Pearson 365 and 367

Michael,

it is a very simple procedure. here are your answers:

1.  Be careful not to tighten too much the water pump nuts. you should be able to shift it by hand. but not too lose either so that it slides down with gravity.
Then with the fuel shut off (with the lever), start the engine (it will not start obviously but turn over) for a while (like 10-15seconds or so  should do it).

2. refer number 1. i guess if you can identify where exactly the old one was ( hard because you should clean the flange on the engine), the new one should be in the same place.

3. it is bronze I believe, so no need to paint.


good luck

deck core issue is a pain to fix.
high $$ if done by a yard, not worth it IMO.
Now if you get the boat cheap enough, and are not scared by redoing the deck ? why not... but a rotten deck basically means a poorly maintained boat...

what a relief! I was always doubting the strength of that attachment point, now that I know it is bolted and not screwed, I realize I was worrying for nothing  

Baysailor,

you should have said first you were a minimalist!! The electrical subject is a very interesting one, but a very wide one as well.

So you want to be self sufficient , and actually cruising with a minimum budget and comfort? no problem, I can give you my $.02.

There are 2 schools out there: one that maximizes energy production, and the other one who minimizes energy consumption. There is nothing wrong with either one, but obviously very different advantages and drawback. I recommend you go with the latter.

Here is a simplified chart to prepare the boat:

1. Do you absolutely need your cold beer ?
YES:you are not a minimalist, if anyone interested I can develop this chapter.
NO: warm beer is not that bad after all... great because you won't need a fridge and can go to point 2.
2. Can you use a self steering wind vane, or you'd rather push the button of an autopilot (below deck, it's ok to have a small wheel, or back up below deck) ?
NO for the windvane, autopilot only: you are not  minimalist, can develop further, but this chart ends here.
YES for windvane: fantastic! at this point, do you even need electricity !!!! of course, but lets see our options now.

The biggest energy consumers are the fridge and the autopilot. Those with "modern kids" may be in trouble with laptops and all gadgets running all day.
Now, you only need energy for lighting, stereo and some other miscellaneous items (navigation light, plotter, radar, etc..).

In that case, a small 50W or 100W solar panel is your best option in the tropics. You can get a wind generator if you have the $$, but don't rely on it for your power budget (aka no wind in a nice anchorage, and not enough sailing downwind). Definitely don't get a diesel generator!

For the inverter, you can simply get a cheap one (plus one spare) depending on what you want to operate. (usually charging laptops and phone, maybe a coffee grinder, so a 500W or less should be plenty.  Forget about the microwave, that's why you have a nice propane range).

As far as battery, I would recommend a AGM or 6V bank, anywhere between 200 and 400 AH, plus a starter battery for the engine.

That was my configuration, during my 4 year cruise in the pacific.  I had never used the engine at anchor to recharge the batteries ( a balmar alternator is a good addition though if you have the $$ but not indispensable).

When you do need a cold fridge, put some ice in it, and you'll get close to a week of coldness.

What about caught fish you may ask, do I need a fridge?? NO. Fish can be kept for 2 days using the Polynesian trick. Plenty of time to finish it. If you need more time, you can dry it, although it is not easy.

Good luck to you!

To surf or not to surf, that is the question ?

I'm afraid one will have  to try for himself what he considers the safest, with his particular boat. This can be a whole subject of its own.

And to be honest, I don't believe one should take the 365 in these conditions voluntarily (aka sailing the high latitudes, or in stormy waters without checking the weather (and note that the weather is not 100% predictable, even with today's technology).

The 365 is just too flimsy to take that kind of beating, and still be in good shape afterwards; it will probably survive, but I'll expect to see structural damage at the bulkheads and deck joint. And the constant flexing of the hull will also surely put a lot of wear on the rig due to metal fatigue. why inflict such treatment to the 365?

Surfing allows escaping the breaking sea. The skipper will have to negotiate each and every wave, it is very tiring. Plus the boat may not take on the surf fast/easily enough. My understanding is that surfing is the safest option, and it suits best modern design (fin keel, centerboards, etc)

Now if you can't apply proper surfing (aka the boat won't surf good enough; the skipper/crew is tired; it's at night, and the sea is just too confused), then the drogue technique is probably the best bet.

This being said, Randy is right, the 365 is not a true bluewater boat, and should not be taken in area where heavy storms are likely. Atlantic or Pacific crossings ? yes, no problem. High latitudes ? NO.

Randy, I'm curious to know what makes you say the 365 would not be as safe as the catamaran ? In a storm, a catamaran is the last place I want to be, I personally know of a 50 footer catamaran who flipped in calm water (3-4 foot chop) ,with williwaw wind probably gusting to 40-50. I just can't imagine what would happen to a catamaran in a storm a  sea (by storm, I mean breaking seas, and the associated wind).

As far as the 365, I've been in some minor conditions (50kt. with some breaking seas). The boat behave quite well, I have done both laying ahull and running.

Running with bare poles, I would get 5-6 knot, and reasonable control. I wish I had the cutter, so I could have rigged a tiny stormsail, not for power, but for directional stability. Some big waves would sometimes throw me beam to the sea, not great! However, the 365 does not surf easily enough, and that's probably why I would not push the 365. As I believe, that when the breaking seas gets bigger, quickly taking on a surf is the way to minimize impact and taking on water aboard.

Laying ahull, also works OK. I laid ahull many times, when running with the storm was inconvenient. Of course, only lay ahull, after making sure the seas won't knock the boat down. I noticed that, the 365 glide gently when hit by a breaking sea, and I think this is due the the shallow keel which offer very little resistance, a very good counterintuitive feature for heavy weather tactics, which is why I now believe centerboarders (like Jimmy Cornell's Aventura 3) is a very good design, although upwind performance suffers.

To sum up, here is what I have done in bad weather, with a ketch, 130% genoa (way too big by the way!), main ,mizzen:

25-30kts: not technically a storm, but let's say the wind is coming from where you want to go:  heave to, with double reefed-main and rolled up genoa
30-40kts: the boat heels too much with previous configuration, so heave-to with mizzen only
40-50kts: again, the boat will heel too much with only the mizzen, so lay ahull or run
50kts+: definitely run with bare pole
60kts+: never been there !!!

I'll be curious to know what other 365 owners do in bad weather.
Phil

the Pearson 365 as Bluewater ? well it depends ...

It depends on what blue water means first! and it depends on what one is willing to trade off.

To me bluewater means:

1. a strong hull, ability to hit stuff offshore, and ability to withstand to sea, in storms and going to weather. Being a fiberglass boat, the Pearson 365 would be above average, it is fairly strong, but you can easily see its limit after 1000 miles against 20 knts. A stiffer hull would be welcome. I do believe it could handle a minor impact, thanks to the shape of the hull and thickness.
2. good sail handling. it is decent for cruising boat. the cutter version probably to be preferred.
3.  accomodations: can't be beat for a couple. really good.
4. windvane: yes, solar panels: challenging with the ketch, but can be done
5. skipper skills: probably the most important, but a good boat will probably save your a**.

My personal conclusion, is that the pearson 365 is probably one of the best blue water boat in that category and price range. By no means, I'm saying it is a great blue water boat! There are much better boats out there, but they do cost more and/or are harder to find. I have been very happy with my Pearson 365, but I definitely need another boat for the next adventure.

you are not banging hard enough with the mallet.
try again, as hard as you can!!

borg warner/velvet drive 71 1017 with a ratio of 1:1
will be expensive (2-3k), time consuming (2-3days give or take for a handy guy).


maybe send us some pictures of your pedestal, we may be able to figure out a cheap solution.

one option would be to get an edson pedestal, or modify your existing pedestal if possible.

unfortunately, the paragon gearbox/westerbeke combination was designed to be operated with 2 hands (3?) in reverse, where one has to maintain pressure on the gearbox lever. therefore, a single lever would be difficult to retrofit.

2 levers on the side, would still not work in reverse, because one need to maintain pressure on the gearbox lever, while steering&controling engine speed.

the second option, more expensive, would be to get rid of that paragon, and replace/refit with a newer design. I believe some owners went that way.

PS: about the detent, it is a simple jaw type detent. if you don't hear/feel it, maybe the gearbox is adjusted too loose.

Billy,

I am not convince you can use the vetus control for the Paragon SA0D gearbox.
They are usually used on hydraulic type transmission.

In any case, I would double check that the course of the cable is sufficient for both forward (there is a detent), and reverse (no detent, and could be a potential problem with the vetus control).

dont rebuild unless you are sure the gearbox engages properly. ALSO, do not use the boat if gearbox does not engage fully, you'll end up burning the friction discs.

good luck
phil

it was hard to replace the impeller... then the pump died, so I installed a new one.
God, could not believe how easy it was to replace the impeller.

improper lubrification, and brute force have probably scored the shaft, making it hard to replace. Maybe have you pump rebuilt or get a new one.

cork tiles, are easy to glue on, have a warm feeling, and look good.

Hello Stephane,

are you the Stephane from Noumea ?

the 44B would be fine, particularly if you keep the original v-drive, transmission and prop.

a piece a advice: do yourself a favor and get a used perkins 4-108. it will be much cheaper and available (even on ebay)!
as far as saildrive goes, first are you ready to modify the engine bed and relocate/resize the fuel tanks, plus consider engine access ? otherwise, I think saildrives seem to be a good choice nowadays. I doubt there will be a difference in the "comportement" (behaviour) of the boat.

phil

dirty prop and dirty bottom will slow you down seriously as well.