sailboat data pearson vanguard

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Pearson Vanguard 33 reviews?

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I am seriously looking at downshifting from my Santana 20 racing boat to a 1966 Pearson Vanguard 33, that my neighbor is offering in becoming a half-owner with him. I love the look and performance of my 2002 Tuna 20, but it is not comfortable at all for my wife and 6-yr old daughter. I bought the Santana 20 before I met my wife (who is not a sailor), and was looking for a fun OD racing experience. With a family now, I'm having hardly any time to race, and I really want sailing to be a fun family experience and lifestyle. My wife wants something with an enclosed head, and something that will make her feel safe when out on the ocean. My daughter wants something that she can get out of the cockpit (without being duck-taped to me) and something that isn't so "tippy". Our neighbors (who are wonderful people), are half-owners and the other half-owner is in his mid-80's and suffering from health issues. We have sailed on the boat, but it was a light/no air day and we spent most of our time motoring. I realize that I will be giving up quite a lot in performance, and a bigger boat means more maintenance issues (even with being able to split it down the middle). However, having the family out with me means more than performance issues. The boat is in relatively good shape: rebuilt mast, new standing rigging, new bottom paint 2011, Atomic 4 engine still very strong - the bones are all great. Negatives would be the sails need updating, as does the interior, and the general cosmetic condition of the boat. The buy-in to be a half-owner is $5000. I do love the classic look of the boat. We are located in SoCal. Can anybody comment on the overall ownership experience of the boat? Also, the culture shock of going from a racing machine to a 47-year-old cruising machine? Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks very much!  

Hi, I have owned a 32' Pearson Vanguard for 15 years or so and can testify to the qualities and drawbacks. I raised a family of four cruising the coast of Maine aboard her and she always kept us safe and comfortable. The kids and the wife at the time, loved her. The boat is great in any conditions, will not point high though and will slow way down when beating too high into a stiff chop. In that case, stop pinching, fall off five points and the boat will sail quite well into a head sea. Initially tender by design (heeling on a CCA era boat equals an increased waterline), they firm up at 15 degress and stay there. One reef point at 15 knots of wind and the helm becomes well balanced. Many have done long voyages, though they are certainly minimally configured for long distance cruising-the primary drawback being tankage-they only carry forty gallons of water in the original monel tanks. The atomic four is fine as long as you are sensible about fuel safety. Much is made of the risk of gas aboard-but most cruisers have propane tanks aboard for cooking (and sometimes heat) and think nothing of it. The old alcohol stove is a nuisance and best replaced with propane if you will be cooking aboard. A good sniffer and common sense will eliminate the risk of explosion for either propane or the A4. A diesel would be nice and I want one eventually, but the engine is apt to be worth more than the boat so the upgrade must be well deserved. The interior can be upgraded pretty inexpensively. The hull deck joint will leak if not resealed, but that is not a difficult job. Watch for soft decks-mine need work, but that in no way stops me from using the boat-its just a project somewhere off in the future. Boat heaves to perfectly, which is great when a kid needs attention or you just want to wait out some weather or even for meal preparation underway. Turns on a dime, but backs up like a drunken elephant. She will handle the big stuff with grace and sails fine in light airs as long as you don't pinch. Lots of room for upgrades like a furler and self tailers-all of which are not necessary, but fun and useful to add over time. If the one you are considering is in good shape, $5K for a bullet proof classic designed by one of the worlds most famous naval architects is a fair price. You can do the upgrades if and when you want over time-its a low cost entry point for a minimal safe cruiser that you can upgrade to whatever level you like or need over time. There is a great users group on yahoo that has 400 members who share all kinds of information about thier ships. Search yahoo groups and request membership-you'll be able to see photo albums of dozens of boats and all of the upgrades they have made over time. The group is very well moderated. Best of luck. Jim  

Thank Jim, this is a big help. Appreciate you taking the time to respond with all of your observations. She does have the monel tanks and a roller-furling system. Hoping to get back aboard her soon so I can really start looking at her from a buyers standpoint, rather than just as a passenger (as I was before the offer was made). Some previous posts on other threads - one author in particular who had also owned a PV33 - bashed the boat pretty heavily for poor construction and sailing qualities. Have you had those issues at any time? Also, can you tell me what kind of tacking angles you might have while going upwind in a 10-15 kt breeze? Do you have a traveler or the original mainsail trim system? Thanks again - this website (and those that respond) have been fantastic! Most sincerely, Derek  

I have the original, inefficient mainsheet setup. The boat benefits from a real traveller to help control twist and many have installed them. I have not because the aft deck is soft and needs to be repaired first. I don't think that represents shoddy construction, just construction typical of a 1960's era boat. None of the thru deck fittings were likely properly sealed off from the core and some have allowed water intrusion with the subsequent problems that entails. I've upgraded the portlights with bigger New Found Metal ports as the original opening ports were aluminum and in poor condition. The hull deck joint leaked, but removing the half round rail and reefing out the old filler and pumping full of 5200 pretty much eliminated that problem. A one day job and not a big job as boat jobs go. The deck is thoroughly bolted onto the hull flange with 5/16" bronze bolts-its not going anywhere. I think the biggest headache would be the decks as they almost certainly have some rotten core. It's not likely to be enough to stop you from doing anything with the boat-just something to consider if you want to have it perfect "someday". I will say this, I've cruised mine extensively along the New England coast-its easy to singlehand and I did it with toddlers aboard. A dodger adds a world of living space and keeps you a lot drier going to windward, though I never found mine to be a submarine by any stretch. When the wind picks up beyond 20, one reef keeps her on her feet and handling very easily. You will fight the helm in 15 mph winds until you put in a reef and then you will love the ride. A traveller would help with the initial weather helm. As for pointing, I cruise and figure 50 degrees for a tacking angle. Bear in mind I'm a cruiser, don't have a traveller to speak of and I'm flying a 130 on a profurl. Other vanguardians may do much better-I can't say. I personally know of three young guys who circumnavigated, know of several that crossed the pond multiple times and one was just sold after eleven years cruising in asia after departing Maine. Spoke or corresponded with all of them and they expressed complete confidence in the ship. Two of them are active captains. For the price, its a lot of boat with a lot of upgrade potential. They have all the usual problems of boats of that era, soft decks, wide tacking angles, large mains and less room below. The hulls are very stout and not prone to blisters. In exchange, they offer security, simplicity, a sweet sheer and an easy entry price to cruising.  

Just out of curiosity, I too happen to be looking at moving into a Pearson Vanguard and am curious as to the bunk/ berth lengths? Would you happen to know Jim? How tall are you? I'm 6'2" and one of the reasons I'm getting rid of my 1961 Columbia 29 is that I need just a few more inches in the vberth.  

Hi, Just visited my Vanguard under her winter cover. Bunks are all long-I'm 6'1" and feel the bunks are generous in terms of space. there were two layouts produced, a standard layout with an aft galley and a dinette with a starboard galley. I have the dinette layout which I really like. The cooking space is pretty extensive. I have two roomy quarterberths, salon table drops to make a really roomy double and the vberth has the standard port and starboard berths. Many make the vberth into one large bunk for two with a filler cushion. Happy to answer any questions at all-have had the boat for 18 years and love it.  

I apologize that this long and was written for a different discussion but it does represent my views on the Vanguard: I probably come at this with a different perspective than most people. I have been sailing since 1962 and my family actually owned a Vanguard for 5 years in mid to late 1960's. I have sailed on and worked on Vanguards at various times over the period since. I know the problems that we had with the boat as a new boat and I know how the boats behave compared to more modern designs. While the boats have become venerable to some people, many of whom are just now getting into the sport or have never sailed the boat, the reality of these boats never lived up to their current reputation. In their day Tritons and Vanguards were seen as the least expensive cruising boats that could be bought. They were seen as the Hunters of their day. I know there is no comparison between early Pearson’s and the current crop of Hunters but the point is they were built to be as cheap as they could be and were popular because they were less expensive than anything else out there at the time. Pearson fans like to claim the Triton as the first production fiberglass cruising boat. It was not by a long shot but it was the most popular of the early production boats mainly because of price and hype about Fiberglass's low maintenance. My concerns with these boats are as follows: Sailing ability: I keep seeing people call these boats great offshore boats. That is hogwash. These were never designed to be offshore boats. They were CCA racing rule derived race boats and coastal cruisers. By the time these boats were designed the CCA rule, promoted boats that were really not very wholesome. The CCA had very short waterlines, full bows (especially on Carl Alberg's designs), and a lot more weight and a lot less ballast than they should have. They used low aspect ratio rigs and huge genoas. These design decisions derived from the goal to beat a racing rule and not from any objective criteria based on sailing ability. The short waterlines made them slow and wet and miserable in a chop. It made for hard to drive hulls that needed a lot of force to be propelled (as compared to earlier and later designs) and so you had to carry a lot of sail even in a breeze to make head way. To get any speed these boats were sailed heeled over at very large angles. This allowed the waterlines to lengthen a bit. It did not make them fast, just faster than they were on their feet. It made the boats wet and it meant a lot of weather helm. It meant a lot of strain on crew and gear. Weight in and of itself does nothing good for sailing ability. Weight, in and of itself, does not add stability or strength or even comfort at sea. It only adds weight, which means more stress on every part of the boat and the need for more sail area to propel the boat. To stand up to this sail area requires a lot of stability The Vanguards were comparatively quite tender even when compared to their contemporaries. In a conversation that my father had with Phillip Rhodes shortly after buying our boat, Mr. Rhodes indicated that the Vanguard was supposed to have had 10% more ballast than it actually received. Part of that discrepancy came from the fact that the original design assumed external ballast and some moveable trim ballast, and the Vanguard received incapsulated ballast and no trim ballast. Then there is the rig. Since headsail area was untaxed, CCA boats used huge headsails. Ours had a 180% Genoa. This was an enormous sail, and a pain in the neck to sail with, but the boat did not sail worth a darn in winds less than about 7 knots without these huge sails. Today's better sailcloths have allowed these sails to be reduced a bit in size, but they still take a lot of sail area to go. Age: We are talking about 45 or more year old boats. They were designed to be race boats and coastal cruisers. They were never intended or engineered to be offshore boats. Forty five years of sitting and rocking, forty five years of thrashing to weather, forty five years of sun and rain and ice- and all of this takes a toll. The electrical systems of the day were simple and frankly troublesome as connections would routinely corrode and things would just stop working. Construction: My biggest single problem with the Vanguard’s construction is the encapsulated keels. It is very difficult to proper glasswork in the sump or a keel. The leading edge of ours was damaged in a fairly mild grounding, which led to water getting into the cavity between the ballast keel and the skin. During the repairs we exposed areas of dry glass and lenses of unrienforced resins. We kept grinding larger and larger areas of the keel away trying to fix this problem and were never 100% successful. We kept getting into areas of poor glasswork. I don’t see how this problem ever could have been repaired completely. Another issue is the use of plywood with Formica over it. Formica traps moisture and prevents one from being able to properly observe the condition of these key structural elements. Beyond that I seem to recall that much of the plywood was not marine grade. These were some of the first boats to use balsa-cored decks. This was before the industry knew about using bonding resins or vacuum bagging. Even in the 60's we were finding small, delaminated areas in the deck. Then there is the sail handling hardware, which was pretty advanced for its day. By today's standards the sail handling gear is simple but sorely lacking in mechanical advantage and it is hard to find replacement parts for such items as winch pawls and handles. The roller reefing main never worked properly and the reel winches were an absolute hazard to ones health. (I assume that some of this may have been upgraded on most Vanguards) The original rudders were of wooden construction, built like a wooden boat’s rudder. These were notoriously fragile and needed more care than an all glass rudder. There was a problem with the cutlass bearings. Cutlass bearings of the era were made to have water flowing through them. When they were adapted from dead wood installations in wood to full encapsulation in glass they had a very short life span and would tend to score the shaft. We ended up installing a monel shaft and drilling a hole to provide intake water to the bearing. Then there is the Atomic 4. I personally like Atomic 4’s but these are getting to be ancient engines with a scarcity of parts. Also the atnks were never properly installed in these boats and it resulted in problems that probably have been addressed on many examples but which is pending repair on most I heard about in the past decade. Lastly there is the fact that the fiberglass and resins were not as good as our current materials. Shorter fiber lengths and more brittle resins meant a very flexible and at the same time fatigue prone material. It’s a myth that they did not know who strong Fiberglass actually was. They knew precisely, and these boats were intended to match the strength of wooden boats of the era. This made them heavier than comparable wooden boats, which meant greater stresses, and greater stresses meant more fatigue. Conclusion: I guess I see it like this. These boats are antiques. They were designed for a purpose in a different time. We tend to loose sight of just how long ago that was and how much has happened ever since. If you compare it to automobiles, as much as I always love to see someone who has maintained and used an antique sports car, I also understand taht no one would ever suggest that an MGA or a 356 (Bathtub Porsche) would make sense as daily drivers. Each of us who comes to sailing brings with us our own set of goals and senses of pleasure. Just having a boat of any kind and getting out on the water is a luxury none of us should take for granted. If your sense of pleasure comes from boats like the Vanguard, with their feel and aesthetics of a bygone time then these would be reasonable boats to own. If you are approaching these boats as bargain basement cruisers with all the comforts, sailing abilities, and strengths of a modern ocean criuser than I think you are making a mistake. If you are used to sailing modern boats, you will be pretty miserable after a while. Respectfully Jeff  

Sigh... Jeff really dislikes Vanguards and he knows much more about sailing and naval architecture than I ever will-so think of this as more as a series of observations than rebuttal. I've lived aboard my Vanguard for 9 years so I am familiar with her shortcomings. I have also spent time and money upgrading her over the years. I've said before, these boats are dirt simple and the interiors should be thought of as more of a blank canvas than a finished design. Upgrades I have made include a rebuilt A4, refrigeration (reinsulated the box, a new propane stove and new formica countertop, new LED lighting, solar and upgraded batteries. But those are upgrades any older boat will likely need. Phil Rhodes was a pretty well regarded naval architect at the time he designed the Vanguard. Boats of that era were designed to carry their crew from point A to point B in safety and comfort. Boat design is a blend of many compromises. Vanguards are slow by todays standards, but if you work with the design attributes they sail well. For example, they don't need to sail at a heel beyond fifteen degrees, nor were they ever intended to. If you heel over to twenty, put a reef in and she will sit right up. She will not go beyond twenty easily. A FARR or J won't heel at all when a Vanguard must, but that was by design not accident. I sail all over New England and never felt the need for anything larger than a 135 on a furler. I sail on the open Atlantic, not the Chessie where air does tend to be lighter, but I regularly do 6 knots continuously off the wind and average 5-5.5 into the wind if I don't pinch. That is with four crewmembers and provisions for a week of cruising. With one reef in, the helm is almost neutral and you do need to reef at 15 knots. The second reef goes in at 30 and you will switching to a storm jib. I sail often when nobody else will go out. The rig came with a roller furling boom-switch to slab reefing at a cost of $50 and you won't regret it. The mainsheet benefits from a traveler upgrade to help shape the main and dump a little wind up top when the breeze picks up. Cost about $250. The decks are wide, simple and clean. There is a real 2" toe rail to keep you aboard, not a half inch square of teak or an aluminum extrusion. The side decks are unobstructed by inboard shrouds, so she may not point as high, but deck work is easier, safer and more secure. That large underwater hull profile translates into more living space below. I have 6'2" of headroom. I've cruised extensively with my wife and kids and we always felt safe and comfortable, if a little cramped as they got larger. The bunks are roomy. The boat does not pound or sound like a resonating drum as it beats to windward. Flex in a Vanguard hull is unheard off. The deep vhull and mass combine to yield a much quieter and more comfortable ride. The boat tracks well, is not squirrely at all downwind or running in a sea. She heaves to easily, forereaching only slightly under backed jib and centered main. Speaking of the underwater profile, we have bazillions of lobster pots up here-folks won't even attempt a night passage in some parts due to all the lines. The attached rudder has a very well protected prop in an aperture which has never tangled in twenty years of cruising through thousands of pots. The A4 is a fine and elegantly simple engine. I rebuilt mine a few years back for $1500 and expect it to last another forty years. I can order you a block, a crank ,a cam-virtually any part you would conceivably need in fifteen minutes or less from multiple sources on the web. Would I like a diesel? Sure, but for $8000 I'll save my money for now. For long distance cruising, the A4 is limited in power and range given the inefficient power curve and the limited tankage. For coastal cruising, it's smooth, quiet and has adequate power. Mine pushes me upriver regularly against the outgoing tide of the Merrimac River which ebbs at 1.5 knots. A Beta diesel upgrade would give a cruising range under power of a couple hundred miles-which for a small boat is not terrible. Many Vanguards have already had a diesel upgrade. It is true, I guess, that you can cross oceans in just about anything, but it is extraordinary how many long voyages have been made in Vanguards. Three college grads circumnavigated on a Vanguard after graduating college. A couple from Maine went as far as Indonesia-I know several who have crossed the pond multiple times and I know one that races in the PACCup which is 2070 miles. I've spoken or corresponded with most of them and they all tell me the boat was safe, dependable and easy to handle in a seaway. We see them all over the coast of Maine where they are very well regarded. There is a very active users group on yahoo where you can correspond with hundreds of happy Vanguard owners and learn of virtually any upgrade you can imagine. Having said all of the above, I will share that I am looking for a new boat. My girlfriend wants more room. She's new to sailing and does not yet realize the exponential difference in cost between maintaining a 32 footer and a 38 footer. Those cavernous interiors of newer designs, with aft cabins and large galleys look so appealing-but she has not had to brace herself in rough conditions. If I do relent, we'll postpone our cruising a couple of years (at least) in order to fill the kitty after outfitting a newer design. The thing is, every newer design I look at does not look 1/2 as pretty as my Vanguard in profile. Every time I row away from her, I take one more look to take her in-I am having a really hard time imagining letting her go.  

JimPendoley said: Sigh... I've said before, these boats are dirt simple and the interiors should be thought of as more of a blank canvas than a finished design. But those are upgrades any older boat will likely need. I completely agree that as designed the Vanguards were very simple boats. This makes them easy to work on, update and maintain. if you are handy its is pretty easy to return one to original condition or upgrade it with modern hardware and amentities. Where you and I may disagree is that there are a lot of boats in the same general size and price range which can be purchased with all of the updates already onboard and operational. I also believe that if you are the one doing the upgrading, it is very hard to get even a reasonable percent of your dollars spent on the upgrades out of the boat when you are done since the prices on these boats are somewhat limited by the broader limitations of their age and design. Phil Rhodes was a pretty well regarded naval architect at the time he designed the Vanguard. Boat design is a blend of many compromises. Vanguards are slow by todays standards, but if you work with the design attributes they sail well. For example, they don't need to sail at a heel beyond fifteen degrees, nor were they ever intended to. If you heel over to twenty, put a reef in and she will sit right up. She will not go beyond twenty easily. I would agree, Phillip Rhodes was one of the top design offices in the world at the time that he designed the Vanguard. In conversations with Phillip Rhodes about the Vanguard, he made it clear that Pearson compromised the design when they were building the boat the main one being leaving out some of the ballast. You and I would agree that the Vanguard can be sailed quite comfortably at a heel angle of 15 degrees and that if you reef early (12 to15 knots of wind depending on the choice of headsail) she will stand back up and have a comparatively balanced helm. Where we might disagree is that the rule of thumb to get the most speed out of the Vanguard was to sail her with her toerail approximately a foot above the water, which I believe was closer to 20 degrees, and perhaps over that. There is a tendancy to talk about these long overhang boats increasing their waterline and therefore their speed with heel. If you stand them up, you are theortically are giving up speed. It may be that by standing the boat up some, that lost speed may be made up by a smaller leeway angle and therefore and better VMG. It would be fun to experiment with that using modern instruments. I sail all over New England and never felt the need for anything larger than a 135 on a furler. I sail on the open Atlantic, not the Chessie where air does tend to be lighter, but I regularly do 6 knots continuously off the wind and average 5-5.5 into the wind if I don't pinch. That is with four crewmembers and provisions for a week of cruising. With one reef in, the helm is almost neutral and you do need to reef at 15 knots. The second reef goes in at 30 and you will switching to a storm jib. I sail often when nobody else will go out. I think that you and I are actually in agreement here too. If you sail in a venue where the predominant winds are in the 10 to 15 knots you can probably do well with a 135%- #2 genoa. I do seem to recall that there is a geometry problem with the sheet lead on #2 genoas (125% to 140%) ( a conflct between sheeting inboard of the lifelines and outboard of the shrouds for which there needed to be a jib track and car added on the deck, or using the outboard jib track on the toerail and sheeting outboard of the lifelines without having the foot distorted on the bowpulpit and forward lifeline, or dropping the forward lifeline to the deck) that limits the size of a #2. But that said, I would think that a #2 could have a pretty wide range on a boat like the Vanguard. And also, reefing the main before reducing headsail size goes a long way towards taming the Vanguard's weather helm. As you note, when you start sailing these boats in venues with lighter winds, say winds much below 10 knots, you really need a larger much genoa, and those larger genoas are a pain to sail with, especially with the original hardware. But then you are faced with ideally swapping for a #2 genoa in winds around 12-15 knots, which then gets swapped for a #3 or working jib as you approach 20 knots. These are comparatively narrow windspeed ranges compared to more modern designs and that was all that I was saying. The rig came with a roller furling boom-switch to slab reefing at a cost of $50 and you won't regret it. I am not sure how you change to slab reefing for a cost of only $50 but I completely agree that slab reefing would be a major improvement. The mainsheet benefits from a traveler upgrade to help shape the main and dump a little wind up top when the breeze picks up. Cost about $250. The decks are wide, simple and clean. There is a real 2" toe rail to keep you aboard, not a half inch square of teak or an aluminum extrusion. The side decks are unobstructed by inboard shrouds, so she may not point as high, but deck work is easier, safer and more secure. Similarly, I am not sure how you add a traveler and control lines for a cost of only $250 but I completely agree that a traveller would be a major improvement on a boat with as little initial stability as the Vanguard. That large underwater hull profile translates into more living space below. I have 6'2" of headroom. I've cruised extensively with my wife and kids and we always felt safe and comfortable, if a little cramped as they got larger. The bunks are roomy. The boat does not pound or sound like a resonating drum as it beats to windward. Flex in a Vanguard hull is unheard off. The deep vhull and mass combine to yield a much quieter and more comfortable ride. The boat tracks well, is not squirrely at all downwind or running in a sea. She heaves to easily, forereaching only slightly under backed jib and centered main. Speaking of the underwater profile, we have bazillions of lobster pots up here-folks won't even attempt a night passage in some parts due to all the lines. The attached rudder has a very well protected prop in an aperture which has never tangled in twenty years of cruising through thousands of pots. I agree with most of this, but that 6'2" headroom is only in the doghouse. Where we might disagree is that the full bow sections hit harder in a chop than the fine bow on a well designed modern boat, and a well designed modern boat does not pound or boom like a drum when beating. I disagree that a Vanguard hull does not flex. The ones that I have sailed to weather tend to have their head doors stick when going to weather because the boat is flexing. If you sit on the trunk portion of the house with your feet on the deck you can actually feel the flexure. Someone mentioned the Farr 37 above. I agree with that comment that they do tend to pound. The Farr 37 was an IOR design and so has comparatively flat botton which can slap and pound pretty badly. That is one of the things which would discourage me from buying an IOR era design, but that is another story. (I own a Farr 38 which was not an IOR boat and which has vee shaped sections forward) The A4 is a fine and elegantly simple engine. I rebuilt mine a few years back for $1500 and expect it to last another forty years. I can order you a block, a crank ,a cam-virtually any part you would conceivably need in fifteen minutes or less from multiple sources on the web. Would I like a diesel? Sure, but for $8000 I'll save my money for now. For long distance cruising, the A4 is limited in power and range given the inefficient power curve and the limited tankage. For coastal cruising, it's smooth, quiet and has adequate power. Mine pushes me upriver regularly against the outgoing tide of the Merrimac River which ebbs at 1.5 knots. A Beta diesel upgrade would give a cruising range under power of a couple hundred miles-which for a small boat is not terrible. Many Vanguards have already had a diesel upgrade. I actually like the Atomic 4. I agree that they are easy and comparatively inexpensive to work on and if maintained are quite reliable. I must apologize for my comments above about parts availability. That was written approximately 10-12 years ago and there seemed to be more problems getting Atomic 4 parts than there are today, as long as you don't mind updating to newer (and more reliable) style parts. It is true, I guess, that you can cross oceans in just about anything, but it is extraordinary how many long voyages have been made in Vanguards. Three college grads circumnavigated on a Vanguard after graduating college. A couple from Maine went as far as Indonesia-I know several who have crossed the pond multiple times and I know one that races in the PACCup which is 2070 miles. I've spoken or corresponded with most of them and they all tell me the boat was safe, dependable and easy to handle in a seaway. We see them all over the coast of Maine where they are very well regarded. There is a very active users group on yahoo where you can correspond with hundreds of happy Vanguard owners and learn of virtually any upgrade you can imagine. You and I agree on most of that. If you are a good seaman and in decent condition, and you have a Vanguard that is in good shape and well maintained, it would certainly be possible to take one distance cruising and do so on a budget. By the same token as these boats age, it takes a diligent effort to make one safe and reliable. Certainly chainplates, fuel and water tanks, and rudders can be replaced. Bulkheads can be stripped of the formica, repaired or replaced as well. Longitudinals and transverse framing can be added were needed. The hull deck joint can be beefed up where fatigue has taken its toll. And when you are done you have a boat that can probably go the distance. But my point in these discussions is not whether it can be done, but whether the Vanguard really makes sense for that purpose, or whether a person considering a lot of offshore sailing would not be better served by a boat design which began life as a distance cruiser, rather than a boat like the Vanguard which began life as a race boat and coastal cruiser. The thing is, every newer design I look at does not look 1/2 as pretty as my Vanguard in profile. Every time I row away from her, I take one more look to take her in-I am having a really hard time imagining letting her go. And you and I agree on this as well. Where we might disagree is my belief that a boat is a tool, a very sophisticated tool, but a tool none the less. And to me, no matter how beautiful a tool may be, I sstill judge it on its effectiveness for my purposes. For my purposes, ease of handling, speed and seaworthiness come first. And how ever we each may view this, I respectfully suggest that for my particular set of preferences, the Vanguard does not do all that well compared to other options within its general price range. But we each chose the boats we do in response to our own needs, tastes, goals and budgets. And in that regard there is no one right answer that suits all of us equally. If your Vanguard makes your heart soar and your days bright, then it is the exact right choice for you. And that is all that counts. Click to expand...

appick said: I actually have what may be one of the first or second (I seem to recall finding and earlier boat) fiberglass production boats. It's a 1961 Columbia 29 Hull#64, they were a S&S design but... guess where Phil Rhodes was working before he went out on his own... So he drew the lines for the Columbia 29 while working at S&S. I know the design was commissioned in 1958/59, and production started in 1960. Click to expand...

I just realized I made it sound like the boat was abandoned. The former owner was elderly and eventually fell ill and then later died. While he was ill the family made the decision to sign over the boat in leu of yard/ storage fees ect. It definetly isn't a boatyard queen that's left to rot.  

If you ever feel the need to mod your future Vanguard, check out what this fellow did. The ad is expired, but the pic is still there. He said the rudder mod made a huge difference, so much so that he had to go back and slow down the ratio as it was turning so much faster. Pearson Vanguard 33 yacht for sale Also, while JimPendoley, I believe, represents an honest informant on his boat, warts and all, here's a link to another review that, surprise surprise, backs him up. Go here, and click the bullet on the left that says "American Beauty" The Pearson Vanguard Page Finally, it amazes me how there's constantly this question of the durability of fiberglass boats. We read about the plastic trash island in the pacific, the plastic bottles that will "never bio-degrade in our landfills," and blah, blah, blah about the evils of plastic. Well, does it bio-degrade or doesn't it? Does it last 100 years in the sun, or doesn't it? Duplicitous, me thinks. And this is said about discarded light plastic items, not a maintained, much heavier glass/plastic boat. Do the bottles last forever, but the boats don't? And spare me the stress analysis comparing a working boat vs a soda bottle. It is what it is. Either plastic boats will last forever, or the plastic bottle invincibility theory is sunk.  

Thanks for the info I've been there and yes they make a good read. I've heard from many about the pluses and minuses of the boats. I appreciate the article on the rudder mod I'll dig into it. I've been googling for a couple of weeks and surprised I missed that one.  

Actually that's the 2nd Vanguard I've seen with a spade rudder. I seem to remember reading an article about how towards the end of production they weren't very competitive so they redesigned the rudder to a spade and several came from Pearson this way... It would be interesting to compare the sailing qualities side by side. I bet the spade is quicker/ points better but, somehow though I like the keel hung rudder better. It's better supported and less for things to get tangled on ect.  

He said it was basically what you'd expect. Better for maneuvering, backing, racing, and catching stuff, but in some decent waves it'd ventilate and lose tracking, so it depended on your use and prefs.  

Yahoo Groups  

Jeff H. You were speaking on the construction materials and it appears you said this about the Vanguard? "Shorter fiber lengths and more brittle resins meant a very flexible and at the same time fatigue prone material." Short fibers? In woven roving? How do you figure? Short compared to what? I would consider short fibers to be more like the chopper gun products that have been manufactured the last 30 some-odd years to be the champion of short fiber lengths. And what's this about vacuum-bagging? There were companies working without vacuum systems into the 1990's, only relenting to closed systems, not for the end product quality, but for the demands of the EPA, so I'm not seeing how that's relevant either, be it on Vanguards or any other fiberglassed anything made (in an open setting) up til the EPA mandated it be a closed system.  

Ohh I figured it out I got my designer wires crossed so to speak. I was thinking of Carl Alberg... my bad.  

For my money, the Vanguard is one of the prettiest boats ever. The biggest reason I didn't seriously consider buying one is the attached rudder design. I just couldn't live with the daily terror of trying to back that thing up in my crowded marina. But if money becomes no object, I would seriously consider buying one and sending her to Tim Lackey to completely renovate, including one of those spade rudders.  

Most of what Jeff says makes a lot of sense to me. It's easy to believe manufacturing improved over a 50 year period, resulting in a stiff and lighter weight ship. As for framing, the surveyor who surveyed my Vanguard, when asked about framing, said the hull was over framed given the laminate thicknesses. He was a very experienced surveyor. I believe it based on the lack of oil canning or any visible flex anywhere when working into a head sea (or colliding occasionally with a dock!). While resin mix and vacuum bagging has improved hull layup, the early Pearson's did not seem to suffer from blisters either-that was a product of later manufacturing processes.  

Nice discussion So, my candid question is: is it possible to correct these defects somewhat by adding partial bulkheads and knees?  

I would like to touch on a number of other points in this discussion. I too have heard of Vanguards that had spade or skeg hung rudder, but I would be skeptical that these were actually built that way at the factory. Pearson was a comparatively late adopter of spade or skeg hung rudders. When I visited the factory around 1966, Pearson was already building the Coaster and Wanderer, both of which had long keels (the Wanderer with shoal draft and a centerboard) with attached rudders. When we were looking at the Coaster, the last Vanguard that was ever built was still at the factory. It had remained unsold due to gelcoat defects, but was under contract when we saw her. That boat had the same keel hung rudder that was on our Vanguard. The first Pearsons constructed with spade rudders were the Renegade 27 (a really nice but seemingly forgotten design) and the Pearson 22 and these were designed and built several years after the last Vanguard was constructed. My best guess is that any Vanguards that have a spade rudder were probably owner modified. Obviously, I could be wrong on this since Pearson may have built one or two custom spade rudder Vanguards along the way. Jeff  

Jeff_H said: The first Pearsons constructed with spade rudders were the Renegade 27 (a really nice but seemingly forgotten design) Click to expand...

the renegades are nice...very nice lines..strongly built too the wanderer mentioned before is a battle tank  

Jeff, Thanks for your usual balanced and thoughtful reply. I learn a ton from this forum and your insights are some of the most informative. I am guilty of falling in love with the design and should probably view it more as a tool-albeit an old one. I will also suggest that anyone interested in the design join the yahoo groups forum. It is very well moderated and has several hundred active owners. It is a treasure trove of information about projects, modifications and upgrades-oodles of photos and a searchable database of conversations.  

Thank you everyone for the lively discussion, and for the very kind words. MStern, I have never understood why the Renegade has such a small production run followed by instant obscurity. They have always struck me as one of Bill Shaw's nicest designs for its era. The Renegade design was moving away from the extremes of that era with a proportionately longer waterline, finer bow, more moderate wetted surface and foils. Very clean lines; not too heavy, not too light. Both the traditional aft galley layout and the alternate, dinette layout were quite workable for a boat this size. The only slightly odd thing about the Renegade was the propeller shaft exiting the back of the keel on the inboard versions. What is there not to like? There is a seemingly nice example for sale on Yachtworld for $4,500. 1968 Pearson Renegade Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com Jeff  

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Pearson Owners Website

The Pearson 32 : 1979–1982

The Pearson 32 is an honest, dual purpose boat that can switch gears from cruising to racing, from warning gun to the start.

More and more, I’m convinced that cruising boats should be performance oriented…or maybe I should say performance boats should be cruising oriented. No matter how you put it, the Pearson 32 is an honest, dual purpose boat that can switch gears from cruising to racing, from warning gun to the start. In designing the 32, I struck balance. Not a compromise, because that implies we give up something. In the case of the 32 that balance shows up in her exceptional cruising accommodations, anchor well, large cockpit, uncluttered deck and clean lines. From a racing point of view it shows up in her modern underbody, rig, rating and response. Sort of like putting the appointments of a luxury sedan on a sports car chassis. You get comfort plus performance and handling. The long and short of it is, that’s exactly what we achieved. The 32 balances beautifully, has a magnificent touch, and responds effortlessly on all points of sail, while providing all the comforts of home. If your sailing pleasure combines the excitement of club-level racing with relaxation of cruising with family and friends, the 32 is right for you. Come Sail With Us...

Pearson 32 Resources

• Pearson 32 1-Page - Pearson Yachts Inc.
• Owners Guide wth Brochure - Pearson Yachts Inc.
• Pearson 32 Review
• Modified P32 by Eric Sponberg
• Boat Review by Practical Sailor - August 2007
• Pearson Info - dan.pfeiffer.net
• P32 Specifications - SailboatData.com

Pearson 32 Brochure

Click to enlarge

VANGUARD 33 (PEARSON) Detailed Review

If you are a boat enthusiast looking to get more information on specs, built, make, etc. of different boats, then here is a complete review of VANGUARD 33 (PEARSON). Built by Pearson Yachts and designed by Philip Rhodes, the boat was first built in 1963. It has a hull type of Fin Keel and LOA is 9.93. Its sail area/displacement ratio 15.94. Its auxiliary power tank, manufactured by Universal, runs on Gas.

VANGUARD 33 (PEARSON) has retained its value as a result of superior building, a solid reputation, and a devoted owner base. Read on to find out more about VANGUARD 33 (PEARSON) and decide if it is a fit for your boating needs.

Boat Information

Boat specifications, sail boat calculation, rig and sail specs, auxillary power tank, accomodations, contributions, who designed the vanguard 33 (pearson).

VANGUARD 33 (PEARSON) was designed by Philip Rhodes.

Who builds VANGUARD 33 (PEARSON)?

VANGUARD 33 (PEARSON) is built by Pearson Yachts.

When was VANGUARD 33 (PEARSON) first built?

VANGUARD 33 (PEARSON) was first built in 1963.

How long is VANGUARD 33 (PEARSON)?

VANGUARD 33 (PEARSON) is 6.81 m in length.

What is mast height on VANGUARD 33 (PEARSON)?

VANGUARD 33 (PEARSON) has a mast height of 9.91 m.

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40 Best Sailboats

• By Cruising World Editors
• Updated: May 24, 2024

Sailors are certainly passionate about their boats, and if you doubt that bold statement, try posting an article dubbed “ 40 Best Sailboats ” and see what happens.

Barely had the list gone live, when one reader responded, “Where do I begin? So many glaring omissions!” Like scores of others, he listed a number of sailboats and brands that we were too stupid to think of, but unlike some, he did sign off on a somewhat upbeat note: “If it weren’t for the presence of the Bermuda 40 in Cruising World’s list, I wouldn’t even have bothered to vote.”

By vote, he means that he, like hundreds of other readers, took the time to click through to an accompanying page where we asked you to help us reshuffle our alphabetical listing of noteworthy production sailboats so that we could rank them instead by popularity. So we ask you to keep in mind that this list of the best sailboats was created by our readers.

The quest to building this list all began with such a simple question, one that’s probably been posed at one time or another in any bar where sailors meet to raise a glass or two: If you had to pick, what’re the best sailboats ever built?

In no time, a dozen or more from a variety of sailboat manufacturers were on the table and the debate was on. And so, having fun with it, we decided to put the same question to a handful of CW ‘s friends: writers and sailors and designers and builders whose opinions we value. Their favorites poured in and soon an inkling of a list began to take shape. To corral things a bit and avoid going all the way back to Joshua Slocum and his venerable Spray —Hell, to Noah and his infamous Ark —we decided to focus our concentration on production monohull sailboats, which literally opened up the sport to anyone who wanted to get out on the water. And since CW is on the verge or turning 40, we decided that would be a nice round number at which to draw the line and usher in our coming ruby anniversary.

If you enjoy scrolling through this list, which includes all types of sailboats, then perhaps you would also be interested in browsing our list of the Best Cruising Sailboats . Check it out and, of course, feel free to add your favorite boat, too. Here at Cruising World , we like nothing better than talking about boats, and it turns out, so do you.

– LEARN THE NAVIGATION RULES – Know the “Rules of the Road” that govern all boat traffic. Be courteous and never assume other boaters can see you. Safety Tip Provided by the U.S. Coast Guard

40. Moore 24

39. Pearson Vanguard

38. Dufour Arpege 30

37. Alerion Express 28

36. Mason 43/44

35. Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 43DS

34. Nor’Sea 27

33. Freedom 40

32. Beneteau Sense 50

31. Nonsuch 30

30. Swan 44

29. C&C Landfall 38

28. Gulfstar 50

27. Sabre 36

26. Pearson Triton

– CHECK THE FIT – Follow these guidelines to make sure your life jacket looks good, stays comfortable and works when you need it. Safety Tip Provided by the U.S. Coast Guard

25. Islander 36

24. Gozzard 36

23. Bristol 40

22. Tartan 34

21. Morgan Out Island 41

20. Hylas 49

19. Contessa 26

18. Whitby 42

17. Columbia 50

16. Morris 36

15. Hunter 356

13. Beneteau 423

12. Westsail 32

– CHECK THE WEATHER – The weather changes all the time. Always check the forecast and prepare for the worst case. Safety Tip Provided by the U.S. Coast Guard

10. Alberg 30

9. Island Packet 38

8. Passport 40

7. Tayana 37

6. Peterson 44

5. Pacific Seacraft 37

4. Hallberg-Rassy 42

3. Catalina 30

2. Hinckley Bermuda 40

1. Valiant 40

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• Sailboat Guide

Pearson 32 is a 31 ′ 9 ″ / 9.7 m monohull sailboat designed by William Shaw and built by Pearson Yachts between 1979 and 1982.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

The PEARSON 32 is similar to the PEARSON 31 (1977), but with a different stern and a masthead rig.

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