Buying Pearson 30 - Anything to look out for??

[rookie00]

All -

I am in the process of purchasing a 1980 Pearson 30. In it''s previous life it was raced, then owned for 5 years as a family cruiser on the Chesepeke Bay. I would be the next owner. This is my first boat and I plan to use it on the bay and perhaps a coastal cruise once in a while at some point in the future.

It has a rebuilt Diesel engine with < 300 hours, Recent sails and is in good overall condition. It seems to have a good maintenance history, any issues have been addressed in a timely manner.

I was hoping that someone with Person 30 experience could help me with things to look for and/or beware of. One thing I did notice was the precense of, what appeared to be, oil in the bildge water. it didn''t seem to be a significant amount. I tried, unsucessfully, to located the source. The owner was equally perplexed with the presence of oil. He said it appeared within the past year and he has not been able to locate any leaks. He did say he has spilled oil during oil changes and that some may have spilled while underway. He also mentioned, no oil needs to be added to the motor between changes. Any thoughts?

What about the rest of the boat, anything to be on the lookout for?

Thanks in advance,

Rookie

[SailorMitch]

You''ll get much better information by posting this question on two of Sailnet''s email lists -- the general one for Pearsons, and there''s also a separate group for P-30''s. Click on the "Join Email Lists" in the lefthand column and you''ll get all kinds of info on this boat.

[RichH]

The mast compression post is vulnerable for rot at its base as it sits in the bilge. Actually the compression post supports the main bulkhead which in turn supports the overhead support for the mast. What Pearson did when construction is place the compression post in the bilge then drive a wooden wedge under the post and then simply put in a fiberglass tabbing socket to hold the whole structure in place. If the wedge rots away the compression post will shrink in the FRG socket. Check carefully to see if the head door fits correctly - the hardware should line up perfectly; if not, drilling to the ''socket'' to see if there is rot, etc. Easy replacement if it is rotted, just cut away the bottom of the post and place in a new solid FRG pedestal, etc.

The stancheons are mounted with a rubber gasket to protect the thin lay-up of the top surface of the deck. If the stancheons are overstressed there will be several cracks noticed; if the cracks run into area of deck core then you can have deck rot.

Otherwise its a pretty straightforward boat that doesnt have many faults.

If you plan to race it, consider to add longitudinal stringers along the hull to prevent hull flex.

Land storage needs precise placement of jackstands to prevent hull deformation..... Jackstands need to be precisely aligned at bulkheads; no bulkhead under the refrigerator and if jackstand is placed there without a vee poppit placed between the rudder and the prop, you will get HUGE hull deformation under the fridge.

I''ve got a P30 (w/modernized Atomic-4) for sail on the Ches.

[Jeff_H]

For the dollars the Pearson 30 is a very nice boat for the Chesapeake Bay. They sail well and seem to have held up pretty well. As to your oil in the bilge my best guess is that it is diesel fuel as the fuel tanks can and do fail over time. I would check the keel bolts carefully as the Pearson 26''s which I believe were constructed the same way, have had a lot of keel bolt problems. They are also know for developing rudder problems and I remember hearing about a guy who used built replica rudders for the P-30''s and P-26''s.

Good boats though.
Jeff

[RichH]

The P30 has an encapsulated keel - no keel bolts.
The P26 rudder has a steel or aluminum rudder post which can corrode and let the rudder fall off, .... missing rudders on a P26 are ''traditional''. The P30 was built with a stainless rudder post (tube).

Both use an inferior delrin rudder bushing which can be overlayed with WEST epoxy mixed with carbon powder to remake the bearing to be longer lasting. The replacement cost of the inferior delring bushing (lasts a year or two is approx $75 / set).

Ahhhhh ...... I really miss my old P30 it might have been slow by todays standards at 174 PHRF but was a JOY to sail - just fingertips on the tiller.

[Jeff_H]

Hi Rich,

Thanks for the corrections. I had followed a number of P26 fix-ups and made the assumption of similar construction as they were designed and built at the same time.

Jeff

[rookie00]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I will verify these issues during the survey, which is tomorrow.

Jeff - you mention the possibility that the water contamination may be diesel vs. oil. Do you know of an easy way to verify this? Is this something a surveyor should be able to diagnosis or does this require an engine surveyor? In the event it is deisel and the tank has a leak vs a loose hose someplace, what would you estimate the cost of repair to be?

Thanks everyone for all the great feedback. I have heard many good things about the P30 and I look forward to, hopefully, owning her in the next week or so. I still have some good sailing weather left.

Rookie

[RichH]

Very strange that Pearson kept building the P26 with non-stainless rudder stock. Just imagine some marine archeologist 2000 years from now discovering all those P26 rudders on the bottom all over coasts of North America !!!!... will probably assume some inane sacrifice to the sea gods !!!! ;-)

[RichH]

Most P30s were supplied with MONEL tanks and monel tanks usually last forever. Hopefully when she was repowered they left in the original tank. However they also used a lot of copper - so check the tank vent line for corrosion, etc.
The tank vent exits at the stern, is covered with a teeny stainless mini-clam shell with a spark arrestor screen just under the clamshell. Mud dauber wasps really love to build nests in the vent opening, totally blocking it. With the vent blocked the (full) tank system can ''weep'' at the fill connections (rubber) if the tank over pressurizes by changing ambient temperatures.

One the BIGGEST faults (OK by standards when built) that can lead to fuel leakage is: the rubber flex connection between the fuel filter and the engine ... Pearson used an asbestos armored multi-walled rubber hose which can develop pin holes between the lumens of the multi walled hose and if a pin hole develops the asbestos covering will hide such leakage ..... Advise the surveyor to specifically use his NOSE on the flex connector between the filter set and the engine. Also check the usual copper tubes from the tank, etc. for cracks in the flare connections, replace them with stainless tubes when you can - safer.

Incidentally, Pearson used Iroko instead of teak on P30s. Iroko is a VERY beautiful wood but nothing will stick to it for very long in exterior applications .... not varnish, not cetol, not armada, not Bristol finish, not honey teak ..... nothing but a highly resinated and thick/multicoat oil finish will adhere. Dont leave Iroko uncoated as it will erode severely and very quickly.

Hey, enjoy your Pearson 30.... will bring you many many smiles. There is a fleet of Pearson 30s that race out of Annapolis, these folks eat, sleep and dream of P30s. Consider to introduce yourself even if you dont plan on racing.

[rookie00]

Rich -

Thank you for the feedback. I will ask the surveyor to pay special attention to this problem. Hopefully it will be something, relatively, minor. The tank is the Monel tank and I believe it is the original. Regarding the exterior teak, the hand rails have been removed making the deck more sleek and the remaining teak seems to be in good shape, I will ask the owner how he kept them in such good condition.

You mentioned the Annapolis P30 fleet. Do you know how I might contact them? I am a first time boat owner (hence - Rookie) and can use all the help I can get,k especially with regards to this boat.

Thanks again,

Rookie