The Pearson 30 is Made for Family Gatherings and Gunkholing

If you want a boat to scoot around in on Saturdays, try an afternoon of racing, or relax during a quiet outing in a good gunkhole, the Pearson 30 may be your boat. It seems clear this is exactly what Pearson had in mind – a little family cruising or day sailing in a boat that could accommodate four comfortably – and beat the pants off the competition from time to time.

Pearson Yachts introduced the Pearson 30 in 1971 and ended production of this popular model in 1981. In all, Pearson produced more than 1,000 boats, 40 percent of them during the peak production years of 1973 and 1974. Hundreds of Pearson 30s still sail the Chesapeake and other popular offshore spots, often by original owners, and many can be found for sale at very reasonable prices.

The hull of the Pearson 30 is constructed of hand-laid fiberglass material and polyester resin. Decks are a balsa-fiberglass sandwich and, given their age, often are delaminated and water-soaked near the chain plate penetrations. Ballast is 3,500 pounds of lead molded into an integral keel. As with any fin-keel-type vessel, pay attention to the keel/hull intersection to make sure grounding has not caused significant damage.

The hull-to-deck joint on the P30 is an external flange with the two components glassed together and then mechanically fastened with stainless steel, sheet metal screws. This construction method is particularly prone to damage from impact with piers and pilings and needs careful inspection. Generally the Pearson 30 is constructed to good boat-building standards and, when cared for, holds up well.

Pearson's use of Delran bushings in a fiberglass rudderpost tube resulted in sloppy rudders, the only consistent recurring problem noted with this model. Without considerable expense, worn bushings are easily replaced. Through about hull No. 200, Pearson used an aluminum rudderpost that was prone to failure. The company recalled these boats and retrofitted them with rudders with stainless steel posts. Still, though it is unlikely boats with aluminum rudderposts remain in use, check if the hull number is below 200 just to be sure.

The Pearson 30 was an attempt to meld the attributes of racing boats with those of family cruisers – sort of like rigging a mini-van to race at Indy. This is not an easy task but Pearson was a pioneer in the racer/cruiser concept, and racing boat design theory of the day can be seen in the raked, fin keel, spade rudder, narrow beam and angular hull form.

The mast is deck stepped with an oak compression post in the cabin. The compression post is glassed into the keel. The mast is aluminum, and her rig is single spreader masthead with double lower shrouds. For a sloop of this size and vintage, the arrangement is quite standard.

The cockpit of the Pearson 30 is comfortable for four adults who are close friends. The tiller steering is likely to make them even closer friends, and there isn't enough room for a good conversion to wheel steering.

In Pearson's effort to make this model speedy, though, they did not neglect the interior accommodations. Headroom is about 5 feet and 10 inches and movement is easy; the fiberglass cabin liner makes the boat easy to keep clean, too. Opening ports make ventilation easier and provide ample light. But the forward hatch should not be counted on for much more than ventilation because it is a bit tiny. Lockers all about the cabin provide plenty of storage. The head is small but functional, and the galley is adequate with a self-contained alcohol stove.

Originally, the Pearson 30 was equipped with the revered Atomic Four gasoline engine. Later models were propelled by a Universal 2-cylinder diesel. Both power systems are adequate, though the Atomic Four in older boats may be nearing the end of a useful life cycle.

Older Pearson 30s were fitted with gate valves on some through-hull fittings. Insurance underwriters frown on them and they are prone to failure. Any gate valves should be replaced with seacocks that have good backing plates. The use of fiberglass tubes, integral with the hull, to form the cockpit drains is another issue because the configuration provides no shut-off device of any kind. This does not comply with American Boat and Yacht Council standards, which recommend seacock shutoff devices on all through-hull openings below the inclined waterline. Some insurance companies will insist on this modification and the fix is neither easy nor inexpensive.

Still, if you're looking for a good used family cruiser that can be fun to race from time to time – look at the Pearson 30. Plenty are out there, many are in good shape, and the price can be right. Go find one and enjoy.

Jack Hornor, NA is the principal surveyor and senior designer for the Annapolis-based Marine Survey & Design Co. Hornor writes for BoatU.S. Magazine and other marine publications.

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