What should I look for...

[MaryEllaRose]

...in a potential Pearson purchase? Tomorrow I'm going to look at a '73 Pearson 26. Owner states that the boat hasn't been in the water since 2009. Stored on tandem axle trailer. Lots of sails. Auto pilot. Furler w/ split drum. I'm a little concerned however because he had the transom rebuilt (professionally he said) due to rot.
I've been sailing a Catalina 22 for two years but still consider myself a novice.
What should I be looking for? I know nothing about Pearson boats....

Thanx,
Tom

 

[shemandr]

The Pearson 26 is a venerable design that is forgiving while being a real sailboat.
When you look at the boat focus on the hull, deck, keel, rudder, cleanliness and standing rigging. Those are the big picture. There are a lot of sails because most of them are no good. Just assume that. You don't buy a boat for the electronics which are probably out of date anyway. Auto pilot is nice and so is furling system - if it is in good shape. Check for standing fresh water in the bilge. Deduct $1,000 for each inch. Only partially kidding. Boat that sit are often neglected and accumulation of rain water in the bilge is a tell tale. It is a negative for the hull as well. Look for water marks on the bulkheads and cabin furniture. The deck should not be spongy to walk on. You can bring a bottle of water and spill some around the mast step - it shouldn't pool. Look for streaks or water stains under deck equipment such as jib tracks, winches, turning blocks, cleats and ESPECIALLY chain plates. If there are stains that would indicate water intrusion into the deck core and you need to check for core delimitation or rot in those areas (A Surveyor will do this. But you can save yourself the expense and eliminate this boat if you find it). Since it's on the trailer the mast will be somewhere else, on saw horses or something and you can have a good look. Check the swages to the terminals for rust or broken strands, unwinding of the wire along it's length. The sheaves (Free turning or frozen) (Vee shaped grooves for wire or roundish for line). Cracks in the mast crane, spreader mounts. Spreaders, which may be wood, are solid. Check gooseneck fitting for soundness and for completeness in parts including shackles. That's about all I time to write.
Most of all, look at the boat at your pace and be as complete as possible. Take pictures. Write down details and findings. If the owner or agent is tapping his/her foot, tell them to go see a movie.
A Pearson 26 in very good shape might fetch $5,000 but that's about the top of the range.

 

[Ted]

All used boats will have issues, so expect to find some problems going into the search process. If you expect to find a perfect 1973 Pearson 26 you are going to be looking for a used boat for a very long time. If you are handy, decide what you can repair/replace yourself. If you must pay to have someone else do the work, you will discover that your budget will be quickly depleted. I have three friends that have owned Pearson 26's and they have all lost their rudders at some point during their ownership. This is a known problem with that boat. Do a search for rudder problems on a Pearson 26 and you will find lots of specific information regarding this issue.

 

[MaryEllaRose]

Thanx for all the helpful comments...
Well, I looked at the boat today....needs lots of love. My main concern is that the boat hasn't been in the water since 2011. The bottom has been soda blasted due to blistering. Fairly extensive but small, about 1/8" dia. Some fiberglas is exposed. I'll try to post pictures later. I pushed / pulled on the rudder and there's some movement, about 3/8" to 1/4". Gelcoat on hull looks very good, topsides has some spider cracking in the cockpit area. Couldn't look at the keel bolts, owner didn't want to pull up the carpeting on the cabin sole. He said he never replaced or inspected them. Interior looked good, relatively clean, dry and no signs of water intrusion around the chain plates, windows did not seem to be leaking. Owner claims he sealed them. Crib boards are shot, rotted plywood. Main sail and 155 furling jib are nice, still crinkly. Owner claims they've only got two seasons on them. Didn't look at the rest. They're a major brand but I can't think of the name. Tandem axle trailer looks solid, but a little rusty around the edges, Tires looked OK. Mast was straight. Rig looked in fairly good shape, no fraying at ends that I could see. Radio looked dated, I couldn't tell about the rest of the electronics. Owner is distressed, has to move it soon, loosing storage place. He was asking, $3500, I got him down to $2000. Too high?
Tom G

 

[Justin_NSA]

Does is come with a good motor? If you have to buy one, then on top of what you already mention needs repair, you may find another ready to sail for the same investment.
Is it a salt water boat? NADA comment -
Research indicates that boats exclusively used in salt water, which are not maintained and cleansed with fresh water, may depreciate more rapidly. This could influence the book value 10% to 15%.

 

[MaryEllaRose]

Boat was in fresh water all it's life, has a good 9.9 Johnson.

 

[shemandr]

I have to admit I don't know what the crib boards are - bulkheads? Those can be an involved repair but if access is OK not so bad. Maybe they can be sistered. Would be 1 -2 boat units if done professionally. It's hard to estimate. The spider cracking in the cockpit wouldn't bother me. It is listed as an iron keel but you didn't mention any rusting there. What was the head situation? The rudder post probably needs new bearings.

 

[MaryEllaRose]

The crib boards are the boards that cover the cabin entry way. (That's all I've ever heard them referred to as.) Relatively easy / cheap to replace if you don't use exotic material. I'm pretty handy, have done it on my Cat 22. Iron keel has surface rust, owner had the entire hull soda blasted in preparation for bottom paint but never finished. There's some blistering that was opened up when soda blasted, none larger than 1/8".
I could move the rudder from below about 1/4" to 3/8". I've been lead to believe that is a common problem on these boats but bushings are available and easy to replace. It definitely needs TLC but I think there's potential. My concern is that is sat for 5 years. I know I'm taking a chance but if turns out to have major rot, I'll part it out and cut my losses.
I'll try to post pix later on tonight...

Tom G

 

[MaryEllaRose]

I'll try to post pix...

 

[shemandr]

I think you're good to go. $2,000 for boat, motor, trailer. You've don't this before so you are not going in blind. Yes, you're going to spend more than you'll get out of it (This isn't a business - right?). But you'll have a 26' sailboat with a good pedigree. A weekend pocket cruiser, a daysailer with benefits and even a club PHRF racer. And, it is a forgiving sailor which would be totally comfortable for family or entertaining friends who aren't sailors -although I don't know why you would do that.

 

[MaryEllaRose]

I know it's going to be a lot of work. I just did the bottom job on my Catalina so believe me I'm not looking forward to doing it again. I'm hoping that all (?!!) I have to do to the bottom is fill, fair and sand, then epoxy barrier coat and paint. I've got a post on the "Ask All Sailors" page with more detail about the bottom. The replies so far have ranged from doom and gloom to "easy-peasy" so I'm hoping the truth lies somewhere in between. I'm retiring in January so I'll have plenty of time and I have the Cat 22 to get my sailing fix in the meantime.
We're day sailors on the extreme west end of Lake Erie, not racers, but are looking for a little more robust boat than the Cat 22. The admiral is particularly excited about the flush head (I'm not...I'll be pumping it out, not her..) and the fact that she can stand up in the cabin. I'm looking forward to not having to pull gobs of weeds off of the keel cable.

Thanx again for all the replies. I'm always open for suggestions and comments from other owners....