About
I began this weblog in January 2007 when I decided to put an offer in on a sailboat. I’d been looking for about two years – Hurricane Katrina not only interrupted my ASA Basic Keelboat Course, it put all those plans on hold for awhile.
In late 2006 I began looking again in earnest. A 1988 Pearson in Mandeville, LA caught my eye, but I thought the price was too high and I really wanted something a bit more racey. Sailboats in this area are hard to come by post-Katrina, and after researching the Pearson line, I decided to take a closer look. Right about that time the price was lowered almost $4,000, so in early January 2007 I put in an offer.
After a survey, sea trial, and a very frustrating experience with Capital One, the deal was finally closed on February 18, 2007 when I took possession of the S/V “Nauti Lady”.
Nauti Lady,
I’ve enjoyed visiting your site. You’ve done a great job and have a beautiful boat. I’m looking for something in this size range. I have now narrowed my choices to 3 boats that I’ve found. A 1985 Cal 27 Mk III, 1987 Newport 27 SII and a 1985 Pearson 27.
I really like the interior of your boat, but the 1985 is completely different. From you site and posts on sailnet it is clear that you really like Nauti Lady. I hope you don’t mind but I have a few questions.
Although all three boats have the same phrf rating, the Pearson has the smallest sail area and shortest keel. Do you feel that both are adequate? I live in Fl and plan to sail to Mexico and down the coast thru central america. Would you feel the Pearson 27 would be up to such a sail? And last, have you sailed with or on either of the other boats that I’m considering to make any sort of comparason between them?
Thanks for any assistance you can provide. Pls contact me at me e-mail.
Tom H.
tharper@fusionpwc.com
Tom – thanks a lot.
First of all, if you’re looking at a 1985 Pearson 27, it is actually not a Pearson-built yacht. Hull #1 of the Pearson 27 like the Nauti Lady was constructed in late 1987.
If the one you are looking at is on Yachtworld, those were actually built by US Yachts; they have a more traditional interior (i.e. no aft head). US Yachts was bought out by Pearson.
http://www.pbase.com/sloopsailor/us_yacht_rigging
Click on the 27/27b in the link above – if that’s the boat you’re looking at, it’s a US Yacht 27. I not too familiar with US Yachts and don’t know the quality of the build of your 85 Pearson. Might want to some research before you commit; some have commented in the P27 mailing list group that the US Yacht version of the 27 was built by Buccaneer/Bayliner – don’t know if that’s accurate or not but is worth investigating. The engine might be a concern, since the brochure mentions an optional Volvo diesel – parts for Volvo’s are usually quite expensive.
I have a wing keel, 3′8″ draft, and with the sail plan it’s adequate for what I do, which is daysailing and eventually some coastal cruising. The specs are about the same for the two Pearsons. I’m not too familiar with the other two boats, but I doubt you’d want to venture too far from the coast in any of them if they’re of similar build. I certainly wouldn’t take my boat in blue water – it only displaces 5800 lbs and gets tossed about a bit in a good chop. Also, there’s just not enough tankage – 10 gallons fuel, 27 water.
So I can’t really say if any of these boats would be up to the task – a lot would have to be taken into consideration, like distances between stops, etc. It’s something I’d like to do someday, but in a bigger boat
Nice blog! As a friend and sailing buddy of the previous owner, Woody, I’m glad to see the Lady in good hands. As I’m sure Woody told you, he and I did a week-long cruise to the Mississippi Sound in this boat in June 2006.
I would be most interested in your thoughts on the improvement in sailing characteristics after the new mainsail was installed. As I recall, the existing main was old and tired, and I felt like this affected performance adversely. To what extent did the new main improve sailing performance?
Great boat, and great blog! Thanks for your efforts.
Wayne G.
Thanks Wayne.
She performs great with the new mainsail, the first thing I’d say is that she’s not as tender, not as much weather helm as there was with the old sail.
This one is a loose foot, with four full battens. One difference is that I have to rely on the telltales more now, since the sail can look nice and stiff even if it isn’t trimmed right.
Hey ya… thanks for the blog. Useful information and pics to learn from another before oneself falls into the abyss. I recently put my P27 on the the east coast hard as my j.o.b. keeps me in San Francisco. Good news is that it give me some time to re-work the Papa Bear and search for deals during the upgrades. Here is this summers list:
Engine control panel–protect & cover, clutch replacement, solar hatch ventilator with Malta cowl dorade vents, teak interior–clean and oil, Turnbuckles–polish and clean, replace lifelines, rubrails and grabrails–clean & oil, hatchboards–sand & varnish, stanchions–polish corrosion, hatch slide rails and boom–polish, portlights–polish haze, inspect, fix screens, teak sole–sand and varnish with poly, diesel fuel polishing, bottom paint–scrub, sand, paint 2 coats, replace standing rigging, spin halyard, jib furler replacement, add split backstay and backstay adjuster, add traveller cars, instrument replacement.
Whew…