What about this one 1977 32 Pearson 323

[CaptRican]

Beautiful lines, beautiful interior, good looking sailboat. But is she a good cruiser? Blue water? Caribbean good?

Please help, i feel like i am drinking from a wide open fire hydrant! So many sailboat brands and prices, and details...

[Lizzy Belle]

Originally Posted by CaptRican

But is she a good cruiser? Blue water? Caribbean good?

Pretty much any well built and well maintained boat is fine (provided you get her ready - check / replace rigging etc.) if you're looking at the 'coconut route'.

Maybe reading this will help you: The right yacht for an Atlantic crossing – Yachting World

Look for a boat that fits your taste, wants & needs - and budget to buy, upgrade and maintain.
Buy the smallest boat you can live on comfortably and handle solo under all (weather) conditions.

She'll get you to where the coconuts are

[CaptRican]

Hey Thanks! I am just looking for knowledge about certain particular sailboats. You are right, pretty much any boat will do in the right hands. I am just trying to narrow down my list and just asking for some help.

Thanks for your reply. I think i saw a you tube video of you? I remember Lizzy Bell was the name i saw on the sailboat in the video.

[Lizzy Belle]

You're probably thinking about the "28 feet" video.
At least - that's the only other Lizzy Belle I have come across so far.
The guy in that video now owns a huge yacht and his Lizzy Belle is with new owners.

(I'm not a guy so no, it wasn't me in that vid ).

To help you narrow down your list:

Look for boats (well) within your budget. Make sure you know what you want / need; for instance:

- do you prefer a lot of living space inside or would you rather have a large cockpit?
- what layouts do you like & dislike?
- what size boat can you live on comfortably?
- what size boat can you handle on your own (and your partner / crew members too, for that matter)?
- max draft and max mast clearance (sorry, don't know the correct English term for that)
- etc etc

First, you need to figure your 'wants & needs' list.
Once you've figured that out, you can look at matching boats (and ignore all the others)
Once you have a list of matching boats for sale, you can start selecting based on 'fit for cruising' (or, how much to invest to get them there).

Oh, and only look at boats (well) within your budget.
If you don't, you'll fall in love with one you can't afford and you'll have a hard time finding one you can both afford and love

[Don C L]

I can't speak to the build quality of those years of Pearson. Pearson do have a good rep. There may be some blisters in the hull, not sure (most mid 70s boats have that reputation.) I like that the rudder is on a skeg and the keel is molded in. It is a pretty roomy boat too. You can try the Pearson owners website too. For where you are going I think it is a good choice too. It is a LITTLE on the lighter side for what many folks call "bluewater" and I say that looking at its displacement to length ratio at 274 and most might prefer a ratio between 300 and 400, but I don't call that a deal-breaker necessarily.
I can feel your pain about all the boats... do you need to make a decision right away? As you gain experience sailing you will learn about your own preferences and that will narrow down your choices.

[CaptRican]

I really like the pearson 323, nice looking boat and according to a bunch of owners sails straight, sorry about the sailing jargon, i am a green pea and know very little about sailboats, with the exception of the immense amount of information that i have read. But she seems to be a nice solid cruiser and within my budget too i hope that i can negotiate a lower price and get a nice sailboat Since i am sure that i am going to have to upgrade something in her, love the way she looks.

Hey thanks for the advice i think i pretty much did what you suggested and it all fits with this sailboat.

Thanks to all who helped me decide also!!

[Don C L]

How's the engine? Hate to keep harping on it, but I had a bad experience with a boat once that had what was supposed to be a good engine. It turned out to be somewaht less than good.

[CaptRican]

Hey Don thanks buddy for all that knowledge and mental doors that you have helped to open, you have been of great help pal. I think through all the reading and studying and this site i have come to a conclusion that the Pearson 32, 323 is the lady for me.

I went to the owners site, thanks, and i am encouraged and decisive that this is my entry sailboat.

As far as your question, well, by the end of next summer i want to be able to sail out of Michigan into the Atlantic, down to Florida; and then hang in Florida for about a year and then when i feel competent head for the Caribbean.

The reason why i was searching for a sailboat was because i want to learn how to sail in my own sailboat and not the school's sailboat. I was told to wait until i experienced a few boats. You know about 20 years ago some one suggested to me that i should be doing what i am doing now but i didn't listen and now i regrett it dearly that i was not decisive.

Being from Puerto Rico and all and growing up on the coast i was accustomed to see the many sailboats that drifted in and out and i liked them all and the people were special, now that i have experience the "other" people. I hate dirt people, i hate the dog eat dog world we live in now. So, sorry i got melancolic, that Jack! anyway, Pearson 32, 323 it is and i have one in mind and she is beautiful and i am going to name her for the lady who tried so hard to get me on that sailboat 20 years ago...

Thanks for all the info on the Columbia and the suggested sites!

[Lizzy Belle]

Originally Posted by CaptRican

i am a green pea and know very little about sailboats, with the exception of the immense amount of information that i have read.

Before you make any decision, please have a survey done ...
If at all possible, by a surveyor who's done some blue water cruising.

Might not be easy to find one, but you could always find someone who's sailed across an ocean or has some decent knowledge on the subject to come have a look with you before you start spending money on surveys etc.

She's a beautiful boat, and a good one should make you very happy methinks

A few blisters I wouldn't worry about; brings the price down and easy enough to fix.
New engines cost a lot more so make sure to check for everything and anything that needs replacing before she can handle blue water cruising.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Lizzy Belle

Before you make any decision, please have a survey done ...
If at all possible, by a surveyor who's done some blue water cruising.

Might not be easy to find one, but you could always find someone who's sailed across an ocean or has some decent knowledge on the subject to come have a look with you before you start spending money on surveys etc.

She's a beautiful boat, and a good one should make you very happy methinks

A few blisters I wouldn't worry about; brings the price down and easy enough to fix.
New engines cost a lot more so make sure to check for everything and anything that needs replacing before she can handle blue water cruising.

YES! Don't fall in love till you get the survey! I agree it is a good choice.

[CaptRican]

Originally Posted by Lizzy Belle

Before you make any decision, please have a survey done ...
If at all possible, by a surveyor who's done some blue water cruising.

Might not be easy to find one, but you could always find someone who's sailed across an ocean or has some decent knowledge on the subject to come have a look with you before you start spending money on surveys etc.

She's a beautiful boat, and a good one should make you very happy methinks

A few blisters I wouldn't worry about; brings the price down and easy enough to fix.
New engines cost a lot more so make sure to check for everything and anything that needs replacing before she can handle blue water cruising.

You couldn't say it any better lady! I will be sure to get a survey. I also went to this website Marine Survey 101, Do your own marine survey and there is a mother load of info about how to do your own survey. thanks for your suggestion, greatly appreciated. Knowledge is power, someone said that.

I will post pictures if i get her, crossing my fingers!

[four winds]

CaptRican, I have a 78 323 and been living aboard five years now on the US Gulf coast. Only have traveled from New Orleans and the Keys so far. The boat has traveled much farther to include everywhere from Nova Scotia to Trinidad.

The designer Bill Shaw wanted to build a good coastal cruiser and was influenced by European styling from the day. So it has a contemporary looking interior for a late 70s boat.

I decided on this model before looking at any boats in person, against conventional wisdom. But it has worked out well for me as the boat suits me perfectly, and no need to upgrade.

The boat sails well in light air which is important to me. Will tack easily in very light air, that's a plus. And needs only 12-15 knots to sail at a good cruising speed to get somewhere. So I wait on a little wind and go, hardly ever have to motor or motorsail.

Upgrades on mine include a 3gm Yanmar, roller furling, and propane system. Any upgrades on the one your looking at?

It has a v-drive setup, which is a bit odd. But no problem to deal with. And mine did have some blisters which I repaired last January. Blisters aren't structural typically and not a deal breaker but a good negotiating point.

In short I'm very happy with mine and intend to be aboard for the duration.

[four winds]

Another thought, take an close look at the mast base and mast step in the bilge. The aluminum mast and steel step can be a problem with corrosion on the mast base.

Look at the turnbuckles on the standing rigging to see if they are screwed all the way in. Which would possibly indicate they have been adjusted for rig tension to compensate for a shortening of the mast due to corrosion.

Many have had the step rebuilt from aluminum or some high density plastic to eliminate this issue. Mine still needs this change.

This and the possibility of blisters are the only known issues for this model that I'm aware of.

[CaptRican]

Thanks for the heads up four winds, added it to my list of things to look at.

[CaptRican]

Well to my dismay the Pearson 323 that i wanted was sold but i wanted to know how did they added the plexyglass around the whole canopy. Is that factory?

1977 PEARSON 323 Pearson sailboat for sale in Michigan