pearson 28 sailboat

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The Pearson 28 : 1975–1982

The 28 is a logical and efficient extension of our theory that a boat should be designed and built with particular attention paid to how families live afloat. Daysailing, racing, overnight or extended cruising, the 28 does it all.

Responsive and Attractive

The guy who started it all has done it again... Bill Shaw co-founded the Midget Ocean Racing Club (MORC) because he believed strongly that boats under 30 feet could be designed and built to compete offshore just as well as bigger boats with a lot less expense, hassle and crew problems.

His concept was that growing families could campaign a boat this size successfully. And because she was designed and built to withstand the rigors of the race course, she could be cruised safely and comfortably. Witness the new Pearson 28. A superb example of the MORC concept. A good all 'round racing/cruising boat that fits all rules. Beautifully balanced. Manageable. A real delight to sail. And belowdecks? You wouldn't expect anthing else from Pearson, but real live-aboard comfort and quality that won't quit.

We look at it this way. The Pearson 28 will probably not be your last boat. And we want you to " Come Sail With Us "... for years to come.

Pearson Yachts Inc. 1975

Pearson 28 On The Web

Pearson 28 Specifications - SailboatData.com

Pearson-Info P28 - dan.pfeiffer.net

Pearson 28-1 Documents

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Specifications

Pearson 28-1 Brochure

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Pearson 28 Used Boat Review

Posted April 5, 2017

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A number of years ago we were planning our first Caribbean charter vacation, trying to decide what boat to choose for our week long trip. We had made any number of week long passages on our Alberg 30 over the years without feeling too cramped for space. To make a long story short, we decided on a J/28 and had a wonderful time. The size was all we needed, in fact, a fair bit more interior volume than our A-30 and, while we weren’t overwhelmed by the beauty and style of this modern design, we soon grew to appreciate some of the advantages offered by wider beam, higher freeboard and the generally stubbier look of more modern designs. 

A few years later, when we found ourselves in the market for a replacement for the Alberg 30 we had sailed for nearly 10 years, we found we were spoiled by our Caribbean experience. We were now willing to compromise our preference for classic styling in favor of a little more interior volume, hot water, and a shower. Two other primary factors were our budget and the size of our slip. After all things were considered, we chose a Pearson 28 as a replacement for the classic 25 year old boat we had enjoyed so much but no longer had the time to maintain. 

Pearson Yachts has a long history of building very successful boats in the 28’ size range dating back to the Pearson Triton, introduced in 1959. The period from 1975 to 1982 saw the first Pearson 28, which was patterned after Pearson’s hugely successful 26 and 30 foot models. The latest and last Pearson 28, and the subject of this review, was produced from 1985 through 1989. 

Hull construction of a Pearson 28 is a solid laminate of fiberglass cloth and plastic resin. Decks utilize an end grain balsa core for added strength and rigidity. The deck and hull are joined with through bolts on an outward flange covered by a plastic molding. This method of joining the hull and deck has the disadvantage of being easily damaged by minor collisions with docks and pilings but is otherwise strong and secure. Construction is sound, and I have yet to find any serious delaminations or bonding failures. Some typical problem areas to keep an eye out for are persistent leaks around cabin windows and ports, broken plastic through hull fittings at the port and starboard deck scupper drains, and plastic rubrails cracked from impact with docks and pilings. It is also quite common to find a moderate amount of osmotic blistering if bottoms have not been barrier coated. 

Auxiliary power is provided by a two cylinder 15 or 18 hp Yanmar diesel engine. P-28s were standardly-equipped with a fixed two blade propeller. This is plenty of power for this size boat under nearly all conditions. The layout of the Pearson 28 utilizes space well. There is a quarter berth cabin along the port side, a V-berth forward, and a U-shaped settee with a drop leaf table which forms a dinette forward in the saloon. There is a small galley along the port side and a good-sized ice box on the starboard side. The lid to the ice box makes for an adequately sized chart table. There is a fully enclosed head with an integral shower aft on the starboard side. Storage space under berth and seat cushions is adequate. If this sounds like a lot to pack into a 28’ boat, it is. The down-side of this interior is that this is not a boat designed with big people in mind. The longest berth is only slightly over 6’, and although the port side quarter berth is wide enough for two people, half the berth is tucked under the cockpit. Overhead clearance is insufficient for all but young children. Cabin doors provide privacy for the quarter berth cabin and head but are very narrow and sometimes difficult for a grown adult to get in and out of. Ventilation is about as good as it can get on a boat of this size. There are three deck hatches, although the foredeck hatch is the only one large enough for escape or to fit a sail bag through. In addition there are five opening ports. 

One of the benefits of my job is that, over the years, I have been able to sail on literally hundreds of different boats. Of all these, there are only a few dozen models I have had a chance to sail for any period of time or under a variety of conditions, so when commenting on sailing qualities, I often rely on accounts of others. However, with the P-28, I can tell you first hand that under all the conditions I have encountered on the Bay, this is a very nice sailing boat. I have never been able to get the boat to point quite as high as I think she should. This is probably because our boat still has the original factory-supplied mainsail which, not to mince words, is terrible quality. No doubt the addition of a well-made mainsail would pick up a few degrees. I am most impressed with the way the boat balances under nearly all conditions. Even overpowered there is practically no weather helm. 

Over the years we had become accustomed to unsolicited comments about the attractiveness of our Alberg 30. It is unlikely passersby will offer similar comments about her replacement, but this is a tough boat to beat in this size range for practicality, value, and sailing comfort. This was quite a popular boat in this area, and there always seem to be a few on the market. 

As I’ve said before, all boats are compromises, and we have learned to appreciate our Pearson 28 for all its plusses. We’re very happy with our choice. 

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Pearson 28-2

Forgiving to sail and comfortable below, this 80s-era boat is the ideal first "big" boat

I did a lot of my early racing on the Pearson 28-2 Sun Dog owned by Pete Klein and sailed out of Kenosha, Wisconsin. I had a great time sailing with the entire Klein family all over Lake Michigan. We were a moderately experienced race crew, and the Pearson always took care of us. Toward the end of my time aboard Sun Dog, we took a direct lightning strike to the mast while underway. There was electrical damage and some minor fiberglass damage, but that good old boat just kept going. First impressions

Pearson Yachts built several boats that could be considered a Pearson 28, but the one I am reviewing is the Pearson 28-2 drawn by Bill Shaw and built by Pearson from 1985 to 1989.

The Pearson cousins cleared out of Pearson Yachts in the early years and Bill Shaw came in as designer in 1963 and took the helm of Pearson in 1966 as general manager and chief designer. Shaw learned his craft during his 11-year stint at Sparkman & Stephens, under the tutelage of Olin Stephens and Al Mason.

The 28-2 has a conservative look that has aged well. The underbody is fairly conservative, with a fin keel and spade rudder. The wetted surface is moderate, with a fairly flat forefoot, and flat sections aft to allow good speed downwind. Construction

The hull is solid fiberglass and the deck is end-grain balsa cored for rigidity. Interestingly, Pearson yachts claims to have come up with the idea of using end-grain balsa to limit water migration. Prior to this development, balsa was used in three-foot-long, two-inch-wide strips. There are rumors that, in early model boats, Pearsons were built in fiberglass but scaled to wooden boat scantlings, the builders not quite trusting this new material. But in fact Pearson did a lot of advanced material property testing and had a very good handle on how to work in fiberglass.

The hull and deck are through-bolted on an outward flange, and the resulting sandwich is then covered with a plastic rubrail. This method of attachment is strong but the outward facing flange is a bit ungainly and exposes the flange to damage in the event of a collision. The flange is topped off with an attractive oiled teak toerail.

The boat uses molded hull-and-deck liners, but this isn't a bad choice for a small boat. The mast is deck stepped with a stout stainless steel compression post and the lead keel is externally fastened. The keel attachment is robust, but most externally fastened keels are at risk of damage in the event of a grounding. There is an option for an externally fastened cast iron shoal-draft keel, shortening the draft from 4 feet, 10 inches to 3 feet, 6 inches. What to look for

There was not a lot of difference over the model years, so you mostly need to look for a good, clean boat. Some of the problem areas are small deck leaks around the portlights and hatches, and cracking of the plastic-framed portlights. I would carefully inspect the above-water plastic through-hull fittings, used for the cockpit scuppers.

These boats are roughly 20 years old, so expect a fair amount of owner tweaking. Inspect the quality of the added gear and its installation. Original electronics will likely need to be replaced, so be sure to give a close look to this equipment.

The hulls were well built, but those without barrier coating could be subject to mild hull blistering, as are most boats of this era. Give the keel attachment a thorough inspection-the keel, stub and bolts are robust but the arrangement is vulnerable in a hard grounding. It is not unusual for the boats to develop a bit of a "smile" at the hull-and-keel joint, where the filler and fairing compound can crack and break loose. This problem is typically cosmetic and can be easily fixed up when doing a bottom job. On deck

The cockpit is really spacious, especially considering this is only a 28-foot boat. It consists of two long settees, with a small lazarette on port and a large, deep sail locker on starboard. The boats came with Edson pedestal steering. The factory placed the traveler on the raised bridgedeck, near the boom end, but some owners have moved it to the coachroof in an attempt to open up the cockpit.

The deck hardware is good quality; a nice mix of Harken and Lewmar, with an Isomat deck-stepped spar.

The side decks are very friendly. There are teak handrails on the raised cabinhouse and you are protected by a double lifeline. The foredeck is workable and includes anchoring gear with a shallow anchor well. Down below

The interior of the 28-2 is very comfortable. The boat is a tad beamy and this translates into a lot of interior volume. The interior is finished off in a classy mix of oiled teak and fiberglass liner.

The saloon consists of two long settees with a centerline folding table mounted on the compression post. There is lots of storage above and outboard of the settees. The main portion of the galley is on port with a single sink, two-burner alcohol stove and storage. The large icebox is on starboard, and the lid doubles as the chart table. There is a fully enclosed head compartment with a nice fiberglass liner. It holds a proper marine head, sink and shower.

The brochure boasts two full double berths, one forward and the other in a private stateroom in the port aft quarter. The aft stateroom is comfortable, with a hanging locker and ample room to stand up to change clothes. The after berth is large but a lot of it is under the cockpit well, limiting headroom on the inboard side.

The cabin sole is finished off in traditional teak and holly. Ventilation is average, with a large forward deck hatch, two small deck hatches in the head and aft cabin, and a few opening portlights. Engine

The boats used a two-cylinder 15- or 18-horsepower Yanmar diesel inboard. This engine pushes the boat nicely and has the capacity to throttle back to allow you to stretch the 16-gallon fuel capacity. The two-bladed fixed prop is driven with a 1-inch stainless shaft supported by a bronze skeg and shaft log. Over the years, many owners have upgraded to a two-bladed folding prop for a bit more speed under sail. Underway

I spent a lot of racing hours on a Pearson 28-2 in the mid-1990s; we did a lot of buoy racing and quite a few of the distance races. The boat was never first-to-finish but we always sailed to our handicap. It was very nice on the distance races as it offered a bit of creature comfort.

The boat is beamy and relatively heavy at 7,000 pounds, not a great combination for light-air sailing, but the boat stands up to a blow. When the wind pipes up, the form stability offered by the wide beam keeps the boat on its feet. To improve light-air performance on the boat I sailed we added a 150-percent genoa and an asymmetrical spinnaker. The light-air No. 1 took us upwind nicely in the light stuff, and we put up the chute to reach or run.

Overall the boat was a lot of fun. It would move nicely in light air with the right sails, would stand up to a blow, and motored nicely during deliveries. Conclusion

The Pearson 28-2 is a well-built, attractive boat; a perfect first "big boat." The boat is fun to sail, spacious and forgiving.

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Specifications

Your day on the water just got better.

The Pearson 28 has been a very popular racer/cruiser over the years.  She actually sleeps 6 and would make a nice small family cruiser.

Overall the boat was a lot of fun. It would move nicely in light air with the right sails, would stand up to a blow, and motored nicely during deliveries.

Conclusion:

The Pearson 28-2 is a well-built, attractive boat; a perfect first “big boat.” The boat is fun to sail, spacious and forgiving. (Sailing Magazine staff article, Sept.1 2010)

Make: Pearson

Class: Cruiser

Fuel Type: Diesel

Contact Information

Please contact Beaufort Yacht Sales at 252-728-3155

Accommodations/Equipment

• 1986 Yanmar 2GM20F 16hp engine
• Long port and starboard settees on deck
• Small lazarette port side
• Deep sail locker starboard side
• Spacious cockpit
• Seakindly side decks with teak hand rails on the raised cabin house
• Double lifeline
• Workable foredeck with anchoring gear and a shallow anchor well
• Dodger and bimini
• Varnished teak throughout
• Teak and hollt cabin sole
• Salon settees with a centerline folding table
• Storage outboard of settees
• Large ice box to starboard with lid that doubles as a chart table
• Fully enclosed head with marine toilet, sink and shower
• Full double V-berth
• Full double berth aft
• Large forward deck hatch
• Two small deck hatches in the head and aft cabin
• Opening port lights
• Standard Horizon VHF
• Raymarine autopilot
• Chartplotter with depth and speed

Disclaimer The Company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.

Length Overall: 28 5

Max Draft: 4 10

Fresh Water Tank: 22 gal

Fuel Tank: 14 gal

Holding Tank: 10 gal

Accommodations

• 300 Front St. Beaufort, NC 28516
• (252) 728-3155
• [email protected]

CONTACT US ABOUT A BOAT

Contact broker sonny conover.

• 300 Front St., Beaufort NC 28516
• (252) 342-0040

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