Pearson 31-2 Cabin Sole Construction Question

[gundaddy]

Apologies in advance if this is a duplicate question. I searched the forum, and couldn’t find it, so here goes…


My friend is considering selling his 1989 Pearson 31-2, and I am interested in buying it. The cabin sole consists of several sections of what appears to be 1/4” or 3/8” teak and holly plywood recessed into the fiberglass grid floor. All of the panels, including the ones covering the bilges, are screwed down. This is the first boat that I have encountered where the floor covering the bilges is screwed down. When I unscrewed it and pulled it up, the thin plywood did have a mild curve to it, so it would stick up a bit if not screwed down. Is this how Pearson 31-2s were built, or something a previous owner did?

 

[Quint]

Apologies in advance if this is a duplicate question. I searched the forum, and couldn’t find it, so here goes…


My friend is considering selling his 1989 Pearson 31-2, and I am interested in buying it. The cabin sole consists of several sections of what appears to be 1/4” or 3/8” teak and holly plywood recessed into the fiberglass grid floor. All of the panels, including the ones covering the bilges, are screwed down. This is the first boat that I have encountered where the floor covering the bilges is screwed down. When I unscrewed it and pulled it up, the thin plywood did have a mild curve to it, so it would stick up a bit if not screwed down. Is this how Pearson 31-2s were built, or something a previous owner did?

What you have described is pretty much how the Pearson 31-2 was originally built. My 1987 Pearson 31-2 (Hull #5) is exactly the same - the wooden floor panels fit into a fiberglass pan/grid subfloor system. It is a little weird, as any water that gets on the floor is held in those fiberglass pans until it evaporates. I have considered drilling small weep holes into the bottom of each "pan" but worried that Pearson didn't do so originally for a reason. Not a big deal to remove the screws, lift out the wooden floor insert and dry it out but not exactly the best design.

Now, on my boat, the wood panels in the center of the salon are not screwed down and provide access to the very shallow bilge below (for inspection, cleaning, etc.). They have warped a bit over the years (before I purchased my boat) so they do not sit completely flush with the rest of the floor but, since they are beneath the dining table, that's really not a big problem. I am thinking--one day--I might sand/refinish all the wood floor panels and I may re-work and/or replace those center panels with some new ones that are not warped. Until then, they don't bother me much.

What is the hull# for the boat you're looking at?

 

[gundaddy]

Thanks much, Quint. I suspect the center pieces, as built, floated on top of the grid, but a PO encountered some warping, stubbed his toe, and screwed them down. Not normally a big deal, I guess, until you're taking on water and need to troubleshoot the bilge pump. Not sure of the hull number...didn't get that far.