderer -- in the water this month.

Here's the abbreviated list of what we've done, and what's to come:
  • New standing rigging (chainplates were good and done by the previous owner; rigging itself was of indeterminate age)
  • New motor (Beta Marine 25, as the Universal 25MXP gave up the ghost) and all new hoses
  • New 30g aluminum diesel fuel tank
  • New primary winches (two Lewmar 44STs, replacing the original Lewmar 40 non-STs)
  • Added secondary winches (two Lewmar 40STs), installing on the cabin top
  • Added clutches (2 3x Spinlocks) to support bringing the primary lines to the cockpit
  • New headsail furler
  • Completely replaced the toe rail, rub rail, and cockpit coaming with new teak, all with Sikkens as the finish; the deck-to-hull joint under the toe in particular was leaking extensively, and it was simply time; very happy with this, see pictures
  • New MaxProp feathering prop
  • New prop shaft
  • New hydraulic autopilot
  • Full B&G system install - VHF, radar, 12" Zeus3s chart plotter, DST transducer, forward scanning sonar, AIS
  • New binnacle compass
  • New pedestal
  • New lifelines
  • New docking cleats all around
  • New upholstery on all interior cushions (and new cushions for the forward cabin, settee, and pilot berth)
  • Added a Lewmar windlass
  • New Rocna 25 anchor
  • New anchor chain (200' chain, replacing whatever undersized line was there before)
  • New nav lights
  • New (fabricated) metal spreaders, replacing the original wooden ones
  • New Airhead composting toilet, to replace the old Wilcox head entirely
  • New dinghy, motor, and motor mount
  • New 200W solar array
  • New LED lights to replace old interior lighting
  • New safety equipment (visual, sound devices, etc.)
  • New EPIRB
Open major items:
  • Remove old holding tank to make room for additional cruising gear
  • Add hot water heater
  • Add watermaker
  • Replace compression block with new G10-fabricated block
  • Replace freshwater pump and hoses
  • Add bilge high-water alarm and secondary pump
  • Add head shower
  • Add shower sump and likely route to old head through-hull
  • Replace original DC panel
  • New sails (likely Doyle, with 3 reefing points and a stack pack)
  • New galley stove (likely propane, once I determine where to place a propane locker
  • Replace hatches with new Lewmar hatches (along with glass work to fit)
  • Replace engine fire suppression system
  • Add dodger
  • Rebed all port lights (replace with opening lights?)
  • Repaint deck

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Oct 22, 2014
20,989
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
You have given a mature girl a new life. Well done. Will be looking forward to postings. “We’re sailing and all that ASA theory and class work is paying dividends in our adventures.
 

Tedd

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Jul 25, 2013
745
TES 246 Versus near Vancouver, BC
She's looking sweet. Good on you for breathing new life into her. I love to see older boats like that being well cared for.