bhold
New Member
Posts: 2
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Post by bhold on Jan 3, 2020 10:46:08 GMT -5
Looking at Pearson 35 for sale that had the centerboard removed and trunk glassed over. With a full keel boat how important is the centerboard? Those who have sailed with board up does it make much difference in pointing higher to the wind? Should I pass on this boat and look for one with centerboard?
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Post by Keith B. on Feb 1, 2021 7:48:06 GMT -5
I own one. I'm a USN/USCG certified ship inspector and former submarine nuclear operator. The boat sails fine w/o the board. It leans a tad bit more to weather and won't point quite as high. In open seas, the board cuts down on side rolls, but the boat is known for not being a hobby horse (for its size) so all good. In Florida, no one puts that board down...mostly ever. Too shallow. She's no longer competitive, but at 13,000 lbs she's blessedly stable.
I've initiated a bottom-up refit of a 1973 P35. The important part is in; the forward-looking sonar, bow thruster, hull recore, all new opening windows. I had to finish the wet bar before going after the rig; changing it to a cutter. That being said, When I rig the boat, I expect to recover the centerboard in Oriental, NC. It's glassed (badly, I might add...) in. Refit will require a pin replacement and new cable system.... not cheap or easy. If you aren't building a $150-200K yacht w/multiple hydro-generators, while planning to sail the rest of your life in the tropics, it's best to just enjoy the P35CB sans board. She's a ballerina; Just not a prima anymore. FUN FACT: That boat was built the year they invented the Newport to Bermuda race. It entered and won. Instant blue-water racer reputation. They made hundreds...
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Post by dbeausoleil on Feb 1, 2021 7:52:58 GMT -5
Also.. it's a known phenom that when the boat sits on the hook, the board down cuts down on wave action....better sleeping...
On the flip side, a lot of these boats are well-damaged by now. Running the P35 CB aground bends the CB pin (or breaks the board). Both bad. After that, they weep. Some significantly. Mine did. The prior owner took the cheap route out....
Also, it's a key note to take into consideration the metal cables, fittings, and hull penetrations of the (non-maintained) CB cable are an Achilles heel awaiting an (unavoidable due to years/time) catastrophic or significant failure of integrity. This is all below the water line. My yacht carries 4 bilge pumps at 3 levels to manage the threat for now.... In Oriental (this spring), I expect to dig into the fix...
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